We travel all of the USA and we use a Verizon data service resold by Millenicom for data and a separate Verizonwireless plan for our cell phones. This is the least expensive approach and we can add data or voice minutes if actually needed.
We use a Cradlepoint router with our Mifi device so we have up to the second tracking of our data usage and so we can use 100% of our data allocation each month - as the unused portion is otherwise lost.
We use Wifi when and where it is available for data and when it is not available we use the Mifi which will support up to 5 computers and provide internet access. We have found that 4G provides a better connection and 10x the speed we had with 3G and do not need a booster any longer.
4G is a line of sight transmission so if you have a hill between you and the nearest tower you will not get a signal regardless of whether you have a signal booster. The towers are located along major highways as the cell systems are designed to support mobile users. When I look at possible campgrounds in an area I know that the ones close to a major highway will have the best cell reception and have to weigh that access against the much greater ambient noise level of those locations. Sometimes we will make a data stop in a town to check email and do any business and then drive to a campground where we know we will not get a signal or be dependent upon a public Wifi network that is not safe for business transactions.
The cell boosters are great for a building where you can mount an external antenna and then a booster and rebroadcast the signal inside the building for cell phones. They provide less benefit for an RV as it is easy to move the RV to a location where the best signal is received. At a campground with Wifi we will try to get a site that is as close as possible to the office as the range of their router is always very limited and we have yet to stay anywhere that used a bridging access point to extend coverage.
Smart phones are in many ways a dumb solution. We do not use them as it would make us and our business vulnerable to thieves and hackers. Even with our tablets we have the auto connect to Wifi turned off.
With a business we do not want a single point of failure which is exactly why we do not have an all in one data and voice plan with a single device.
If someone is wed to the notion of carrying around a smartphone they would be wise to get an iPhone with the fingerprint scanner and the feature where the phone can be permanently shut off remotely if it is stolen which is available with Verizon service.
Many people think that it is great that they can talk on their phone using the coffee shops' free public Wifi but in doing so they leave all the data including passwords and account information and anything else on the smartphone open to theft by even novice hackers. There is not free lunch.
We also have a business land line with centrex voice mail provided by the phone company. It is easy to have any messages go automatically to our email as .wav files and be able to download and listen to them anywhere in the world. We do the same with faxes using a fax server service that receives faxes and we can download them as a PDF file to view on our computers.
We have been road warriors for major IT companies for decades and for the past 8 years we have been operating our own business while traveling extensively in the USA and overseas. Our approach works very well and it is safe which is at the top of our list when selecting a particular device or service to use.
