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Old 03-23-2010, 01:04 PM   #1
CasaDelSol
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Internet help needed

We are planning on going on our first long trip (5 months). At home we have high speed internet, TV and cable phone bundled with Bright House. We have 2 cell phones with Verizon Wireless. We are looking at low cost options for 2 laptops on the road. I sold my Blackberry so there are no tethering options. Verizon has the air card for $60 a month for 2 years and we would have to use a router. They also have the MiFi 2200 wireless hub that can accomodate up to 5 or 6 devices. Also $60 a month for 2 years. The problem is that I don't want to pay for both services at the stick house and on the road when one or the other will be idle for months at a time. I don't mind giving up the land line (DH does) or even the Road Runner internet at the stick house if the MiFi works as well. Some thoughts from the MOC experts will really help. thanks
 
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Old 03-23-2010, 02:17 PM   #2
Mrs. CountryGuy
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As hopeful long timers, we dropped the land line, dropped the satellite internet (no tears there), never had cable telie, went UNTETHERED. We can pick up at any time and leave, turn down the heat, set the lights on timers, suspend the extra car insurance, and away we go.

Cell phones and air card with router for us, 24/7/365. Works for us, might not for you.

Be sure the air card works AT YOUR stick built!

This seems to work best for those couples who don't have cable telie with loads of stations they love to watch. I watch almost NO telie, but, if you touch my internet you are gonna be in deep dung, eh???

Al is still holding out, for maybe some day, satellite telie.
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Old 03-23-2010, 02:53 PM   #3
camper4
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We have had a Verizon card for over two years. We have one computer. A Mac. We also have Time Warner in the stick house. We pay for both only when home. Time Warner only charges us a $5 monthly holding fee when we are away.
The Verizon card is slower but has been very reliable. We have found the speed to vary depending on the local area's ca[abilities. With the Verizon we get an internet connection every place we get our Verizon cell phones to work.
We have been over a great deal of the country too.
We have the unlimited plan for the card and have many months gone over 1,000 GB. It is a life line that works for us!

We also have Direct TV in the Monty. The jury is still out on that.So far so good. Once again at out stick built, Time Warner charges another $5 while we are away. Direct tv charges nothing for up to 6 months of being turned off per year.

Welcome to the long termers!
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Old 03-23-2010, 03:00 PM   #4
mhs4771
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I have Verizon cell phones and wireless internet. Have had minumun problems using it at the stick house or on the road, there are a couple of State Parks that have no service, but not many. Went with Verizon at the time because they had the best coverage, not sure how good AT&T is. Phone coverage is about equal, but per their own maps high speed internet seems lacking. Presently looking at the Verizon MiFi vs the current USB Wireless Modem, so that we could have both LapTops on the Net at the same time. TV is via DirecTV, we just take receivers from the house to the Trailer when we travel.
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Old 03-23-2010, 03:08 PM   #5
kdeiss
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We have Verizon Internet and Fios at home they will turn off when you are traveling small monthly service charge just called yesterday will be on when we arrive home Sunday.
Just hate talking on a cell phone when their ia another option.
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Old 03-23-2010, 05:11 PM   #6
HamRad
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We no longer have any landline phones. Stopped that several years ago. We have 2 Verizon telephones. We have seldom been without service. Actually very rarely would be a better description.

For our internet we have a Verizon USB device. Again we have been very pleased with the coverage and performance of this setup.

We have satellite TV. We have DirecTV. When on the road we simply take the receivers out of the house and take them with us in the RV. No problems. We do lose our "locals" once we are beyond a 2 to 3 hundred mile range. If we really wanted to receive "locals" we could ask DTV to change them but we simply do without them until we return home. We do have the DNS feeds out of New York and LA.

Good luck.
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Old 03-23-2010, 05:25 PM   #7
CasaDelSol
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I believe that Bright House will let us suspend service for a small fee when we are away. I guess the problem I have is paying Verizon $60 for internet when not using it when we are at the stick house. A way to cover the cost would be to drop the land line and Road Runner internet and use the Verizon air card at home for the internet. Our basic cable TV is included in our condo fee so getting Dish TV or satellite is not an option. So...the next question is how is the speed with the air card in contrast to high speed cable internet?
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Old 03-23-2010, 06:04 PM   #8
brenkco
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To answer your question about speed, my Verizon air card isn't close to cable. I have cable at home and the office where I have 12-15 mbs down and 3-5 mbs up. It is great for VOIP and downloading files.

I am currently using my air card on vacation in the Hawaii, good signal, 3g. Podcasts that download in seconds using cable takes 3-5 minutes with the air card. I have about .7 mbs down and .4 mbs up.

I work at times with the air card using remote desktop to connect to my server and it's ok but not great.

My biggest fear is running over the 5 gig monthly limit. We have used about 1.4 gigs in a little over a week. The over use charges are very expensive. The main reason we would go over is downloading the podcasts. For surfing the web and checking email, I think the 5 gigs would be fine.
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Old 03-24-2010, 01:01 AM   #9
Mrs. CountryGuy
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Some air card packages will allow you to turn on and off for month at a time,call your provider.
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Old 03-24-2010, 04:14 AM   #10
mail2us
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Joanie, I believe you can suspend your Brighthouse home service while you are gone. We have RoadRunner at home here in Clermont. We put it on vacation while gone, no charge...but I recently received a piece of, ahem!, junk mail from Brighthouse indicating a service fee to suspend for $15.00 per month so that may have changed.

We have Verizon and 2 cell fones. I tether one phone when on internet and it cost $49.00 per month for 5GB's. If I use tethering for say 10 of the 30 day monthly $49.00 they only charge me 10/30 of $49. however, if whole month it's 49. You maybe better investing in the router setup many here have, I just don't like the 2 yr contract. Plus many RV stops have wifi free. Good Luck Dennis
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Old 03-24-2010, 07:56 AM   #11
CasaDelSol
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Thanks everyone. Dennis, I called Brighthouse and it will cost $24.99 to suspend service while we are away. Nothing to reconnect. That's all good. Now to decide between the Verizon MiFi or cradlepoint. Like I said, I hate to pay $60 a month for the Verizon setup and also Road Runner at the stick house when we return. Getting rid of the land line will help defray that cost. If the MiFi works out OK for speed I might get rid of the Road Runner, but really hate to give up any speed. One more question ....those of you who have "unlimited" 3G service..do you know if they still offer that anymore?
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Old 03-24-2010, 08:10 AM   #12
Carl n Susan
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The 3G store (Alex - when he still worked there) did some analysis on the MiFi v. the Cradlepoint. You might want to check their site and/or Google for other independent comparisons.

Verizon (and AT&T I think but don't know for sure) no longer offers an "unlimited" data plan. They have a 5GB limit. That seems to be more than enough for most users, but if you go over, get out your checkbook!

P.S. We have the Verizon UM150 with an "unlimited" contract and a Wilson external antenna, plugged into a Cradlepoint 350 and we are very happy.
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Old 03-24-2010, 11:01 AM   #13
camper4
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We have the Verizon unlimited plan. Just re upped it a month ago. Something like $60 a month before taxes and charges. Unlimited plan does not restrict any times of use.

We use it a LOT. Pictures, mail, facebook with grandkids, lots more. You can get by with the 5G plan but you need to watch what you do. We go over 5G many days but we don't pay attention.
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Old 03-24-2010, 12:22 PM   #14
brenkco
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The max I could get was the 5gig plan for $60. Unlimited was no longer an option for us anyway. We signed up over a year ago. They required a 2 year contract.

Ken
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Old 03-24-2010, 12:50 PM   #15
CasaDelSol
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With 2 of us using the same 5G plan I wonder how long it will take to go over!!! I guess we could try to rely on free internet at campgrounds, but that is a hassle if you have to leave the Monty to go to the clubhouse, etc. Well, I guess I should dial back my internet addiction a tad, huh? Sounds like I will have to bite the bullet when back at the stick house and stay with the cable high speed AND pay the $60 to Verizon for the air card. A little less money for the other fun stuff that comes with retirement!! ...thanks for all the input guys!! As usual, the MOC family came thru!
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Old 03-24-2010, 01:41 PM   #16
camper4
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I just checked my contract. It clearly says "unlimited". I don't know what is going on.
Oh well.
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Old 03-24-2010, 02:21 PM   #17
CasaDelSol
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good news for you camper4. how long ago did you get your contract? I hate to think that I just lost out on the opportunity to get an unlimited contract!
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Old 03-24-2010, 02:28 PM   #18
HamRad
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Camper4,
Regarding your usage...... From what I understand you would know if you were to go over the 5Gig limit. So if you use more than 5 Gigs per MONTH (and you indicated that you sometimes go over 5 Gigs in a DAY.... you must have a truly unlimited account.

Whatever you do don't lose that setup! It is very valuable.
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Old 03-24-2010, 05:10 PM   #19
mhs4771
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To the best of my knowledge, the original Verizon plan was unlimited (provided you didn't spend all day downloading music and streaming video). They have now changed to the two tier system, with the $60 5Gig being the top. So if you had the original plan don't loose it as you are Grandfathered in as unlimited, if you drop it and then try to reactive, you will be limited to the 5 Gig plan.
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Old 03-25-2010, 03:46 AM   #20
camper4
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The only thing I can figure is that I am grandfathered thru my original plan. I just renewed it in Jan. of this year and I still have unlimited. I have checked Verizon's web site and the most it offers is 5gb plans. I'm not going to challenge them about my plan and I agree I am VERY lucky to have it!!!
I was mistaken about my daily usage. Not 5GB in a day but in a week. Still, a great deal. With my online account, I can check total usage for the month and get a breakdown of each log on.
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