WiFi Hotspots... Xfinity/Spectrum etc.

Has anyone tried getting a cell service with national roaming WiFi hot spots?

I have Spectrum cable at home and cell service through work. Data usage is not a problem nationally for me but I am thinking about getting a personal service with WiFi hotspots.

It looks like both Xfinity (comcast) and spectrum have hotspots all over the place.  I am wondering about the quality & speed.

I only stream exclusively for years so cable is not a need. I travel a lot for business so I am totally familiar with loading up on download content when out of touch..

Plan is to install a router in the RV so everyone can network together and then when in range get Wifi on board somehow. I have used mobile cellular hotspots before so that is another option albeit at a lower speed. There must be something similar for WiFi by now...

PS - I also have a digital broadcast antenna at home. Is that worth having on-board? I think we watch one broadcast show like every 2 months. It is good for dialing into local news and weather, though...

I use T-mobile.  There are some place where I get no signal
Same for folks using Verizion or AT&*t or ______

Though with the big 3 (named aove) those areas of no coverage are getting harder to find.

Best solution is two competing hotspots or cell phones.. Sometimes ONE works where others do not.

John From Detroit said:

Best solution is two competing hotspots or cell phones.. Sometimes ONE works where others do not.

Click to expand...

Agree, I have Verizon and AT&T


Not familiar with the hotspots you're referring to, but I'd have to believe few if any would be reachable from your RV , even with a wifi booster

I've tried Spectrum's access points a few times, but the speeds have been throttled too low for reliable streaming. I expect Xfinity is the same as Spectrum with the access points typically being "guest" access on commercial subscriber's WiFi modems. Our AT&T and Visible/Verizon hotspots do a much better job of keeping us connected.

I'm not clear on what you are looking for. You already have access to the Spectrum wifi hotspots thru your cable subscription and I'm not aware of any additional Spectrum hotspots you could access via some other service.  What sort of "personal service" are you considering? Do you mean a cellular service from a major network, e.g. Verizon or AT&T?  That would give you more options across the country and it is common that one service or another will have the better performance in a given area. But no way of predicting which it will be...

Yes - I only have Spectrum internet service at home. I do not think this allows access to the WiFi hotspots.

I believe WiFi hotspot access comes with their cell phone service which I currently do not have. I have cell phone service with Verizon (from work).

So my question, which I think I am starting to get the answer to is - How is the performance of either Comcast or Spectrum WiFi hotspots?

There is a pay by the drink option with Spectrum that I may try - 1 month access for $14.99 to test it out on my own.

Gary RV_Wizard said:

I'm not clear on what you are looking for. You already have access to the Spectrum wifi hotspots thru your cable subscription and I'm not aware of any additional Spectrum hotspots you could access via some other service.  What sort of "personal service" are you considering? Do you mean a cellular service from a major network, e.g. Verizon or AT&T?  That would give you more options across the country and it is common that one service or another will have the better performance in a given area. But no way of predicting which it will be...

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Ex-Calif said:

Yes - I only have Spectrum internet service at home. I do not think this allows access to the WiFi hotspots.

I believe WiFi hotspot access comes with their cell phone service which I currently do not have. I have cell phone service with Verizon (from work).

So my question, which I think I am starting to get the answer to is - How is the performance of either Comcast or Spectrum WiFi hotspots?

There is a pay by the drink option with Spectrum that I may try - 1 month access for $14.99 to test it out on my own.

Click to expand...

As I said earlier, my experience with the Spectrum WiFi hotspots has been that they're too slow for reliable streaming. They are however, available to all Spectrum Internet subscribers:

"Get free, unlimited access to over half a million WiFi hotspots in places you shop, dine and travel."

"Unlimited access for all Spectrum Internet customers."
"Save on your wireless data plan by connecting all your devices."
"Sign in once and automatically connect in the future."

https://www.spectrum.com/wifi-hotspots

I have Spectrum internet and cable tv at home. You do not need Spectrum mobile to get on their hotspots. Just use your user id and password you use to log into your account at home. The hotspots I've found would be totally useless in an rv, they're located in Doctor's offices and restaurants and such.

Thanks @NY_Dutch and @ChasA.

The map shows indoor and outdoor spots so it might be a lie. I might try a drive by at some point... If I can find my Spectrum UID and Login Info - LOL...

Yes - I only have Spectrum internet service at home. I do not think this allows access to the WiFi hotspots.

I believe WiFi hotspot access comes with their cell phone service which I currently do not have.

Click to expand...

I see others have already advised that is incorrect. All Spectrum internet customers have access to their many wifi hotspots. You just need the login for your Spectrum account. If you've forgotten it, they can reset it for you.
My limited experience with Spectrum wifi hotspots is that it varies with the location and of course my distance from it. I've encountered some that are heavily loaded and some [few] that are decent.

I work on the road so a secure wifi connection using VPN and antivirus software is a must. My smartphone as a hot spot using Metro by T-Mobile works well. My wife and I get unlimited data, text and voice, free Amazon Prime and 15GB wifi hot spot data (each) per month for $90 (total).