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

[daboognish88]

I'm pretty terrible with this tech stuff and there is just so much information out there that it can be overwhelming. What do you consider to be the best deals in terms of smartphone, service provider, hotspot, booster, etc? I'm a graphic designer and need internet access out in the boonies. I'm looking for something that doesn't break the bank but still provides decent service.. if such a thing exists.

[ependydad]

jplante4 wrote:

Padlin wrote:
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/

Weren't they getting paid by the companies that they reviewed? I seemed to remember some big argument in there comments section.

I believe that there isn't any of that on http://rvmobileinternet.com/. They talk openly about passing on savings to the membership community.

I always thought Gone With the Wynns were possibly paid by companies. But, I don't have much to base that off of.

[ependydad]

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:
If your income/ job depends on reliable internet - cell network based internet access will not work for you unless you limit yourself to camping near cities with 5-10,000 or more population, or near major interstates.

People whose income depends on reliable internet, yet who want to travel almost anywhere in this country, even Mexico or Canada - use satellite based RV internet.

That all may have been correct at one time or another. But cellular service has been available most places I've wanted to go.

Yes, we can't go off deep into the wide wilderness, but we've gotten plenty away from cities. We've roamed quite a lot in the CONUS. Mexico and Canada are out for now given my job requirements, but it isn't due to concerns over cellular internet.

[theoldwizard1]

daboognish88 wrote:
I'm a graphic designer and need internet access out in the boonies. I'm looking for something that doesn't break the bank but still provides decent service.. if such a thing exists.

First, you need to get an idea on how much data you are going to use per month. All of the "unlimited" plans I have seen will cut back the speed after some limit. This may not be an issue, if you can download/upload large files overnight.

Second is location. If you get far enough "off the beaten path" service will be poor/non-existent.

Third, the best thing you can do to improve your reception is to get an outside mounted antenna and mount it as high as possible. Directional antennas work better than omni-directional antennas, but you will have to play with them in order to get the best signal. Sadly, most "hot spots" and laptops do not have a simple way to connect an external antenna. This is where things can get complicated.



I use Ting (rides on top of Sprint or T-Mobile). Neither of these are noted for "exceptional" wide area coverage. They work for me because I do not travel "off the beaten path". I do suggest that you check out some Mobile Virtual Network Operators, like Ting. The have an agreement with one of the major carriers and re-sell their service, usually at a large discount. Many require you have your own device.

List of US Mobile Virtual Network Operators

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

If your income/ job depends on reliable internet - cell network based internet access will not work for you unless you limit yourself to camping near cities with 5-10,000 or more population, or near major interstates.

People whose income depends on reliable internet, yet who want to travel almost anywhere in this country, even Mexico or Canada - use satellite based RV internet.

It isn't cheap. It is going to cost $6 to $7 thousand for the initial equipment and setup, and between $80 and $250 per month for the service. If you want 2 mps download, and 1 mps upload - that is the high end costs. Most of us would not be satisfied with that level of service in our home. Especially for graphic intensive usage.

$7,000 for setup, $2,400 per year for service is a budget breaker for me. But if $15-20,000 per year income or more depended upon reliable internet access 24/7 365 - then it would be worth the investment.

Because some of the cell network based solutions listed above can easily run to a yearly cost of $1,500 and an equipment cost of $1,500 or more.

Here is one company which has been in the business for several years - RVDataSat

Do be aware that like a cell phone/network based solution must be within near line of sight of a cell tower, a satellite based solution must be within direct line of sight of the satellite.

While storms don't usually hurt a cell based signal, they will interrupt a satellite signal, as will trees and other obstructions.

But if you are going to camp more than 20 miles from a cell tower, satellite is the only solution.

[garmp]

kerrlakeRoo wrote:
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.

Well that's way over my head. I'm looking for a data plan for a hot spot to operate the tablet and laptop that I can activate when I travel, 4-6 times a year for 2-4 weeks at a time. My DW lives on FB and we do use quite a bit of data. What's the best bang for the buck, especially when starting and stopping our account, as we do?

[jplante4]

Padlin wrote:
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/

Weren't they getting paid by the companies that they reviewed? I seemed to remember some big argument in there comments section.

[ependydad]

See if these couple of links help:

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

[wa8yxm]

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

[DrewE]

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.

[jplante4]

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.

[BurbMan]

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.

[Chris_Bryant]

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.

[Dutch_12078]

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.

[wildtoad]

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.

[Padlin]

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/