High Speed internet at campsites!

[68firebird]

FYI...

I had heard rumors about high speed internet coming to FW so I contacted Disney to ask. Here is there response:

High Speed Internet Access (HSIA) is available at preferred campsites.
Requirements: Requires a Local Area Network (LAN) cable or in-room
connection.
Price: $9.95 for 24-contiguous hours charged to the room account.
Technical Support: Is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by
calling the Smart City help desk directly at 407-938-HELP.

The part about 'in-room connection' doesn't make any sense. But it sounds like you can pick up a cable modem and they charge you 10 bucks a day. You would probably need a CAT-5 network cable to connect your computer to the cable modem.

Those that have to stay in touch with work while trying to escape can do it now.

 

[csblackwell]

You are correct! Just pick up a cable modem and you're ready to go.

We just returned from a 7 day trip and the campground is awesome. The high speed cable access is just another great thing about FW.

 

[johnjohnga]

This is a MAJOR improvement for those who need internet access while at FW.

For clarification, you will only need a NIC (Network Interface Card), probably already built into your laptop, or a PCMCIA network card, and a standard network cable long enough to reach from the cat-5 jack to your laptop. There is no need to bring a cable modem (or ANY modem, for that matter).

Incidentally, it's not necessarily CABLE access, it could be DSL or satellite. In any case, only the cable is required.

 

[CharlesTD]

Ok I just have to ask and this may have been covered omn previous posts about this but WHY do you go on holidays if you still have to get in touch with work? When I go on Holidays I go to get away from work and they know not to contact me no matter how pressing the matter. I turn off the phone and leave the computer at home there is nothing that important that work needs to contact me The building could burn down for all I care I am on holidays so leave me alone LOL.

 

[Anewman]

Ok I just have to ask and this may have been covered omn previous posts about this but WHY do you go on holidays if you still have to get in touch with work? When I go on Holidays I go to get away from work ...

For some it is the only way or no vacation at all.
My family understands that if I was a mailman or some other profession that could just clock out and be done with work I would happily do it.

 

[68firebird]

You are right you don't have to bring a cable modem. That is what they rent you for 10 bucks a day. That was what CSBLACKWELL and myself meant, but I can see how it wasn't clear. I was only saying that you may have to bring the ethernet network cable as they didn't state that it would be provided. You also are correct that you will have to have some type of network port on your computer (be it via built-in, PCMCIA , USB etc.).

And ANEWMAN is right. Some of us can't leave work for 8 days. If we did then there may not be a work to come back to. Still spend the time with the family on vacation, but if something blows up you can still have access where you can save the day.

10 bucks a day is expensive, but it is just part of the vacation expense. It would take more time from my family and my vacation if I had to haul my laptop to the outpost and try to connect with dialup each time I needed to get online.

Anyway just trying to pass on the information. This forum is a great place to find info and when I didn't find it listed here I contacted Disney to get it. Then I just wanted to post it here for the other poor souls that can't escape work.

 

[CharlesTD]

For some it is the only way or no vacation at all.
My family understands that if I was a mailman or some other profession that could just clock out and be done with work I would happily do it.

Our company, I work for a bank and one of the largest in Canada they encourage us to go on holidays even if we have something important coming up at work. They feel family time far exceeds work time so no matter what is happening they will never call anyone while they are on holidays. They feel that if it is that important then the other party can hold off or someone else in the department can take care of it. I have worked for companies that want you to stay in touch while on holidays I just told them it wasn't going to happen.

 

[johnjohnga]

I agree, I don't come to FW with the intent of surfing the 'net (or for the cable TV, either!).

Still, for those whose lives and businesses depend on it, it's a handy feature. For the 5 or so minutes that I require, the Business Ctrs at other resorts are adequate. Last time they didn't even charge me.

 

[reginaastralis]

Honestly, I think the coolest thing about this is sending my pictures of my 8 month old off to my family the day we take them, instead of going home and sorting through them all. I also am addicted to my email, so it's going to be nice to check it now and then while on vacation.

The last time we were there *Labor Day weekend* there was a problem with our neighbors cable hook up, and they had to use our box. We never use cable while on vacation at Disney either, but the CM offered it to us for free since they had to use ours. I said no, b/c I knew I would be glued watching the news about Hurricane Katrina, but it's nice they have that option.

Amanda

 

[clkelley]

The reason I bring the laptop on vacation with me is if I don't, I have to leave an "out of office" message on Outlook. Well I have found that message causes more problems than it solves with junk mail bouncing and creating twice the email traffic I normally get.

So taking about 5 minutes each evening cleaning out the junk and forwarding a couple of critical work messages to my backup makes my life much easier upon my return.

I also exclusively pay my bills and do my banking electronically, so having access to that while out of town makes life easier too.

Carol

 

[elastigirlfan]

Very cool!!!

 

[Florida_Mom]

I have a great job that allows for a lot of family time and vacation time but the trade off is I have to stay connected wherever I am. So, to me, it's worth it.

 

[CharlesTD]

The reason I bring the laptop on vacation with me is if I don't, I have to leave an "out of office" message on Outlook. Well I have found that message causes more problems than it solves with junk mail bouncing and creating twice the email traffic I normally get.

So taking about 5 minutes each evening cleaning out the junk and forwarding a couple of critical work messages to my backup makes my life much easier upon my return.

I also exclusively pay my bills and do my banking electronically, so having access to that while out of town makes life easier too.

Carol

We also do our banking online and just make sure to do it before we leave as for e mail let the mailbox fill up most of it is junk anyhow so I just delete it all when I get back then anything that was important people will re send me LOL.

 

[TeresaMc]

If you are a business owner you may possibly need to be online.....if I am gone out of town my employees will email me in lieu of calling so that I can answer at my convienence rather than disrupting a family event. But if I wasn't as accessible while gone I would never be able to go away as much.

 

[DMRick]

While we no longer tote the RV down to Disney (cheaper to fly SW and get a room..if I could figure out how to fly the camper, I would, to have my own bed) we do made 5 or more trips to Disney, as well as camping many weeks and weekends at other times. When I come home at night, I check my auctions and my website sales, as well as answer email from my Desk Top Publishing clients. It's awesome, I get to go away a lot and no one knows I'm gone! For me, the vacation is in not going home to a ton of mail. And, that I'm making money while off having fun. I've been known to find some treasures while at Disney (the charactor store) and put the item up on eBay that night!
We'll be camping this weekend, and I'll be able to Dis (if I so chose) from my campfire.

 

[rapriebe]

If I have my own built-in NIC and have my own cable, do I need to go to the front desk to get it turned on. If I connect to the Internet at my site, does it automatically charge my bill $9.95. Just wondering how they track it.

 

[68firebird]

When you check in (or anytime you want it) you go to the outpost (I think) and you pickup the cable modem from them. You have to have this modem to get the high speed access. Then you were billed for a 24hr period.

 

[johnjohnga]

According to Disney Reservations, you only need the network interface card (NIC) and the appropriate cable. A seperate modem is NOT required.

The way this typically works at other hotels is that you simply connect your laptop to the jack, and when you open your browser, it will automatically open to a page that will allow you to either pay by credit card, or authorize the charge to your room account. Some hotels have a set noon-to-noon period, others give you 24hours from the first logon.

With you built-in NIC and cable, there should be no need to stop by the outpost.

Incidentally, depite some comments about the $9.95 charge for 24 hours being too high,this is more-or-less standard for budget hotels. Internet may be complimentary at higher-end hotels, but let's face it, FW is a terrific bargain, and the extra charge for internet allows FW to continute to offer these low rates.

 

[68firebird]

They actually told me "You pick up the cable modem". There is not a RJ45 ethernet connection at the sites. These sites have RG6 cable hookups (same as they had before internet). The way cable access works with the internet is by using a cable modem. This same cable hookup at your site carries the internet connection and the tv signal. In order for your computer to translate this to an internet signal you will have to have a cable modem. Where the confusion keeps coming from is where the cable modem comes from. You don't have to bring a cable modem, but you will have to get one from them. There isn't anyway for it to work without a cable modem.

(Without getting too technical) You have to get the cable modem from THEM because they have to register what is called a MAC address from the modem in order for you to get access. Otherwise anyone could steal the signal without paying for it if they were allowed to hook up their own modem.

The cable hookup there is no different than cable hookups at a residential application. You have to have a modem (from them) to make it work.

 

[clkelley]

(Without getting too technical) You have to get the cable modem from THEM because they have to register what is called a MAC address from the modem in order for you to get access. Otherwise anyone could steal the signal without paying for it if they were allowed to hook up their own modem.

The cable hookup there is no different than cable hookups at a residential application. You have to have a modem (from them) to make it work.

Their cable modems must have a permanent MAC address or a router attached with a permanent MAC address, because our cable service at home requires you to call in the MAC address from the computer hooked up to it. In order to hook up multiple computers, we had to get a router and give the cable company the router MAC address.

Carol