Internet Connectivity (4G)
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Internet connectivity is a major problem for us working out of the RV. As we work in IT, it’s difficult to work without it, and it’s not the easiest to come by on the road. Most RV parks offer WiFi service, but it’s subjective to a lot of variables such as usage, distance, and weather that make it, in our experience, difficult to rely on. I ordered a few parts to enhance WiFi reception for us, but those have not arrived yet so I’m only going to post about our 4G Internet for now.
We carry both Verizon and AT&T hotspots with us. We chose Verizon because they have the best coverage, both in our experience and what we’ve read online, and use them for our primary cellular provider. We currently have the 20GB family plan, with the a Verizon Jetpack on it for $20 extra a month. We also carry a AT&T hotspot that is an add-on to my parent’s plan. I don’t think we’ve ever used it, but I’m sure a time will come where we need to get online and AT&T is the only one with reception. It cuts into their shared data plan so we avoid it at all costs, and I think it runs something like $10/month. I need to figure out the exact number and start sending them the cash to cover it every month.
This month we blew through our 20GB cap while spending a week in Houston, so we’re going to pay about $60 in overage fees. I had been looking for a way to get unlimited VZ data for a while, but had not found a solution because they don’t offer unlimited plans anymore, and have supposedly made purchasing from a third party and assuming the liability of them much more difficult. As of the last time I checked, you could find an unlimited plan on Ebay for around $200 per month, which is way more than they cost to provide. I wasn’t quite prepared to spend that kind of money, so I held off and paid overages as necessary. This time around I went back to Ebay, and looked at some of the more obscure auctions. A lot of people were still asking around $200 per month, though several had dropped their prices down to around $150. I found one guy who seems to sell the plans in bulk and he was only asking $120 per month. I decided to take my chances and ordered the SIM ($5) and paid for the first month. The way these work is the people or companies keep the plans in their name and lease them out to you on a monthly basis. This plan happens to be through a small wireless company located on the West Coast.
Unlimited Verizon data for $120/month! I’m not sure how long it will be available but looks to be working and we’re excited to have it. It’s a small price to pay when we can lose so much money by not having it, and we will not have to worry about overages anymore. I use an inexpensive external antenna on the Jetpack, which seems to add about a bar of signal most of the time.
[amazonjs asin=”B00R62OH18″ locale=”US” title=”Yosoo (TM) Latest 35DBI 3G 4G LTE TS9 Antenna HUAWEI E398 E5372 E5375 E5786 LTE:450-470/2300-2400MHZ with BaseSelling By Wasooo”]
[amazonjs asin=”B017CLVYOK” locale=”US” title=”At&t Velocity 4g LTE Mobile Wifi Hotspot (At&t)”]
[amazonjs asin=”B014WY4IB6″ locale=”US” title=”Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot – AC791L (Verizon Wireless)”]
