Date:         Mon, 3 Dec 2001 00:02:34 -0500
Reply-To:     Julian Burden <julian.burden@SYMPATICO.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Julian Burden <julian.burden@SYMPATICO.CA>
Subject:      Re: Internet access on the road
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I have already posted regarding this issue, but at the time did not have the
cable to connect my notebook computer to my cell phone.

I purchased one today for $99 Canadian from my local Bell store, and thought
I'd comment on some points from other listees' postings.

Speed: yes, the connection is limited to 14.4Kb (when Bell gets around to
updating their towers it will be 64Kb with no need to change any of my
gear), but this isn't as bad as it seems.

Web browsing: yes, I'd avoid this. The cable did come with software which
certainly helps (reduces quality of graphics to improve speed - better than
not downloading them as often graphics are needed to navigate around a
site).

Email: works very well. Using Outlook Express I can type up email messages
BEFORE connecting. When I connect I can send all that I have in my Outbox
and receive any mail waiting for me on the server. For text messages this is
very quick - even the 1,000 line plus Vanagon digest messages are less than
40KB, most messages are only a couple of KB (note the Kb as in kilobit for
speed versus KB for kilobyte for message size). See the discussion of my
setup below.

Uploading pictures: you certainly do want to reduce the size of these
beasties! A photo I had taken on my digital camera (640x480) and downloaded
to the computer at the default settines was over 100KB. I timed sending this
photo over email. To connect, send, and disconnect took 2 1/2 minutes.
Setting your software to compress the JPG more should get most photos of
that size down to around a quarter of that without too much loss of quality.
Note that sending the one email to two people will take half the time it
would take to send two emails (another idea is to FTP photo files to your
webspace provided by your ISP and email links, but that is a bit more
difficult). In short, if you're smart about it this will work OK.

AND THE ONE THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT

Seaching the Vanagon list archives: almost as fast as at home! While most
posters on this topic said that this would be a no-no, I thought it would
work OK - no graphics involved, and the search itself takes place on the
server. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that I would have trouble detecting
the difference between conducting a search on my (5 year old 90MHz with 16MB
RAM!) notebook computer connected over the cell phone at 14.4Kb and
conducting the same search on my (2 week old 800MHz with 256MB RAM!) desktop
computer connected to the net with high speed DSL!

OUR SETUP

Our Westy has an old battery under the drivers seat (we connect it to the
main battery with jumper cables when driving, but that is another story), in
addition to all of the interior lights and camping equipment running off
this we also have the 300W inverter ("modified sine wave" - another poster
said that some notebook computers don't like these, ours is fine) -
protected by a 30A fuse.

Our notebook battery is the original (too old - it only holds charge for
about 5 minutes), otherwise we'd charge the notebook while driving. As it is
we have to run off the inverter when we use it - although we do get about 4
hours before the inverter shuts itself off (supposedly with enough charge to
start the car - but this hasn't been tested) - a battery in good condition
should be even better.

I have a Audiovox 9100 cell phone (connected to Bell Mobility) and the data
cable. The phone works off the analogue network when it has to, but uses
CDMA when available (required for data connections). The phone was $179 with
the Grab-and-Go deal (basically 6 months free access with 200 minutes per
month, other deals have the phone for much less when you sign a contract -
it is NOT an expensive phone) and the cable $99.

I have set Outlook Express up so that it does not automatically check for
messages either when the program is first run or regularly when running, and
so that it does not immediately send messages when the Send button is
clicked (they wait in the Outbox). This is the best way of setting Outlook
Express up if you are going to prepare and read messages when not connected.
I just have to remember to click the Send/Recv button.

I have also set the program up so that it does not automatically connect to
the net - I want to control this manually.

As I use the same email address on my home computer, I have set Outlook
Express on my notebook to "leave messages on the server" so that I'll have
the whole lot on my desktop when I get back home.

Because of other listees' postings regarding searching the archives I have
put a shortcut on my desktop to the search page (hope I don't need it when
I'm on the road but . . .).

Now, as I have stated, I've only just got the cable, but we've only recently
settled down after a 2 month trip. Over that time the notebook and Internet
cafes got a lot of work, so the cable is the only new component of a well
tested system.

I think it is a great setup (which will be vastly improved when the 64Kb
becomes available), and I can't wait to get back on the road (might wait for
some warmer weather though - we've only just moved to Montreal from
Australia, it'll be cold enough for us without living in an icebox!).