Internet Service

[BostonsMax]

Well guess who has another question? I tried another "search" and got about a million or so hits but nothing that came close to my question! I even went through all the Tech Topics in the Library (becoming completely sidetracked in the process!). Please feel free to point me to a discussion that has already taken place on this if you wish.

What type of internet service do you use while on the road? We have talked about a hot spot with a cell phone to get an internet connection on the laptop (I really have no idea about this but nod in agreement) and we have briefly looked at the cost of service but it seems very expensive! We could really use it for working, not just playing.

Thanks!

Susan

 

[COMer]

First question you might want to deal with, is how often and for how long, do you need service?  There are several companies that will allow you to only pay for service for two weeks or one month or a couple of months.  But then you shut it off and there is no charge until the next time you take a trip.  The contract services that are around $60 per month do add up by the end of the year if you aren't needing them more than a few months of that time.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

There are at least two articles in the forum library on this subject. They can be found using the Library Search for the word 'internet'. They are well down the list - internet appears in numerous places in various contexts.

http://www.rvforum.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_weblinks&view=weblink&id=25:inetonroad&catid=58:newcomersweblinks
http://www.rvforum.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28:internet-access-for-the-rver&catid=14:newcomers-need-to-know&Itemid=45

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The basic methods are: (1) public and campground wifi, (2) cellular data services, or (3) satellite data service. #2 & #3 are relatively expensive but consistently available, while #1 is generally free or inexpensive but only sporadically available. See the articles on internet access mentioned in my previous post.

We use a cellular data modem that is its own wifi hotspot, i.e the Verizon Mifi device. We like having 24/7 internet access and are willing to pay the price.

 

[mnmnutswer]

We use (Virgin Mobile). You can get it at Walmart as well as other locations. You pay monthly and can pay by your debt card or buy the recharge card at Walmart. It works on one computer at a time and works as you travel on the highway signal is good most of the time might be weak out in no mans land....like a cell phone signal...

 

[fleamarketeer]

Susan,

I also use Virgin Mobile's Walmart special $20 a month 1 gigabyte plan.  For this plan you need to buy the device at Walmart.  Recently I've had to call in each month to apply the card I've already added.  Virgin Mobile was the first provider to rein in the bandwidth hogs so all could have a pleasant experience.

I don't know what kind of work you do but I've never gone over 1 gigabyte.  I've used it in Ohio, PA and Michigan and almost always have a usable signal.  Close to interstates during rush hour my connection does slow noticeably.  There are a few places where I'd like to add the antenna.

I do NOT download videos- period.  I have no flash player/program on my computer.  It is silly to use the bandwidth I pay for to download some yahoo's ads.  If they want me to see their ads, they can use reasonable, tasteful stills.

One vendor who spends time on forums has panned Virgin Mobile.  Whatever- he just can't compete with Walmart.  And Walmart lets me park in their lot overnight so that guy is 3 steps behind from the start (and I hate spam).

I never use giggle, tweedle dee, farcebook, ewe tube, or any of those type sites.  I do download the pictures on most forums.  I block some user's photos more because the size of the images require scrolling rather than limited bandwidth.  Usually I download programs and updates on library computers.  Their connections are much faster for that type of stuff.

Here is a link to a thread about Virgin Mobile broadband:

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php?topic=37892.0

Good Luck,
fleamarketeer

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I use a Virgin Mobile prepaid plan for my cell phone since I rarely use the darned thing (like I really need an electronic umbilical cord?) and the service works well for my needs...most of the time. Where I live and where I usually travel, reception is good to excellent. However, there are many places it will not work. Reception is spotty in many parts of Utah and nonexistant in Wyoming. When a friend of mine (who also used Virgin Mobile at the time) and I visited up in Wyoming three years ago, she bought a prepaid Verizon to use up there. She has since upgraded to a monthly plan and has abandoned Virgin Mobile.

When checking out to see if Virgin Mobile's broadband service will meet your needs, be sure to check out the coverage.

 

[NY_Dutch]

We use a no contract 20 GB/month plan from Millenicom that uses the full Verizon network, including roaming. We travel with three, and sometimes four, notebooks on board, so the Millenicom plan and supplied USB modem combined with our Cradlepoint wireless router serves us well pretty much anywhere we go.

 

[donn]

30 dollars a month to turn your smart phone into a wifi hot spot or 60 dollars a month for a wifi router.  Both use cellular technology so as long as you have at least 3G cell service you can get connected.  That is probably the most reliable and cost effective for most folks.  If you are a power user then your best choice would probably be satellite (hughesnet).

 

[SoEzzy]

You can also Root  your smart phone, if you are prepared to take the no warranty action that phone companies impose.

Rooting a phone allows you Super User rights and as a super user, you can hot spot at no extra cost.

Sprint costs $1.00 a day to hot spot, the phone contract is for 2 years and the phone cost $279, so if you have an unlimited data account, you could save $451 over the 2 years even, if you have to replace the phone as well.

There are plenty of "how to" video's on youtube, just type in your cell phone name and the word Root and it will give you a step by step.

We have 5 phones on our account, two are rooted and one other could be rooted in about 20 minutes, the last two could be rooted as well if we really needed them to be.

In 4G environments they work really well, in 3G they work pretty well we don't loose contact more than once in a while in bad weather mostly.

Out in the boonies here in the West, there are lots of places with no cell service... out at the Border Inn US 50 Nevada / Utah border there is a little triangle 15' on each side, to the East of the "Welcome to Utah" sign, I got 3 or 4 bars and wifi'd via the phone hot spot to email back and forth from there, 20'  away in any direction there was no service at all. ???

 

[BostonsMax]

Thanks everyone for your great replies. And Gary...I didn't know you could do a separate search within the Library. Duh! I learned something new. So many more articles than I thought!

We'll have internet service before long, I'm sure!

Thanks again!

Susan

 

[davencjkan]

We use US Cellular and have had no problems with it - It allows 5 GB per month and costs around $60 - Reasonable, as far as we are concerned.

 

[RyanJ]

I have wireless internet through T-mobile. It's a little stick that plugs into my laptop and costs $50 for 5 gigs of highspeed. When that runs out, I have unlimited slow speed. 5 gigs doesn't last very long for me though. Without watching any videos, I can make it last until the middle of the month, but if I stream anything, it lasts 2 days. It is pretty reliable, but I haven't left town, so I don't know how well it would do on the road. I miss unlimited high speed that my landline provided, but this is working out ok.