Verizon Wireless - Montana Owners Club

MAMalody · 05-29-2008, 06:34 PM

I am thinking of going with the Verizon wireless package. I'm tired of not having internet connection or problems with the CG system. For those who have this package, have any of you every had problems with the 5GB data transfer per month limitation? Also, what has been your experience with this system? Have you generally had connectability as long as you cell phone has worked (I have a Verizon cell phone)?

rldriver · 05-29-2008, 06:46 PM

Hi Mike,
After Robbie left the rally and took his WiFi with him we went into town and purchased a Verizon air card. Took all of 10 minutes to set it up and get it on line. Works great. We are now in Quincy, CA and it's still working.

I talked to quite a few people at the Rally and all thought the Verizon air card was the best for the West Coast. We got the UM150 at Radio Shack at a cost of $50.00 with a $50.00 mail in rebate. The monthly charge is $60.00.

Good luck and Jackie says hello.

Dick & Jackie

HamRad · 05-29-2008, 07:28 PM

I've been using my aircard for several months and find that it is almost always working well. We've had very few "Down" times. As far as the 5GB limit....... We've never even come close to it! I think with the way most of us will use the systems it should not be a problem.

Check out the service areas and choose the one that gives you the best coverage for where you'll be traveling.

Good luck.

Dennis

stiles watson · 05-29-2008, 07:45 PM

Dianna and I are on the net several times a day with two laptops on one system and we have not hit the 5GB issue. We don't download a lot of music and long videos. We heavily use the email and MOC. We also do most of our business online.

DONnANNIE · 05-29-2008, 08:27 PM

Hi Mike, last July, I bought a Verizon Aircard, Linksys aircard router and two external antennas(one Wilson trucker special for the aircard router and a mag mount for the aircard - when used in the laptop) from Alex @ the 3G Store. I had Comcast, but dropped it so that I could have the Internet on the road and at home. I haven't traveled much with it, but 2 weeks ago we went up to Farragut St Pk, north of Cd'A, ID. We had 0-1 bars on our Verizon cell phones. With just the aircard our signal level was -100db and no connection. I hooked up the Wilson trucker antenna inside the Monty and got a signal level of about -90db and a good connection - albeit the Nationwide connection (non EVDO Broadband) - slow speed but it worked.

Now, in the stick house, since last July I have had EVDO Broadband coverage in the old house and our new one. Our D/L speed varies from 800-1400kbs.

As for the 5GB limit - my local network has my desktop, my laptop, my wife's laptop, Satellite DVR Receiver, all-in-one printer and my wife's old desktop. We are on the Internet everyday. I don't D/L movies or stream audio or video. I use 3-4GB per month. I pay $60.84 per month.

It works for us on the road and at home.

sreigle · 05-29-2008, 11:29 PM

We've had ours a bit more than a year and have never even come close to the 5GB limit, even with both of us using the aircard simultaneously via a router. I suppose you could hit the limit if you do a lot of streaming video or something like that.

The router has a page that shows me signal strength, from 1 to 31. We got the 3-watt booster and have been online when the signal strength is 1. It's slow at that strength but usable. Here in this park the signal is 28. We have had I think two places where there was no signal at all and we were not able to use the aircard. Or a cell phone. We're very pleased with the verizon aircard.

adelmoll · 05-30-2008, 02:09 AM

We have used the Verizon Air Card for over three years.. We get the upgrade every two years and the last one I got was the USB. We have had coverage just about everywhere... North (Alaska), South, East and West....

We each use our laptops quite a bit and I download tons of pictures on our blog.. We never even come close to using the limit.

Helen

boylanag · 05-30-2008, 02:12 AM

We have been using the Verizon air card for two years now and have had very few times with no connection. Some times it is slower than others but, without the card we would have had none. We have never come close to the 5G limit and now use it for both travel and home use, along with our router. When we had a cable connection at home/business, we were not able to use it when traveling without another service or driving around trying to locate a "hot spot."

OntMont · 05-30-2008, 03:22 AM

I have a Verizon air card AC595U that I bought directly from Verizon (free delivery to campground). It has worked well for us, mostly in Gulf Shores, AL, but also along the route between there and home in Ontario. It was slow in KY, but still worked. The 5 Gb limit has not been a problem for us, but we don't download a lot of music or anything like that. (I'm not sure that it even applies to us since we got it before that was introduced) The card we have works with my MacBook, using either the Mac OS or Windows XP.

It will work in Canada, but the roaming charges are horrendous, so I would only use it in an emergency. Verizon will let you suspend the service for two 3 month periods each year, this way we can activate it when we are in the U.S. and suspend it when we return to Canada. Verizon's customer service has been superb. There were some difficulties getting Verizon service when we are not residents of the U.S., but their C.S. people worked it though and I am very happy with the result.

The same service is available in Canada from Bell Mobility, and I may switch to that for home use when Bell gets their rates down to something near Verizon's. (They are getting better, but still a way to go).

That said, I have no reason to think that the equivalent service from Sprint or other providers would not work just as well, I just know that Verizon's service is great. I don't think you will regret it, and you don't have lot of up front investment anyway (unlike a dish system).

exav8tr · 05-30-2008, 04:49 AM

I have also had Verizon for the last year and I have not had any problems with monthly caps. Pretty much what everyone else says. I have a desktop with router and I wifi off my desktop to my laptop and both of us use them at the same time......

SAndreasen · 05-30-2008, 07:16 AM

We have the Verizon aircard and a KR-1 router. Works great! We use it at home and on the road. We traveled 10,000 miles last year traveling around the western US and always had internet.

SAndreasen · 05-30-2008, 07:18 AM

PS. We also have a smother talker amp but didn't have to use it on either the cell phones or the verizon aircard.

sailer · 05-30-2008, 03:51 PM

I have had the verizon air card since last oct in goshen but now i bought a antenna for the outside of the monty and i plug it in and on the rd its great as you do loose some signal inside the monty as the frame kills some signal,, sailer

MAMalody · 05-30-2008, 06:30 PM

Well, that about sells me. I will be using this in my stick built, RV and TV. Two laptops so I will need a router also. Question, do I need an external antennae? I talked to Alex at EVDO and he indicated it was available, however, he did not put it in the package deal he put together for me. He did have an antennae for inside in the package. Using this to replace my current stick built system will actually save me about $20 a month. (That means I will pay for the equipment in side of a year.) I will stop my current wireless service, discontinue my phone service and go total cell and transfer my fax service to an internet fax service for my free tax business for pastors.

boylanag · 05-31-2008, 03:23 AM

Ours has worked fine from inside both the house, Montana and TV.

stiles watson · 05-31-2008, 04:48 AM

The reason I bought the outside antenna and mounted it on the Monty is that my home base is located in a marginal service area. If it were me, I would not buy the outside system until I determined I really needed it. Even with the Antenna, when the service is marginal, I am not totally satisfied. When I am in a great service area, the net zooms.

Here in Grain Valley, we are in a CG very near I 70 and the phone has 6 bars away from the antenna, but increases to 8 bars inside the Montana.

simonsrf · 05-31-2008, 09:00 AM

Mike,

We are believers in the 3-watt booster and antenna. We mounted it permanently on the Montana. While travelling down the road, we turn the inverter on and can connect to the router in the truck...works great!

One problem. Remember when you used to get to the car and realize you had forgotten your cell phone? Well, we now have to remember to bring the computer and aircard when ever we leave the house!

Sounds like you have made some wise decisions here. We really like our new system.

sreigle · 05-31-2008, 01:27 PM

Mike we have the 3 watt booster (well worth the cost) and just the inside antenna on a six foot cable. The antenna on our aircard is pretty small and it sits on the desk, not a great location for an antenna. Most of the time we don't need the extra antenna. But sometimes we do. We will probably get an outside antenna someday, probably when we experience a signal so weak we need the outside antenna. If unsure, you can always add the outside antenna later if you find you need it.

MAMalody · 05-31-2008, 06:40 PM

Based on this info, I will forgo the outside antennae for now and see if I need it. Now, about that 3 watt booster. I don't remember that being discussed. How much is it and can it also be in the package I get or would it be prudent to wait on that to see if I have any problems.

Alex Sian · 06-01-2008, 03:26 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by MAMalody ...about that 3 watt booster. I don't remember that being discussed. How much is it and can it also be in the package I get or would it be prudent to wait on that to see if I have any problems.

only reason i didnt mention it was the relatively short amount of time you explained that you would be on the road. i'd be surprised if the amp provided benefit enough to justify the expense, but... i've been wrong before. 245 as part of the package. thats 40 off. works well with indoor/booster and/or outdoor omni.

-- alex

You may also like: