Note: We recently commenced coverage of the fast-breaking developments surrounding the introduction of new technology that makes possible establishing high speed wireless internet access within RV parks. Our first article described some of the general considerations we thought germane. We have now had an opportunity to put this new technology to the test, and we take this opportunity to share our impressions of the service, and the implications it has for RV parks and RVers.

A Description of Our First Experience with Wireless

We checked in at Buckhorn Lake RV Resort near Kerrville, Texas, and looked forward to our return to this outstanding park. It's one that we've rated as a "Top Pick" in our own list of personal favorites. Last time we were pleased to learn the site amenities included an instant-on phone line. This time we were looking forward to something even better -- the recent introduction of high speed internet access delivered wirelessly anywhere in the park. We would not be disappointed.

When we inquired about the new wireless service at check-in, we were told that all we needed to do was to bring our laptop to the office, and "Frank" would help us configure our computer. We were also told that we'd need a little box with an antenna on it to receive the signal -- and these could be purchased, or rented for $1 per day. The daily (literally a 24 hour period) subscription rate for wireless internet service is $2.50. The weekly rate is $12; and the monthly rate is $21. The service is not "sold" by the park, but rather by the service provider -- in this case "The Wireless Web". This has significant implications, since a subscription becomes "portable", in that it can be used in any park that uses the same service provider. This would have obvious advantages for RVers "on the road", since they would be able to take advantage of weekly or monthly rates and use them at different RV parks as they pursued their RV travels.

Since we both use Mac PowerBooks, each equipped with an "Airport" card (that's Apple's name for the wireless technology that uses the 802.11b standard), we were interested to see just how intuitive the service might be. Theoretically our airport equipped laptops, using the latest Mac OS including the "Rendezvous" technology, would be able to "detect" the presence of a wireless signal automatically. So we politely declined the assistance offered, and waited to see how user friendly the service might be.

After hooking up the RV, I opened my PowerBook and made two quick and simple changes to my laptop settings.

1. First I turned on the "Airport" software so that it was "active" (we usually turn it off when we're not using to conserve the battery).

2. My last internet session was via AT&T's WorldNet service, connected to a phone jack. So the second change I needed to make was to change my "Location" from "AT&T Toll Free" to another location I've named "Airport". This would cause my PowerBook to look for a wireless network connection, rather than a phone connection.

When both of our laptops have their location settings set to "Airport", our two laptops can immediately detect each other, and we can share files without the need for any cords or cables. This time we hoped these two easy changes would result in our ability to find and use The Wireless Web.

Once I'd completed the two steps described, I clicked on the Airport icon on my desktop. It scans for the presence of any wireless network within range, and reports what it finds. Sure enough, when I clicked on the Airport icon it provided me with the name of the wireless server it was detecting, and reported the presence of :"thewirelessweb". I only needed to select and click on this network to join it.

At that point I simply opened my browser (Internet Explorer), and the screen immediately filled with a welcome message from "thewirelessweb", along with instructions on how to subscribe. I followed the instructions, first to sign up as a new subscriber, and then to select a payment plan and provide a credit card number. Since we were only to be there for a day or so, I selected the $2.50 rate for a 24 hour period, and it processed my payment promptly -- pronouncing me now "online" to the internet for the next 24 hours -- or so much of it as I might choose to use.

At that point I was online just as I would have been had I been connected with a phone line -- except at DSL speeds it was of course much, much faster. I immediately took advantage of the speed to download a number of software updates -- a process that would have taken several hours plugged into a phone line, but only a relatively few minutes using the wireless high speed connection.

Did it Work Perfectly?

Well, no, not exactly. Once you've become a subscriber, and have paid the fee for the current period (day, week, or month), you simply log onto "thewirelessweb" using your user name and password. However I found that on most occasions I had to do this two or three times before it would let me in. It also happened that while we were in the park the entire system went "down" for several hours. I subsequently learned from other park guests that the down time I'd experienced was very unusual, as the system had otherwise been extremely stable. Others did report, however, the same glitch in signing in with their user name and password. Despite these start-up issues, however, I'd have to conclude that the service really does deliver what it promises.

"But Most of Us use Laptops with Windows"

While some newer Windows laptops are equipped to operate wirelessly, most will need to buy or rent (and we'd encourage "buy") a device that plugs into the laptop and has a small antenna. This provides the "wireless networking" capability most laptops don't yet have. Because the antenna is external, it's range is likely much greater than using a built in card such as we have, or such as some of the very newest Windows laptops offer. This would translate to a stronger signal, and the ability to access the wireless network from a greater range. During our experimental use, our RV was parked within about 100 feet of one of the two park antennas that carry the signal. We tested it at various ranges throughout the park, and found with the exception of a few "dead spots", we could use the service without the added box from most places in the park.

Beyond adding the necessary device, Windows users will also need to configure their computers so that they can join the wireless network. "Frank" had apparently been doing a brisk business with most of the park guests that have Windows laptops, with the configuration requirements differing depending on the version of Windows being used, the type and version of the browser used, and other factors. Most parks will not have the "in house" capability to help RVers with these needed configurations. And even if they did they would be extremely reluctant to "tamper" with another guest's computer -- especially to make "configuration changes".

What's described in the preceeding paragraph is clearly the weakest link in the chain of circumstances needed to make in-park wireless internet services widely available for RV guests. The technology is available. There are service providers ready to set up RV parks to provide it. But the real challenge turns out to be whether we, the RVer consumers of the service, are sufficiently knowledgeable about our own computers to take advantage of it..

If all this has a familiar ring to it, it should. In the early days of "modem friendly" very few RVers were traveling with laptops; and fewer still knew how to configure their laptops to call different local (or toll free) phone numbers (or add a "9" for an outside line) when they arrived at a new location. This has of course changed, and today a substantial percentage of RVers are fully competent to make the necessary changes in software configuration to connect to a phone line under different circumstances.

With wireless networking, most RVers will go back to ground zero -- and will need to take the initiative to learn how to set up our equipment to use the new technology. There will be sources of support along the way. The service providers will provide basic instructions at their websites about how to prepare your computer to make a wireless network connection. But many will find that in the process they will need to update their operating system and even browser software from antigue vintages. We cannot over emphacize our view that RVers must take the initiative here to become knowledgeable users -- and they will not ordinarily be able to rely on help from the staff at a park where a wireless network happens to be offered.

There is no question that wireless internet service is ready for us. The real question is: Are we ready for it?

Do we Care which Wireless Provider a Park Selects?

In a word -- absolutely. We have been tracking the rapid developments of wireless network connections, and the competing packages that RV parks are now being offered. They are not all "the same", and we're of the view that RVers need to be aware of the characteristics and differences among the service offerings so that we can become informed consumers of these new services. Among other differences will be vastly different pricing plans, ranging from reasonable to budget busters. And the ease of use in using the system will also depend on how well it was designed. By becoming better informed, we can express our preferences now so that we can create a demand for the wireless system(s) that will be best for RVers.

Some of the features we look for in service offerings are these:

1. Does the arrangement offered the park include "revenue sharing"? If so, we think that could be troublesome, in that parks that are looking for a share in the revenue may be tempted to raise the rates so they can get a new revenue source from offering the service. The incentive to improve profitability is of course what drives our economy. But here there are some subtle differences. If a park takes a cut of the pie, then it seems they also must assume responsibility for offering technical support for the service. And if there is a billing issue, such as if the system goes down for a period of time, they will need to deal with those issues as well. In our view these downsides far outweigh any slight increase in revenues. The primary benefit a participating park can look forward to is being a "member" of a group of parks that all offer the same service, at the same rates, and using the same procedures for making a network connection. The offering of this service, which becomes in effect "portable" to the RVer user, will attract a lot of new guest nights from RVers who have used the service elsewhere, and will go out of their way to find another park where they can get the same identical service at precisely the same rates and using the same configurations to access the network.

2. Is the service "easy to use"? We are at such an early stage of this technology being introduced that it is difficult or impossible to assess what really is user friendly. However we would look for a wireless service provider to have extensive "help" materials at its website; and a quality 24/7 toll free support line to provide continuing assistance to subscribers.

3. Is the service truly "portable"? We describe the benefits we see of that in #1 above. If a service is offered only at one park, it may well have different configuration requirements than at other parks. Moreover RVers would not be able to take advantage of the relatively inexpensive longer term rates. Where the same service is offered at many different parks, RVers will be able to pay a relatively low monthly rate, and take advantage of the service in several parks they may visit within that time period.

4. Does the service support participating parks continuing to be "modem friendly"? We see a hint in some promotional materials that suggests to parks that if they participate in the offered wireless service, they won't have to be bothered by offering phone lines for use by RVers who want to get online using the traditional dial up methods. We think this is both misleading and unfair to many RVers who presently enjoy modem access at these parks, and whose needs at least for present are fully provided for by having access to a phone line. We encourage all park owners to recognize that the "beginning" of wireless networking does not mean the "end" of the need for modem hookups.

5. And what about cost. We've seen wide ranges in costs for wireless access, ranging from several dollars for a very few minutes to $2.50 per day. The monthly rates for most are comparatively more reasonable -- but keep in mind the traveling RVer usually can't take advantage of monthly rates. So the reasonableness of the daily rate will be crucial. And could it be that as parks become more sophisticated in the marketing benefits of offering in-park wireless that we'll see free services? Time will tell...

We anticipate continuing our close surveillance of the rapid developments involving service offerings of in-park wireless high speed internet services. We would hope our readers -- both RVers and park owners -- will carefully consider each of the present and future service offerings in light of the considerations we've described above. We intend to continue to express our views on this subject as events unfold; and to offer constructive comment as circumstances suggest.

UPDATE 04/03: As we continue to watch new service offerings, we're increasingly impressed by the vast difference in pricing -- particularly the "daily rate", usually defined as a 24 hour period. We've paid as little as $2.50 per day for "The Wireless Web" at Buckhorn Lake RV Resort in Kerrville, TX. And we've been other places where the daily rate was $6-$7 per day. So as this story continues to unfold, we think park owners should give serious attention to the price to be paid by RVers. Price, along with portability, dependable performance, and portability appear to be emerging as the most critical factors in selecting a service.

BACK

MAIN MENU