Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Internet Service while Traveling (Read 4107 times) previous topic - next topic

Internet Service while Traveling

How do y'all use laptop to access the internet on the road?  We know there are wi-fi places like McDonalds, but what if you need info or help in the boonies?  At home we use Charter for both television and internet, and Verizon Wireless for cell phones.  I have an LG Android, but the screen is waaay too small for effective internet use. For navigation we currently have a Garmin GPS with a 4.3" screen -- great in the car, but it also seems small for motorhome use.  We'd like to find a simple (we're not that IT savvy) and (hopefully) cost-effective way we can use a laptop to navigate and access the internet while traveling.  Suggestions most welcome.  Thank you!

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #1 –
We use a Verizon Jetpack device to create a wifi hotspot for our laptops (we each have one). We can also enable the wifi hotspot on the Verizon cell phone if away from the coach but in need of an internet connection. Verizon can give you the details, but as I remember our plan is the Share Everything plan where a smart phone costs $40/mo, the Jetpack $20/mo and the other cost is for the amount of (gigabytes) of data access per month.

Running fulltime for over 7 years, we found Verizon had the best countrywide coverage for us.

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #2 –
Quote from: DebnMike –
How do y'all use laptop to access the internet on the road?  We know there are wi-fi places like McDonalds, but what if you need info or help in the boonies?  At home we use Charter for both television and internet, and Verizon Wireless for cell phones.  I have an LG Android, but the screen is waaay too small for effective internet use. For navigation we currently have a Garmin GPS with a 4.3" screen -- great in the car, but it also seems small for motorhome use.  We'd like to find a simple (we're not that IT savvy) and (hopefully) cost-effective way we can use a laptop to navigate and access the internet while traveling.  Suggestions most welcome.  Thank you!
I use my Apple iphone Hot Spot feature (Verizon) for my laptop and my wifes ipad. iOS: Understanding Personal Hotspot

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #3 –
I can tether the laptop to my iPhone's data plan.

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #4 –

We tether our VZW phones using PDANet+/FoxFi, but we still have grandfathered unlimited data.  Between the 2 of us, on 4G our usage is between 7 and 15G/month if we don't allow Windows updates, don't stream video, etc.  (on 3G we used about 4.5G/month; 4G sucks down a lot more bandwidth because things like video load faster than you can shut them off)

If we were having to start out from scratch and didn't have unlimited data, we would go with Millenicom's 20G 3G/4G hotspot plan Millenicom for Internet.  The 20G plan is over the Verizon Wireless backbone and has the best coverage.  The unlimited and BYOD plans are over Sprint and are generally worse in coverage, especially if you are away from major areas.  Millenicom used to have a 20G 3G advanced plan for $59/month, but that is no longer available to new customers (no more 3G-only devices).

Escapees has a great board for this subject as well Internet Access on the Road - Escapees Discussion Forum

Chris and Cherie of Technomadia have a Facebook group as well https://www.facebook.com/groups/rvinternet/ and have written a great guide to mobile Internet available both in paperback and Kindle The Mobile Internet Handbook - US RVer Edition: Chris Dunphy, Cherie Ve Ard: and in other electronic versions (ePub, PDF, etc) The Mobile Internet Handbook - US RVer Edition | Technomadia

As an Amazon Associate Foretravel Owners' Forum earns from qualifying purchases.

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #5 –
Having used different systems,  my new Verizon 4G Wifi generally run 55 Ping, 12-23 Mbps Down & 3-12 Mbps upload speeds. Monthly $50,00 for 5 Gig. By far the best I have had, just lay it on the dash, works great @ 99.9999%  while travelibg thru SD, WY, MT, CO, It only had one spot it did not work so moved on own the road to next rest stop.

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #6 –
Verizon lost a big lawsuit with the FCC regarding "tethering" (which is the term for connecting other computers up through your smartphone). Because they managed to get hold of some bandwidth in certain frequencies, the FCC claimed that they could not block tethering apps (like PDAnet/FoxFi) any longer plus they had to cough up a few millions in fines.

VZW tried some blocking last Feb and got nailed for that.

So far, as a part time RV traveler, just the 4gb data limit has worked fine and if we need to connect up the laptop or tablet then we just use the tethering app. PDAnet will give you some tethering for free then want you to cough up some money. I figured that it was worth it. You can get PDAnet via Google's play store. If you use an iPhone you will have to jailbreak it and then get the app from the alternative site.

What you do is create your own WiFi hotspot on the smartphone, giving it your own name and password. Then you configure your other devices to connect to the Internet through that access point. I am in the process of building a RaspberryPi Linux computer for our coach's regular computer system using the HDMI connections to the HDTV sets we already installed. The Pi, along with a powered USB hub, all works on 12 volts with no issues and can be configured to work with the Verizon smartphone.

The DW has another Android smartphone connected to AT&T with unlimited data. AT&T, unfortunately, does not *have* to allow tethering so we are unsure how well that will work. But we have discovered that when VZW does not work so well, AT&T has a good connection; and vice-versa (often).

Probably best if you only use browsers that can also work on a smartphone and have been configured to "appear" to be on a smartphone.

So for weekend use and a vacation trip now and then there is no need to ante up the $40 or $50 (or $79) for another connection to the Internet or yet-another device to handle it.

Craig

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #7 –
We've had the Millenicom 3G plan (20 GB for $60/month) for a couple of years now. At first it was for while we were on the road, but last year we ditched the landline and DSL and use the Millenicom stick exclusively. Works well for us.

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #8 –
So is the norn to have a standalone ISP rather than using a phone?

I haven't noticed a speed slow down using our phone to tie into a tablet and the ssatilite for GPS driving down the road.

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #9 –
Millenicom 3G/4G mifi hotspot with 20GB of data for $70 is the current offering that we use on the road and at home.  In the coach we just had a Wilson through-roof mounted cell antenna and a 12v outlet installed to power a Wilson mifi cradle amp - mounted up on the side of the TV.  Now we have seamless internet connectivity parked or rolling down the road - as long as Verizon cooperates! 

Our smartphones are on AT&T with limited data plans for when we are away from the coach and need a quick data link.

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #10 –
We have found that AT&T works better in the places we travel but there are a few places that Verizon works better so we also carry the Millenicom Plan that Mark described.

However, the best thing we have found to make things work is the Wilson Cellular Amp and Trucker Antenna. It makes a phone signal at one bar into four or five bars and significantly improves data transfer rates since we are seldom in an area with a strong cellular signal. It works with both the AT&T and Millenicom/Verizon systems.

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #11 –
What model do you have Kent?

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #12 –
Got one..

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #13 –
Millenicom 3G/4G MIFI.  Works great.  Uses Verizon's network.  Our phones are Verizon also, and they have worked everywhere we've been that there was any phone service at all.

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #14 –
We went from the Verizon Mifi to the Millenicom system because we were constantly going over the 10GB that the Verizon plan provided.  Millenicom is 20 GB and cheaper ... same network!!  We also have the portable Wilson Sleek antenna, and it sometimes made the difference between Jeff a contented fellow or a demented grouch going through internet withdrawal. 

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #15 –
Anyone streaming video using Millenicom and how is the quality?

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #16 –
@Scott Just got the new Chromecast. I got in early and received the 3 month free Netflix coupon (no longer offered). We where all excited about having Netflix again and started watching some of the shows we had been wanting to catch up on. The quality was amazing considering it was streaming over a mifi card. Very few buffering problems. Now the bad news our billing cycle starts on the 1st and on day 9 we get a email nasty gram from Millenicom saying we had unusually high usage over the last few days. 12 gig! So no more Netflix the rest of this month. :(

Fun while it lasted...

see ya
ken

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #17 –
Thanks Ken - Ouch. 

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #18 –
we never worry about the tv and  thingx like that as we play "tiddlywinks" for excitment.
On another note--- just got a call today from Shaw Direct to say they have now stopped any transmission of satellite feed to south of the Border US and Mexico and have also stopped the RV program as well for travelling out of Canada. There goes a million set ups that are used in Mexico/ Florida and Arizona alone and I would imagine most will cancel their accounts. I know I am. Having a friend check her feed in PV today to see if it has gone as told. Once I find out it has they lose my internet/phone/TV accounts for another provider here in BC
John H

Re: Internet Service while Traveling

Reply #19 –
Millenicom here as well. We used to have a mifi box direct through verizon and it cost more, for less data, and golly, we allllways seemed to go over the limit and get dinged for it. Somehow, the way Millenicom measures it, we don't use as much, as quickly. Funny thing, huh....