This one is really important to me as I do a lot of my work online and need to access the internet frequently. I ended up buying an external wifi adapter even though I have one inside my laptop. I wanted something I could put outside of the bus for better reception. The Linksys WUSB200 is a good deal as it has a range booster in it as well.

Buy yourself a USB cable that’s a good 10+ feet long also. The one that comes with the adapter won’t be this long. What I did was I took an old thermos and taped the adapter to the top of it, filled the thermos with water for stability and then stuck it on top of the bus. Wireless connections are really finicky sometimes so a few turns of the thermos here and there and before you know it you’ve got free wireless. There is nothing against the law when it comes to leeching someone elses signal. Using this method I never had to pay for internet access. Great places to get internet access are:

- high density areas like apartment complexes and townhouses
- downtown in almost any city
- outside the local libraries
- some truck stops and gas stations
- coffee shops. (if they require that you pay a fee then tell them that you’re not interested and explain that most coffee shops offer it for free like a bathroom. hopefully they’ll change their policies.)

In California the state parks have a deal with AT&T where you have to pay for Internet. Never, ever pay for it!! At the start of my trip I was paying for it and would lose connection only to have to buy access from another provider. It really sucked and was overpriced.

I’ve found wifi in some of the strangest places. In a small valley in southern California overlooking some ranches, on the beach in Mexico and at a state park in California (signal was coming from across the road).

Most people won’t need this info as they’re just cruising out for the weekend but it certainly comes in handy on those long hauls.