Mi-Fi - Verizon Internet on the Road (What do others use?)

[Denise]

We just hooked up with Verizon Mi-fi....

what do you use and what is your experience/price/etc?

[Seann45]

Since I boondock in out of the way places I have Hughes net Satellite internet. It works well for me and since there are no cross boarder air cards this is the only real alternative.
Seann

[McMonk]

Sorry we don't 'do' the internet when we're away - computer stays home when we go. The office is lucky if I check my cell-phone once a day when I'm on 'my' time!

[Terry]

I just purchased a Cradepoint PHS300. Really cool device that lets me plug in just about any USB cell modem and a large number of cell phones (if you activate the tethering plan). It is even battery operated so it works fine going down the road.

What I like personally is I dont have to pay for a dedicated cell modem or mifi - I just pay $15 extra on my cell phone and can blast out 5gb a month to the family. I am also not tied into any one provider for service.

[Bob Landry]

I'm using the Mi-Fi from Time Warner. Introductory for #39.95 monthly then goes to $49.95 monthly, unlimited, and works great. I love the all you can eat plan because DW and I both surf a lot and I didn't want to have to watch the clock while I'm online.

I tried Verizon's free trial which after you paid the activation fee, the actual usage charge , and the restocking fee for turning in the device, it was hardly what you could call a free trial. I looked at it and used it a little bit, but I decided that it had the potential to get real expensive, real fast. I'll keep my Verizon phone, but that's about it for me and Verizon.

[Mopar1973Man]

Actually I can't have any... :hihi:

The state of Idaho has very limited cell towers. Like The town of Riggins, ID has cell service but its only 2 miles long and you round the corner and it gone again till Grangeville, ID or the other direction to New Meadows, ID. But in any case as soon as you leave a town the service is gone again..

At any rate if I had it that means I couldn't relax while I'm out with the Jayco I would be stuck working the web sites like this out even while camping... (D'Oh!)

[Crabman]

I don`t have any either, like to get away from it all from time to time. But I can see where a Full timer or Snow birder, etc would need it.

[kcconawa]

We stay on road 20-24 weeks a year. We have done away with the land line and went totally wireless including our home security system.

I got tired of looking for Wi-Fi hot spots and went with the Verizon 5 gig per month air card which serves us at home or on the road. Depends on where you are most if should use AT&T or Verizon.

[Terry]

I have devices on both AT&T and Verizon. The big plus for me on AT&T is being able to use voice/data at the same time -- but -- on AT&T once you get out of the city you go over to the older Edge network. I find the Edge network to be almost unusable most of the time for anything other than basic email.

On the other hand Verizon has much better rural 3g coverage (at least where I am). Even when you get out of of 3g coverage and switch over to the 1X coverage area - it still is very usable compared to Edge.

[Hutashe]

I use a Droid. There is an ap called PDA.net that hooks me up as long as I have 3g. The ap was free at first for the trial and then $15 for lifetime. I have unlimite usage on my phone data plan w/ Verizon. Works for me.

The bummer is I don't want to jailbreak my iPad....and the ap is not compatible with it.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Bob Landry

I'm using the Mi-Fi from Time Warner. Introductory for #39.95 monthly then goes to $49.95 monthly, unlimited, and works great. I love the all you can eat plan because DW and I both surf a lot and I didn't want to have to watch the clock while I'm online...

What kind of speed do you get? Is this satellite or cellular?

[clutch]

It looks like we will be checking into Time Warner. Sallie and I each have a laptop and we are usually on line at the same time. We have been doing campground WiFi and Cable with a wireless router..

[Bob Landry]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

What kind of speed do you get? Is this satellite or cellular?

It's cellular. TW uses Sprints cell towers. Speed seems OK but then, I'm not a gamer. I just surf and do email.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Bob Landry

It's cellular. TW uses Sprints cell towers. Speed seems OK but then, I'm not a gamer. I just surf and do email.

I'm not a gamer either. I just don't like listening to my arteries hardening while waiting for a web page to download.

[Terry]

I carry both AT&T (personal) and Verizon (work), and I recently had a Sprint device.

Biggest problem I have is with 3G coverage. I have generally found that AT&T's 3G is mainly just in the bigger cities. I have rarely camped and not been on EDGE (the slower AT&T network). It is pretty much unusable for anything other than basic service.

Verizon on the other hand has been much better about giving me high speed (they call it EVDO) in rural areas. Even when it drops to their slower network (1X), it is much faster than AT&T. In most cases Sprint will roam over to Verizon in rural areas.

Best deal I have seen right now for RVers is the Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go. It is pay as you go, $50 a month for Unlimited. I like it because you can pay for 3 or 4 months during the summer and then drop it without penalty. Only downside is coverage is not as good in rural (uses sprint) so check the map before purchasing.

[Jim Manley]

I use the Verizon Mi-Fi for home and on the road (we live in an area with no cable or even decent land line phone service, tried satellite, hated it). I also have a Zboost to pump up the signal to allow me to use it in the home as well as in the trailer. I have a 24 ft PVC pole and the Zboost antennea when trailing (fixed at home). We were able to get phone and wireless at the campground in Devil's Postpile National Park!!! Neighbors would come around, bring a chair and make calls and check e-mail, pretty funny.