wifi solutions

[Jim Thornhill]

Hello all,
I am preparing for an extended trip this fall and am researching options for wifi service. We prefer to stay in federal or state parks, and will often be in areas with no cell service, so I am looking for options for reliable service and being able download movies and watch later. After reading a lot of posts and doing other research, right now I am leaning toward an unlimited wireless plan and a cheap chromebook. The chromebook will allow me to download movies from Netflix, I-tunes, google play and Amazon to watch later. As far as data, has any one had experience with OTR mobile . There coverage map is the same as ATT, which is probably their provider, and they offer unlimited data with no throttling for $100 to get started, and then $90 per month. Any other ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks, Jim

[reeldirtydawg]

Jim,

Sorry cannot offer any advice, been thinking of asking the same question so thanks for asking it. I did read some previous post about a month ago on Verizon offering some deals but have not heard any feedback.

My in-laws just bite the bullet and purchased the auto-discovery portable Dish device and the few times they have used it seems to work great. If all you are looking for is wifi and a way to store movies it may be cheaper to go with some sort of satellite option for TV.

[JColeman]

chgadgets.net uses the same AT&T services and is $70 per month. Good service. If you can park near a good cell site for a while you can get some very good d/l speeds. You might want to think about adding a MoFi or Peplink router if this is going to be an important service for you.

We use HD TV when possible and Dish for $13 for 30 days when outside service areas and d/l content to our tablet to cast to the TV through a Chromecast when we have connectivity.

[boyscout]

Staying connected is not optional for us. In rough order of importance and usefulness we have the following:

Verizon MiFi 8800L hotspot device with a *PREPAID UNLIMITED* data plan. (We had a lot of difficulty at the beginning finding cell service with this device, but it was eventually replaced with a new one that works very well.)

Unlimited data on our T-Mobile cell phones and an iPad

A WeBoost RV cell phone amplifier to boost weak signals - outside antenna permanently mounted on the ladder

A WeBoost Connect 4G cell phone amplifier to boost very weak signals - outside antenna has to be mounted on temporary mast at least 25 feet above the trailer to avoid cross-talk with the inside antenna, and is directional so needs minutes of fussing to set up, but it works well when the above device just can't pull out a signal.

A good wi-fi router to securely supply wi-fi to your user devices; never connect directly to free wi-fi. (Our router is over-kill but don't go cheap, get a good one from Asus or Netgear.)

A Ubiquiti Nanostation M (http://www.ui.com/airmax/nanostationm/), a point-to-point panel antenna that is inexpensive and *very* effective at finding and keeping wi-fi signals for the aforementioned router's internet connection. We've often used the antenna just propped up at a window inside the trailer, but sometimes had to put it up on the aforementioned 30' mast at the back of the trailer and carefully pointed towards the source. Where wifi exists in a miles-wide radius the Nanostation will find it and maintain a strong connection to it - amazing device - but it does require some networking know-how to get it set up.

HOWEVER note that good wi-fi that is also unsecured is not common these days. We've been using cell-based networking FAR more than wi-fi lately.

We've used every part of this arsenal during our travels. It was certainly expensive to buy all the hardware, and it cost over $200/mo to maintain all our cell-based options, but we have never had a day offline even when others around us were complaining about service. We've been in some very under-served parts of the U.S. southeast and midwest.

Good luck with your choices.

[Jim Thornhill]

I misspoke. I meant cellular based data. I would never depend on wifi unless it was at a business. Campground or even hotel wifi is extremely unreliable in my experience! I also should have said that I currently have a hotspot, the ATT Unite made by Netgear. That is one thing that attracted me to OTR mobile, they said they could give me a new sim card so my current hotspot would work with their service. Jeff, you've got me thinking! I have been avoiding the dish antenna because of the price tag, but I am preparing to spend $200+ for unlimited data. If I bought a dish antenna, I could use it anytime, and keep my current data plan that I am paying for anyway! Always something else to consider!
Jim

[D2Reid]

While there are many options available we continue to use the Verizon miFi system. Expensive, has limitations, but overall it works in most places. We don't pay for satellite cable TV, we just don't watch enough of it to justify the price. We will order "seasons" of TV shows on CD from Amazon and will watch those for our 1 hour of TV per day. Our big thing is to be able to look at Facebook and see what the grandkids are up to. Plus internet research on travel plans.

[slhicks]

We have the Verison MiFi system as well, primary back up for WiFi when campground connection is slow or non functional. We also have unlimited data on both phones and ipad so when the MiFi reaches its limit we use one of the other devices as our hotspot.

I am looking for recommendations for a reasonably priced WiFi booster for use when RVing. I have been looking at both internally mounted and externally systems. Simple is good, any suggestions?

[revets]

The Verizon MIFI prepaid unlimited plan is being retired on May 21st. If you want it you had better go get it now.

[LV Naturist]

The Verizon MIFI prepaid unlimited plan is being retired on May 21st. If you want it you had better go get it now.

So if you already have the prepaid unlimited plan you can keep it? They just aren't allowing new plans? Just to clarify...

John

[Aridon]

I hopped on an Unlimited extra family plan on Reddit r/cricketgroups

Uncapped, unlimited data on AT&T and it costs $36.50 per month. I've been on the group for a little over a year now without issues.

I hotspot my android OnePlus 6t, I use ExpressVPN to mask the traffic and avoid the 480p limitations imposed by most carriers. I stream 1080p YouTube TV without issues, Hulu, netflix etc. I also have my own Plex server that I run on my LAN with downloaded stuff.

Funny thing is we don't watch a lot of TV, but when we do, we aren't slumming it.