What smartphone, service, hotspot, booster do you use?

See if these couple of links help:

• Mobile Internet on the Road
  
• Cellular, Wifi, and Boosters
  

Samsung Galay S-7 and T-Mobile 55+ program.

I'd say the answer depends a lot on your needs.

If you don't need much in the way of phone or internet service on the road--say just calls to make and confirm reservations, checking the weather forecast once in awhile, having something to use for emergencies--it's hard to beat a Tracfone on price. Their lowest cost options end up being a little under $10 per month, with pretty limited data and talk time and texts that do roll over indefinitely as long as service is kept active.

This is new. The boss borrowed one for a "test" on his recent trip and reported that it works very well.

One of the features he liked was that you could log into a gateway like Tengo with the ranger and the rest of the devices are on the internet without needing to log on.

Dutch_12078 wrote:
We have both AT&T and Verizon cell unlimited data plans for our two hotspots. We also have a Maximum Signal "Max Amp RV" amplifier/repeater that has kept us online even in areas the carriers show as "no service".

Winner winner chicken dinner right here....You do want a dedicated hot spot(s) vs. trying to use your phone as a hot spot.

I just bought a Moto G4 direct from Motorola- $130, not bad. Right now I'm using Freedompop , basically $150/ year for 4gb/month of data, phone and text are free. I'm on the AT&T network, but phone works with all.

We have both AT&T and Verizon cell unlimited data plans for our two hotspots. We also have a Maximum Signal "Max Amp RV" amplifier/repeater that has kept us online even in areas the carriers show as "no service". For voice, etc, we have two Tracfone/Verizon Android smart phones.

My wife and I have iPhone 8’s and Verizon. We use them for everything while on the road, use iPad when we want a little bigger screen. When CG WiFi is not available we will use the iPhones for internet access even for the iPad’s. I second the notion that if you are dependent on access you should get service from Verizon and ATT but even then sometimes you can’t get either.

My experience is that Verizon works best in many parts of the country but AT&T works better in others. If my living depended on it I'd have access to both, being retired that is not the case.

These folks have a pretty good write up on all your questions, I'm sure there are others out there too.

http://www.technomadia.com/

On the phone, we have Motorola Moto G4 and a G4play. Buy them direct from Motorola and you get an unlocked quad band phone that the single handset can work with all carriers. CDMA, GSM it does them all. Clean version of Android no crapware, and mine was automatically upgraded to 7.0.
We currently are using them on total wireless which uses Verizon towers, but we have a G4play which isn't currently in use that could be activated with att or t mobile if needed. Just change the Sim card.
I got my newest on a sale couple months ago $129 for a g4, 32 gigs of storage,4 gigs ram, 5.5" gorilla glass screen. Not sure what specials they have now. And yes, these phones work as a hotspot.