Would like to hear from all regarding internet please

Greetings Forum,
My husband and I are not techies in any way, shape or form, we really need some help but need it dumbed way down.  We are trying to figure out what we need in order to be online on both of our laptops not only while travelling, but also when we are parked at our property.  We both spend a LOT of time online, like sometimes both of us spend the entire day online.  Just looking for the biggest bang for the buck.  Is there such a thing that is mobile with unlimited access?  Or is it all a data plan?  We are also looking to upgrade our  very old cell phones (they just call and text) to something like an iphone.  We currently have AT&T.
Please help  :-\

RobinsBill said:

Greetings Forum,
My husband and I are not techies in any way, shape or form, we really need some help but need it dumbed way down.  We are trying to figure out what we need in order to be online on both of our laptops not only while travelling, but also when we are parked at our property.  We both spend a LOT of time online, like sometimes both of us spend the entire day online.  Just looking for the biggest bang for the buck.  Is there such a thing that is mobile with unlimited access?  Or is it all a data plan?  We are also looking to upgrade our  very old cell phones (they just call and text) to something like an iphone.  We currently have AT&T.
Please help  :-\

Click to expand...

Boy that is a lot of questions. I hope I can do it justice.

There are many optional ways to go and I am sure many people will chime in with their method. Here is what I do.

I have T-Mobile as my carrier. They are the cheapest carrier with the best customer service, but they don't have as good of coverage as AT&T or Verizon. Close, but not as good as, currently. I have a Nexus 4 phone that is Android based. Andriod is the most popular smart phone operating system currently. The phone costs $299 at the Google play store and can be used on T-Mobile very easily.

No there is no more wireless unlimited Internet access plans. The plan I have gives me 100 minutes per month of talk time, unlimited text messages and unlimited Internet that actually is limited. The ad will say unlimited but after 5 gigs they throttle your speed back. I don't know how badly they throttle it back since I only use about 3 gigs a month. The plan costs an amazingly low $30 per month and there is no contract.

On top of that plan I pay T-Mobile an additional $15 per month to turn my Nexus phone into a "hot spot". A hot spot is merely a repeater. Your phone picks up the Internet signal and then rebroadcasts it locally on WiFi so you can use the unlimited Internet on my laptop or my Chromebook.

I am extremely happy with both T-Mobile for only $45 a month and my Nexus. However there are many good carriers and many great phones, so you have lots of choices.  The best advice I can give you is not to sign a contract. They are going the way of the Dodo bird. Phone contracts carry a heavy penalty for early withdrawl. In some cases the penalty is more than the price I paid for the Nexus. There are lots of great deals to be had without signing a contact.

Sprint just announced some new plans that include unlimited "everything" but you need to read the fine print.  Currently the best data plan, in my opinion, is the Millenicom 20GB/month hotspot using the Verizon Wireless network.

Just about all the "smart phones" no matter the carrier can be tethered. I tether an HTC on my AT&T plan. The IPhone can also be tethered. I have had fairly good uck with AT&T getting service in most places but have been in places where Verizon works and ATT doesn't and vice versa. I have thought about switching the wife's phone tg Verizon.

Millenicom has an unlimited offering but it is a USB stick (somewhat limiting without a Cradlepoint router since only one device at a time can use it) through Sprint. I have their 20GB plan via Verizon in the MiFi version, as well as an AT&T 5GB plan and a Verizon 5GB plan, both MiFi hotspots (multiple users).

Spending all day on a cellular data network is probably not going to be realistic or even remotely cost effective. You would be better served to see if you can get DSL or cable dropped at your property. Then you could get a reasonable data plan for a MiFi and use the DSL/cable at the property and the MiFi while traveling (subject to carrier availability)

You are pretty much in no man's land otherwise and will have to make some hard choices about the expense of spending that much time online. Smart phones may change the mix, however, depending on whether your online time can fit the small screen. Mine cannot.

It's complicated!

gwcowgill said:

Just about all the "smart phones" no matter the carrier can be tethered. I tether an HTC on my AT&T plan. The IPhone can also be tethered. I have had fairly good uck with AT&T getting service in most places but have been in places where Verizon works and ATT doesn't and vice versa. I have thought about switching the wife's phone tg Verizon.

Click to expand...

My Huawei 8800 through Consumer Cellular cannot be tethered or used as a hotspot, even though the phone itself is normally capable of that. CC has those features disabled. So while most "smart phones" (actually, pocket computers) may be manufactured that way, carriers can change configurations a lot.

As for on the road access I would recommend a hot spot such as Verizon to AT&T, I believe Mellicon  uses the Verizon network and is slightly cheaper. The hot spot will act as a local router and allow all of your devices to access the Internet as well as talk to each other via a local network. Talking to each other on the local network makes wireless printing soooo much easier. Many laptops and iPads wil automatically search for a local printer and practically set its self up.
Be aware though that internet coverage, no matter who you use as a carrier, is not everywhere. We have stayed at many state parks that were far out in the boonies and cell coverage was non existent. Sometimes nature and technologies don't always coincide. I don't think there is any system that will guarantee Internet access everywhere. I have found that many campground wifi connections are worthless and just use our Verizon, even when the CG wireless is free.
When we travel we increase our data plan to 10 gig, when home I put it back to 2 gig and use our Comcast.

We do a very similar thing to what Selah explains. The wife and I both have Razr Maxx phones which can act as hot spots (wireless routers) We have a Verizon plan with the amount of data that we use each month (8 GB) The plan also allows unlimited calling and texting which is wasted on us as we combined, use less than 150 minutes of calling and 80 texts.

The hot spots allow me to go to the boat with my phone and use the computer/internet, phone and printer wirelessly while the wife is at home doing the same thing thru her phone. Or when we are together we run her computer thru my phone too. The phone allows up to 5 items to be wirelessly connected at one time.

It works well for us and is much easier and more efficient than the old style sticks in the computer we used to use.

Ken

All our computers share a Verizon Mifi (aka Jet Pack) device and are online 16-18 hours per day.  We don't use the smart phone as the hotspot because  the phone may not be at the coach when one of use wishes to use the desktop or tablets or ereader.

Whether you choose Verizon, Spring or AT&T (or a 3rd party that piggy backs on their networks) depends mostly on where you travel. Each has some places they don't cover well, but most peopple find that Verizon is best in rural areas. Even so, they aren't 100%, so you need to check coverages.

I've used both Sprint and Millenicom successfully, but the straight Verizon connection has worked best for us. Your mileage may vary!

Thanks everyone!  So, you can use your phone as a "hot spot"? Does that mean you use your phone to have wi-fi?  And does that mean that you wouldn't be able to use your phone as a phone for that time?  We really don't know much about this stuff  ???

RobinsBill said:

Thanks everyone!  So, you can use your phone as a "hot spot"? Does that mean you use your phone to have wi-fi?  And does that mean that you wouldn't be able to use your phone as a phone for that time?  We really don't know much about this stuff  ???

Click to expand...

Yes you do turn your phone into a hot spot. Yes, your phone becomes a WiFi router. I also run my printer on the phones WiFi network. And yes you can still use your phone as a phone at that time. It works really well, that is why it is so popular and that is why most of us are recommending it.

skyking4ar2 said:

Spending all day on a cellular data network is probably not going to be realistic or even remotely cost effective. You would be better served to see if you can get DSL or cable dropped at your property. Then you could get a reasonable data plan for a MiFi and use the DSL/cable at the property and the MiFi while traveling (subject to carrier availability)

You are pretty much in no man's land otherwise and will have to make some hard choices about the expense of spending that much time online. Smart phones may change the mix, however, depending on whether your online time can fit the small screen. Mine cannot.

It's complicated!

Click to expand...

We only spend a couple weeks a year at our property and are thinking about selling this upcoming spring.  Sounds like we are going to have to just learn to live with a lot less online time 

You can spend 24/7 online wirelessly if you are not downloading things. You are not charged by the hour but by the gigabyte. You could spend an entire month online and not use over one gig if you were careful.

SeilerBird said:

Yes you do turn your phone into a hot spot. Yes, your phone becomes a WiFi router. I also run my printer on the phones WiFi network. And yes you can still use your phone as a phone at that time. It works really well, that is why it is so popular and that is why most of us are recommending it.

Click to expand...

Thanks Tom,
So, is this the same thing as tethering?  And if we use our phones, do we still need a mi-fi thingy?  Sorry, we really have a lot to learn   

It is tethering and you don't need mifi. No need to apologize, ask away.

I just got the Millicon hot spot a week ago, and all I can say is "It rocks". It's far better than I expected.

skyking4ar2 said:

Millenicom has an unlimited offering but it is a USB stick (somewhat limiting without a Cradlepoint router ...

Click to expand...

I have a 20 Gig Verizon shared data plan, but I seriously have to look into reducing the Verizon data plan max, and getting the Millenicom to save loads of money.  Does whatever version of a Millenicom access use strictly the Verizon network?

What you need to do, is find out how much time you have left on your contract. If it is less than a year you can drop them.  Not too expensive.  Before you do that, go to each mobile supplier, and sit down and talk to them. the younger the person is the better. Do you have children/grandchildren? They will be tech savvy!!!

Go over all the plans, tell them what you want and how much you want to spend. Most important, what you want to do. Stay away from Wallmart, Costco, and Best Buy. Stick with the big companies.  AT&T, VERIZON, and SPRINT. 

Jim

Tin man said:

What you need to do, is find out how much time you have left on your contract. If it is less than a year you can drop them.  Not too expensive.  Before you do that, go to each mobile supplier, and sit down and talk to them. the younger the person is the better. Do you have children/grandchildren? They will be tech savvy!!!

Go over all the plans, tell them what you want and how much you want to spend. Most important, what you want to do. Stay away from Wallmart, Costco, and Best Buy. Stick with the big companies.  AT&T, VERIZON, and SPRINT. 

Jim

Click to expand...

I believe our contract has just run out with AT&T, we are up for an upgrade and could upgrade our phones to smart phones pretty inexpensively.  No grandkids...  My daughter tries to explain things to us, but looses patience.

Go to one of the AT&T,VERIZON, or SPRINT and ask what your options are.  I'm serious about the young kids, they are savvy and know all the latest options.  Tell them what you want and what you want it to do.  The APPLE smart phone is one of then easiest to use and all major carriers sell them.  Try to get a 4S if still available.  Should be cheep. 

don't sign anything until you talk to your daughter. Bring her along. 

Good luck.