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dedmiston's avatar
dedmiston
Moderator
Oct 09, 2017

WiFi Hot Spot recommendations?

A friend of mine is a student working on a special project in southern Wyoming, near Evanston.

He doesn't have any broadband connection, so he's mowing through his mobile data plan really fast. I want to help him find a mobile wifi device with a separate data plan, but I've never used a device like that.

What should I look for in a device and what kind of plans are best?

He has AT&T for mobile, so we know that coverage is good with AT&T.

20 Replies

  • specials come and go

    need to latch onto a special promotion to get data a cheap/prices

    6 months ago the Mobely was selling for $79, but what drove the sale was a $20 a month " Connected Car " unlimted data plan

    i along with some other members ordered one
    the data cost me $22.01 per month

    i still have my verizon unlimted plan, but i spread my use across both devices

    ATT has some specials going, i think $35 for unlimted on a 'TABLET'

    whether or not this might help your friend, you will have to ask him

    he probably can't use Metro PCS which uses T-moble
    but they have $59? phone plan with unlimited data
    i think the same plan is available from Tmo
    but Metro is pre-pay month to month no contract
  • We spend a lot of time on the fringe of cell coverage which is just as bad for wifi/internet access as burning up expensive data. On our latest assignment we used free wifi at the following: Visitor Center, Tim Hortons, Library, and the best being a community center in the local grocery store. Libraries are the first place to look and failing that in the past we have actually asked permission to use a hotel lobby and their wifi. It works for us but we are flexible on our time and locations.
  • Depends a lot on what provider is best in the area. Several years ago I bought a pay as you go MIFI box from Verizon, to use in an area where the AT&T service was weak. When I need it, I just actvate it and pay for however long I need it, then it doesn't cost me anything until I need it again. Last time I used it, the price was $100 for 10 Gb of data, over a two-month period. We had a two month gig, at the end I had used 9.5 GB and all my time, so it worked well. and we had excellent speed.
  • The Mobley units are designed to work through the vehicles OBDII access port, but if you check through Amazon and some other retailers you will find that there are power supply adaptors available for it that allow it to function from anywhere that a 120VAC supply is available.
  • pianotuna wrote:
    I suggest he investigate the Mobley device from AT&T


    Thanks Don. How does that work? Does it plug into a vehicle, or is it a stand-alone device? Some of the mobile wifi devices I've seen need to plug into a vehicle, which wouldn't work in this case. I assume this would work in the home, at Starbucks, etc.?

    My friend actually had to go spend an afternoon at McDonalds to get wifi the other day.
  • He should also check what kind of service he can get from Verizon, although I doubt the prices are much better.

    ATT device fees and data rates are shown HERE.
  • Go points.

    The data can be expensed, but the phone can't. The two fees need to be bifurcated.
  • sch911 wrote:
    He needs a better plan not a new device.
    x2. Data is getting cheaper, I would think 20gigs or so might work, not unlimited. I don't think a separate device is going to make any difference in the price of data.
  • He needs a better plan not a new device. Any reason ha cannot use his existing phone as a hotspot? If not just upgrade to one of the AT&T unlimited plans. YES IT WILL COST MORE! No way to get around that.

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