Hi-speed Cellular and Satellite Internet

January 8, 2008 - Last week we talked about some of the low-tech ways to stay online while you're traveling, including Dial-up access and WiFi. By far, the best way to stay in touch while your on the road is with your own connection that goes where you do.

Which brings us to Hi-Speed Cellular and Satellite Internet. Both are excellent options, depending on you exact circumstances and budget.

High-Speed Cellular

High-Speed Cellular, also known as WLAN, is an excellent way to get online if you frequent larger cities, or when you're staying on the major highways. Coverage over most of the U.S. is excellent, although some of the Northwest states are sparse. Here's a map that shows the major coverage areas of one service company:

In order to get online for High-Speed Cellular, you're going to need a WLAN card. The Sony Ericsson GC83 PC Air Card is one such card that provides good coverage. If you're going to be on the fringe areas of usage, getting a Wilson Electronics external antenna and booster for it is highly recommended. Check out Trissle Computers for some good options. Depending on your cell phone, you can also get an adapter for it, which extends coverage up to 50 miles!

Satellite Internet

This is my personnal favorite, and what I've been using as my primary Internet connection for the past 3 years to stay online while we've been on the road. With the right equipment, you can get online almost anywhere in North America, except for maybe the fringe areas of Alaska.

Direcway two-way satellite with the MotoSat mobile dish is the way to go. There are two basic versions available, the DataStorm F1 (53" stowed) or the BIG DataStorm F3 (64" stowed). The biggest difference between the two is speed and coverage. Again, I've been using the F1 for almost 3 years now without issue in the U.S.. Canada, however, had limited coverage with the satellite I was using (SatMex 5). There are other satellites available, and the other option is the F3 which has much better however. You can also get a VoIP phone for use with the satellite so that you've got phone access everywhere as well.

So what's the drawbacks of the Satellite? The first is price... F1s are going for about $4K plus $800 for installation at the time of this publication, and F3s are a whopping $14K plus another $1K for installation! Monthly access is more than cellular, too, starting at about $100/month.

The other major drawback is location. If you can't see the satellite, you can't get online. Which means you generally need a site that is clear to the South, just like for DirecTV.

For me personally, it's the next best thing to having a hard-wired DSL or Cable Modem!

Conclusion

That's it for now... Check back next week for the article in the High-Tech Series, or sign up here: