Best internet access

[Caribcarol53]

We are bringing our laptop to St. John and wanted to know the best way to get internet access. Our villa only has a landline (no wireless). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Carolyn

[waterguy]

Go to the tap room they have free wireless

[Bug]

I found wireless all over in Cruz Bay but I must warn you that one night I was sitting at the Beach Bar with my laptop and ended up having a few shady looking characters watching me. They even followed us when we went to leave. Hubby put me back at the bar and went and got the car himself. We didn't take it out like that again!

Don't really know if anything would have happened but why take the chance!!

XOXO
Bug

[Caribcarol53]

Actually I was hoping to get online at the villa. I guess some sort of local dial up might work (UGH!). Of course my son has a Treo and Sprint cell phone service. He says no problem getting online with this combination. We are in the market for a new provider and phones so maybe we will consider this.

Carolyn

[Bug]

You could get a wireless internet card from a phone provider (like Cingular) for your laptop.

XOXO
Bug

[RickG]

You could get a wireless internet card from a phone provider (like Cingular) for your laptop.

XOXO
Bug

I use the Cingular/ATT data card. It works better in Coral Bay than it does in Washington, DC.

Cheers, RickG

[Ksea]

Im assuming since my Verizon cell phone didn't work anywhere, that my Verizon wireless card won't work either? Last time we used the DSL in the villa on Bill's laptop and it worked just fine.

[St. John Lover]

Bugblu & RickG:

I have a cingular cellphone which works terrific on St. J. (at least the Cruz Bay area--on the beaches it sometimes picks up a marine signal which means many $$$ compared to the usual low rates from the villas; Coral Bay area I couldn't get a signal).

But anyway, my question, how does one use a cingular internet card to get wireless connection for my laptop? Do I go to a Cingular (ok, technically I guess they're now AT&T) store, buy an internet card & push it into my laptop somewhere? Then am I all set when I open up my laptop in our rental villa (whether they have wireless or not)??

Sorry if I sound ignorant about this but the truth is...I'm ignorant about this!

[RickG]

STJ Lover, you pretty much have it right. You need to load the driver and their connectivity software. I found it pretty easy (warning, I'm a geek).

There's a Cingular/ATT tower in Coral Bay now. You will get major signal there now. The only place I do not get a signal is from Salt Pond to Reef Bay. Occasionally the Northwest beaches are iffy.

Cheers, RickG

[MrB]

If i'm not mistaken, isn't the data card considered a spereate device? Like another $50 or so a month for the data plan, regardless of what data plan your phone may have? For example, I have Windows Mobile device 'a' with the unlimited data plan. If I want the card, it's another fifty a month for unlimited data with that device?

I'd stick to finding a wireless signal in town, or maybe even from your villa with the regular wireless recievier in your laptop.

[RickG]

The data card has its own phone number, sim card, and is an additional fee. I use it almost every day when I'm working with clients. As a GSM device, it will work all over the world wherever there's GSM GPRS/3G service. I would certainly not by one just for travel.

Cheers, RickG

[kirk]

I'm typing this from the Tap Room. which has the best free wifi i've found so far, plus A/C. i can pick up a free wifi around the waterfront buts hit or miss at best.
kirk

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

Call Will Culver at Surf Da' Web. 340-693-9152.

He will rent you what you need to establish a wireless connection in your villa. Apparently, there is some sort of huge tower on STT that beams out a signal that can be picked up on STJ. He will come to your villa, set it up (it takes about 5 minutes) and then pick it all up at the villa after you leave. His service, plus the rental came to around $130 for a week, if I recall.

We used him this past august at a villa that also only had a landline telephone (no dsl). It worked great and was a fast internet connection.

[STJ_gal]

Call Will Culver at Surf Da' Web. 340-693-9152.

He will rent you what you need to establish a wireless connection in your villa. Apparently, there is some sort of huge tower on STT that beams out a signal that can be picked up on STJ. He will come to your villa, set it up (it takes about 5 minutes) and then pick it all up at the villa after you leave. His service, plus the rental came to around $130 for a week, if I recall.

We used him this past august at a villa that also only had a landline telephone (no dsl). It worked great and was a fast internet connection.

I would definitely call Will and check it out, but I believe this service only works if your villa can "see" STT in order to get the signal. Not totally sure if this is the case, but I remember talking to a villa owner that did not have wireless about it and he had mentioned his villa wouldn't work due to it's location.