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nosebreaker
Explorer
Apr 23, 2018

Best internet solution for 2018?

I am looking to get the best mobile internet plan possible for our USA roadtrip in the lower 48 states. We'll be working part-time so we'll need it to be halfway decent. I was planning to get a hotspot and use that, but thought I should try to get a better antenna for greater range.

The last time I took a road trip was 8 years ago, back then it was nearly impossible to get reliable data by tethering my phone, and I had to rely on spotty wifi in campgrounds. I can't have that this time.

Ideally I'd like something that works even while driving, so nothing like a satellite connection via DirecTV or DishTV. I would prefer a 4G cell phone-like system that would also boost our cell phone signals.

What have you used and what would you not recommend?

32 Replies

  • Cell signal availability has came a long way in the last decade, and is getting better all the time. Last summer I did a 4200 mile loop in my coach from Louisiana to Wyoming (Yellowstone, and the big solar eclipse) then back traveling through parts of TX, OK, CO, WY, NE, KS, MO, AR and back to LA. Along nearly the entire drive I streamed music over my AT&T internet connection using the SiriusXM app on my phone, and rarely would I have a signal drop out that lasted more than 15-20 miles, excluding known major cell coverage dead spots in Yellowstone, and Grand Tetons National Parks.

    p.s. Out of about 34 nights on the road the only campgrounds (mix of commercial, state parks, municipal parks, forest service in the mountains outside Laramie, WY, national park and even the Kansas state fairgrounds RV park) where I did not have a functional internet connection using AT&T on my phone and my Mobley access point were the ones in Yellowstone. Though a couple were in fringe areas with marginal signal, not fast enough to support streaming media.
  • Verizon MiFi works good for us. I also have used daughters T Mobile phone which seems to have less data throttling than Verizon.

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