How to Make Amtrak Wi-Fi work for you

[Jimmy Higgins]

Inspired by this.

Amtrak trains provide free Wi-Fi service, however, it isn't as easy to take advantage of this as it would seem at first. Below are some hints and tips at how best to use Amtrak Wi-Fi.

• Location, location, location.
  • Firstly, if you don't live near a set of railroad tracks, then you aren't getting the Wi-Fi. And even if you do, don't expect great service 10 miles outside Minot, North Dakota, as you just have two Amtrak trains coming by a day. You need to be in the Northeast, where trains come every 30 to 60 minutes. Yes, Wi-Fi access would be spotty, especially for the high speed Acela trains, but at least you have a better shot at hooking up with the Wi-Fi network on the train before it passes by. Sure, some people say the slower moving national trains are better, but the difference isn't enough.
• Tag team.
  • While being near where trains go by is helpful, trains are supposed to be moving 70+ mph (though honestly it is closer to 40 mpg). That means you only get a few seconds of Wi-Fi access. So instead of be stationary, have a friend drive you along the Railroad corridor. This way you can log in, and stay logged in as long as you match the pace of the train.
• Hot spot hidden on the train
  • Tag teaming is great, but sometimes it is dangerous or even impossible to drive alongside a train. With other trains, light signals, etc... following the train on the tracks could be considered dangerous (and possibly against the law in some states). That makes the next option great. Create a cell-hotspot on the train using a well hidden (and plugged-in) cell phone and access the Internet using that.
• Actually ride the train

Amtrak offers a wonderful free Wi-Fi service and we hope one of these options work well for you.

 

[ZiprHead]

Or you could just buy your own cell service internet, cheapskate.