Internet service

BOB3288 · 03-07-2018, 11:37 AM

What is the best and least expensive way to get internet while traveling,second part can i get internet through a satellite receiver like dish,or direct tv. I know i can get wifi at public places but im looking for my own

doc73 · 03-07-2018, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOB3288

What is the best and least expensive way to get internet while traveling,second part can i get internet through a satellite receiver like dish,or direct tv. I know i can get wifi at public places but im looking for my own

I've just found it best to use internet through a hotspot or even the cell phone for tethering. You can get internet through a satellite but it tends to be very expensive and very slow.

Like you said you can also use the free hotspots or Wi-Fi connections at cafes and restaurants but I would be leery of their security. For General web surfing they may be fine for for anything that requires any type of security like purchasing items I'd be very leery of using them. They also tend to be somewhat slow at times.

**ependydad** · 03-07-2018, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doc73

Like you said you can also use the free hotspots or Wi-Fi connections at cafes and restaurants but I would be leery of their security. For General web surfing they may be fine for for anything that requires any type of security like purchasing items I'd be very leery of using them..

Public wifi is perfectly safe for online shopping and banking since the sites use secure browsing (the "s" in http]s). Everything between you and the site is encrypted. People sniffing the network can see that you're ON a bank/shopping site, but they can't see in the encrypted traffic between your computer and the website.

doc73 · 03-07-2018, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ependydad

Public wifi is perfectly safe for online shopping and banking since the sites use secure browsing (the "s" in http]s). Everything between you and the site is encrypted. People sniffing the network can see that you're ON a bank/shopping site, but they can't see in the encrypted traffic between your computer and the website.

Let me ask you this then since I'm kinda blowing smoke out my butt here then the owner of the network has no ability to be able to monitor what goes across their Network? I don't mean just where you're visiting but actually seeing what is physically going across ie credit card numbers.

doc73 · 03-07-2018, 11:58 AM

Kind of as an afterthought the reason I say that is my vehicle for work is a giant mobile hotspot. This is because the FBI has the public networks are not secure enough to ensure that nothing can be hacked or found from anything that I'm using in my vehicle at the time.

**ependydad** · 03-07-2018, 12:00 PM

Best and least expensive are 2 very mutually exclusive terms.

The cheapest- just use your phone as a hotspot and be careful to monitor your data usage and stay within your existing plan.

The best- dedicated hotspot devices (also commonly referred to as Jetpacks though that's using a brand name as a generic term- like using Kleenex for tissues). You still have to watch data unless you have a coveted unlimited data plan which are getting harder and harder to acquire.

Both being cellular based, you may find that as you start to get to fringe areas, a booster and/or antenna is important.

For me, best is more important than cheap. BUT I work a 9-5 job from home that requires me to be online for 8-10 hours a day and fulltime in my rig. I absolutely need passable internet for me to function. I carry hotspots devices from AT&T and Verizon and both are on unlimited plans. My monthly phone + Internet bill runs close to $350/month. Second to campsites, it's my single largest monthly expense. I also have a cell booster, hotspot antenna, and a WiFi booster.

---

Yes, you can get satellite Internet but it's often costly and a little slow.

The best resource out there for Internet needs for RVers is the Mobile Internet Resource Center at:
https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/

BandJCarm · 03-07-2018, 12:03 PM

If the campground is awful and I have to bank or open email, I sit in my truck and use that hotspot.

**ependydad** · 03-07-2018, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doc73

Let me ask you this then since I'm kinda blowing smoke out my butt here then the owner of the network has no ability to be able to monitor what goes across their Network? I don't mean just where you're visiting but actually seeing what is physically going across ie credit card numbers.

...

Kind of as an afterthought the reason I say that is my vehicle for work is a giant mobile hotspot. This is because the FBI has the public networks are not secure enough to ensure that nothing can be hacked or found from anything that I'm using in my vehicle at the time.

The owner of the network has no ability to be able to monitor what goes across their Network. Correct. They can control and see what sites you visit but not the data being passed on those sites (i.e. credit card numbers).

The danger of public wifi is that it's a shared network and other devices have the ability to hack into the machines. That's different than intercepting traffic between your computer and a website. That's putting your entire machine at risk by connecting at all regardless of surfing (private or otherwise).

doc73 · 03-07-2018, 12:51 PM

OK, thanks.So really the least of your concerns could be the credit card number getting grabbed.. They could infect the whole computer. I think I'll stick to my hotspot...

5picker · 03-07-2018, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ependydad

The owner of the network has no ability to be able to monitor what goes across their Network. Correct. They can control and see what sites you visit but not the data being passed on those sites (i.e. credit card numbers).

The danger of public wifi is that it's a shared network and other devices have the ability to hack into the machines. That's different than intercepting traffic between your computer and a website. That's putting your entire machine at risk by connecting at all regardless of surfing (private or otherwise).

Correct.
Most folks have no clue how to protect their computers from being subject to these kinds of issues. Without some measure of security, hackers can attach keyloggers to your machine (each time you type your username and password it types it out on their machine) or any number of disc scrubbers to confiscate your personal information which could reside in your machine or cache files. As Doug mentioned... you don't even need to be surfing the web, once you are connected to their network, all bets are off as to where these deviates could backdoor into.