Using smart phone as a hot spot
Using smart phone as a hot spot I am getting ready to dump Sprint and go to Verizon with a Galaxy 7 for a hot spot, eliminating the need for my curing Spring hot spot and cell phone. I was reedy to...
Forum Discussion
OK, Time to make notes.
I have been doing this for a number of years with a number of handsets, but only two carries. That was AT&T and Verizon. I am still (back with) Verizon because of coverage issues. The carriers in the 1X days didn't mind the tethering (that was all there was and can you sppeelll Ssllooww.... Early in the 3G days, Verizon offered a hotspot service. They wanted 30$ a month for the service, and the data use charge. I was grandfathered into the unlimited data plan, but that was still 60$/mo. I had been using a tether (EasyTether?) and wanted out of it. That is when I found FoxFi. At that time, the cost was ~10$. (Let's see 10$ once verses 30$/month forever??) I had to back out of the unlimited plan recently because Verizon changed the price and now the cost/benefit was wrong. So, at home I live with a 3 gig plan and only bump it up to a 6 or more when we are actually traveling.
Now, there are some drawbacks, as noted, you loose the wire when you talk on the phone and it will kill the battery in the handset. So, you don't answer the phone (unless you have to) and you connect the handset to power. If you are in a car, you get a DC mousehole charger.
There are now competing apps to Foxfi, but I haven't looked and do not know the costs.
Then, I you really want it to work, you go get the proper Wilson repeater/booster and use that. The handset battery is still an issue, but much less and the connection is way more solid (and faster).
I was recently tried to help a friend with the Alfa WiFi that has traveled with us for years only to find it to be dead. I will not replace it as the ROI is just not there anymore.
Matt
I have been doing this for a number of years with a number of handsets, but only two carries. That was AT&T and Verizon. I am still (back with) Verizon because of coverage issues. The carriers in the 1X days didn't mind the tethering (that was all there was and can you sppeelll Ssllooww.... Early in the 3G days, Verizon offered a hotspot service. They wanted 30$ a month for the service, and the data use charge. I was grandfathered into the unlimited data plan, but that was still 60$/mo. I had been using a tether (EasyTether?) and wanted out of it. That is when I found FoxFi. At that time, the cost was ~10$. (Let's see 10$ once verses 30$/month forever??) I had to back out of the unlimited plan recently because Verizon changed the price and now the cost/benefit was wrong. So, at home I live with a 3 gig plan and only bump it up to a 6 or more when we are actually traveling.
Now, there are some drawbacks, as noted, you loose the wire when you talk on the phone and it will kill the battery in the handset. So, you don't answer the phone (unless you have to) and you connect the handset to power. If you are in a car, you get a DC mousehole charger.
There are now competing apps to Foxfi, but I haven't looked and do not know the costs.
Then, I you really want it to work, you go get the proper Wilson repeater/booster and use that. The handset battery is still an issue, but much less and the connection is way more solid (and faster).
I was recently tried to help a friend with the Alfa WiFi that has traveled with us for years only to find it to be dead. I will not replace it as the ROI is just not there anymore.
Matt
