Truck Stop WiFi Hotspot Reviewed

As you may know, this blog is all about hopping from one hotspot to another. Here is my first truck stop hotspot experience and my observations.

I saw a sign at a truck stop in central OR that read WiFi high speed internet. So I thought I would try it out. Many years ago before the internet I would occasionally crash for the night in truck stops so I knew the drill. Get as far away from the trucks as possible to avoid exhaust fumes and noise. But I wanted to be close enough to the router antenna.

I got out my Gigaware WiFi hotspot finder I purchased at Radio Shack for about $6. I discovered a good signal at the end of the lot so I parked there. I fired up the o laptop and indeed the signal was good. However; the speed was far from high. My guess is that 20 truckers had the same idea. I realized right away that this was not going to be a preferred WiFi source. As I checked my email, a truck parked next to me. A good signal turned to no signal.

After a restless night I took my laptop to breakfast at the truck stop restaurant. There I could plug in and charge the battery, the signal was good (it came from the truck stop across the way), and the speed good. I spent 2 hours there eating and surfing the web.

Conclusion; if using the truck stop lot, park close to the hotspot antenna and deal with the exhaust and noise. My choice; enjoy a nice meal, get a good stable signal and recharge your battery at the diner.

On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being excellent) I would rate the truck stop parking lot a 1 and the truck stop restaurant a 5.

Until the next post: if you are not a trucker and not in desperate need of WiFi or a good meal, keep on trucking.
OR_M