Internet Service Provider

[Dean & Linda Stock]

We have Internet service through a satellite when we are on the road.  Every time we travel, our service provider, Internet, makes it so that we have to call them to get my e-mail sending capability to work.  Dean's usually works well, though on our current trip, his also was fouled.  Dean spent 2 hours today on the phone with Earthlink's support in India, and I'm looking to change.

I'd love to know what service other RVers have, how you would rate it 1 (worst) -10 (best) and if your support team is in India, US, or elsewhere.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Linda

 

[Kim (skyking4ar2) Bertram]

Because I work full time from the coach, and am on call 24 X 7, I maintain three MiFi hotspot connections, Millenicom (20GB plan on Verizon), Verizon (5GB plan), and AT&T (5GB plan), plus an unlimited data iPhone on AT&T.

I have had the AT&T for three years, the Verizon for two and a half, and the Millenicom for six months. I rate them all 9.8 and have never had to use support. If they do try to take you offshore for support, you can always request to be repatriated. Typically, if I have one data connection, I have them all. There are, indeed, places where the data and voice connections are non-existent, and we do not stop in those places. As the infrastructure continues to build out, those places will become few and far between. If you boondock a lot, i.e. try to escape civilization, you will also often escape the cell signal - that's just how it is.

I have had to boost my AT&T connection only one time in Island Park, ID, and that was because the CG was too close to a mountain to get a clear signal. Otherwise, we have lived in 17 states in the last three years, most west of the Mississippi and not had an issue. I have connected to the hotspots while traveling across Montana and never lost the data signal in 400 miles while the bride was driving.

Now all of this to say this is my experience. To say one plan fits all or that every carrier covers every locale is pretty irresponsible but if you have to have a connection, it just a function of available coverage and money. For us the cost of freedom to fulltime is cheap at twice the price.

You can write me a check for $.02.  8)

 

[Tom]

In addition to extensive air travel, both domestic and international, we've traveled coast to coast in the coach, and up/down the west coast in our boat. I've been offline maybe 10 days in the last 20 years, although the early days required some creativity and determination to get online.

I've had t-mobile for 10 years and Verizon for approx 5 years. Along the way, I had Direcway/HughesNet satellite service, but I had a lot of equipment issues with HN, and finally dropped them. For me, they weren't worth the price or hassle for the times I couldn't get online by other means.

T-mobile has been the only provider that has allowed me to be online in Canada and in the UK & Europe. However, their roaming charges in Canada were outrageous.

Verizon has been consistent domestically and, as Kim mentioned, their system continues to be built out and upgraded. But camping in the boonies sometimes has me wishing I had reliable satellite service as a backup.

 

[Ned]

Linda, are you asking about alternatives to HughesNet internet service or Earthlink email?  In your other posting today you were complaining about the Earthlink email and you mentioned that again here.  If all you're looking for is a reliable email provider, get a Gmail account.

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

Linda, are you asking about alternatives to HughesNet internet service or Earthlink email?  In your other posting today you were complaining about the Earthlink email and you mentioned that again here.  If all you're looking for is a reliable email provider, get a Gmail account.

Right on!  I am not particularly computer-wise, so I read my post to Dean before I posted.  What I'm looking for is an alternative to Earthlink email, and I don't think I said it well in computer language.  Gmail sounds good.  Thanks for figuring out what I was asking.

 

[Ned]

If you have a Google account, then you already have access to Gmail.  Just go to www.gmail.com and it will redirect you to the correct page where you can set it up to your liking.  Bookmark the page it finally shows, not the URL I gave above.

 

[StarDancer]

Right on!  I am not particularly computer-wise, so I read my post to Dean before I posted.  What I'm looking for is an alternative to Earthlink email, and I don't think I said it well in computer language.  Gmail sounds good.  Thanks for figuring out what I was asking.

I vote for the Verizon MI-FI, which I've been using now for two years.  The support has been excellent.  Where I'm parked (and staying), wireless internet is provided.  I use both simply because I have the 5 gig plan on Verizon and don't want to go over, so I monitor it.

Secondly, regarding email...yahoo.com and aol. com also have free email.  I use both...one for personal and the other for business related.  There's also mail.com and for security, safe-mail.net.  8)

As far as I'm concerned, gmail tracks us too damn much.  So does Google.  Yeah, I'm one of those Libertarians who does not like the government snooping. 

 

[SoCalToolGuy]

We were out for 3 years and had Motosat for our tv but used a verizon air card with a router for our internet. Now, I have found that by tethering my laptop to my smartphone, it is quite fast and with verizon as my cell provider I can go anywhere in the U.S. and get pretty good service. It is very easy to set up and use. Do a google search for how to tether your computer to your cell phone. All kinds of info out there. I still have a perfectly good air card but they won't let me turn it off and on the way I want so I will just use my phone instead. Hope this helps.

Ray

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

EVERYONE--Thank you!  Thank you!  I will give this data to my husband and have him interpret it for me so we can choose a replacement for Earthlink.  Linda

 

[Ned]

If you need any further help, just holler.

 

[thomasamski]

I finally wised up recently and dumped my Verizon SmartPhone that included a hotspot. I went back to a simple Consumer Cellular flip phone ($14.25 a month) that saved me nearly $100 per month. For on-the-road Internet I have a 3G Verizon air card available on eBay for about $25, and a little more for a 4G card. Instead of paying monthly hotspot fees I now buy airtime from Verizon as needed. I use it only for banking and other work where a secure connection is required. The rest of the time I use free RV park WiFi.

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

I vote for the Verizon MI-FI, which I've been using now for two years.  The support has been excellent.  Where I'm parked (and staying), wireless internet is provided.  I use both simply because I have the 5 gig plan on Verizon and don't want to go over, so I monitor it.

Secondly, regarding email...yahoo.com and aol. com also have free email.  I use both...one for personal and the other for business related.  There's also mail.com and for security, safe-mail.net.  8)

As far as I'm concerned, gmail tracks us too damn much.  So does Google.  Yeah, I'm one of those Libertarians who does not like the government snooping. 

Thank you!  Thank you!  Lots of info, and I agree about not wanting to be tracked.  But, I am so frustrated with Earthlink that I was willing to do about anything to get out from under them.  Thanks to you, I now have even more options.

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

If you need any further help, just holler.

Ned, you are great.  A couple of days ago, I met a lady with a solution to another electronics problem.  I'd like your input.  She is from Ontario, but travels to the states.  She went to the mall and had her Blackberry phone "unlocked" for $25.  Then she bought an ATT Sim Card for $25 which gives her 250 minutes talking time and unlimited data per month.  She can reload as many months as she wants.  We have I-phones, and she said that costs $110 to unlock. Then, when we are in Canada, we don't have to pay exorbitant fees--we just go to a Best Buy or whatever and buy a Canadian Sim card and pay a reasonable fee per month up front.  Our phones are not under any warranties now.  Have you heard of such a thing?  What do you think?  We would have to put in the Sim card as we change countries, but she says it's easy.

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

We were out for 3 years and had Motosat for our tv but used a verizon air card with a router for our internet. Now, I have found that by tethering my laptop to my smartphone, it is quite fast and with verizon as my cell provider I can go anywhere in the U.S. and get pretty good service. It is very easy to set up and use. Do a google search for how to tether your computer to your cell phone. All kinds of info out there. I still have a perfectly good air card but they won't let me turn it off and on the way I want so I will just use my phone instead. Hope this helps.

Ray

Wow!  We have Motosat and Verizon, too, currently.  We will definitely check this out.  THANKS!

 

[Ned]

Linda, that's done all the time overseas.  With a GSM phone (not Verizon or Sprint) you can buy a prepaid SIM card for whatever country you're in and you don't worry about roaming.  The phone does need to be unlocked, and not all phones can be unlocked.  I believe AT&T will unlock your phone once you're done with the contract and unlocked phones are available on the internet as well.

 

[Tom]

I kept our old 'dumb' t-mobile GSM phones after I let the contracts run out. I got free SIM cards for the UK, and buy minutes at supermarkets, gas stations, or t-mobile stores over there, and have coverage in the UK and Europe. The same phones worked in the Maritimes.

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

Thanks so much, Ned and Tom.  I'm glad to learn that my new plan is both legal and workable. Hurrah!  Linda

 

[deal]

Linda, that's done all the time overseas.  With a GSM phone (not Verizon or Sprint) you can buy a prepaid SIM card for whatever country you're in and you don't worry about roaming.  The phone does need to be unlocked, and not all phones can be unlocked.  I believe AT&T will unlock your phone once you're done with the contract and unlocked phones are available on the internet as well.

Lots of places are willing to charge for unlocking your phone but that is not your first option. If you are a customer in good standing with a cell provider and have had your phone a while (>90 days) your provider may be willing to send you the unlock code for no charge. Ask them first. If they say no, call them back and ask again. They can do it. It just takes a friendly operator, probably from India, to agree.

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

Lots of places are willing to charge for unlocking your phone but that is not your first option. If you are a customer in good standing with a cell provider and have had your phone a while (>90 days) your provider may be willing to send you the unlock code for no charge. Ask them first. If they say no, call them back and ask again. They can do it. It just takes a friendly operator, probably from India, to agree.

You may have saved me over $100.  I've been with Verizon for over 10 years, and with this phone for 2-3 years.  I'll definitely try it!  Thanks.

 

[Ned]

Linda, I don't think it will work with a Verizon phone.  Verizon uses CDMA for voice, not GSM, and no SIM cards for the voice service.  You'll have to switch to AT&T or T-Mobile to get a GSM phone.