Is reliable, unlimited access available for under $100 a month?

[BlueLghtning]

1 minute ago, remoandiris said:

What do you mean?  Don't you just have to buy another $5 card for the month?

You do, but then it was said the price went up to $10 and you get different messages that your account is going to be deactivated at times. You can't pay early as it just resets the clock for the next month early. It was just a pain and wasn't worth it to me. 

[Dutch_12078]

9 hours ago, remoandiris said:

How is the 3G for web surfing, emails, social media?

How about for streaming?

Usually quite good for the basic functions you listed, and in good signal areas with a download speed around 1.5-2 Mbps, even standard definition streaming is good with minimal buffering. 

[Dutch_12078]

7 hours ago, remoandiris said:

What do you mean?  Don't you just have to buy another $5 card for the month?

If you mean "flashing" it every month, there are a few on eBay that say they don't need flashed again.

I buy four $5 PINS at a time from Callingmart.com, usually when they're having a holiday special for $19. Each month I add another PIN to the account by phone the day after the expiration, and have never lost service. Typically the balance seems to accumulate up to $15, and then it starts over. As long as it keeps on working, I don't bother trying to figure out why...

I haven't needed to have my 6620L Jetpack reflashed since I first had it done remotely by an eBay vendor. I also have an older 4620LE that was flashed as well, but it doesn't use all the 3G bands that the 6620 does, and I was finding too many areas where it didn't work so I quite renewing it.

[LFDR3116]

So, how much data can a carload of kids use while riding with Mom & Dad for a couple hours?  They watch movies, videos, play online games etc.  I'll bet it's more than I use in a day.  Not all internet users stream and use vast amounts of data.  The Mobley has been perfect for us in campgrounds that do not offer good internet.  Many more actually are, just not for streaming.

[DuffMan]

How about the new Verizon "Visible" - Unlimited Talk / Text / Data for $40/mo.  It's perma throttled to 5Mbps- Which is OK for streaming up to 1080P.

http://bgr.com/2018/05/11/verizon-unlimited-data-visible-vs-metropcs-boost/

Currently only available for IPhone - Android to come later.  Also, you need an invite code to sign up but if you Googleit,  there are several that come up from others that have signed up. (They're not a unique code. )  They send you a new SIM card once you sign up.  You can port your existing phone number or they will issue you a different one.

[Bill Joyce]

17 minutes ago, DuffMan said:

How about the new Verizon "Visible" - Unlimited Talk / Text / Data for $40/mo.  It's perma throttled to 5Mbps- Which is OK for streaming up to 1080P.

http://bgr.com/2018/05/11/verizon-unlimited-data-visible-vs-metropcs-boost/

Currently only available for IPhone - Android to come later.  Also, you need an invite code to sign up but if you Googleit,  there are several that come up from others that have signed up. (They're not a unique code. )  They send you a new SIM card once you sign up.  You can port your existing phone number or they will issue you a different one.

No hotspoting, so it won't work for most of us..  

More on how the plan works and why it is not a good fit for RVers or for those who want to stream, since it limits video to 480p (DVD quality) - https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/visible-cheap-slowed-unlimited-on-device-verizon-data/ .

[DuffMan]

23 hours ago, Bill Joyce said:

No hotspoting, so it won't work for most of us..  

More on how the plan works and why it is not a good fit for RVers or for those who want to stream, since it limits video to 480p (DVD quality) - https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/visible-cheap-slowed-unlimited-on-device-verizon-data/ .

As to no hot-spotting:  

PDANET - Teather phone w/o carriers permission.  http://pdanet.co/

 

https://lifehacker.com/5850476/how-can-i-tether-without-my-carrier-finding-out

 

Various ways explained https://www.wikihow.com/Tether-Cellphone-Internet-to-a-Laptop

[Bill Joyce]

1 hour ago, DuffMan said:

As to no hot-spotting:  

PDANET - Teather phone w/o carriers permission.  http://pdanet.co/

 

https://lifehacker.com/5850476/how-can-i-tether-without-my-carrier-finding-out

 

Various ways explained https://www.wikihow.com/Tether-Cellphone-Internet-to-a-Laptop

Be my guest and give it a try.  If I have to add anything to my arsenal, the $95 T-Mobile plan would make more sense to me.  Since I am over 55, I think I can get it for $85/month.

[sbpierce]

You can search eBay and get a true unthrottled grandfathered Sim card for a pretty reasonable monthly fee payable to the seller thru PayPal.  Buy a 4g Hotspot on ebay for 30 to 50 dollars that matches the company the card is thru (usually AT&T) and you have true unlimited for the monthly agreement.  I have run over 200gb thru mine over a month, and it was the same 65.00 as 5gb.  With my 30gb on my Verizon phones, I am covered except in truly non coverage areas.  

[remoandiris]

On 5/8/2018 at 4:49 PM, Dutch_12078 said:

If we take the OP's question at face value with no other qualifications, then the answer is "Yes", and even a lot cheaper than asked. How about unlimited Internet for $5/month? I have a Verizon 6620L Jetpack flashed for 3G only that's been working fine as a backup service for about 3 years so far at that price.

Verizon $5/mo unlimited 3G

Got one and it is now working.  So, for $5 a month, I have Verizon 3G connectivity.  Only had it on for about an hour, but it is faster than the free park wifi at the last place were stayed and is as fast as the park wifi where we are.  Bonus is it should also work when traveling, as long as Verizon cell service is available.  

Thanks much for mentioning it.

[Dutch_12078]

You're quite welcome! As we know, 3G service is a "dying breed", but for the low price, we might as well ride it out as long as it lasts... 😊

[DuffMan]

4 hours ago, remoandiris said:

Got one and it is now working.  So, for $5 a month, I have Verizon 3G connectivity. 

 

Out of curiosity - what is your u/l & d/l speed with that 3G connection?

[Dutch_12078]

9 minutes ago, DuffMan said:

Out of curiosity - what is your u/l & d/l speed with that 3G connection?

Of course speeds will differ depending on the quality of the signal, but here's what I'm seeing at the moment:

[DuffMan]

1 minute ago, Dutch_12078 said:

Of course speeds will differ depending on the quality of the signal, but here's what I'm seeing at the moment:

Ouch!  Streaming would be painful at any but the lowest resolution!  But surfing should be OK.

Thanks

[Dutch_12078]

Just now, DuffMan said:

Ouch!  Streaming would be painful at any but the lowest resolution!  But surfing should be OK.

Thanks

Yep, Our primary service is AT&T's unlimited 4G/LTE Connected Car Plan on our Mobley, but for the price, the 3G Verizon service makes a good backup. And we have streamed with it at lower resolutions with minimal buffering. Even watching a hockey game with it one night was relatively painless.

[Rickl]

Bottom line is that data providers are no different then drug dealers. We are well into being required to need data to perform many necessary functions. They (data providers) have figured out how to attach themselves to our pocket books. Just like the cable providers eventually there will be technology coming to move us to another medium, albeit at a higher cost of course. 

For those that argue this is a choice, good luck with that argument. 

[trailertraveler]

On ‎5‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 2:03 PM, remoandiris said:

...Maybe I need to use fast food restaurants more often...

You can now sit in Starbucks without having to buy anything. If you have a WIFI adapter with a good receiver and transmitter, you can access Walmart, Lowes and some other big box store's WIFI without even going inside. 

[nscaler2]

We have Samsung S7s.  We are on Verizon. We use them as hot spots to a great extent.  Have to watch it to not go over or 15Gb limit.  The question is, why do the phones seem almost useless, as hot spots, when we are in an area that only has 3G service.  Sometimes it is so bad that I can't access my email?

[Dutch_12078]

3G tower equipment is being replaced by 5G equipment in many areas as the transition progresses. Verizon at least, has usually left at least some minimal 3G service operating in transition areas, but not all. The reduction in 3G throughput is one result when it works at all.

[eddie1261]

How man people still have this Mobley Dick thing that we can no longer get yet we keep hearing about it so often?

What CAN we get TODAY?? I must have seen 50 posts here saying "... but you can't get it anymore".  Well, I weighed 180 and was ripped when I was in high school in the 60s.... But that doesn't matter anymore either. Tell us about the data distribution devices that we CAN buy. At the moment the Pepwave SOHO Surf used in conjunction with a USB cellular modem seems to be the hot ticket for areas where wifi is not present. The fact that it will also accept the wifi repeaters for when you ARE close enough to a business with wifi you can steal seems to make it a good choice.

Remember that YOUR performance doesn't mean anything. I dealt with that bad logic for years with DSL customers who said their brother had the same company and his service was great. Well, your brother lives 100 ft from the switch and you live 2.8 miles. All conditions have to be equal for any kind of qualitative statement like "I have this and it works fine." Well, I'm happy for you. That doesn't make what you have the only thing that will "work fine". In the case of this old AT&T  gizmo, they don't sell it anymore so it is moot.

[KnoxSwift]

If you need multiple lines TMOBILE is offering unlimited. Single liners are still screwed. You could get this just about 100/mo with 2 lines.

AT&T offers unlimited but when you read the fine print it is really 28gb. But that's a lot of data. I also think that this is right at the 100/mo mark.

Hooked up wired service I think Spectrum is the only company under 100/mo. At $75/mo you get 100mbs/s true unlimited.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

You can get the $20 a month moble plan from AT&T, you just need to buy a GM vehicle with LTE built-in.

[Bill Joyce]

1 hour ago, KnoxSwift said:

If you need multiple lines TMOBILE is offering unlimited. Single liners are still screwed. You could get this just about 100/mo with 2 lines.

AT&T offers unlimited but when you read the fine print it is really 28gb. But that's a lot of data. I also think that this is right at the 100/mo mark.

Hooked up wired service I think Spectrum is the only company under 100/mo. At $75/mo you get 100mbs/s true unlimited.

T-Mobile is 50GB before network optimization and they just dropped their plan that gave you unlimited 4G hotspotting.  This stuff changes.  The plan you got last month or last week might not exist anymore.   

https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/resources/network-management-aka-throttling-practices-for-cellular-data-carriers/ will provide more information.

[KnoxSwift]

4 minutes ago, Bill Joyce said:

T-Mobile is 50GB before network optimization and they just dropped their plan that gave you unlimited 4G hotspotting.  This stuff changes.  The plan you got last month or last week might not exist anymore.   

https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/resources/network-management-aka-throttling-practices-for-cellular-data-carriers/ will provide more information.

🤣🤔

True I signed up 3 months ago on TMOBILE 

[Dutch_12078]

2 hours ago, eddie1261 said:

What CAN we get TODAY??

Unlimited data from AT&T for $20+fees with a qualifying car:

https://www.att.com/plans/connected-car.html#OEM