GBHRPS
06-22-2010, 04:56 PM
New to the RV life and pretty sure we will be doing more and more of it when my wife retires shortly, we purchased a laptop computer to do email and campground searches and registrations, etc. After some searching, we came to a solution for us that I thought I'd pass along for those who are in the boat.
Sure, many campgrounds offer Wifi, some are free, some charge a nominal fee, and many require you to be very close to their wireless router. But we wanted to be able to use the computer while going down the road, or at a site, anywhere, but not break the bank.
After checking out Bell, Telus and several other providers we found what we were looking for with Rogers. (I assure you all that my wife and I have nothing to do with Rogers Communications or any of their affiliates, if they have any.)
Anyway, they have a Rocket Stick, a small lipstick-sized unit that simply plugs into the USB port of any computer, that will connect to the internet, anywhere that a cell phone can make or receive a call in Canada or the USA.
A check online at Rogers.com will show the mapping coverage of both countries, basically anywhere there are people there is coverage, and your computer will have access to the internet.
The Rocket Stick can be bought outright for about $175 CDN, and then for a monthly charge of $35 CDN for just Canada usage, or $45 CDN a month for USA and Canada coverage, WITH NO ROAMING CHARGES FOR EITHER PROGRAM, you can use your computer anywhere you go. Yes, there is an initial Activation fee of $35 CDN, but you can use your computer for up to 5120 MB (about 5000 web pages, or 10 000 emails, etc.) There are additional charges for increasing the amount of usage, if needed.
Now, for us, we will keep the monthly program going all during the RV season and then deactivate it with one phone call this fall. There are no penalties or contracts to be concerned about. And if we choose to become snowbirds for 2 months next winter, it costs only $35 to reactivate it along with the two monthly program payments previously mentioned.
Those wishing to include the Rocket Stick purchase in with their monthly programing can opt for a one year contract which lowers its cost, or a two year contract that gives you the Rocket Stick for free.
Recently we took 2 long weekend trips with the computer, and it worked flawlessly on the road and at the campsites. The best part is that you can check your account online anytime, to see how much usage you have acquired to date, and how much you have left, before your program billing goes to the next level (read more money). This gives you the option to cut back on your usage, to stay in budget if you wish.
Check it out if you've been wanting to keep connected while RVing but were afraid of the costs to do so. This just might be an option for you. It certainly is working for us!
Sure, many campgrounds offer Wifi, some are free, some charge a nominal fee, and many require you to be very close to their wireless router. But we wanted to be able to use the computer while going down the road, or at a site, anywhere, but not break the bank.
After checking out Bell, Telus and several other providers we found what we were looking for with Rogers. (I assure you all that my wife and I have nothing to do with Rogers Communications or any of their affiliates, if they have any.)
Anyway, they have a Rocket Stick, a small lipstick-sized unit that simply plugs into the USB port of any computer, that will connect to the internet, anywhere that a cell phone can make or receive a call in Canada or the USA.
A check online at Rogers.com will show the mapping coverage of both countries, basically anywhere there are people there is coverage, and your computer will have access to the internet.
The Rocket Stick can be bought outright for about $175 CDN, and then for a monthly charge of $35 CDN for just Canada usage, or $45 CDN a month for USA and Canada coverage, WITH NO ROAMING CHARGES FOR EITHER PROGRAM, you can use your computer anywhere you go. Yes, there is an initial Activation fee of $35 CDN, but you can use your computer for up to 5120 MB (about 5000 web pages, or 10 000 emails, etc.) There are additional charges for increasing the amount of usage, if needed.
Now, for us, we will keep the monthly program going all during the RV season and then deactivate it with one phone call this fall. There are no penalties or contracts to be concerned about. And if we choose to become snowbirds for 2 months next winter, it costs only $35 to reactivate it along with the two monthly program payments previously mentioned.
Those wishing to include the Rocket Stick purchase in with their monthly programing can opt for a one year contract which lowers its cost, or a two year contract that gives you the Rocket Stick for free.
Recently we took 2 long weekend trips with the computer, and it worked flawlessly on the road and at the campsites. The best part is that you can check your account online anytime, to see how much usage you have acquired to date, and how much you have left, before your program billing goes to the next level (read more money). This gives you the option to cut back on your usage, to stay in budget if you wish.
Check it out if you've been wanting to keep connected while RVing but were afraid of the costs to do so. This just might be an option for you. It certainly is working for us!