Verizon Data Service on Month to Month Basis

[Bob Buchanan]

Actually, most newer phones will accept calls while tethered. My LG Chocolate does, and my old Moto v276 did as well.

Hmmmmm!!

Will be going back to Vz Roseville and chat with that fellow that was trying to sell me an additional line and phone. ???

 

[Just Lou]

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread and, therefore, to my education.  You folks always come through.

I went to Verizon today and got the tethering feature activated (actually mobile broadband feature).

Cost 49.95 per month.

My initial cost was high because my old no-frills phone would not support tethering and I was a good year away from any free upgrade.  They make no exceptions, allowances or discounts in that event.  I paid full retail price for a new phone.  OUCH!

I'm using it as I type just to test it out.  I'll be hitting the road for Illinois on Friday so really glad to get the service.

Thanks again

 

[Jackliz]

I find this thread very interesting. But how do I find out if my phone can be "tethered"?

TIA,
Liz

 

[Just Lou]

Does it have a USB port? 

You can access Verizonwireless.com and you can see a list of all phones that are compatable.

 

[DonTom]

In the US Verizon's "unlimited" data plan is actually 5GB which handles most people's personal needs but in CAnada they were a few cents per KB which adds up to big bucks in a hurry if you do anything but a quick check for email.

Is there a way to convert that "5GB" nonsense & "few cents per KB" into actual minutes of use?

I just don't understand what they mean by "5GB" when it comes to usage time. I mean is there a KB counter somewhere  that I don't know about that will measure the number of KB you're using?  Can't they put that into some type of language that makes some sense to the average dummy?

                                   

              -Don- SSF, CA​

 

[Jeff]

Don:

I spent a month on line using VZ and used 2.1gb. I am on every day, spend quite a birt of time browsing, upload some files but did not download any movies, etc. IIRC the Vista SP2 was 2.2gb??

.05/kb is 5.00/mb, or 50.00/gb. You can spend several dollars checkng your email and spending 30 minutes here reading the messages. I cannot think of any reason I would do this.

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

Is there a way to convert that "5GB" nonsense & "few cents per KB" into actual minutes of use?

I just don't understand what they mean by "5GB" when it comes to usage time. I mean is there a KB counter somewhere  that I don't know about that will measure the number of KB you're using?  Can't they put that into some type of language that makes some sense to the average dummy?

                                   

               -Don- SSF, CA​

Yes Don, Verizon is monitoring data transfer. They don't care about the minutes. IIRC they don't count your minutes when you're working on their data side. You get 5GB I think per month and everything over that they charge you by the KB.

When have you ever known any cell service to make it easy?  ???  ;D

 

[Just Lou]

Yes Don, Verizon is monitoring data transfer. They don't care about the minutes. IIRC they don't count your minutes when you're working on their data side. You get 5GB I think per month and everything over that they charge you by the KB.

Thanks Don,  I didn't know just how to say that.  The tethered phone functions just like the air card.  The 5gb data is a monthly allotment.  I can turn the feature on and off at will and will be charged on a prorated basis for the length of time it was active during the month.  One caveat, the data usage is also prorated.  If I turned it on for one day and tried to use the 5gb in one day I could would wind up with a bill for several hundred dollars.

BTW - The phone works normally while tethered and connected to the network.  I tested it, it works.......

 

[Smoky]

Back on the air card which was discussed earlier in the thread.

There is ONE way you can have it on a month to month basis.  A little known fact is that if you buy it from a third party who previously used it, Verizon has to provide you the service on a month to month basis.  They cannot require a year or two year contract unless you bu the card from them.  This also applies if you sell a used phone.  The buyer can activate it with Verizon on a month to month basis.

Anyone interested in a used Blackberry Storm that my wife doesn't like?  I think she is crazy but she wants to go back to her old LG ENV.  the Storm is the top of the line Blackberry and can also be tethered.

 

[Just Lou]

Back on the air card which was discussed earlier in the thread.

There is ONE way you can have it on a month to month basis.  A little known fact is that if you buy it from a third party who previously used it, Verizon has to provide you the service on a month to month basis.  

Smoky, the month to month was not really the question.  

Look back at one of Gary Brinks posts earlier in this thread and you will see why we (I) want the tethering FEATURE and NOT the air card.

You are correct in stating that if you already own an air card (or even just want to walk into Verizon and pay retail for the card), you can activate the broadband access on a month to month basis, but if you want to suspend it for a time, there is a $25 charge to reactivate it each time.

With the Broadband feature, I have no charge for activating or deactivating it periodically.

 

[RVcyclist]

I find this thread very interesting. But how do I find out if my phone can be "tethered"?

TIA,
Liz

Liz,
Go to www.evdoinfo.com/tethering and you will see a list of phones that can be tethered.  I do not know if the the list includes all phones that can be tethered, but if your phone is on the list you will have your answer.

For the best data transfer speed you need a phone that is EVDO Rev A compatible.  The compatible phones are included on the list.  When I was selecting a phone I also wanted one that I could connect to an antenna and a router and that limited my choices.  That is how I settled on the LG Dare.  So far I am very happy with the Dare.

I hope this helps.
Delbert

 

[DonTom]

Yes Don, Verizon is monitoring data transfer. They don't care about the minutes. IIRC they don't count your minutes when you're working on their data side. You get 5GB I think per month and everything over that they charge you by the KB.

When have you ever known any cell service to make it easy?  ???  ;D

I think I will soon activate my card and just buy the two year sixty buck per month V/W  plan.  I really don't know when I would want it activated and deactivated. I think I would find a lot of use for portable internet, but not every day. Or would I be better off with the $40.00 plan? I don't want to have to worry too much about how much I use it.

One use I will find is to be able to stop at the highway 80 rest stop near highway 37 to decide if I want to use the Golden Gate or the SF Bay Bridge to get home during the more busy hours.

Such as using this alive map.

Put your mouse pointer on any part of the map and see the average real time speed of the traffic. Also, notice all accidents, car stalls and everything else that can be helpful in finding the best way.

BTW, this real time map is mainly just for central CA. Do other states have such maps too?

                                                   

                  -Don- Reno, NV​

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Liz,
You can look up your phone on phonescoop.com. It shows all the attributes for each and every model of phone, including whether it is data-capable and whether it supports USB Connectivity.  Find you phone model and look under the headings of CONNECTIVITY and DATA & NETWORKING.

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

I think I will soon activate my card and just buy the two year sixty buck per month V/W  plan.  I really don't know when I would want it activated and deactivated. I think I would find a lot of use for portable internet, but not every day. Or would I be better off with the $40.00 plan? I don't want to have to worry too much about how much I use it.

Don,

First let me say that I don't have a data card. I tether my cell phone. I don't think you can activate or deactivate a DATA card more than once or twice a year and I think there is a charge for each time you do that.

By tethering my cell, I use Verizon's Mobile Connect Feature. It is NOT a data plan. The Feature can be turned on and off. I think it is $39 or $49 a month and is prorated for the days of the month I have it turned on.

 

[DonTom]

By tethering my cell, I use Verizon's Mobile Connect Feature. It is NOT a data plan. The Feature can be turned on and off. I think it is $39 or $49 a month and is prorated for the days of the month I have it turned on.

I don't understand. It costs you $39.00 or $49.00 per month but it is prorated for the days you use data from your cell? 

What does it cost if you use it "tethering your cell"  for two days per month, every month? 

-Don- Reno, NV​

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If you have the tethered data FEATURE turned on only when needed, you will pay $49.99/30 or $1.67 per day. If you have the feature activated all month but actually use it only 2 days of the month, you still  pay for the whole month, i.e. $49.99.  In other words, the fee is a flat rate whether you use the service or not.  Since there is no fee for turning the tether data feature on/off, it makes sense to turn it of when unneeded. It only takes a phone call to turn it on.

With a data card (USB modem), you pay for the entire month, every month. That's because it has its own phone number assigned and there are fixed costs associated with that. You can "put it on vacation" for up to three months at a time, though. If you have a contract the "vacation" suspends (defers) the contract period for that amount of time. There is a $15 fee for each "vacation" suspension, but sometimes that fee is waived.

 

[Jeff]

Don:

Using Gary's example, 2 days/mo X 1.67/day = $3.34/mo

 

[Just Lou]

Confusion abounds.

Gary, thanks for clearing most of the smoke away from the feature and the data card service.  Your descriptions are concise and precise.

The basic pricing, penalties, activation/deactivation, suspend and other charges are still very confusing even to the Verizon folks so it pays to be prepared when you enter their world.

As Don said, it's not just monthly usage with the tether feature, you must call and get the feature turned on and off to prevent full month billing.  Even then, it's monthly billing and retro credit.

Tethering does not use your voice plan minutes and your phone remains usable while actively tethered.

As mentioned earlier, activating it for one or two days a month to download several movies could prove very costly since the data is prorated also.

Do we need all this data capsulized in the library, or is it too volatile?

 

[Ned]

Using Gary's example, 2 days/mo X 1.67/day = $3.84/mo

Must be more of that new math

 

[Just Lou]

In North Carolina that would be due to the "fity-cent" surcharge.