I'm about to start a remote job and would like to occasionally camp while doing so. I'll be issued a laptop and will need to perform 2D documentation work of 3D CAD designs. For those of whom are using their smartphone as a hotspot when the CG WiFi isn't adequate, I'd like to know your experiences and recommendations. My phone plan allows only so much data for this purpose each month so I don't want to get stuck being unable to do my job during a trip.

If you have an Android phone PDANet is the way to go...https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pdanet&hl=en_US&gl=USIt allows unlimited usage without using your phones data plan and it is faster than a normal hotspot! My wife and I live where there are no phone or cable lines, this is the best solution!

We have Visible and we use our cell phones as Hotspot while camping. Most CG don't have a big enough pipe. We haven't tried any great volumes of data but are happy with the Hotspot.

I'd say it depends on your consumption, at 100 GB/mo or so I'd say Visible is good. If you start pushing past that then I don't know, it's beyond my personal experience. So far this trip we have had a slow connect, last night in Vernon TX, once in over thirty stops including a lot of boondocking. But we have a booster and an omnidirectional antenna on an extendable pole. Tho I haven't extended the pole once so the antenna is 10 to 11 ft up.You will want a good booster.

Make sure you have an Unlimited plan with a good provider. I use AT&T and can use up to 30GB per month right on my Pixel 5's internal Hotspot. Since your doing CAD work your needs will be high. Good luck.

It all depends on the available signal strength. I'm starting to see 5G here in Alabama and that helps greatly. I use ATT 4G in most places, around 60 to 90 GB a month. I was with Verizon, but they had far too many dead spots in the rural SE. For a time ATT was worse and Verizon was much better, but now it has changed for the areas I go to the most. ATT does cost more, but at least I can get a signal most of the time! Really need a booster and an antenna you can raise, makes a big difference. Upload speed is the challenge, in the sticks its usually slow for me in the evenings.

smartphone as hotspot for remote work | Good Sam Community

agesilaus
Explorer III
May 20, 2021
I'd say it depends on your consumption, at 100 GB/mo or so I'd say Visible is good. If you start pushing past that then I don't know, it's beyond my personal experience. So far this trip we have had a slow connect, last night in Vernon TX, once in over thirty stops including a lot of boondocking. But we have a booster and an omnidirectional antenna on an extendable pole. Tho I haven't extended the pole once so the antenna is 10 to 11 ft up.
You will want a good booster.
bgum
Explorer
May 20, 2021
We have Visible and we use our cell phones as Hotspot while camping. Most CG don't have a big enough pipe. We haven't tried any great volumes of data but are happy with the Hotspot.
Desert_Drew
Explorer
May 20, 2021
If you have an Android phone PDANet is the way to go...

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pdanet&hl=en_US&gl=US

It allows unlimited usage without using your phones data plan and it is faster than a normal hotspot! My wife and I live where there are no phone or cable lines, this is the best solution!

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smartphone as hotspot for remote work

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