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Dejae

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I just recently switched from 19 years of being with Sprint Cellular to AT&T because from reading, reading and more reading....it seems Sprint won't get me far on the internet but I have a better chance with AT&T and Verizon.

 

Being we already have DirecTV, we did the AT&T bundle but as with most companies, someone will play dumb and answer you wrong.

I was told if I included the unlimited data that later when I was ready to hit the road I could add for $20 a month, hotspot to my phones and could use the unlimited data. So we signed up of course.

Again, like most things...you find out the unwritten fine print later as I call it.

 

It is what it is and we need to move forward now.

So I need a data for our laptops and tablets.....we run our business from our laptops, it is a online retail store. So I need access for inquiries (email), orders....being able to upload new product pictures to it, process credit cards. Access banking along with the usuals.

 

Currently we are in a sticks and bricks (which the sale closes Sept 30) and with cox it states we use on average 1.21gb per day.

 

So my question to you all that know wifi, hotspot, etc.....I know basics and I do know to try and make sure we stay up and running at least 90-95% of the time, we most probably need AT&T and Verizon.

What do I get from these companies to run their data to our laptops etc?

I am sure I have read numerous times that boosters are a big help....what do you all recommend and best way to install it.

I read some that have routers, is this needed? Is our residential one usable? If not, what is? Will our laptops and tablets be able to stay wireless? Will our printer that is currently wireless be able to stay wireless?

 

Some info....

we are with AT&T and each have a Samsung S7 with unlimited data that I don't think will get used alot as DH almost NEVER uses phone for internet and I do sometimes when riding in car.

We will be traveling in this fashion. On the stop and go move for 9-10 months, staying a 1-3 weeks in on place (occasionally a week or two longer). November and December will be stationary in Las Vegas, NV.

Where will we be traveling to? Spring Summer the northern half of the country and fall the southern half. Winter between AZ and LV.

We bought a 2008 Monaco Knight 40 footer.

 

ANY and I mean ANY HELP you guys can offer will be great. I know the first thing your going to tell me is....this can't be done on a cheap or poor mans budget and I understand that. I am like most, do what I can to save a dime but no sense penny pinching when it comes to one of your incomes.

 

Thanks all

Judi

Blessed Travels,
Judi, John, Peanut and DeJae' (Our baby girl DeJae passed 7/21/2019)

 

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You can get a jetpack for verizon mobile internet. It is a stand alone service. I believe their newest package options are shown on their websiet. We have not been out west, but in 5 years we have always had internet, and in 1 location we were at for 6 months, there was not cell service to either at&t or verizon -- but we had internet. One of the reasons we choose to use a pay as you go phone plan but spend our money on mobile internet service instead.

 

PS - east of the mississippi we have not needed any extra booster or antenna - just the jetpack and service has always been fast and available.

Pat DeJong

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You can get a jetpack for verizon mobile internet. It is a stand alone service. I believe their newest package options are shown on their websiet. We have not been out west, but in 5 years we have always had internet, and in 1 location we were at for 6 months, there was not cell service to either at&t or verizon -- but we had internet. One of the reasons we choose to use a pay as you go phone plan but spend our money on mobile internet service instead.

 

PS - east of the mississippi we have not needed any extra booster or antenna - just the jetpack and service has always been fast and available.

Thanks Pete and Pat,

Do you only use a jetpack from Verizon or do you have internet service from AT&T too, or another company?

Blessed Travels,
Judi, John, Peanut and DeJae' (Our baby girl DeJae passed 7/21/2019)

 

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You can also use the campgrounds WiFi for some usage. Some places have a pretty limited bandwidth and it will drop off in the evening. You can help on the weak WiFI signals with a WiFI booster.

 

30GB plus a month can get pretty expensive.

 

Ken

Amateur radio operator, 2023 Cougar 22MLS, 2022 F150 Lariat 4x4 Off Road, Sport trim <br />Travel with 1 miniature schnauzer, 1 standard schnauzer and one African Gray parrot

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We use Verizon wireless via a modem and a SOHO router. The SOHO allows us to use the Verizon modem, the Park Wf-Fi as Wi-Fi as WAN and also a Ubiquity Bullet to connect to the Park Wi-Fi when the Park Wi-Fi is weak. Web command allows us to switch sources as we need.

 

We try to use the park Wi-Fi as much as possible to conserve our Verizon bandwidth. But lately, Park Wi-Fi is close to useless from later afternoon through the evening because of people stream video. I do a lot in the middle of the night.

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Judi, I have been using AT&T hotspot devices for a few years, and it has worked well for us as we travel Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington. The current one I have is the AT&T "Velocity" which you can get for 99 cents with a 2-year contract or buy it outright for about $150. I signed up for a 30 gig per month plan. After a while, AT&T gave me another 5 gigs per month, no additional cost, so now I get 35 gig per month. Plus they roll over any unused to the next month. You don't need any other devices (router, etc). You can connect up to ten computers to the Velocity. I also bought a Wilson Sleek to boost, but rarely need it anymore, as cell towers and hotspots have improved. Any AT&T store can set you up with a hotspot.

Our phones are Verizon, and I had a Verizon hotspot previously (jetpack).

1999 Newmar Mountain Aire, 640 watts solar

Toyota Tacoma 4x4

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We use Verizon wireless via a modem and a SOHO router. The SOHO allows us to use the Verizon modem, the Park Wf-Fi as Wi-Fi as WAN and also a Ubiquity Bullet to connect to the Park Wi-Fi when the Park Wi-Fi is weak. Web command allows us to switch sources as we need. I appreciate your help Mark but here is where I get lost.

As I asked before...what kind of modem is this (are we talking Verizons Hot Spot units?) and what is a SOHO router. Are these used the same like in a Sticks and Bricks? When we had our other motorhome 7 years ago when we were vacationing. We had Sprint with unlimited data and hotspot so that worked but we didn't travel far. We found the cluster of campgrounds we stayed in, had wifi but it wasn't anything strong enough to let me update a website or upload a picture to even our blog.

Sorry to sound so dumb but this wifi hook up stuff is so off for me. I am ok with having a modem and router in the house and I can get all our units and printers hooked up to work wirelessly but for some reason when it comes to the motorhome I seem to be like 5 left thumbs at it.

 

We try to use the park Wi-Fi as much as possible to conserve our Verizon bandwidth. But lately, Park Wi-Fi is close to useless from later afternoon through the evening because of people stream video. I do a lot in the middle of the night.

Blessed Travels,
Judi, John, Peanut and DeJae' (Our baby girl DeJae passed 7/21/2019)

 

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Judi, I have been using AT&T hotspot devices for a few years, and it has worked well for us as we travel Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington. The current one I have is the AT&T "Velocity" which you can get for 99 cents with a 2-year contract or buy it outright for about $150. I signed up for a 30 gig per month plan. After a while, AT&T gave me another 5 gigs per month, no additional cost, so now I get 35 gig per month. Plus they roll over any unused to the next month. You don't need any other devices (router, etc). You can connect up to ten computers to the Velocity. I also bought a Wilson Sleek to boost, but rarely need it anymore, as cell towers and hotspots have improved. Any AT&T store can set you up with a hotspot.

Our phones are Verizon, and I had a Verizon hotspot previously (jetpack).

Hi Jerry, so first....you are telling me you don't need Verizon anymore?

Second, you tend not to leave the west coast. When we were vacationing, we were fine, even with Sprint HotSpot but now that we will be full timers and traveling all over the USA...my concerns are high

Blessed Travels,
Judi, John, Peanut and DeJae' (Our baby girl DeJae passed 7/21/2019)

 

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You might want to check out

 

https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/mia-benefits-terms/

 

Personally, I use AT&T, Maximum signal booster, and WiFi Ranger

Fly2low, Is the Maximum signal booster sold by AT&T....I have seen some postings that refer to WiFi Ranger and how great it is, I just don't know how it works or where/how you hook it up.

Blessed Travels,
Judi, John, Peanut and DeJae' (Our baby girl DeJae passed 7/21/2019)

 

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Hi Jerry, so first....you are telling me you don't need Verizon anymore?

Second, you tend not to leave the west coast. When we were vacationing, we were fine, even with Sprint HotSpot but now that we will be full timers and traveling all over the USA...my concerns are high

That's true, in our current experience, I don't miss having a Verizon hotspot. And the majority of the time, our AT&T hotspot beats our Verizon Galaxy phones for internet connection. That said, I'm sure that if you travel all over the USA, you will find places where you won't get a usable connection, regardless of what company you use (unless you only stay close to large cities). We boondock a lot, and are impressed with what we can get out in the desert, but there are places it is spotty or non-existent regardless of which provider people have.

1999 Newmar Mountain Aire, 640 watts solar

Toyota Tacoma 4x4

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With your Samsung S7 phone there is no need to waste $20 monthly for a Jetpack. I also have a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and ditched my Jetpack and use the hotspot on the phone. You can still use the phone for other things while the hotspot is on and mine is slightly faster than the Jetpack was. We are full timers and I have done it this way for about 2 1/2 years starting when I got my Galaxy S5 that I recently upgraded to the Edge. I purchase 16G from Verizon and they give me 2G each for 2 phones for 20G total plus they now have rollover. Plenty for me.

Fulltiming since September 1, 2010

 

2012 Ford F-350 PSD SRW Lariat Crew Cab

 

2012 Montana 3585SA

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With your Samsung S7 phone there is no need to waste $20 monthly for a Jetpack. I also have a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and ditched my Jetpack and use the hotspot on the phone. You can still use the phone for other things while the hotspot is on and mine is slightly faster than the Jetpack was. We are full timers and I have done it this way for about 2 1/2 years starting when I got my Galaxy S5 that I recently upgraded to the Edge. I purchase 16G from Verizon and they give me 2G each for 2 phones for 20G total plus they now have rollover. Plenty for me.

We also came from S5's to s7"s (no edge) but we are with AT&T and AT&T because we are direct tv customers gives you unlimited data but you can't use it as a hotspot. Sounds like you are on Verizon, correct?

Blessed Travels,
Judi, John, Peanut and DeJae' (Our baby girl DeJae passed 7/21/2019)

 

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Judi

Maximum signal boosts any cell signal, I bought direct from them

 

https://www.maximumsignal.net/

 

WiFi ranger is used to boost WiFi signals from an RV park, Starbucks, a library, etc. Works as a router also. Can also tie into your cell service at the same time, and choose which will give you the fastest service.

 

https://wifiranger.com/

 

Technomadia explains this better than I can

 

Rich

Rich and Carol

2007 Dynamax DQ 340 XL

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Technomadia explains this better than I can

 

Rich

 

 

Awww... thanks.

 

Here's our free overview article that goes over the components of a mobile internet setup that might help:

 

http://www.rvmobileinternet.com/overview

 

- Cherie

Cherie & Chris (and Kiki *meow*) / Personal Blog: Technomadia.com
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Here's our free overview article that goes over the components of a mobile internet setup that might help:

 

http://www.rvmobileinternet.com/overview

This is as good an evaluation as you are likely to get. I have read a lot of reviews and comparisons and they don't get much better and Chris & Cherie actually use the equipment that they review and do so living in an RV as they travel, just as we do.

 

If you go to out of the way places you will probably need something. On the other hand, today it is very easy to find free Wifi if you are willing to travel some as a backup for your cell service. We have found that all McDonald's have it and people are very welcome to make use of it, in addition to a lot of other stores and businesses. But as good a cellular coverage is today, the more remote areas and difficult to reach signal locations are a long way from having reliable cellular coverage from any carrier.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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Hello everyone. This is my first post as a new SKP member.

 

I wanted to chime in here because this topic is also important to us, as our business (2 vacation rental condos on Maui) needs for us to stay connected all the time. I have an app from VRBO/HomeAway which will allow me to conduct most of my business inquiries via my phone, but it sometimes is hard to type out long/lengthy replies using only my thumbs... so I've discovered a way to turn my Straight Talk Samsung Galaxy S5 phone into a tethered modem (unfortunately it has NO HOTSPOT abilities whatsoever to my utter dismay!)

 

I downloaded PdaNet+ from GooglePlay store, and then also downloaded PDANet for Andriod to my laptop. Using my phones charging cord I plug my phone into my laptop, then I turn on both the app and the laptop program and I can use my phones data to surf internet from my laptop.

 

With this method I don't have to pay an additional fee to use my phones data for my computer (I remember my old phone with T-Mobile wanted us to pay an additional $20 a month to be able to do that).

 

Straight Talk is $45 a month for unlimited talk, txt, and data, but only 5GB is at 4G... then they slow us down after that.

 

We will also looking into the revamped Millenicom... and ESPECIALLY NOW as I see they too are offering free movie and music streaming... which would be SO nice to continue to enjoy Netflix, YouTube, and many more of our vacation rental's cable channels (just have to use the appropriate app to stream) while we travel without worrying about data overages.

 

We were thinking of switching my husbands Verizon to T-Mobile just for the binge on features, but now we will be rethinking that.

 

Anyway, just wanted to mention the PdaNet thing in case it ends up helping others reduce their cell/data costs.

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Hello everyone. This is my first post as a new SKP member.

 

I wanted to chime in here because this topic is also important to us, as our business (2 vacation rental condos on Maui) needs for us to stay connected all the time. I have an app from VRBO/HomeAway which will allow me to conduct most of my business inquiries via my phone, but it sometimes is hard to type out long/lengthy replies using only my thumbs... so I've discovered a way to turn my Straight Talk Samsung Galaxy S5 phone into a tethered modem (unfortunately it has NO HOTSPOT abilities whatsoever to my utter dismay!)

 

I downloaded PdaNet+ from GooglePlay store, and then also downloaded PDANet for Andriod to my laptop. Using my phones charging cord I plug my phone into my laptop, then I turn on both the app and the laptop program and I can use my phones data to surf internet from my laptop.

 

With this method I don't have to pay an additional fee to use my phones data for my computer (I remember my old phone with T-Mobile wanted us to pay an additional $20 a month to be able to do that).

 

Straight Talk is $45 a month for unlimited talk, txt, and data, but only 5GB is at 4G... then they slow us down after that.

 

We will also looking into the revamped Millenicom... and ESPECIALLY NOW as I see they too are offering free movie and music streaming... which would be SO nice to continue to enjoy Netflix, YouTube, and many more of our vacation rental's cable channels (just have to use the appropriate app to stream) while we travel without worrying about data overages.

 

We were thinking of switching my husbands Verizon to T-Mobile just for the binge on features, but now we will be rethinking that.

 

Anyway, just wanted to mention the PdaNet thing in case it ends up helping others reduce their cell/data costs.

 

Welcome to the group!

 

A couple of things you need to be aware of: The Straight Talk Terms and Conditions specifically prohibit tethering your unlimited data phone to a laptop, which is what you are doing by connecting the USB cable between the two devices.

 

"STRAIGHT TALK UNLIMITED PLANS CANNOT BE USED FOR: ANY APPLICATIONS THAT TETHER YOUR DEVICE TO A LAPTOP OR PERSONAL COMPUTER OTHER THAN FOR THE USE OF WIRELESS SYNC."

 

Also, the Millenicom plans use the T-Mobile network...

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

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I work my day job as a network analyst for a large bank while traveling. At the moment I'm sitting in a campground a couple miles west of Davenport Iowa enroute Phoenix AZ after a weeklong stop in the Denver area. My mobile internet solution is a Cradlepoint IBR600 router provisioned on the Verizon Cellular network - augmented with a Weboost Drive 4G-X signal booster. At the moment, my wife is browsing the web via a Wifi connected iPad (i.e., the iPad does not have any onboard cellular connectivity), I'm drafting this response on my personal laptop - while sitting on a WEBEX on my work laptop that is connected to my company's internal network via a VPN connection. Granted, I'm not doing anything that I would consider "data intensive at the moment - and as usual, I see little difference in terms of network performance between that which I get on my mobile setup than from that which I get on my cable modem connection at home.

 

The cost of internet connectivity is NOT cheap. The Cradlepoint router cost me roughly $600. The Drive 4G-X cellular signal booster was roughly $425. There was another $125 for a nice, compact MIMO antenna on the rough. Add another $250 in installation charges to have the dealership install the hardware (this including delivering 12V power to both the router and the signal booster, along with a minor cabinet modification to mount the hardware, poking a hole in the roof to mount the antenna and running the cable). All the hardware and installation charges were one time, upfront costs. Then there's the monthly charges associated with the data plan. My Cradlepoint router (along with our cell phones) all share a single Verizon Data Plan. We typically burn between 20GB - 30GB worth of data each month at a cost of roughly $170 in monthly charges. It's expensive - but being that it allows me to wander the country while continuing to pay the bills with a network analyst salary - it's a cost I'm happy to absorb!

 

 

For TV service - we use DirecTV ... delivered via a Winegard Traveler rooftop satellite installation and a normal DirecTV HD DVR box mounted in the coach's "entertainment" cabinet. Being that we're DirecTV customers at home - the cost for DirecTV was the cost of the Winegard Traveler (which was already installed when we purchased our coach, a one-time $200 charge for the HD DVR hardware ... and $7.00 per month to have the additional HD DVR active on our account.

The Spacenorman

2012 Holiday Rambler Endeavor 43' DFT

2012 Jeep Liberty

Our Travel Website: www.penquinhead.com​

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