Rogue Wave pulls in WiFi signals from afar

One of the greatest headaches for the RVer in this information-driven age has to be Internet connectivity. Chances are great you're already running e-mail to keep in touch with the family and friends. Add in Internet searches, bill paying, photo uploading--pretty soon, connecting to the Internet is a big thing. How can you stay connected?

Many RVers have found connecting at "WiFi hotspots," is one way to keep Internet-in-touch. Some national chains offer their customers free connectivty, places like Starbucks and McDonalds are high on the list. Only trouble is, for the most part you'll need to take your computer inside to take advantage of these hotspots. What happens when you want to keep the computer inside your RV or log onto the Web without dragging into a service provider?

Enter the Rogue Wave. This handy electronic device (technically a wireless bridge and Ethernet converter) is like putting your laptop (or WiFi equipped desktop) computer on WiFi steroids. Imagine "tying" into a Starbucks WiFi connection--blocks away from the store. It's possible--in fact, even longer connections can be possible. We heard about the Wave and Randy at Land and Sea Wifi, a Wave dealer, provided us a test unit to really check it out.

Here's a "real world" scenario: Quartzsite, Arizona, the "Snowbird Capital of the World" where thousands of RVers descend to camp out on the desert every winter. One popular public camping area is La Posa West, south of Quartzsite. We rolled into the camp area not far from the check-in station. Firing up our laptop computer we found about three WiFi signals, all of which tended to fade in and out, and none were good for a connection.

We attached the Rogue Wave and it immediately showed us 30 WiFi signals, several of which were from RV parks about a mile from our location. In moments we were able to log into a solid WiFi signal from one of the RV parks. We've taken Rogue Wave to a number of locations and the story is basically the same everywhere. Fire up your computer and let it 'sniff for a signal,' and come back nearly empty-handed. Let Rogue Wave loose on the matter and find far more.

Is Rogue Wave the end-all for Internet access? Depending on your needs and travels, it could be. In our travels we've found plenty of WiFi signals floating around the airwaves. Not everyone wants to share Internet access; you'll find plenty of WiFi signals that are secured, and unless someone hands you the password, you'll be locked out. On the other hand, RV park owners are beginning to get the drift that RVers need Internet connectivity. Lots of them provide Internet service through Tengo Internet, and given you have a password (either given or sold to you by park management) or pay to subscribe, it matters not whether you are staying at the park, or are boondocking within Rogue Wave's distance.

Many RVers report that when staying in an RV park, they're often promised a WiFi connection. The service may be at the park, but whether you'll "get it" often depends on terrain, distance from the park's wireless equipment, and the fickleness of fate. With Rogue Wave, the chances are very much likely that if the park has WiFi, you won't need to worry about getting a space next to the office. Out at sea you might be able to connect up to eight miles away. Our experience of making connections at one mile plus are not uncommon.

Rogue Wave is another hot bet for you RVers who follow the group circuits. We've had plenty of Escapees members who tell us that when attending "SKP" outings they'll share Internet connectivity with SKPs who have satellite Internet connections. These well-heeled folks often share their bounty with others through the use of a WiFi network in camp. Now you can camp a good distance away and not have to crowd one another to get good connectivity.

Here are the "brass tacks," of the technical side. The Rogue Wave consists of an (omnidirectional) antenna, which couples up to the Wave's electronic heart, the Ethernet port. The whole thing is less than 3' tall. It's best to mount the antenna on your rig, which is easily accomplished with the brackets provided with the equipment. From there an Ethernet cable plugs into the port, and is run back to your computer--anywhere up to 300 feet away. The cable plugs into a small "Y" connector, one end of the "Y" plugs into your computer's Ethernet port, and the other end of the "Y" into either a provided power adapter for shore power, or another that plugs into a 12 volt cigarette lighter port. Optionally, you could plug the system, not into your computer, but into a network and share it with other computers in your RV (or home) system. Since the Wave is not powered by your USB port, there's no power drain on your computer system.

There's no software to load onto your computer; the system's "firmware" is built right into the Wave, and your computer should automatically recognize it as a communications network, and within a couple of minutes you'll have an Internet browser page showing you all WiFi connections in range. Click on the one you want (and provide the access code if it's a "protected" network) and you'll soon be linked up with the Internet.

The Rogue Wave, including all necessary hardware and cable runs $350.00. For another $25 you can get a reconditioned NetGear router that will let you to run multiple computers on the same connection simultaneously. We recommend Land and Sea WiFi, for their friendliness and product knowledgeability. You can count on them to stand behind you--and they offer a two-week product try out.