- 1. How do I install a wireless card?
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You need to first install your device drivers. They are on the disk/CD
that came with your card. After installing your drivers, you will
want to shut down your computer, insert your wireless card, and restart.
Your computer should detect new hardware and offer to search for
the correct drivers. It will find them, and you will be able to use
your new hardware.
When setting up your wireless card, you will be asked for two settings.
The SSID needs to be set to rvwifi or airpath (this must be all
lower-case letters). The mode needs to be set to Infrastructure.
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- 2. How do I install a wireless USB adapter?
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You need to install your device drivers before plugging in
your USB device. Insert the disk or CD that came packaged with your
USB adapter and install the drivers from that disk. Then, after shutting
down your computer, plug in your USB device and restart. Your computer
should auto-detect the new hardware and offer to search for drivers.
After it finds them, you will be able to use your USB device.
When setting up your USB adapter, you will be asked for two settings.
The SSID needs to be set to rvwifi or airpath (this must be all
lower-case letters). The mode needs to be set to Infrastructure.
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- 3. How does a wireless card work?
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Your wireless card works similarly to a wired network card. It sends
and receives data packets at high speeds. Instead of sending these
packets down a wire, your card uses radio signals to communicate
with our equipment. RVwifi's radios then send your data through
our Wireless Backbone out to the internet.
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- 4. Can I get a stable connection using wireless technology?
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Certainly! RVwifi works with Airpath and their Roaming Providers
to help place transmitters in locations that will maximize our coverage
and
minimize
disruptions in our customers' service. While fluctuations in signal
strength are normal, we strive to make your internet experience as
worry-free as possible.
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- 5. What type of equipment is compatible with RVwifi's
service?
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Click here to see a list of compatible
and supported equipment.
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- 7. What do I do if I have an active account and cannot
log on?
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Occasionally you may find that you have an adequate signal, but
are unable to log on or browse. If this is the case, please follow
our online instructions to fix this problem. To find the proper instructions,
please click on your operating system in the list below.
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- 8. What do I do if I have a slow connection?
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Slow connection speeds are often a result of heavy traffic elsewhere
on the internet. Often the speed of the server you are trying to
access does not use as much bandwidth as your connection is capable
of handling. To find out if the problem exists on our network, do
the following:
- At a command prompt, type: ping 208.13.6.105.
- At a command prompt, ping the address you are trying to access,
i.e. ping www.yahoo.com.
Anything under 300ms return time is an acceptable response to the
first test. If your response time is much higher on the second test,
you know the problem exists outside our network.
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- 9. What do I do if I lose my signal?
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Check your wireless card or USB adapter -- there should be a link
light. If this light is not lit, then you are not picking up a signal.
In order to fix this problem, please select your operating system
below for a step-by-step walk-through.
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- 10. How do I update my equipment's device drivers?
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Periodically, equipment manufacturers will issue updates to existing
device drivers. These updates exist to enhance the performance of
your equipment. Typically, such updates will be posted to the manufacturer's
website. From there, you will be able to download the proper drivers.
Installation instructions will be provided either on the website
or with the downloaded files. Simply follow the manufacturer's instructions.
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- 11. How often should I update my equipment's device
drivers?
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It is a good idea to update your drivers any time the manufacturer
issues new drivers. New drivers issued by the manufacturer often
contain minor bug fixes and upgrades to existing configuration software.
However, if your equipment is running smoothly, there is no immediate
need to upgrade.
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- 12. Can I upgrade my account to a higher speed?
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No. The speed of your connection is dependent upon the type of circuit
providing Internet access to the radio at your location. RVwifi
does not regularly throttle or reduce connection speeds.
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- 13. Can I change my hardware?
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As long as the hardware you change to is compatible with RVwifi's
service, you may change your hardware at any time. Click
here to see a list of compatible and supported equipment.
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- 14. Can I get a static IP for my account?
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Unfortunately, static IPs are not available at most locations. Please
email support@rvwifi.com to see if static IPs are available at your
location..
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- 15. How many email addresses do I get with my account?
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RVwifi no longer provides email services. Instead we recommend Gmail. If you would like to learn more about Gmail, open your browser and perform a keyword search for Gmail.
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- 16. How can I increase my signal strength?
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Check your surroundings for anything that might impede your signal.
Some things you may find that can interfere with wireless signals
are pillars or stanchions and potted plants. Also, several wireless
cards on the market are built to boost your signal. If your signal
is not strong enough for your liking with your current card, you
might consider looking for an adapter with a greater signal gain
as an alternative.
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- 17. What is the minimum signal strength to get connected?
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Typically, we try to provide you with a signal strength of at least
40% or more to make sure that your internet experience is the best
possible. We have seen browsing at strengths as low as 30%, however.
Keep in mind that different cards or drivers may report different
strengths at the same location. Use your signal meter only as a rough
guide for troubleshooting.
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- 18. Does a low signal strength mean that I am connecting
at a slower connection rate?
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If you are experiencing slow connection speeds, low signal strength
could be the cause. However, low signal strength does not always
mean slow speeds. If you are able to connect at a reasonable rate,
the signal strength is irrelevant.
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- 19. Is my wireless connection secure and safe from
hackers?
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Your connection is no more prone to hackers than a hard-wired connection
such as cable or DSL. Generally it is a good idea to turn off File
and Print Sharing when it is not actively being used.
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- 20. Who do I call to support my equipment?
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For 802.11(b) wireless card support, please refer to the manufacturer's
instructions for support.
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- 21. What happens if I forget to log out?
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Currently at most of our locations, the radio will automatically
log you out if it cannot see your adapter for three minutes or longer.
Thus, if you forget to log out or accidentally close your status/logout
window, you can log yourself out by removing your wireless adapter
from your computer.
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- 22. What happens if I forget my password?
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Call Customer Service to have a representative look up your password.
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- 23. Does my account have any session limits?
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No. RVwifi does not use session limits.
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- 24. Can I have more than one person log on with my
user ID?
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RVwifi currently does not support concurrent logins from different
computers.
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- 25. Can I use my account at all RVwifi locations?
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If you already have your computer set up to use Airpath service,
you can use Airpath at any of our locations! Simply turn your computer
on and log in, and your computer will have a high-speed connection
to the internet.
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- 26. How can I use RVwifi and Airpath's service when traveling?
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You can use your connection at any location where Airpath or RVwifi provides
service. Simply turn your computer on, open your browser and log
in, and you will be connected!
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- 27. Do I have to be logged into RVwifi's service
to get my email?
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Yes, when connecting through RVwifi you must have logged in to
access email.
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- 28. What is the maximum size of a file or attachment
that I can send via email?
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The maximum size of email attachments is dictated by the mail server
through which you send your messages. If you use RVwifi's mail server,
you will be limited to 5MB per message.
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- 29. What is the normal connection rate for my wireless
account?
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Connection speed is dependent upon the type of circuit that is providing
Internet access to the radio at your location. Your actual speed
may be affected by the number of customers accessing the
Internet at your specific location, as well as traffic across the
internet as a whole.
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- 30. Can I use FTP with my account?
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Certainly! You may access the internet in any way you like after
logging in to RVwifi.
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- 31. How do I use FTP to transfer a file?
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You need to obtain a program that allows you to use FTP. The program
should come with documentation on how to use it effectively. Unfortunately,
Airpath does not support the use of such software.
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- 32. How do I know if I am connected to the Internet?
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Your wireless card or USB adapter will have a link light. If this
light is lit, you are connected to RVwifi's radio. If you are able
to browse to various websites, then you are connected to the Internet!
You will only be able to browse after logging in.
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- 33. Do I have to logout to deactivate my account?
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You are encouraged to log out when you are finished. However, RVwifi
will automatically log you off after the radio is unable to detect
your
adapter for three minutes.
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- 34. I'm only getting 50 KB per second speed, why
is this slower than my 56k dialup?
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Actually, you are getting almost 8 times the speed of your dialup!
This is a common misconception with how dialup bandwidth speeds are
reported. On the Internet, or any network, bandwidth is reported
as Kb (kilobits). However, in almost all operating systems (all Microsoft
Windows included), bandwidth and storage are reported as KB (kilobytes).
The difference being that there are 8 bits in one byte. For example.
A 56kbps dialup modem will have a maximum download speed of about
4 KB per second. Why? Because FCC limits the speed at which dialup
can connect to 53Kbps, which gives a maximum trasfer rate of 6.6
KBps. Plus when you take in to account noise on your phone line,
you're lucky to get about 5 KB per second speeds.
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