Best Internet Plan

[Gregsnell]

Hi there. Say I need some advice. I am needing the best internet service when I travel in my RV. I was advised if I want to do a lot of streaming then the caps on the normal carriers will not do. I think I need a unlimited hotspot service to use for my TV, Latop and phone. I will also considering the Weboost RV 65 at $650 to boost a weak cell signal when parked (this model is not designed for use when moving). I am considering using Unlimited LTE Advanced at $129 a month for unlimited hotspot access with a $349 start up charge. They sell service for different carriers but claim AT&T is the best. I plan to use You Tube TV for my television channels mostly because I am a sports guy and they are strong there. OK, have at me with some better ideas!!!!

Edited June 23, 2020 by Gregsnell
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[mptjelgin]

What you are seeking is the holy grail among RV'ers.  The problem with recommendations from individuals is that plans come and go in the blink of an eye.  What many (most?) people have that gives them unlimited (or close to it) is often a plan that was short-lived and no longer available. But it never hurts to ask.  I won't share the plan that I am currently using as it went away a couple of years ago and is no longer available. 

These folks:  Mobile Internet Resource Center  provide up to date information on the various plans best suited to RV'ers.  Much of their content is free on the site, and they have premium content as well for a subscription. 

While I am not familiar with the particular seller that you have mentioned (Unlimited LTE Advance) they are likely a reseller of services.  These folks can also come and go, and can be shut down on short notice for violating terms of service from the providers. Many of us have had such plans at one time or another, and some have disappeared on short notice. 

Edited June 23, 2020 by mptjelgin

[Gregsnell]

What a very helpful response that was! Thanks for taking the time. Greg

[Technomadia]

Thanks for the sweet comment about our Mobile Internet Resource Center!

Right on the front page we actually have some brand new videos out on these exact topics - current best data plans, the truth about unlimited data plans and TV & Video streaming. 

Between those, you should gain a lot of knowledge. 

[Tom_M]

Check out Visible. They are owned by Verizon and thus use Verizon towers. Their service costs $40/month for unlimited phone, text, and data. This also includes unlimited hotspot. The cost can be brought down to $25/month by joining a "Party Pay". Here are some links:

https://www.visible.com/

https://www.visible.com/party-pay

This is a reddit site where people post available Party Pay slots: https://www.reddit.com/r/VisiblePartyPay/

I have been using Visible for a year and it has worked great for me. If your present smart phone is compatible you can continue to use it. Or you can trade an Android phone for a new one for free.

[Gregsnell]

Thanks so much - very helpful!

 

[Bill Joyce]

Remember that Visible has a one device hotspot limit.  You can use a mobile or travel router to be the one device and get around the one device limit, but that requires more equipment and setup.  Also Visible is on Verizon, which has the most coverage, but we have found places where AT&T or T-Mobile works and Verizon does not, so it is best to have two plans if you want to be sure you will be online.    Of course all of this is covered by the Mobile Internet Resource Center, the authority on mobile internet.

[Dak]

We were just out on a trip for six weeks in the western US.  Anywhere from Arizona to NW Montana over to the Olympic peninsula through Oregon to Hood River and back across Idaho and Utah to Arizona.  

We have the T-Mobile Magenta Plan with three phones and two tablets.  The tablet is only $20/mo per line since we have cell phone lines with them.  Otherwise I think it is like $60 or $70/mo.  We use 175-225 GB per month.  Teenagers!!!  
We also installed the WeBoost Drive Reach with the trucker antenna outside and the big white rectangular antenna on the inside.  Bought the whole setup from Signalbooster.com.  You may want to compare the RV 65 to the Drive Reach.  You can use the Drive Reach when driving.  And, it seems to have a more advanced system to find weaker signals.  The RV 65 is the older system but just with more power.

There was only one time in six weeks where we did not have a signal with the booster.  Was able to stream on YouTube, Netflix and Amazon just fine.  We boondock a lot off the beaten path.  T-Mobile has gotten a lot better with coverage.  Was considering Verizon or AT&T before the trip but T-Mobile seems to be good enough for us.  The booster made all of the difference.  Lookup RV with Tito on YouTube.  He does a good job of comparing them.

 

Edited July 25, 2020 by Dak
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[fly2low]

I am on my first trip after installing the Reach with the trucker antenna.  Getting signal in places I did not last year.

[Johnynorthland]

I just signed up for a supposedly unlimited hotspot plan with AT&T for $50 a month.  I added it to my AT&T unlimited cell service account which has 3 phones with an unlimited plan.

I received my mobile router, the Nighthawk M1, 2 days ago. After I set up the NightHawk it displays that I have a 5 GB Plan and shows my data remaining and the SIM card was suspended!

I called AT&T yesterday to activate the sim and I complained that this is suppose to be an unlimited plan, and they assured me again, that it was an unlimited plan. I’ve rebooted the Nighthawk several times it still states I have a 5 GB plan! Going to the store sometime this week and if that’s not the case I am going to return it within that 14 day window!

When I first called AT&T and set up this plan and added it to my account I spent 1 hour and 44 minutes on the phone with them, Having them ensure me that this was in fact an unlimited plan with no throttling. I did this because of the research I’ve been doing. I found that most of these service providers will throttle you down with high usage. AT&T  told me with my plan they would never throttle me down due to my own personal high volume usage, however, their network, as a whole, may slow down due to high volume. I repeatedly asked the same question,  I even held on the phone for 30 minutes Just to speak to a manager to double check this!. FRUSTRATING! 

I will give an update once I’ve found out what is really going on.

[Gregsnell]

Just an update. I went with the truly unlimited plan with Visible for $40 a month and You Tube TV at $65 a month and I am very happy. The limit of one hot spot at a time is an issue but works for me as a single person. 

[Johnynorthland]

Thanks Greg.

what mobile router do you have? Also do you have any speed test results you can share.

 

john

[Gregsnell]

Hi John, I am a bit of a newbie at this so right now I just connect my laptop which I like to work on rather than the phone to my hotspot on my Iphone to get internet on the laptop. Then I watch TV and work on my laptop. Since Visible allows one hotspot connection at a time is there any advantage to me to getting a mobile router? Visible uses the Verizon network and while I do not know speeds there is almost no buffering when I watch You Tube TV. 

[Johnynorthland]

Update; I was misled by ATT!, I spent 1:44 on the phone with them to ensure my mobile hotspot was unlimited, I even talked with a supervisor before placing my order. But it’s not! I discontinued service and will be sending back my router tomorrow! I was pretty upset, they gave me a $25 credit for my troubles !  Terrible misrepresentation of their services!

so now I’m still on the hunt for a provider. I’m looking at one of those 3rd party venders/providers, like nomad internet. Does anyone have them as a provider? Or can anyone recommend anyone else?

[durangodon]

8 hours ago, Johnynorthland said:

Or can anyone recommend anyone else?

 

On 6/25/2020 at 10:13 PM, Technomadia said:

Mobile Internet Resource Center!

Right on the front page we actually have some brand new videos out on these exact topics - current best data plans, the truth about unlimited data plans and TV & Video streaming. 

The fourth post in this thread.

[Johnynorthland]

Also if you need any great cell antennas or booster products you need to check out Hertzain Labs. They have an array of great products, but most importantly they are made in the good old US of A! And David Urbasic, president, was great to deal with. He seems more Interested on making great products through R&D than pushing a sale!

 

john

[Bill Joyce]

42 minutes ago, Johnynorthland said:

so now I’m still on the hunt for a provider. I’m looking at one of those 3rd party venders/providers, like nomad internet. Does anyone have them as a provider? Or can anyone recommend anyone else?

Nomadic Fanatic on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtFHmQFu_7SnVAFSQr-T2zw ) pushes Nomad Internet, since he is very happy with it and has had it work in remote areas.   I think he has a discount link.    

[Johnynorthland]

I know I follow Erick On his YouTube channel.. I did a bunch of research a few weeks ago. They seem to be pretty much on the up and up. I also look at this morning on the Better Business Bureau website, to complete, it seem like they were a big deal, I’m hopeful resolved properly. I do know can’t make everybody happy! So I pulled the trigger and Ordered the Netgear nighthawk with their service for $129 a month. I’ll report back once again after I’ve used it for a while.

[Hill_Country]

Here's a link from the Grand Design forum about a new plan that is essentially a reseller for the Tmobile Home Internet plan. 

https://gdrv4life.granddesignrv.com/tips-tricks/finally-unrestricted-internet-access-rvers

Overlook some of the technical stuff in this article, the author seems a little technically challenged as to how it works, but they are correct about the plan details.

This $99/mo plan sounds the same as what Tmobile is selling direct for $50/mo.  We've been using it for nearly a year and have been very impressed - great range and coverage, no data limit or throttling and speeds usually running 70 to 100 meg.  I can't vouch for the coverage as we haven't been traveling much in these crazy times, but the coverage map looks good and we haven't found any dead spots in south Texas.

Tmobile doesn't seem to be promoting the plan - probably waiting for their system to be built out - and availability is limited.  While it appears to be designed for use at a fixed location, but our experience is that it works well on the road.

It may or may not work for you, but for $50/mo and no contract its worth a try unless you have something better and cheaper.

[Johnynorthland]

Thanks Hill Country,

I already pulled the trigger on nomad internet. I’m a bit rushed since we will be full timing in 10 days! Hopefully it works out for us.

 

i plan on using the router to monitor my dog when we are away from the rig with a wireless Blink camera and a WiFi thermostat. Does anyone have any experience with the Nighthawk using it this way? I plan on removing the nighthawk battery and use a UPS (battery backup/surge protector). I was going to use the Nighthawks battery with a WiFi enabled surge protector to cycle on periodically to charge the Nighthawks battery but I’ve been reading that it’s battery over heats and shuts down the router sometimes, so I think I’m better of removing its internal battery.

[Bill Joyce]

You could put the Nighthawk on an appliance timer, under $5 at Wal-Mart, and set that to charge a couple hours two or three times a day.  That is what I do with my mobile hotspots.

[Johnynorthland]

That’s exactly what I wanted to do but with this device;  

Gosund Smart Power Strip Work with Alexa Google Home, Smart Plug WiFi Outlets Surge Prot... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TS2GZCJ/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_i_ugboFb...

With The camera and a WiFi T stat maintaining a constant WiFi connection, it might drain the nighthawk battery quickly, I’ve read that if the nighthawk’s battery get low and you go to charge it, it can overheat and shut down the router. So by installing that smart power strip I can check the status of the battery and could figure out when the nighthawk needs to be charged and configure the outlet remotely to go on/of at those intervals. But then I thought in to it a bit further and thought; why not just remove the nighthawk’s battery, and use a separate battery backup. 
 

what do ya’s think I should do? Give the nighthawk’s battery a try first?

[Hill_Country]

I don't know how the Nighthawk would handle all that, but I did something similar with a VZN hotspot that kept eating the battery.  Seemed like a fine line between the hotspot battery going dead and overcharging.  I do leave the Tmo Home Internet hotspot plugged in all the time and haven't had any problems with it.  I have a Nest camera in the RV that stays on all the time so I can watch Fang, the world's worst watchdog.  I have the camera set to cover the entrance door, kitchen and living room which has a large thermometer on the wall.  The Nest system will alert me via text if it sees a person or hears a dog barking.  (Of course, Fang is more likely to lick a stranger than bark at them.)

[rbertalotto]

Im so glad I jumped into this whole streaming thing years ago. I travel around the country from Jan to May and have never experienced not being able to stream video. Even on BLM land in the middle of nowhere.

AT&T TV with 150+/- channels @ $60mo,

T-Mobile hotspot in a Unite Explore, with unthrottled, unlimited for AT&T TV, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, etc $36.16mo,

AT&T Mobley Sim in a Unite Explore with unthrottled, unlimited for AT&T TV  $23.49

Verizon Grandfathered unlimited plan on phone $55mo

 

Total = $174.65

My AT&T and T-Mobile hotspots ALWAYS go way over the allotted, unthrottled data amounts and I've never seen throttling. Maybe I'm just lucky or all this throttle stuff is just boilerplating for the cell provider.

[Dutch_12078]

I don't know about your T-Mobile plan, but your Mobley Connected Car Plan is never throttled, only deprioritized/network managed on congested towers only during the congestion. Even then the slow down is minimal in most cases, and may not even be noticed when streaming.