Attention Virgin Mobile Internet USB Users

i was in best buy today and they had 2 usb and no of the wifi hotspot ones maybe with that many subscribers they will continue it.

Ned said:

The Verizon Wireless $50 5GB/month plan charges $10/GB over the limit, pretty reasonable to me.

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Ann just got off the phone with Verizon.  She wanted to to raise her usage limit on our Mi-Fi, but was told that the $80 plan was for 4G modems only, and that any usage over 5G with our current plan would be at the rate of .05 per MB, which, I believe, comes out to about $50 per G, and not $10.

Paul

Just adding to the pile of information.

We have internet access via cable at home. We also have iPhones through AT&T. For high-speed data access, however, we use the Virgin Mobile primarily. We also have a Verizon USB dongle that we use when we go to an area where Sprint isn't. Since my wife is a medical transcriptionist, internet access is mandatory. We're happy with Virgin Mobile and a Cradlepoint PHS 300 that we use to share the connection. We both have laptops. When it's on, our iPhones use the wireless signal. Sometimes 3G is faster and sometimes the EVDO of Sprint/Virgin is faster. It all depends on location and the amount of traffic (users) at any one point in time.

Verizon isn't as competitive as Virgin Mobile with their pay-as-you-go plans. They both, however, are flexible. Put down the money, get 30 days of access. Don't put down the money and don't worry.

Paul,

You may want to call their attention to thier (Verizon) advertised rate for Mobile Broadband here http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobilebroadband/?page=plans which specifies $10/GB. I do believe I would enjoy taking them to court over false advertising if they tried to bill me at $50/Gb rate.

The "overage" charges are a hot issue with the FCC at the moment, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/business/23digi.html with the highest they (the FCC) have verified recently being $68,505. Imagine getting that bill in the mail one month! That is one reason I refuse to follow the crowd and tether without paying the tethering surcharge.

Ann and I are changing all our plans from contracts to prepaid so we can shop for the best deals around on a monthly basis - currently Virgin Mobile (even with the cap added recently).

Frank

Frank,

Thanks a lot for the link!  Another call to Verizon and another person to talk to verified that indeed the overage charge is $10 per G, and not $.05 per MB, and that with a 3G modem you can get the 10 G plan for $80.

Thanks, Ned, for the original post with the correct pricing!

Paul

Up thread a 20 dollar 1GIG limit plan was mentioned... MOre info on it please

the 10 dollar 100Meg is a bit... er.. restrictive

I'm now an official Virgin Mobile unlimited broadband to go user.  I had to redo with the log in/ activation stuff but I likely messed it up the first time.  I am, after all, computer semi-literate.  If I can figure it out anybody can.

Indicated connection speed during sign up was 153.6 kbps

Current speed is supposed to be 3.1 Mbps.

I don't have a clue what that stuff means but, compared to Net Zero dial up IT IS FAST!  I hadn't planned to begin service until the 14th but the silly old boys at Net Zero discontinued my local access number this morning.

Gee, how do I put one of those "sent from my...."  things at the bottom of every message?  LOL!!

Bob

I use Ubuntu for my Operating system and the Virgin Mobile mifi is not compatible according to Ubuntu. So Now I have a dongle which is useless unless I get another Microsoft or Apple Operating System. Irover

Irover said:

I use Ubuntu for my Operating system and the Virgin Mobile mifi is not compatible according to Ubuntu. So Now I have a dongle which is useless unless I get another Microsoft or Apple Operating System. Irover

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I don't quite understand what you are saying here. If you have a MiFi unit, that is a wireless router access point. Any operating system, including Linux, that has networking connection options will see the WiFi from your "MiFi", and you can connect.
But then you talk about a useless dongle. Do you really mean you have a broadband USB modem that plugs into your computer for Virgin Mobile service? That is not MiFi. There are ways to use the modem connection application is Linux to connect a broadband modem. A Google search will get you instructions, but mainly you have to know the dial code and enter some other info that I don't remember. I am pretty sure it can be done.

John From Detroit said:

Up thread a 20 dollar 1GIG limit plan was mentioned... MOre info on it please

the 10 dollar 100Meg is a bit... er.. restrictive

Click to expand...

The 20 dollar option is only valid for V/M broadband equipment bought at WalMart, I believe.

The Virgin Mobile USB dongle has a slot for a micro SD card.  Since almost all my daily use applications are  Portable Apps and on a 2 gigabyte usb memory stick, I tried putting them on a 1 gigabyte card for "one stop shopping". 

I downloaded a fresh version of the "Lite" suite and installed it on the card.  It was really, REALLY slow.  It made dial up seem fast!  This was a newer version (old was firefox 3.0.16 and the new 3.6.3) which might have made things worse.  There was plenty of room on the 1 gigabyte card.

I suppose the slot could be used for saving "stuff" but, why?  I will copy my old "portable apps" to the card and try again but I don't hold out any hope for usable speed.

If it HAD worked, the next project would have been to put the Broadband3Go "program" files residing on my computer's hard disc on the card along with skype.  The idea would be to use the dongle and associated software on any computer without any installation or tracks.

Oh well.
fleamarketeer

I'm in the process of 'trying' the Virgin unlimited service. I bought an usb dongle at walmart and activated it.  At first, about 2 days, I was able to get evdo service but since then I've been restricted to 1x and cannot even load web pages as they time out before they load.  Slow now has a new definition as in 'the speed of Virgin broadband service'.  It's not like I'm located in the boonies;  I'm about 6 miles south of the Orlando airport and easily within the service area Virgin shows on their map.

You can mark me down as an unhappy camper.  Lesson learned;  stay with the big boys.

>>You can mark me down as an unhappy camper.  Lesson learned;  stay with the big boys.<<

I have had the same experience.... The only place I had decent speeds was in Anza Borrego, CA

Terry A. Brewer said:

>>You can mark me down as an unhappy camper.  Lesson learned;  stay with the big boys.<<

I have had the same experience.... The only place I had decent speeds was in Anza Borrego, CA

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I think you can add me to that last after reading this.

http://www.evdoinfo.com/content/view/3541/64/

Paul

It isn't even a contest anymore. Verizon with much wider coverage give you 5 gigs a month for $50. Sprint gives you 2.5 gigs for $50 per month.

seilerbird said:

It isn't even a contest anymore. Verizon with much wider coverage give you 5 gigs a month for $50. Sprint gives you 2.5 gigs for $50 per month.

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It served it's purpose when we were in Del Rio, Texas, where there is no Verizon data service.  Since we left there, my connections speeds have been so slow I would never be able to use even 2.5 G of data even if I was using it 24/7.

Anyone wants to buy it, I will give you a heck of a deal!

Paul

Be careful out there!  VM may have made bigger changes than anticipated.

There are all kinds of "official rumors" floating around about VirginMobile raising prices.  May or may not be true- but it does seem that if you didn't get a $40 "unlimited" plan by the 14th you will be at a disadvantage.  If you haven't purchased, you might want to wait and see.  I know I'll wait and see how this stuff sorts itself out before I worry/scream/rant too much. <grin>

One good thing is I'm getting a better idea what I really need.  I'm using more "gigabytes" than normal just playing with the faster access and not using any wifi.  Even so, I'm not using as much as I thought- there's a built in meter every time you log on.  I might be able to use the cheaper $20 Walmart plan if the unlimited goes up.  I think $40/ $10 a week is pretty much my spending limit AND for that price I don't want to hit my allowed limit.  Three quarters of the time last summer I used only free wifi and got along just fine. 

If anyone speaks geek and legalese the thread below or one of the others on dslreports might explain it.  Maybe you could translate for those of us limited to standard English.

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r25462497-40.00-unlimited-plan-is-now-50.00

fleamarketeer

I now have a Virgin Mobile USB adapter.. One computer (At a time)

Things I noticed on 2/25

1: The unlimited plan is now 50 bucks
2: The $20 dollar plan is ONLY For devices purchesed at wall-mart, ALas, that leaves me out
3: The "Unlimited" has a 2.5 Gig limit for HIGH SPEED, then they slow you down.. YOu do, however get unlimited, as of 2/25
4: The 10 dollar plan was 10 dollars for 10 days or 100 meg whichever came first (Used to be 7 days)

I thought I read that this on 2/26 they were changing things so any account which has NEVER purchased unlimted, will no longer be able to do so.. but if you bought even one month of unlimited prior to the 26th.. You cn do so again and again.

IN my case.. I need 2 weeks worth in the next month.. and I use over 100 meg a week.

Thanks John,

I read something new about this on another forum a few days ago.  When I checked my account then, it seemed existing $40 unlimited customers would be grandfathered, at least for a while, at the original price.  Everything I read concerning existing plans still said $40.  Now it seems our price will increase too.

On my account page it still says: "If you switch to another plan, you will not be able to switch back to the $40 plan." But when I click the "read more" link, everything has recently been changed to read "$50".

I think I'll still send an email or call to check for sure.  When the increase was announced I read that the VM spokesperson couldn't answer specific pricing questions.  It can't hurt to ask. 

I bought mine from Walmart so I'll drop down to the $20/ 1 gigabyte plan rather than pay $50.  My "unlimited" plan expires on 3MAR and I've only used 558 megabytes.  I went to a library to download a few portable applications and windows updates but other than that I didn't use wifi at all.  I don't download any videos and don't allow any flash or similar content.  If I start coming close to my limit maybe I'll only do anti-virus updates from wifi every couple of days.  I don't go to risky sites anyway.

If others are trying to economize, removing flash and other "junk" might save enough to allow a less expensive plan.  You might find you're paying for stuff you don't really want to see anyway.  When I see "normal" web sites on a computer using java script and flash stuff, it looks like (so people tell me) those scuzzy porn sites! <grin>

Thanks again
fleamarketeer

I don't think anyone is grandfathered in at $40.  The best I can figure from speaking to a very polite gentleman in Pakistan (or wherever) is that the unlimited plan is $50 a month for everyone.  But then I've been know to have difficulty understanding folks from New York (or under 30) too.

I'm now on the Walmart exclusive $20/ 1 gigabyte plan.  I think I "lost" a day as my plan should have expired tomorrow, but I did that the first time I renewed my Straight Talk service too.  My own fault.  I would have switched to the $20 plan even if I had been able to get the unlimited for $40.

My total usage for 1 day shy of a month was 614 megabytes.  This month I was on more than normal-  several (5... 6?) hours every day.  I should be fine with the new plan as long as I don't do Windows updates.  Not everyone has the same habits; that's why there are different suppliers for every need.

On Sunday I was looking at a friend's computer- he makes his living mainly on ebay and has the fastest cable connection available in his area (and thinks its too slow).  By right clicking on different things (then "page info") on his screen, it looks like he uses about 50 gigabytes a day just on "flash" content ads.  And he used a lot putting sales stuff ON "you-tube". 

I'm not positive about his usage, he has a newer version of Firefox and Windows 7 so the "buttons" don't work exactly the same as mine.  And to be honest, all that stuff moving, jumping around and scrolling gives me a headache, so I didn't "play" for very long.

Anyway, that seems to be the most recent "word" from Virgin Mobile.  I'm awaiting next months changes. LOL!

fleamarketeer