Man Does Not Live By Bread Alone---Get WIFI Too

With apologies to the Master Teacher, you can have your cake, eat it, and get your internet connectivity, too. Across the US, a major franchise of bakery/coffee shops has sprung up, offering some pretty good things for RVers.

There's so much ado about Starbucks, but face it, not everybody likes that high octane breed of "coffee" that they brew up. And having to pay for internet connectivity, why that's "grounds" for divorcing from the Starbucks mermaid. Enter Panera Bread, the company that as the wife says, "Makes coffee that doesn't taste like lye water."

We dropped into a Panera outlet a few days ago. She had coffee, we shared a "Cobblestone Muffin." Great big flavorful confection full of raisins and cinnamon, wow! Our friends downed coffee and a delectable bowl of soup, but you could have a choice of "wholesome" sammies, made from a wide selection of Panera made-there breads. And bring your laptop because the internet is free! Yep, Panera Bread bakeries across the country offer free wifi connectivity and a good cup of java without costing you your firstborn.

External Wifi Antenna Can Make the Difference

One of the difficulties that a lot of fulltimers complain about is internet connectivity. While satellite internet can make a huge difference, it does have its own set of problems: Expense, complexity, and in some cases, technical know-how. While we do use satellite when we're in one place for an extended time frame, dragging out the tripod and locating the satellite makes using it on a spur-of-the-moment basis out of the question.

Many of us turn to wifi when traveling. With so many free wifi hotspots popping up around the country, it's a natural for us. Nevertheless, you've got to be close enough to the wifi carrier to make the connection. Not everyone wants to drag the laptop into the coffee shop; it's nice to be able to work out of the rig. Still distance issues cause trouble.

Enter the external wifi antenna. Properly equipped you can extend your connectivity by several factors. What do you need? An appropriate external wifi antenna mounted on your rig, a connecting cable (often run through the slide out gasket), and a wifi card with a suitable external antenna fitting to mate up to the cable.

When looking for an external antenna, you'll have a choice between directional antennas, and omnidirectional antennas. The directional antenna needs to be "pointed" at the source of your wifi signal--which may be good if you're parked long enough to get up to the antenna and take the time to point it precisely. A directional antenna is by far the best when dealing with great distances to the wifi provider. However, an omnidirectional antenna works (theoretically) equally well in all directions, albeit useful for shorter distances. That's probably a whole lot better for those of us who move frequently.

Here's a link to RadioLabs, Inc, who sells an omnidirectional antenna that may be right for you. BY ALL MEANS they are NOT the only internet seller of external wifi antennas, but they do illustrate what you might be looking for. If you're unsure, look for a local provider of external wifi antennas (check local computer stores for referrals) and have them show you on your own computer how an antenna could work for you. For the technical at heart, here's a great discussion of "gain" relative to antennas, and what that means in practical terms.