Verizon Air Card Upgrade - Montana Owners Club

bsmeaton · 01-11-2009, 04:34 AM

Warning -

Our Verizon aircard account is two years old and rolled into a month to month. Verizon offers free hardware upgrades if you sign on for another 2 year contract. Sounds OK so far.

The Catch -

Verizon no longer offers the "unlimited" access account. The new accounts are maximum 5GB data transfer per month. After that, you pay extra. As long as we stay on our month to month and forego the new hardware offer, we retain the "unlimited" benefit.

I don't know what that means in actual use time, as we only use the aircard when away from home, but the new limit could impact full timers that rely on the aircard.

OntMont · 01-11-2009, 05:03 AM

From what I have read, both here and elsewhere, for most people 5 gig, is virtually the same as unlimited. You have to do an awful lot of surfing/downloading to reach that limit.

bsmeaton · 01-11-2009, 07:03 AM

I guess I was thinking beyond the average retired Joe - more the guy that runs a business out of the RV full time. Realistically I probably would burn that each week if I included the backups to the corporate server. Fortunately I only have to use the card a few days a month, or it could significantly add to the cost.

SAndreasen · 01-11-2009, 07:45 AM

5Gb is like a big black hole for the average user. The limit is designed to fit all of us into their bandwidth. To go over that limit you'd have to do: complete movie downloads, full session TV episodes, 1000's of song downloads to exceed it. For most of us that want to just surf the web, you'll never come close to the 5 Gb limit. Don't exceed it or the $$ will add up quick!

stiles watson · 01-11-2009, 07:53 AM

I don't really know the amount of usage we have. Dianna and I both are on the computer a lot. Since we have a single air card for both of us, we may need to stick with the unlimited deal.

exav8tr · 01-11-2009, 09:49 AM

Brad, Do you know what the upgrade includes or does???

adelmoll · 01-11-2009, 10:27 AM

We are eligible for the upgrade on our Verizon air card and from what we were told at the Verizon store, it is only the new accounts that have the limit. If you are renewing, it is still unlimited. Don't know if that is true or not because we have worked with some pretty, dare I say stupid?, people at the Verizon stores when it comes to questions about the air card. It seems like their only training is about the cell phones and they haven't a clue about Internet. I will not upgrade through anyone but the 3G store and only what EVDOAlex recommends.

You should be able to slide your air card in your computer (not the router) and get your usage any time you want. You will have a hard time using more than 5GB per month in normal to heavy usage.

Helen

richfaa · 01-11-2009, 11:14 AM

We did the Verizon upgrade.The usb 727 card was free . we purchased the cradlepoint 1000 router. We did the entire thing through 3gstore. The only way to go. We are on line a lot, both Helen and I..We heve never come close to 5GB. Our account is still umlimited GB.

bsmeaton · 01-11-2009, 12:55 PM

Phil,

The upgrade was a new card, probably like what Rich got.

Helen,

I know what you mean about the salesman. This one advised me not to renew or I would loose the unlimited.

The 5GB may be fine. I just know I got the unlimited originally because they used to really hammer me if I went over on the limit.

MAMalody · 01-11-2009, 05:29 PM

I have the 5GB limit and right now, with one week to go, I am at about 4GB. I do prepare tax returns free for clergy and religious works and that is this time of year. Up to this point I have only got to about 1.5GB.

Alex Sian · 01-12-2009, 05:41 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by adelmoll

...If you are renewing, it is still unlimited. Don't know if that is true or not because we have worked with some pretty, dare I say stupid?, people at the Verizon stores when it comes to questions about the air card.

careful making that kind of statement. think about this from verizon's point of view. if they can upgrade someone from unlimited to service that is exposed to an overage charge, then of course they want the line to have overage charges.

i share your sentiment that carrier store personnel are stupid for the most part, but in this instance, if they upgrade someone from unlimited to overage charges, they are doing the smart thing -- FOR VERIZON -- not the customer.

there *IS* a way to upgrade and retain the status that avoids the overage charges, but even if a carrier store employee knew how, they may not. of course, i know who knows how to do it. anyone interested can PM me for more info.

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by adelmollI will not upgrade through anyone but the 3G store and only what EVDOAlex recommends.

on THAT point, you get no argument from me!

rjsurfer · 01-12-2009, 11:31 PM

Even the older contracts are NOT unlimited, for example my two year old contract throttles down the next months max speed to 250K if I go ever the 5 Gig limit on the previous months usage.

Don't you just love Verizon's interpretation of unlimited !

Ron W.

bsmeaton · 01-13-2009, 03:01 AM

I didn't know that either - guess I didn't read the fine print.

richfaa · 01-14-2009, 06:46 AM

This is what my biling says months after the upgrade....

Included Features

$0.20 per Text Message sent/received (unless you subscribe to a messaging bundle)
Call Delivery
NEW EVERY TWO TIERED
1XEVDO
UNLIMITED MB ALLOWANCE

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