Terlingua Dreams

Terlingua Dreams
Governors Landing Campground - Lake Amistad - Del Rio, Texas

Monday, October 10, 2016

Out of Data

If you do not see me around it is because I am out of data.  Dish gives me 5GB of anytime data and 5GB of Off-Peak data (2:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.) of which I still have 1.9 GB.

In their e-mail I have the option of purchasing an additional 1GB for ten dollars.  Otherwise, my speeds will be significantly reduced...jajajajaja...even more so?  My Internet speed is equivalent to that of dial-up, I can not imagine it being worse than that.

I do not plan on paying a penny more...hmmm, Mom might be right, I might be a centavera after all...jajajajajaja :D

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

8 comments:

  1. Home Dept and Walmart have excellent free wifi in Del Rio,

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    1. The problem is that my old laptop requires it be plugged to electricity as the battery died a long time ago. My newer computer is a large desktop model that weighs a ton.

      I will have to go online after 2:00 a.m. or try going to the public library and use their computers.

      I recall you mentioning on your blog that you used the Home Depot wifi. I tried it once from my tablet but was unable to make a connection from the parking lot.

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    2. A cheap inverter plugged into the car's lighter can power your laptop.
      Not a real good answer but it would work... I guess real, wired, internet is out of the budget.

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    3. I have considered an inverter in the past but now think it might be a good idea to actually purchase one.

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  2. Is Dish your only option? Several years ago I had a Verizon Mi-Fi Jetpack that gave me 5GB a month and I don't remember ever running over. Maybe because the connection was faster? I really don't understand the whole concept but I think I'd do without internet and go to a McDonalds or similar once in a while. I guess that wouldn't work very well in this day and age when the online world has grown so much.

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    1. About two years ago I signed up for an AT&T jetpack which also gave me 5 GB of data a month. However, the problem is the location of mother's house. It is located in the southern tip of the county and all the antenna's are on the north side of the city.

      I was barely able to get two bars and that was in the kitchen, I had zero bars in my bedroom. Lucky for me AT&T released me from my contract without penalty.

      Things were a lot different back then when we were basically a Wifi dead zone (ask Billy Bob). Back then it was basically only the public library and McDonalds.

      Now more businesses have Wifi such as Toyota, Walmart, KFC, IHOP, Home Depot and many more.

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  3. As Rob said, you can buy a usb adapter for your cigarette lighter to power your laptop for under 10 bucks as I recall.

    Alternatively, you can buy external battery packs for laptops (and tablets & phones) at around $40 maybe? They are very handy to have even if you have a fully operational laptop to extend usage away from wired power.

    And last but not least is if your neighborhood McD’s has wifi (pretty sure they all do) they might have plugs at some of the tables. Mine does & also your Starbucks should have power plugs at tables as well. When I lost electricity after my power panel thing outside burnt up I alternated between those two places for days.

    Come to think of it, I remember plugging in at the library a long time ago when I had a the same dead battery problem you've got. Have you checked around to see if there's one tucked away somewhere there? The cleaning staffers have to vacuum at night, right? ;-)

    Where there's a will there's a way!

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    1. I am leaning more towards an AC inverter which I could use when I go camping. Battery packs for the laptop are a bit more than I would like to spend being that I only go camping once a year.

      I have been with DISH a year and a half and this is the first time I have used up all my Anytime data. Have to blame my telenovelas for that, with frequent trips out-of-town, I got behind on my episodes.

      Our local library is old and is currently under renovation (should of been completed this past April) but they have gone out of their way to accommodate people like myself who need to plug their laptops to the grid. They have power strips everywhere so more people can plug-in their devices.

      We have three McDonald's in town but I do not really care for their food. Would you believe I have never been inside a Starbucks? We finally got one about two years ago but I have yet to make it there.

      Frankly, I am surprised that so far this evening I have not noticed any kind of slow down, probably because everyone is asleep! :D

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