No signal cause I'm surrounded by alluminum

[otrider]

Hi all,  I've got an interesting situation..I think it's ok now cause I'm getting through to you but that wasn't always the case.  May give out in the morning too.

i've got a HP ze5730us notebook with integrated wifi.  No Hot spots close by and the park that I'm staying in doesn't have an internet connection or wi-fi. 

So...I go to my cell phone provider and get an air card for $60.00 a moth.  That seems reasonable to stay in touch with friends and family. 
The gent at the store set it up and I was good to go, or so I thought.

I got back to the RV and I could receive e - mail just fine but couldn't send anything.  So after trying for severl days to rectify the situation myself I tried contacting AOL and was delighted that I almost got through to their "Online Help"  Was finally able to obtain a phone number so I could actually speak to a technition.  Well after probably 45 min of him telling me that I couldn't get on cause I didn't have what I needed...he told me that I couldn't get the internet signal cause I was in an alluminum trailer and that If I wanted to send an e-mail I'd have to take the laptop OUTSIDE. 

Needless to say I didn't like his resolution of my problem and now this thing is working great.  Has anyone had this problem before and how did you resolve it?

Also....How can I set up the computer so it shows the pictures and icons....all I'm getting is the white box with the red square, blue triangle and the black circle.  I'm sure it has something to do with security/protection programs but it's driving me nuts!  Please someone help me .
thanks,
Pam

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If you can receive mail, you are getting the "internet signal" and the aluminum is not the issue. Your problem is most likely the configuration of the outbound mail service, which is different than the inbound mail service.  If you weren't using AOL I might offer some suggestions as to the cause, but AOL has its own way of doing things, so I'll let another AOL user give advice.

Did it work OK when you went outside? Or didn't you try it?  What changed that it is working now and not before? Did you move to another location?

 

[Ned]

You didn't say which browser you're using, but check in the various options for a setting to block images and make sure it's set to allow images to display.  It's unlikely that whatever virus scanner or firewall you're running has blocked images but that's a possibility if the browser setting is correct.  Tell us the browser you're using and we can tell you exactly where to look for that setting.

Gary is probably correct about the sending email problem.  If you can get online, then the aluminum has nothing to do with the problem.  If you tell us who your cellular carrier is, someone can tell you the correct SMTP settings are for outgoing mail.  However, if you're using AOL for all your email, then you will have to get the information from them as they don't do anything like the rest of the internet world.

 

[John From Detroit]

A few comments.. YES you are in an aluminum trailer WITH WINDOWS THAT ARE TRANSPARENT TO RF (And of course there is a picnic table outside.. >Right?)

Second,  There is a company (one of two) named WILSON,, One WIlson company makes CB antennas you can find at truck stops from sea to sea, the other makes Cell phone accessories.. They are friendly (if you log onto the wrong one there is a link to the right one) and they use designs that look alot alike further suggesting friendliness between them.

A Wilson Trucker cell phone antenna mounted as high as you can safely mount it will work,  You have three or 4 choices as to what to put on the indoor end of this cable.. I Suggest at least two of them

1: Another antenna. (Put it near the computer station) This is called a passive repeater and may work if you are in a strong signal area.

2: A "Device adapter" (Special adapter to interface with your air card) this may be a plug that matches the jack on your air card (if there is one) or it may be a clip on inductive coupler that couples with the antenna (Works like having an indoor antenna, only a whole lot better)

3: A Wilson 2-way amplifier (Best choice for the end of this cable) which can then feed either

3A: An internal antenna (included with the amplifier) or 3B: A device specific adapter (See 2 above)

3B is best, 3A is rather close 2 is next and cheapest, 1 is more convienent (Since you are not teathered to that outside antenna)

I have 3a in this rig, 3b if I need it.  My amplifier runs on 12vdc so I put a switch in the line.  I find that there are times when it's not effective, either there is really no signal at all (in which case why waste the 12vdc) or there is such a strong signal that 1: I don't need it and 2: It overloads.  Thus I turn it off.

Works great when needed though

 

[otrider]

Thanks everyone for your input.  Things are working much better these days!.You're gonna love this!    I went back to Alltel (where I bought the aircard).  After 60 minutes waiting on the phone in the store for one of their data techs, he immediately knew what was wrong.  He asked me if in the process of installing the aircard I downloaded an accelerator file.  I said yes as a matter of fact I had.  (very surprised that I actually remembered doing it but I did)  He said...."delete it!"  Turns out it is a superfluous file that results in just what happened to me. 

As far as the blocked images...There was a button saying Allow images.  Click, presto!

Thanks a bunch.