| Author | Message | ||
| Scott Crosby (Scott_crosby)
Registered Member Username: Scott_crosby Post Number: 110 Registered: 12-2011 Posted From: 198.228.215.91  Rating: N/A |
Best options for on the road Internet? Satellite seems pricey from my quick search 4+k investment in equipment plus $100 range per month? We have been using our iPad with AT&T jail broken to share the 3G wifi as a hotspot, only problem is AT&T 3G is only in big metro areas and while traveling we get E coverage 70% of the time, nothing 10% and 3G only the other 20% Is there another carrier that has better national higher speed Internet? 3G 4G | ||
| Jim Shepherd (Rv_safetyman)
Registered Member Username: Rv_safetyman Post Number: 338 Registered: 1-2004 Posted From: 174.51.169.217 Rating: N/A |
Scott, Satellite hardware is really dropping in price: http://www.datastormusers.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=003518;p=0&r=actu {{you will have to play with that link}} The cost of subscription is $79.99 for the Datastorm and you can get it for $59.99 if you use a tripod system. The big issue is huge variability in speed. At times I have dial-up or less. That said, you can always have a connection if you can see the southern sky and if you are in the footprint of the satellite (most cover almost all of the US. We have AT&T on our iPhone and a Verizon 3G air card. Even with good signals, the speed is often pretty slow because of huge overloading of the system. One of our bus folks has written a great app for iPhone/iPad which shows cell phone coverage in the US. It is "Coverage?" and is described here: http://www.technomadia.com/2012/02/introducing-coverage-2012-for-iphone-ipad/ You should spend some time reading Chris and Cherie's blog. Wonderful stuff. I just downloaded Coverage? and it is a great program. Jim Shepherd Evergreen, CO '85 Eagle 10 Series 60 & Eaton AutoShift 10 speed transmission Bus Project pages: http://www.rvsafetysystems.com/busproject.htm Blog: http://rvsafetyman.blogspot.com/ | ||
| Tom (Oldmansax)
Registered Member Username: Oldmansax Post Number: 21 Registered: 9-2006 Posted From: 67.142.130.13  Rating: N/A |
Carfi from Autonet is also a good choice for some because it uses ANY cell tower, & prices start at $39/mo. Good speed too. It sets up a WiFi system & runs on 12 volt. I have 3, one for the bus & one each for the service trucks. I was selling them for $395 but I am out of stock right now. TOM | ||
| Scott Crosby (Scott_crosby)
Registered Member Username: Scott_crosby Post Number: 112 Registered: 12-2011 Posted From: 24.120.62.178 Rating: N/A |
Something for my guests to use while driving down the road and across the country is what I'm looking for. Is that what those are? | ||
| Chris Dunphy (Technomadia)
Registered Member Username: Technomadia Post Number: 3 Registered: 4-2011 Posted From: 97.76.41.62 Rating: |
*blush* Thanks for the kind words, Jim  You're such a sweetie. Please pass along hugs to Pat for us. Aside from our Coverage? app for helping figure out what carriers work best where, we also have an article on our blog addressing the topic of keeping connected while on the road. You may find it useful: http://www.technomadia.com/2011/09/10-tips-to-keep-connected-us-mobile-internet-options/ We describe the tech arsenal that we use to keep connected (we travel and work full time, online, from our bus). Last time we checked into Autonet (a couple months ago), the service is actually just purchasing time on, I believe, Sprint's network. It's a nice simple system for those not wanting to learn networking and the like - and gives you nice in-motion connectivity. But it's not an all carrier solution. There is no single device that works on 'All' cell towers. Sprint's network is pretty decent. But as you'll see on our article - we've found that a combination of Verizon and AT&T gives us the widest coverage. - Cherie Technomadia.com | ||
| Tom (Oldmansax)
Registered Member Username: Oldmansax Post Number: 22 Registered: 9-2006 Posted From: 67.142.130.47 Rating: N/A |
Cherie, I was just repeating what I was told (almost always a bad choice) by a relative who owns an ISP down in VA. I do know that the ones I have must access something other than Sprint because Sprint phones have no service in this area but the Carfi works like a champ. I have used the one in my service truck from Delaware to the Gulf of Mexico & had service in every area. Just another of life's mysteries...... LOL! TOM | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 1670 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 67.238.59.158  Rating: |
Constant contact is expensive , most RV parks already have free Wi Fi. Otherwise every shopping center has WI FI at most of the resturants. Surf while you camp,shop or dine. FREE FF | ||
| Chris & Cherie (Technomadia)
Registered Member Username: Technomadia Post Number: 4 Registered: 4-2011 Posted From: 97.76.41.62  Rating: N/A |
Tom - I did a little more poking around this morning. AutoNet is running off the Verizon 3G & 2G network, not Sprint. Sorry about that. So it is a pretty widespread network, but not 'all towers' (ie. none of Verizon's 4G or roaming agreement, no AT&T, no T-Mobile, etc.). For $59.99/mo you can get 5GB of data - which for a lot of folks, might be plenty. For us bandwidth junkies tho, putting together our own components and going with Millenicom for the same monthly price for 20 GB might be a better deal. It is possible to replicate the features of the CarFi - which is basically a data card, WiFi router and an auto-resetting amplifier/booster all in one unit. Which is what we've put together in our own bus. For those not wanting to roll their own, the CarFi might be a decent route to go for simplicity's sake. For us, we're constantly tweaking our setup to keep the best connectivity (essential for our livelihood, and heck.. it's fun for us) - so we like having the flexibility to swap out components as new tech comes out and see what works best for us. - Cherie | ||
| David Evans (Dmd)
Registered Member Username: Dmd Post Number: 673 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 69.112.182.103  Rating: N/A |
i went to one of Chris and Cherie's seminars at Arcadia and am proud to announce i figured out how to get my mobile hotspot and use the PC at our next campground. They made the most complex thing (to me) understandable. good to see yall on the BNO. | ||
| Tom (Oldmansax)
Registered Member Username: Oldmansax Post Number: 23 Registered: 9-2006 Posted From: 72.171.0.138 Rating: N/A |
Cherie, No harm, no foul. Like I said, I hadn't investigated, just used something that was simple & worked! LOL. I'm on the $39 plan so far. I still have the Datastorm for those areas that have no cell signal. I'm thinking about buying a DS1 line for the new house, no internet service there either. It's a durn shame!!! TOM | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 2274 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.71.157  Rating: N/A |
go to the Internet while on the road and find a site that lists free wi-fi spots around the country so you can surf...uhhh...err...uh nevermind | ||
| Sam Summers (Greyghost)
Registered Member Username: Greyghost Post Number: 149 Registered: 4-2011 Posted From: 166.182.3.136  Rating: N/A |
Scott U.S. Cellular has 3G Nationwide, 59.95 5gigs of data, no roaming. No contracts after the first. Consumer Reports puts U.S. Cellular as the nuber one service provider in the us ahead of Verizon, Att, Sprint and so on... Sam |
