WIFI Hot Spot

We use Verizon 4G. It supposedly has the best coverage compared to competitors and some providers actually buy their service from Verizon. We have the pay as you go plan and refill cards are available everywhere. When the camping season ends, there's no monthly charges to worry about.

I simply can't imagine going camping and roughing it in the great outdoors and not be able to use the internet. :E

I am very fortunate, my work provides me with a Verizon hot spot with unlimited data and allows us to use them for personal use (of course I am sure they have access to what I am doing...). We take it with us for camping trips because we often allow our daughter to watch a tv show (internet streaming video) while our boy takes his mid day nap.

Verizon has the best coverage, in my opinion, in the United States. We love our Verizon...

JCR-1 wrote:
... I think wi fi is not the same as 3G. ....

You are correct. ... however ... A "WiFi Hotspot" is a device that gets internet data (3G or 4G) from a cell tower, just as a smartphone does, and then feeds it out as a WiFi signal.

Maybe I am wrong but I think wi fi is not the same as 3G. One works off cell towers, where the other works off an internet connection. If you want wi fi you have to go to a location that sends a wi fi signal which generally doesn't go that far. Now 3 G goes wherever you have cell service in most cases.

Verizon hotspot Jetpack is what we have. www.verizonwireless.com

allen8106 wrote:
AT&T works best as a hot spot if you're going to use the phone as a hot spot. AT&T allows a hot spot connection plus a phone simultaneously. With Verizon you must do one or the other but not both. Because of this I switched my service from Verizon to AT&T.

You can hotspot and talk on phone at same time on any LTE phone company. I do it all the time on Verizon.
3G on Verizon, which is CDMA you cannot. 3G CDMA will be phased out in the not to distant future.

Verizon here, 5GB for $50.00. Works in most places that have cell service.

There are many places in the boonies which have no cell service at all. Naturally that includes many places we like to camp.

Like television I enjoy it, but if I cannot get it, oh well. I certainly do not want to play for satellite service.

You can get a hotspot directly from Straight Talk with free overnight shipping until 6/20/16
https://www.straighttalk.com/wps/portal/home/shop/otherdevices/hotspot
Put in your ZIP code and you usually get 4 choices:

• Mobile Hotspot (UNIMAX U240C) $29.99
  
• Mobile Hotspot (Unimax U240C Reconditioned) FREE with Plan Purchase!
  
• Mobile Hotspot (ZTE Z289L) 4G LTE $49.99 (AT&T towers)
  
• Mobile Hotspot (ZTE Z288L) 4G LTE $49.99 (Verizon towers)

The U240C is 3G speed. Some time back there was a problem with the Z289L on AT&T but that has been fixed and they work well. My Z289L usually gives me 5Gb dowload speed. I only activate my hotspot when I go camping.

AT&T works best as a hot spot if you're going to use the phone as a hot spot. AT&T allows a hot spot connection plus a phone simultaneously. With Verizon you must do one or the other but not both. Because of this I switched my service from Verizon to AT&T.

My Samsung smartphone has a mobile hotspot app on it. No extra device needed. You can talk on it while the hotspot is on. The hotspot does use a lot of juice, so have a charger and outlet handy.