Internet Device Recommendation

[VanForNow]

I am getting ready to hit the road in my truck camper and need Internet access advice.

While living on the road I plan to access the Internet and email using wifi at places like Starbucks, McDonalds, Home Depot, etc.

What compact and durable devices are best for this? For email and internet searches, I need something with a real keyboard, as I don't like using the tiny onscreen keyboards on cell phones. I have an Android phone, if this has any relation to compatability with an Internet access device.

And what about security? I hear that people can intercept wifi connections, so I suppose I need security add-ons for accessing bank and credit card accounts.

Thank you for your advice.

 

[jimindenver]

Your phone is a device and with a hotspot on it you can connect other things like a computer. For email and internet searches you could just bluetooth a keyboard to the phone, mouse too. I do that with my big phone called a phablet, I can even mirror cast the screen to a larger one. Once I do that it is quite the computer like experience.

As far as devices go, there are many to choose from. The service you want the hotspot to be on depends on your location and signals in that area. They can be anywhere from free monthly to really expensive depending on your needs.

 

[becida]

I had an inexpensive android based tablet with a keyboard that worked well. It was less than $90 from walmart on-line. I replaced it with a more expensive ($120 or $130 as i recall) W10 based unit (again with a keyboard) because I've two programs that need windows to run.

If it wasn't for those two programs (Eudora for mail & MS Streets & Trips) i'd have kept the android based tablet

I've got a microSD slot with 128gb card in it (holds all my personal computer files), a std USB slot, a micro USB slot (also used for charging), a micro HDMI slot & a place for an earphone/speaker. It's by Haier & it's doing what I want to do.

 

[frater secessus]

You can pair your existing phone (or tablet) with a bluetooth kb and mouse. Or even hook up a USB OTG compatible device with a USB hub, real kb and real mouse.
This works fine for me on larger phones like the Note and others with 5.5"+ screens. A tablet setup that way is like a small laptop (netbook).

Depends on how much you write and how much screen you want to see.

 

[SUV_RVing]

Your phone is a device and with a hotspot on it you can connect other things like a computer.

Not necessarily. Not all plans and carriers allow tethering or sharing data between devices. Mine doesn't.

As others have said, a bluetooth keyboard and mouse with your Android phone will do the trick and be the simplest option. If you want something that feels a bit more like a "real" computer, consider getting a Chromebook. These are inexpensive and easy to use for things like email, writing, banking, basic photo editing, etc.

If you want to secure the open connections you access, you'll want to get a VPN (virtual private network) for this. If you're on a mobile device, there are VPN apps. If you're on a computer, there are VPN programs. What they essentially do is create a secure "tunnel" that only you can access. Many are free up to a limited amount of use and then require a monthly fee after that. TunnelBear is one that I like that has both free and paid tiers.

 

[anewbiewannabe]

I keep trying to follow the internet access threads but then there are so many unfamiliar things and then the acronyms that go beyond my knowledge. I know what a USB is but then..... I'd really like to learn this too though. Guess I should start a separate thread to ask based on my specific needs so I don't derail this one while trying to get educated.

Thanks to everyone who knows this stuff and helps the rest of us sort things out!

 

[highdesertranger]

I use a lap top and a Verizon hot spot. highdesertranger

 

[BradKW]

Just an aside on security, my Android phone just updated to version 6.0.1 and it hasa "wifi manager" that connects me to netwoks via a VPN for security.

It's a Nexus so I get latest updates fast, but it seems like a good addition...

 

[becida]

I keep trying to follow the internet access threads but then there are so many unfamiliar things and then the acronyms that go beyond my knowledge.  I know what a USB is but then.....  I'd really like to learn this too though.  Guess I should start a separate thread to ask based on my specific needs so I don't derail this one while trying to get educated.

Thanks to everyone who knows this stuff and helps the rest of us sort things out!

I think KB meant keyboard, I don't know about OTG but I figure if I mention it here someone will tell me.

 

[becida]

Damn post just disappeared! I'll try again.

This is in the FWIW dept-

Cricket (owned by att & runs on the att network) has a hotspot option on selected phones. They also have a 10gb option. If you selected the auto pay option ($5 discount) you could have a phone, 10gb of data & a hotspot for $65/month. It is ATT.

Straighttalk now has a 10gb monthly card for $55, they do not allow tethering. Depending on the phone you have straighttalk can work on any of the 4 networks so you have to be careful if you want only say, Verizion or ATT.

pda.net has a app for phones that will allow backdoor teatheing & a way to hide it if it's done with a cord thru the usb port. If you want to have the tethering wireless, that can be done too. 

With all this 'buyer beware', mobile data is a cash cow for American companies!

 

[LeeRevell]

Yep, undefined cryptic terms are the curse of online reading, along with bad grammar.
Just have to grit our teeth, mentally toss out the chaff and move on.
I chuckle whenever someone tells me a smartphone can do "anything a computer can do". Silly ducks. My laptop does so much more. Whether an online forum, or a business website, my smartphone simply does not have all the same capabilities.
I still cannot find how to pay my account by smartphone on Amazon Prime! So easy on my computer.
I personally don't see a tablet benefitting me. Fine for others, my sister likes hers. Just not for me.

 

[Almost There]

I use a lap top and a Verizon hot spot.  highdesertranger

Me too when I'm in the US.

Here I use Virgin Mobile with my lap top! If they only used Verizon towers in the US instead of Sprint I could  use them year round!

 

[Vanholio]

I use a Chromebook. They're cheap, secure, and you don't need to buy any software or do any maintenance.

As for additional security using public WiFi:

1. Make sure the URL of websites dealing with personal info starts with HTTPS. It's that 's' at the end that matters. (Browser extension HTTPS Everywhere will do this automatically for you.)
2. Use two-factor authentication for your secure accounts. For example, if I log into my bank from a new location, my password isn't enough. I also have to get a temporary passcode texted to my cellphone by the bank, which I then type into the bank's webpage as verification, the second factor.
3. Passwords:
    a. Use 12-18 character alpha-numeric passwords for your accounts.
    b. Use a different password for each account, at least accounts with important data
    c. Use a password app, such as LastPass, to input the passwords in your browser, bypassing the keyboard. (This foils some hacker spyware.) Plus then you don't have to remember them all.

If you want more security, get a VPN service. 


If you want to go Black Ops, look at Tails. But this is beyond the average user.

 

[ArtW]

Only downside of a Chromebook, this may only hold true for the Acer brand, you need a non public wifi to set it up
I took mine back because the library wifi wouldn't work and for whatever reason you couldn't set it up through wired internet
heck I could do it using my phone now

 

[frater secessus]

I think KB meant keyboard, I don't know about OTG but I figure if I mention it here someone will tell me.

USB OTG (on the go) means the device is capable of acting as a USB host.  So you can plug in a USB device, hub, etc.  You could plug a flash drive, mouse, and keyboard (kb), etc into the hub.

 

[franqmichele]

I am getting ready to hit the road in my truck camper and need Internet access advice.

While living on the road I plan to access the Internet and email using wifi at places like Starbucks, McDonalds, Home Depot, etc.

What compact and durable devices are best for this? For email and internet searches, I need something with a real keyboard, as I don't like using the tiny onscreen keyboards on cell phones. I have an Android phone, if this has any relation to compatability with an Internet access device.

And what about security? I hear that people can intercept wifi connections, so I suppose I need security add-ons for accessing bank and credit card accounts.

Thank you for your advice.

Hope you found your advice.  I was unsure until I tried my cell myself.  I have a sprint unlimited plan and the wifi is amazingly fast off of my samsung galaxy.  I literally go to parks in the city I am staying in, enjoying creeks, nature, all the tranquility.  I lay out my blanket, turn on my hotspot and enjoy.  Hope you out on the road enjoying the life.

 

[user 12892]

I bought a chromebook back in September and was very happy with it. Got laidoff and had to return it, I hate it when that happens. This is the one I bought:
http://m.staples.ca/en/ACER-NXG85AA...e-White/product_2093707_2-CA_1_20001?langId=1
I bought it for one reason it was the only one locally available that I could use in store before buying 
The good things: 
1/ best trackpad hands down and I've had 5 laptops
2/ awesome keyboard - it's completely silent so good if typing at night
3/ the screen in non reflective - good in a bright coffee shop
4/ light, small, thin 
5/ fanless design and runs for 10 hours with wifi on and a modest battery.
6/ snappy performance with a 3 second boot time
7/ have to type in password every boot
8/ sd card slot and 3 usb ports ( 1 usb 3.0 and 2 usb 2.0)
The bad: 
1/ no torrents - that will change soon
2/ half the videos in my collection wouldn't play smoothly.
3/ have to type in a password every boot
4/ I MISS MY CHROMEBOOK 
Soon all Chromebooks will have access to the Google Play Store so I wasn't worried about the torrents or video playback.
I can't say what this would be like travelling and living out of a vehicle because I don't yet.

 

[user 12892]

I think KB meant keyboard, I don't know about OTG but I figure if I mention it here someone will tell me.

I know much more about Android then solar and batteries so we all have much to learn.

OTG stands for On The Go. It's a special cable that plugs into the charging port of android smart phones and tablets. http://www.thesource.ca/en-ca/cable...ro-usb-male-to-a-female-otg-cable/p/108017642

This cable allows you to connect most usb device to a smartphone or tablet. So far I've used a mouse, microsd cards, thumb drives, external hard drives with my Samsung S4 and Proscan (super cheap and slow) tablet.

The downside of this is any device connected to a phone or tablet drains the battery.

Interesting about my very cheap crappy tablet is it has a seperate charging port and a built-in otg port so no battery drain. I just unplug the keyboard it came with and connect an external drive.

I still want a real computer though.

 

[becida]

OTG stands for On The Go. It's a special cable that plugs into the charging port of android smart phones and tablets.

Thank you, I understand & I actually bought one. Well I bought an adapter to get some data off full sized SD cards, it came with a bunch of different adapters.

There was a previous write up on the Chrome book, the Chrome book requires the internet & I don't always have the internet.

 

[LeeRevell]

"There was a previous write up on the Chrome book, the Chrome book requires the internet & I don't always have the internet."

One of the main reasons I did not get a Chromebook. Much of what I do is offline, and I require a certain level of onboard memory, and a CD/DVD drive builtin. I also refuse to use "The Cloud".

I havd Chrome as an alternate on my laptop, but never use it. It's just Google with a stripped down browser frontend. Lacks full functionality.