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

[eddie1261]

22 minutes ago, Dutch_12078 said:

Step through the buying process until you're asked to select a plan. The only two choices are a $40/mo 50GB plan and an $80/mo 100GB plan. They also specify that the device is only intended for areas with a strong AT&T signal. Buyer beware...

Dutch, the idea here is that I would buy this thing and go on the 1gb data plan, because this would be purchased in tandem with my using DTV Now for streaming,m and DTV Now on AT&T does not count against your data usage, and this would be dedicated to that. $55 a month for the DTV Now plan that includes Sunday Ticket.

When I go tomorrow I am taking my Chromebook with me and have them allow me to test one in real time. The store near me has 2 of them in stock. This may be an option for a backup for TV. I don't know plan pricing of real DTV with Sunday Ticket, plus selling a kidney for the hardware.

[Dutch_12078]

Ok, good luck. I really hope it works out for you...

[jbh]

https://www.verizonwireless.com/plans/connected-device-plans/ up to 100G. It's mighty expensive.

 

https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/wireless/KM1048698?gsi=89fGkwQ also mighty expensive.

[eddie1261]

The ATT idea died on the table. Streaming DTV Now doesn't count against the data plan ONLY when you stream it to an ATT device. I am not going to watch football on a tablet. Looks like DTV is going to be my only real option for RVTV. Unless Verizon REALLY means unlimited for everybody with no fine print, and like everyone else I'll believe it when I see it. 

[jpcoll01]

1 hour ago, eddie1261 said:

The ATT idea died on the table. Streaming DTV Now doesn't count against the data plan ONLY when you stream it to an ATT device. I am not going to watch football on a tablet. Looks like DTV is going to be my only real option for RVTV. Unless Verizon REALLY means unlimited for everybody with no fine print, and like everyone else I'll believe it when I see it. 

You can do a couple things, connect to a TV with a lightning to HDMI or Micro HDMI for Android devices. Can also connect to an Apple TV and airplay from your phone. 

[jcussen]

1 hour ago, jpcoll01 said:

You can do a couple things, connect to a TV with a lightning to HDMI or Micro HDMI for Android devices. Can also connect to an Apple TV and airplay from your phone. 

Been doing the same for years. You can also load movies on your phone or tablet or computer and watch them on the tv when you have no cell service. Sometimes I load Maps on the phone and wife watches it on the big screen.

 

[eddie1261]

19 minutes ago, jcussen said:

Been doing the same for years. You can also load movies on your phone or tablet or computer and watch them on the tv when you have no cell service. Sometimes I load Maps on the phone and wife watches it on the big screen.

I have a computer filled with movies. That has little to nothing about what I am trying to do. Zero to do with what I can do when I have no cell service. But, hey, you tried to be helpful and for that I am appreciative.

[jpcoll01]

6 minutes ago, eddie1261 said:

I have a computer filled with movies. That has little to nothing about what I am trying to do. Zero to do with what I can do when I have no cell service. But, hey, you tried to be helpful and for that I am appreciative.

My point was as long as you have ATT service you can stream DirecTV Now and use none of your data allotment and watch it on a big screen. I thought that was your desired outcome?

[jcussen]

5 minutes ago, eddie1261 said:

I have a computer filled with movies. That has little to nothing about what I am trying to do. Zero to do with what I can do when I have no cell service. But, hey, you tried to be helpful and for that I am appreciative.

Maybe I do not understand you. You want DTV but not on your small screen phone. If you want to watch it on your tv, you connect it to your phone with a cable mentioned above and watch it on your tv. What am I missing?

[jcussen]

4 hours ago, eddie1261 said:

The ATT idea died on the table. Streaming DTV Now doesn't count against the data plan ONLY when you stream it to an ATT device. I am not going to watch football on a tablet. Looks like DTV is going to be my only real option for RVTV. Unless Verizon REALLY means unlimited for everybody with no fine print, and like everyone else I'll believe it when I see it. 

Maybe what you don't understand that streaming DTV to a ATT device does not count against your data limit, and passing the signal on to your tv via cable doesn't change this. Kind of like putting a bigger monitor on your computer. ATT only sees your ATT device, so no impact on your data package.

[RV_]

Our service with Verizon was post paid and we had 2 phones on it that were free Moto Z Play 1st generation. I found a prepaid price for unlimited for $75 and could be used with a mix and match. Our first line was a 3GB data line discounted to $30/Mo before tax etc. The second line, my unlimited line, was $75 discounted to 65/mo for a total of $102.00 after tax total for both.

I just wanted music in the car, and to be able to use all of our free streaming services anywhere. Got that now and it's great!

I'd suggest calling Verizon and checking into their prepaid unlimited mix and match plans.

[eddie1261]

I don't want to buy what amounts to a whole second cell phone plan. I don't need anymore calls and texts. All I want is a data plan. With no more phones, no more tablets.... I have so much of that stuff I have been giving them away! And to do it how ATT says I have to do it I will be adding an entire 2nd cell phone plan. The cost of the plan, the cost of the device and the cost of DTV now adds up to almost what a real Direct TV plan will cost me per month so I may just as well do that. 

I don't know yet how much data I am going to chew through until I test watching TV for a night on data. I make maybe 5 phone calls a month, send maybe 100 texts, and use maybe 200 mb of data right now, but I am still living in my house. As someone, I think it was Dutch, pointed out, given the time frame here of me not knowing when I will leave the house and go to full time RV living, these plans may change 10 more times. Verizon currently has us hanging from a ledge with the rumor of a truly unlimited data plan, though I will believe that the day after I see the Beatles reunite for a concert and the 2 dead ones come back to life and play the show. All I keep hearing is "A lot will change when we roll out 5G", yet nobody can say what.

[RV_]

With Verizon today, Most, if not all of their CDMA phones can be used on GSM services. However most GSM phones like AT&T will not work on Verizon. We take our phones with us for any new plan or provider. The only exception is our Lumia 735 Windows mobile phones. Microsoft really screwed us by dropping their support. They still work fine and can be used in place of either of our phones with a quick phone call.

Anyone spending a lot with GSM services will not be able to go Verizon when advantageous.

Verizon's prepaid unlimited in a mix and match costs us $95 before taxes and fees for a total of $102.00 for her phone's unlimited voice and text with three GB of data, and my phone with unlimited data and voice and texts.

Go here for the prepaid mix and match. Make the first line the 3GB, the second line unlimited. Total before taxes/fees is $95 even.

https://www.verizonwireless.com/prepaid/?cmp=KNC-C-HQ-NON-R-AC-NONE-NONE-2K0PX0-PX-BIN-71700000010397525&msclkid=1140e7101e801185a368bc814318c895&gclid=CIiCndPtpt0CFQacgQodIqwIRA&gclsrc=ds

Just one unlimited line, prepaid, is $75. Remove on that page the last three lines leaving just one, then make it unlimited - $75.

I still hardly use it but as I do if I don't have issues I'll report back.

Of course that is all using my first gen Moto Z Play Droid phones.

" I love Motorola's take on Android. But for the Nexus (and now Pixel) line, I don't think any company interprets Google's original vision for Android — taking the core code and improving upon it without adulterating its emphasis on speed and simplicity — better than the Chicago-based company. Of course, it helps that this ethos was born while Motorola was a Google company, and has thankfully not been ruined under Lenovo, but I just think the Moto Z Play's software advantage is worth far more than the perceived (or lack thereof) performance differences between a Snapdragon 820 and a 625."

Source:

https://www.androidcentral.com/moto-z-play

Sometimes all you need is one phone, and any accessories you can't live without like snap on projectors and 360 cameras. I'm going to only buy used open box from now on.

[Lou Schneider]

Verizon is in the process of shutting down it's CDMA network and is switching it's towers over to pure LTE for both voice and data.  Voice traffic is using VoLTE which can route phone calls either over Verizon's LTE network or via open WiFi service.

I just purchased a Samsung phone from Wal-Mart that is only LTE, it works well for the most part but occasionally you can hear low bitrate artifacts creep into the audio. 

[RV_]

Thinking for the future, the folks like me with both Verizon and a Moto Z phone of any generation, and who already own some mods, this Moto Z3 is an amped up Z3 play that will use a Moto Mod to upgrade to 5G.

I think 5G deployment will obsolete a lot of phones making them dirt cheap as overstock. 4G is fine, until it isn't.

https://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=20989

https://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-and-motorola-unveil-worlds-first-5g-upgradable-smartphone--moto-z3

The good thing about the Moto Z3 is that until 5G is available in more than a few markets, you don't have to buy the 5G mod now, or ever.

[NoDirectionHome]

Quote

And I have watched youtube videos that also say parks will shut you down if you use a repeater (or router) and connect more than 1 device. 

Could they tell if I'm using more than one device?  Even with a VPN?  (i'm a total neophyte when it comes to this stuff)

[RJHILL]

On 5/7/2018 at 4:16 PM, Big5er said:

Touchy, aren't we? You and I both know that the Mobley was NOT INTENDED to be used as your full time primary internet connection. It was designed to be plugged in to the OBD-II port in your car. The fact that you altered it and found some other way to use it doesn't mean anyone is "castigating" you. They are simply pointing out that you are not using it as designed.

I would also point out that users who abused the intended design and plan that are likely to blame for it no longer being offered as it was originally.

LOL I was thinking the same thing.  

[rbertalotto]

I have AT&T on a hotspot. I use both a Roku+ and an Amazon FireStick to access DTVnow and display on two TVs in my camper. Been on the plan since a year ago January. I’ve used over 300gb in a month and have not had it affect my monthly bill one dime.

DTVnow, Using AT&T service, no mater how it is obtained, does not count against data use.

Same goes for T-Mobile. In fact, just about EVERY streaming service does not count against T-Mobile data. ( check out the list on their web site) I have a 3gb data plan with T-Mobile and I’ve used well over 500gb a month with no extra charge.

i bought both services when the prices were very low

T-Mobile is $30 a month and AT&T is $23 a month

DTVnow is $35 a month

amazing, on the road, entertainment value.....

[Dutch_12078]

3 hours ago, RJHILL said:

LOL I was thinking the same thing.  

Read the posts following Phil's post. The Mobley/Connected Car Plan was a limited time offer, and AT&T continued offering it for several months beyond the published expiration date. They also updated the Mobley to add a no time out option instead of the original 2-hour max time out. Neither of those suggests they were concerned about abuse then, and the fact they've continued to grandfather the plan in suggests they're not concerned with it now.

[docj]

On 8/30/2018 at 8:51 PM, Dutch_12078 said:

The only two choices are a $40/mo 50GB plan and an $80/mo 100GB plan. They also specify that the device is only intended for areas with a strong AT&T signal.

Regardless of what is stated on the AT&T website about the device, it worked extremely well over the past  couple of months on our journey through the Mountain West states.   The only places it didn't work were those where AT&T didn't have service.  In fact, one park we stayed at actually says in its literature that there is no available AT&T data service.   Using a WeBoost amp we were able to stream video every night on our AT&T  hotspot. 

My supposition is that the description on the website is about the prior version of the ZTE hotspot used for this data service.  We had one of those a couple of years ago when we tried AT&T's "rural internet" plan.  It was a much less satisfactory device; the new one appears to have a MIMO antenna configuration.

[Zulu]

50 minutes ago, docj said:

The only places it didn't work were those were AT&T didn't have service.

I'm pretty sure that can be said of any carrier.

[Dutch_12078]

19 hours ago, docj said:

Regardless of what is stated on the AT&T website about the device, it worked extremely well over the past  couple of months on our journey through the Mountain West states.   The only places it didn't work were those where AT&T didn't have service.  In fact, one park we stayed at actually says in its literature that there is no available AT&T data service.   Using a WeBoost amp we were able to stream video every night on our AT&T  hotspot. 

My supposition is that the description on the website is about the prior version of the ZTE hotspot used for this data service.  We had one of those a couple of years ago when we tried AT&T's "rural internet" plan.  It was a much less satisfactory device; the new one appears to have a MIMO antenna configuration.

That's good to see about the current device, Joel. Our Max Amp RV has also kept us online, including streaming, in areas where the coverage maps show no service.

[Bill Joyce]

2 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:

That's good to see about the current device, Joel. Our Max Amp RV has also kept us online, including streaming, in areas where the coverage maps show no service.

You still won't get AT&T service in some places, just like you wont' get Verizon in some places.  We were just in two locations with no AT&T for miles, Diamond Lake OR and 10 miles West of Lakeview OR.  We have also been in places a pesky hill or mountain blocked the tower.

[Pat & Pete]

Just now, Bill Joyce said:

You still won't get AT&T service in some places, just like you wont' get Verizon in some places.  We were just in two locations with no AT&T for miles, Diamond Lake OR and 10 miles West of Lakeview OR.  We have also been in places a pesky hill or mountain blocked the tower.

Agreed . And , you might have internet and no cell phone service or ... 

We've had it both ways and not at all . We've also bee too close to a tower and had no service , strange , but , true .

[Bill Joyce]

"We've also bee too close to a tower and had no service , strange , but , true ."

Not strange at all, since the tower might not have your providers antennas on it.  For many years we camped in a campground with a cell tower just outside it and had only 1X service on Verizon and nothing on AT&T, since it was a US Cellular tower.  That tower is still there, but AT&T and Verizon added other towers in the area and both have service in the campground, just not off that tower.