Internet access on the road.

Submitted: Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 14:33
ThreadID: 12416 Views:1911 Replies:9 FollowUps:5
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Am seeking advice on best means of accessing the internet whilst travelling. How does one go about using a laptop and mobile phone? (accepting of course the limitations of coverage areas) Simply need to have email communication and be able to do banking etc. Am not a computer buff, just want something simple that works.
Mick
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Reply By: Member - Ruth D (QLD) - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 14:44

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 14:44
Probably cheaper to use Internet cafes and Libraries - depending on where you go, most towns have them now. Check at the Information Centres.
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Follow Up By: Vince NSW - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 14:50

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 14:50
Ruth
You must have posted this as I was typing my reply below, but now that I know you are on line, a question for you. Do we need to book into the CP in Birdsville in early July ?
Heading up that way with what is turning into a convoy of soft roaders I can't seem to shake.
Thanks
Vince
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Follow Up By: Member - Ruth D (QLD) - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 16:44

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 16:44
Hi Vince - no need but if it embarrasses you to be seen with softroaders I can put you in different ends of the park. Hahaha. Should be good fun though. See you then.
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Follow Up By: Vince NSW - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 17:01

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 17:01
Thanks Ruth. No need to put us a different ends, just a little space will do.
Do these B'ville Yabbies go underground in winter or will there still be some for us
Regards
Vince
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Follow Up By: Member - Geoff & Karen - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 22:45

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 22:45
Hi Ruth, just read Vince's question about booking in early in July. Please make sure there is a site available for us too! We will be up around the 6th or 7th July for a couple of days. We have got a hard top so don't want to mis with those soft toppers..............(Only joking).
Thanks Ruth
Karen

Looking forward to meeting you, Andrew and Jenelle showed us the pics from Birdsville when they called in here for morning tea.

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Reply By: Vince NSW - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 14:45

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 14:45
Mick
Very Big $ to do it with a mobile 7 very slow download speeds. Depends where you are going, but most areas have somewhere in town where you can get internet access. In SA all local Libaries have FREE internet. Our 3 month trip last year we were able to get on the net most places in SA NT VIC and Tas.
Hope this is of some Help
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Reply By: Davoe - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 15:05

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 15:05
didnt read the article coz it isnt in my line of intrest but the latest overlander has a story u might like 2 check out
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Reply By: Brian - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 16:42

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 16:42
The Inlaws are doing the grey Nomad thing and have laptop with CDMA Mobile Phone(faster download rate) and are getting about 19kbs about ½ the dial up rate!
Use it only to download Text as you pay mobile rates.
You will also need to filter your email before downloading to get rid of the large stuff Virus's and spam, Mailwasher or something like that.

Brian
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Reply By: Foss - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 20:35

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 20:35
G'Day Mick

Your laptop may have an infrared port on the back/front/side somewhere. Your mobile might have one as well. If they both do then the connection is quite simple, just line up the IR ports and the computer should find the mobile and enable it's use as a modem. Then you just dialup you ISP as you normally would using the correct number for the part of Aus. you are in.

If there are no IR ports there is a chance that you will be able to get a cable for your phone that will allow you to connect it through the USB port or the serial port on you computer. If this is the case there will also be software such as drivers and possibly phone management software that will require installation as well. Don't write this of as to hard as the software is quite handy in the event that your phone dumps it's memory or is otherwise disabled as you can just drop all your info straight into another phone of similar make and model.

If none of the above is available then you are stuck with internet cafe and or Libraries. If you are thinking about a new phone then CDMA is the better of the two types for data as is stated above. Mail filtering is a good idea for mobile comms and you may want to set your browser up so that it only refreshes stored pages when they have new/changed content to save you some online time. If you use the full outlook client you can set it up so that you only get the headers of each message when you are dialed up and you can then select which ones you want to retrieve and delete the rest.

hope this helps.

cheers
Foss
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Reply By: Member - Geoff & Karen - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 22:53

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 at 22:53
Hi Mick, I have just been through all this with the internet and the laptop. Had great heeps of trouble. If you are with Optus then Optus told me you cant use CDMA cause they dont have data access through them, but Telstra do. I tried the infra red and it is easy ONCE YOU HAVE SET IT UP,,,,GGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRR.
Gee I had problems. I then brought the cable to see if that was easier ($105) and yes it came with the softwear, but do you think I can get it to work........ha ha ha.
I was reading Foss's reply and he was saying how easy it is. but if you are like me and computer dumb with all that kind of stuff, well you are going to have some fun.
Good luck Mick, but me myself I would rather use my own laptop if you are going to be doing banking etc, rather than putting a pin number and access number into someone elses computer that everyone has access too! I have heard they can get it, but I dont know enough about these things to know if that is true or not.
Good luck Mick, have fun
Karen
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Reply By: srowlandson - Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004 at 08:29

Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004 at 08:29
When i went to cape last year i used my Powerbook, Bluetooth Adaptor, Ericcson T68 and GPRS.

Connection speed is quite fast (about the same as dialup) but expensive @ $0.02 / Kilobyte

I only used it to login and check a few emails, and check a few banking elements whilst on the road.

GPRS coverage is also quite good in capital and main country towns.

Steve
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Reply By: stevesub - Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004 at 09:08

Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004 at 09:08
We use librarys and internet cafes mostly. Also now and again we will get all civilised and stay in a motel with a phone line so we download our emails onto the laptop then.

From now on in the more populated areas we will be using WiFi from our laptop which is slowly making its way around the country. All McD's should have a WiFi node in the next year or two. WiFi is around $20 per hour at ADSL speeds. You need a WiFI enabled laptop or a WiFi PCMCIA card plus an account with a service provider to use it.

We also have a GPRS enabled mobile phone that can send and recieve emails. With this we can check to see if we have anything that requires attention and even send short replies - all text only. Not cheap though but if you check every couple of days, it is not too bad.

The mobile to laptop way is far too expensive for us, even though we have phones and a laptop that support it.
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Follow Up By: mijochka - Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004 at 16:13

Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004 at 16:13
Thanks to all who offered advice. At least now I know what I'm confused about! Seriously, all input has been noted and will form the basis for further research.
Mick.
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Reply By: Lyds - Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004 at 20:21

Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004 at 20:21
internet cafes are everywhere. best ones are in pubs, where you can have an ale to wash down the bytes.

just make sure you have web based email.
AnswerID: 56454

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