Would like to hear from all regarding internet please

[Kim (skyking4ar2) Bertram]

It is important to note that in both of Millenicom's "unlimited" data plans, "usage over 50 gigabytes in one month will alert our investigative team". So there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Both of the "unlimited" plans use a USB device, while the 20GB plan uses a hotspot and that is the one that uses Verizon. At least one of the other two (or both) are Sprint and limited to 3G.

A point to consider is that as the infrastructure builds out, which it will be doing from now on, data plans are going to change with the market. It's important to refresh your information every few months to stay on top of the market offerings.

With any plan, you need to talk to someone who knows what they are talking about, see the contract in writing, and double check your facts. More than one customer has been lured into a contract with incorrect verbal information and those are tough to escape.

Tethered devices have all kinds of find print in their contracts and you really need to understand how that service is delivered. It's not always in the carrier's best interest for you to have all the facts at hand easily.

Beam me up, Scottie!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If your phone is the hotspot it has to be wherever you are using the internet. Do the two of you ever go separate ways, e.g one stays by the computer whie the other goes to the grocery store or whatever?  If so, who gets the phone/hotspot? Not a concern if you are always together, or if you have two phones, though.

 

[RobinsBill]

If your phone is the hotspot it has to be wherever you are using the internet. Do the two of you ever go separate ways, e.g one stays by the computer whie the other goes to the grocery store or whatever?  If so, who gets the phone/hotspot? Not a concern if you are always together, or if you have two phones, though.

we both must have our own phone.  The shared usage plans have worked great for us...  So, if we wanted both the phones to be a "hot spot" I suppose that means an extra monthly fee on both?  Yet shared data usage?  We feel so confused.  We have been reading and studying this stuff all day.
We plan on workamping this fall/winter and may have different schedules.  We have had AT&T since 1998 and just upgraded and increased as we went along.  It might not be the answer for us anymore.

 

[bucks2]

Our phones (Razr Maxx) are identical and so we both have access to our minutes/texts/data. We don't run into the who has the phone problem Gary talks about because we both have a phone that does everything.

As I understand Verizons offering, (which we have) each of you has a "smart" phone which requires a monthly fee, then the rest of the plan is shared. You can also add on family members to the plan which would be another smart or dumb phone fee using the shared plans minutes/texts/data.

I forgot to mention that my Kindle also gets it's books etc. from the phones network. So if I'm at the Dr's and finish a book, I can visit the public library online, select a new book and download it, all from the waiting room.

Ken

 

[Ned]

The Verizon Wireless Share Everything plans include mobile hot spot for all capable devices, meaning your smartphones.  So if you have 2 smartphones, both can be used as mobile hot spots.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If you want to have your computers set up for all day, every day, internet access (as we do), I think you will find that the separate cell modem (USB or Mifi type device) is more convenient than using a smart phone as the cellular modem  and hotspot. But convenience and cost are the deciding factors, not function. Either one will do the job for you, whether you stay with AT&T or move to Verizon or Sprint or a some other carrier. If you use the smart phone as the modem as well as the phone, it has to be where the computers are, and it probably has to be plugged into its charger if it will be in use for more than an hour or two. If you want it there for computer use 24/7, that interferes with its convenience as a phone. A dedicated modem device, e.g. the Mifi, can be plugged in and set aside in the RV and largely ignored after that - it is just "there" and providing continuous access, 24/7. Your phone is not involved and you can carry it around without regard to servicing the computers.

You probably have a cable or DSL modem at home now, likely using wifi to provide shared internet access to your computers. The dedicated cellular modem + hotspot (Mifi or Jetpack) works the same way, so that method of internet access should be familiar to you.

If you are unsure about what works best for you, you could start with the smart phones and try that approach for all your internet needs, and later add a Mifi type modem/hotspot if you find that sharing the smart phone internet connection is inconvenient. As Ned mentioned, the "share everything" type of data plan puts all the data capacity into a pool shared by all your devices, so you don't have to pre-plan what device uses the data at any given moment.

You mentioned being "confused". If you could elaborate on what is confusing you, maybe we could help.

 

[Wigpro]

I have a Verizon "HotSpot" ad I am very pleased with it...I only operate one device my laptop off of it, but it is extremely reliable and I get 3G or 4G almost everywhere...even here in Alaska!!

4G is plenty fast for most internet surfing, 3G is slow but works fine for emails but browsing can be a little frustrating, but it works and I can generally get any research I need completed. Updating my blog or website can take some extra time, but I get it done or wait until the next stop and 4G!

Good Luck.

Jim

 

[RobinsBill]

Here is what we ended up doing...  Cancelled our old plan completely (we were no longer under contract) Our daughter added our 2 iphones to her plan.  we all have separate data.  Both of our iphones have the "hot spot" with 5 Gig of data each.  This was the cheapest way to go for what we needed.  We are very pleased so far 
Thank you for all your advise.

 

[Larry N.]

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.

I'll have to modify this statement a bit. At a seminar yesterday I found out about an app caled FoxFi. It allows me to enable the hotspot on my 8800 without the need to root the phone. I've only used it briefly, but it worked well.

 

[Ned]

Larry, I've used FoxFi a number of times when we're on the road without any other internet service.  It works on lots of phones and, as you say, doesn't require root.  Well worth the small price.  I've used it sitting in a parking lot, waiting for Lorna to do shopping, and connected my tablet to the phone in my pocket.  Instant internet anywhere I have data service on the phone.