GMC Classics Portal - Connecting to the Internet while on the road Using Verizon

batman writes "I am going to attempt to describe what is needed to stay connected while traveling away from home using Verizon Wireless. The target audience for this document is the RV traveler with limited background of computers and cell phones. I am going to initially focus on connecting using a cell phone on the Verizon Wireless network. I’m starting there because that is what I am familiar with, but I hope to collect enough information along the way to cover other cell phone providers as well as some of the other options for staying connected while away from home.

Some Definitions:

ISP (Internet Service Provider) – this is the company you use to get connected to the internet. You may connect to the internet via a telephone dial-up, DSL modem, cable modem, satellite, or through a cell phone. With the cell phone connection, the typical scenario is to use the cell phone provider (like Verizon Wireless) as your ISP not your home ISP (like RoadRunner or SBC Global), though there are exceptions to this.

E-mail client – this is the program that you used to read and/or compose e-mail messages. It can be a computer based program like MS-Outlook or Eudora that you run on your PC, or it can be a web-based client like Yahoo Mail or MSN Mail that you connect to via a web browser like Internet Explorer and read you e-mail while on-line.

POP3 server (or E-mail server) – this is the place (a computer) where your e-mail is stored until you retrieve it with an e-mail client. I am not referring to the computer you use to read your e-mail. Think of it as a holding place (just like a regular mail box). NOTE: There are other types of servers besides POP3 for exchanging e-mail, but I’m going to limit the discussion to POP3.

SMTP Server – this is what is used to send e-mail from one server to another. Your e-mail program sends a message to someone else’s POP3 server through an SMTP server.

Typically your ISP will provide you with a POP3/SMTP server for receiving/sending e-mail. But you can also have other POP3/SMTP servers available to you for receiving/sending e-mail in addition to your ISP’s e-mail account

What you need to connect to the Internet with a Cell Phone

A cell phone provider (this document discusses Verizon Wireless)
A cell phone
A data cable. This can be obtained by purchasing a “Mobile Office Kit” or purchasing a cable from a third party vendor. You use the data cable to connect your phone to your computer (this can also be done using Bluetooth instead of a cable).
Modem drivers for your cell phone (these come with the Mobile Office Kit, you may also be able to obtain them from the phone manufacture, but much easier to just buy the Mobile Office Kit.
A configured dial-up connection on your computer. (the easiest way is to use the QuickLink software that comes as part of the Mobile Office Kit).

IMPORTANT: You do not need Verizon’s “Mobile Web” service to connect a computer to the internet. Mobile Web is only for accessing the internet directly from the phone handset

Cell Phone Provider

For RVers traveling across the country, Verizon is a good choice for your cell phone provider. Basic data or Internet access minutes using Q2N are included with your voice minutes. A very good plan is the “America’s Choice” Plan. This gives you Unlimited Nights (after 9PM) & Weekend minutes, unlimited mobile-to-mobile minutes, and internet access with “Quick 2 Net” (Q2N) using your voice minutes across most of the USA.

Using Verizon Wireless for Internet Access

There are four ways to use Verizon Wireless to gain Internet access from a cell phone:

1. Quick 2 Net (aka Q2N); data speeds up to 14Kbs (included with every Verizon Wireless plan while in a digital area and most digital roaming areas).

2. National Access (aka 1XRTT and formally called Express Network), speeds up to 144Kbs. There are separate plans for this, but it can also be added as a feature to non National Access plans.

3. BroadBand Access (aka EV-DO), data speeds of 300-500 Kbs (potentially up to 2Mbs), this is currently only available using a PC card (PC 5220), but there will soon be handsets that support this type of access.

4. Analog, data speeds up to 9.6Kbs. Uses your regular voice minutes. Requires an additional analog Cellular modem for your computer and cable to connect your cell phone to the cellular modem. Provides a way to connect to the internet in many rural areas where a digital signal is not available. This also requires a dial-up ISP (Verizon Wireless does not provide traditional dial-up service as part of a cell phone plan).

Cell Phone Selection

There are a lot of phones to choose from, but one thing that is very important for an RVer is having a phone that is “Tri Mode” as opposed to one that is “Digital Only”. There are still a lot of rural areas where you can only get an “Analog” signal. For Verizon, this would be a phone that supports; AMPS 800, CDMA 800 and CDMA 1900. For high speed “National Access”, you will also need to make sure the phone is “CDMA 2000 1XRTT” capable.

One other consideration when looking at phones is whether or not the phone has an external antenna connector. This would allow you to connect a small wired antenna and place it outside your vehicle to improve the signal reception.

The Verizon website does not provide very complete specifications for the phones they offer, especially if you want to know if a particular phone supports analog. There are two good websites for getting information about a specific cell phone, Phonescoop (detailed specs on each phone) and Howard Forums (discussion groups for carriers and manufactures).

The cell phone/computer connection (Connectivity Kit, data cable and software drivers)

It is very important that the cell phone you choose have an available data cable (or supports Bluetooth). Verify this before you buy the phone, as you must have a way to connect your phone to your computer.

The most common method is with a data cable. The easiest way to get this is to buy what Verizon calls a “Mobile Office Kit” for your particular phone. The kit will include:

A cable to connect your phone to computer
Software drivers for the phone.
”QuickLink Mobile” software. This software makes it easy to setup a connection and connect to your cell phone. This is not required, but really simplifies things.
Venturi accelerator software which boosts the speed of web browsing.

You can save yourself a lot of trouble by just purchasing the Mobile Office Kit for your phone.

Cut the cable with Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless technology that lets you connect a phone to a wireless headset, or a phone to a Bluetooth capable computer without using a cable. Verizon does offer a Bluetooth enabled phone (Motorola v710). The v710 is the only current Verizon phone that has Bluetooth. With this phone you would not need a cable, but your computer would need to support Bluetooth. Also, see the section on “Using Analog” which may influence your phone choice.

Connecting your phone

Data Cable

There are many sources for cell phone data cables. This includes directly from Verizon, directly from phone manufactures, resellers like Radio Shack, and many on-line stores sell data cables for various cell phones. There are just too many possible phone/cable choices to try to discuss here. The simplest route is to make sure that there is a Mobile Office Kit for the phone you buy.

Driver Software

You will need driver software for your particular phone. This comes with the Mobile Office Kit, or you can also download drivers directly from some phone manufactures websites.

Connecting to the Internet

Using Q2N

For any internet access on any Verizon data network you must have a digital signal, either “Digital” or “Digital Roaming”. There is no extra charge to get Internet access using Q2N on any of Verizon Wireless plans. “Time” on-line on the Q2N is also free when accessed during free minute nights, weekends and certain holidays. During the day, time counts against regular Plan minutes.

So here is what you do. Assuming that you are in a Digital or a Digital Roaming area, you take your phone and connect it to your computer with the cable that came in the Mobile office kit (or equivalent). Next you have to dial the special Q2N access number (#777).

For the Computer Novice

By far the simplest way to do this is to use the QuickLink Mobile software that came with the Mobile Office Kit (this takes care configuring the modem and making the connection).

For the Advanced Computer User

You can also create your own dial-up just like you would for a regular modem. The settings you need to use are as follows:

phonenumber=#777
username=qnc
password=qnc
maximum speed=19200
init string=AT$QCMDR=2;AT$qcqnc=1

To modify the init string on Windows 2000 and Windows XP:

go to the Control Panel
select "Phone and Modem Options"
select the "Modem" tab
select the modem that is defined for your cell phone
click the properties button.
click the "Advanced" tab
enter the init strings in the box labeled "Extra initialization commands.

To modify the init string on a Mac
I don' t know. If someone familiar with the Mac would send me this information, it would be greatly appreciated.

Once you make the connection, your on the “Net” and should be able to run your e-mail program or web browser to check e-mail or surf the web.

Using National Access

This can get real confusing when if you try to figure out what you need to buy from Verizon to get “National Access”, or high speed data.

There are currently three types of official plans that provide you coverage on the ”National Access” network. These plans seem to be quite a bit more expensive than the “America’s Choice” plans. And though you won’t find it advertised by Verizon, they really aren’t needed to use high speed data.

Keep in mind that there is a difference between a “National Access” plan and a “National Access” option or feature.

What has been found, is that new subscribers are automatically having a feature called “National Access Extended Service Access” added to their America’s Choice Plan at no additional cost. I think this is done so that Verizon can offer you their “Get-It-Now” service where you download games, ring tones, pictures, and software for a fee.

But what this feature really does is provide high speed internet access for just “Minutes of Use” on your America’s Choice Plan. Use of the high speed data network (along with the Q2N) is therefore free on nights, weekends and certain holidays with an America’s Choice Plan. This is a good deal.

If you are a current Verizon customer and have a phone that is capable of using the "Get-It-Now" features, you can get the National Access Extended Service Access feature added to your Americas Choice plan. Call Verizon's customer service and tell them you want to use Get-It-Now. If the person doesn’t understand what you are asking or won’t give it to you, hang up and call back again and talk to someone else.

Connecting to the internet is very similar to what was described above for the Q2N connection. So here is what you do. Assuming that you are in a National Access coverage area, you take your phone and connect it to your computer with the cable that came in the Mobile office kit (or equivalent). Next you have to dial the special National Access number (#777).

For the Computer Novice

Save yourself a lot of headaches and frustration. Use the Quicklink Mobile software that comes with the Mobile Office Kit. This will take care configuring the modem and making the connection.

For the Advanced Computer User

For those that like a challenge, or don’t want to purchase the QuickLink Mobile software, you can create your own dial-up just like you would for a regular modem. The settings you need to use are as follows:

phonenumber=#777
username=yourphonenumber@vzw3g.com
password=vzw
maximum speed=230400