Best Internet Options?
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14383
Printed Date: 30 Apr 2024 at 3:39pm
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Topic: Best Internet Options?
Posted By: SkeeterPod11
Subject: Best Internet Options?
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 1:59pm
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Hi all,
I’m traveling and staying at a mix of state parks, national parks and boondocking on USFS and BLM lands. WiFi being rarely available. I was curious of some preferred internet options you fellow RVers have found beneficial during your travels. Im open to all options. Im living on a fixed income so budget options are great but Id be willing to splurge on something if proven a more logical and superior choice. Cell phone reception is also usually not available where we camp too so take that into account, and I’d also love to near if anyone has any suggestions for that as well. Ive read about antenna that can be used to help strengthen cellular strength but dont have any experience with such products. Thanks for the time. |
Replies:
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 2:27pm
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I use cellular data and a signal booster and directional antenna. It will do a good job boosting an existing signal but if there is none it won’t help. The other mobile internet option is satellite but that’s very expensive, and you can’t cheat and use a stationary sat subscription unless you are staying in one place because sat internet is based on relatively small beam footprints so every time you move a hundred miles or so the system has to be reconfigured.
The directional antenna is from Wilson Electronics as is the low loss coax cable. The booster is from WeBoost. They are affiliated companies. You also need an adapter to connect the coax to the booster antenna input and a telescopic pole and some clamps. Takes a few minutes to set up and find the best signal strength. Cost was about $300 or do IIRC. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 3:39pm
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We camp in several places where cellular service is just nonexistent; booster or not. Satellite service is a mixed bag; available almost anywhere, but subject to trees, terrain, horrible latency, and big $$$. One upcoming thing is Starlink. It will also be above average in terms of cost, but will also have trees and terrain issues. Right now, there are not enough satellites in orbit to make it viable. That may change toward the end of 2021. However, the latency will be closer to terrestrial services like cable and DSL. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: Pod_Geek
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 4:23pm
No kidding. Wonder if anyone here has any experience with this: https://satellitephonestore.com/catalog/sale/satellite-terminals/inmarsat-bgan Or these: https://satellitephonestore.com/catalog/sale/wifi-satellite-hotspot
------------- 2020.5 R-Pod 195 Hood River 2018 RAM 2500 6.4L |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 10:09pm
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I gave up on the idea of satellite phone/hotspot. Instead, I got my amateur radio license. I have the ability to communicate with HF, VHF, and UHF. There are a number of VHF and UHF repeaters that can be used. HF is for long-haul communications. VHF/UHF are much more limited in range, which is why repeaters are needed. It does not give me Internet. Nor does it allow me to make phone calls directly. However, if needed, someone could patch me through to a phone line. It is one way to make sure that even if we are out of cell and WiFi range, we can still reach out if needed. Or, someone could get a message to us if needed. My call sign is KO4GOG. ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 4:18am
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It may be more of an East Coast thing but I generally find that if no cell signal is available at a campsite it’s because it’s down in a hole and there is decent connectivity somewhere nearby. There are lots of cell towers around they’re just blocked. There has only been one time where I got a signal with the directional antenna but nothing with just the booster and roof antenna on the TV. That was in dead flat eastern NC, line of sight to a distant cell tower, about 30 miles.
My booster sits in the tow vehicle while on the road so if I don’t get a signal at all at the campsite I leave it in the car and drive to a high spot once or twice a day to have comms and data. Usually it’s only a few miles. Sometimes just a short hike up a hill with only the phone works also. If I do get any kind of signal at the campsite I set up the directional antenna, move the booster to the trailer. That generally brings in enough signal strength to stream video. Survey the whole campground, I’ve often gotten a signal in the higher campsites but not lower ones. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: geewizard
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 8:06am
What is your intended use? Email, news, searches, movies, social media? ------------- 2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB 2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD 2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper 2014 Toyota Tundra DC |
Posted By: podwerkz
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 8:36am
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If your phone can do wifi tethering (most will) and you have sufficient data, you can use that for internet for your laptop, tablet, etc. Depending on your carrier and data plan, you may be able to add 10-50 gb of data per month at a reasonable cost. This would generally be adequate for 'normal' internet use. You may also need the booster (and omni or directional antenna) to help amplify the cellular signals, as mentioned above.
------------- r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten! |
Posted By: Pod_Geek
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 8:51am
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If SkeeterPod11 (aka the OP) is located/camps out west here there are plenty of places that have zero, zilch, nada as far as cell signals go. geewizard's question is a great one...what is the intended use? Email, Netflix, or something in between? If the former, then something like the Iridium GO! Satellite Hotspot might do the trick. ------------- 2020.5 R-Pod 195 Hood River 2018 RAM 2500 6.4L |
Posted By: EchoGale
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 9:25am
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I'm often in paces where there is some, minimal but unreliable cell service. I don't have a booster but would be interested in buying ne. Any thoughts on considerations or recommendations for which one? ------------- Julie |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 12:00pm
See my post above for what I have. WeBoost makes several versions, I just use the Slim which is their lowest cost model. Just don’t expect miracles. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: SkeeterPod11
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 1:43pm
| Thank you all for your input. Please continue to post. So happy to have such a great community to lean on. & Im mainly in need of internet for netflix/video streaming and social media for work & emails/communication with family. I have AT&T as a cell provider and my girlfriend has T-mobile so we are exploring options regarding data and hotspot plans. I am also interested in options such as mention by offgrid. Your replys are greatly appreciated. Ive learn a lot from your input. Im going to continue to explore all options. Cell data Hot spot and satellite hotspot appear to be the best options. All posters feel free to post your data plans or providers along with capabilities and usages. |
Posted By: Pod_Geek
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 3:10pm
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Just as an FYI...when we need to get work done from the RV we select campgrounds that we know from experience have a strong WiFi signal or locations where we know/are pretty sure our cell signal will be strong (so that we can use a hotspot). The latter are usually near towns. For any kind of video streaming you'll need a better connection than you normally get at most commercial campgrounds, although we have run in to some that have upgraded their WiFi to the point that streaming is possible. I don't know whether even the most expensive satellite options would be sufficient for Netflix. ------------- 2020.5 R-Pod 195 Hood River 2018 RAM 2500 6.4L |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 3:27pm
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From OG's post on this message: The directional antenna is from Wilson Electronics as is the low loss coax cable. The booster is from WeBoost. They are affiliated companies. You also need an adapter to connect the coax to the booster antenna input and a telescopic pole and some clamps. Takes a few minutes to set up and find the best signal strength. Cost was about $300 or do IIRC. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 7:26pm
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If anyone is interested I’ll put together a shopping list. Just please don’t expect miracles. I generally pick up a couple of bars if I have at least one to start with. The bars are a very subjective metric. Unfortunately Iphones no longer provide access to the actual signal strength data. Thanks for nothing Apple. 👎. I hear Android phones do still provide that data.
Keeping service with two different providers might be a good idea. Gives a better shot at picking up a tower. If you get one connected you can set it as a hot spot and make WiFi calls from the other phone using its signal. Edit: spoke to soon, looks like signal strength might be accessible again on the iPhone. Last time I checked it wasn't was disabled. Here’s how you access the field test menu: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.macworld.com/article/3346027/how-to-see-your-true-cellular-signal-strength-with-the-iphone-field-test-app.amp.html ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: PilotPodder
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 7:41pm
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I've worked remotely significantly and effectively over the past few years in a corporate setting (calls/VPN). I have AT&T on my iPhone and also a Verizon 8800L Jetpack as a back up. I also use a WeBoost Drive Sleek in my RV (set the antenna wherever works best) and cradle the iPhone when needed if the AT&T signal is weak (the WeBoost does work to increase the AT&T signal if there is one). Both the AT&T and Verizon I use the "unlimited" plans (100GB/30GB hotspot for AT&T, 30GB Verizon). It works well and allows me to toggle between the two major carriers as needed.
------------- Portage, MI — 2017 RPod 179 - sold / 2017 Toyota Tundra — https://johnmarucci.com/r-pod-video-list/ - My RPod YouTube Videos |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 7:04am
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Consider that many RV parks specifically say that video streaming is not permitted. Not that it stops people from the speeds I have experienced. ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 11:48am
If you do get one of the satellite options, pay careful attention to the data volume limit. They have been getting more liberal in recent years, but I have acquaintances who run into their data limit on the 4th or 5th of the month. Then they have to access their account and put another $5 or $10 or something into the meter to get more. Then rinse/repeat every 4 or 5 days until the end of the month. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 3:32pm
That looks like a nice system! ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 7:43pm
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Let's talk about money. What's it costing you to feed your habit? For us: Hardware: Three phones - iPhone SE, iPhone 12 and old iPhone 6 (see below), iPad and two MacBooks. Plan(s): AT&T shared mobile data 6 GB + payment for iPhone 12 and SE ==> total $134.98 mt. Visible unlimited data plan on old unlocked iPhone 6 ==> $25.00 mt. When traveling/camping I tether Visible data phone to GL.iNET GL-MT300N-V2 Wireless Mini Portable Travel Router. That gives us unlimited data to all of our devices (FredNet) and has worked surprisingly well for the last two years. GoogleTV, Netflix, HBO etc. So the total is $159.98/mt for two new iphones (including phone payment) and unlimited data. I can't figure a cheaper way to get unlimited "tetherable" data. I would love to hear a cheaper way! fred ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 9:13am
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Sounds pretty good to me. I guess you could use only a data plan and make all your calls via the wifi router and dump ATT, but you’d need to keep both voice phones colocated with the WiFi router for that.,
I understand the Visible data plan is limited to 5 mbps and a single tethered device. The 5 mbps should be enough to stream, is the single device limitation the reason for your separate WiFi router or is there another reason you don’t use the phone hotspot directly? ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 9:43am
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Even though Visible says they piggy back on Verizon Network, my experience is that the coverage can be a bit spotty. AT&T does seem to have better coverage...for me. That's one reason I'm hanging on to AT&T. And because I have two phones financed with them. And because Visible doesn't offer international (Canada) plan. It has been helpful having a network backup. Interesting that I have not run into the single device hotspot limitation with Visible. I even mentioned to a rep and they said, "Good for you." On the old iPhone 6 I consistently measure about 2 mbps w/Visible tethered or not. Many users brag much, much faster data speeds. I wish I had a newer unlocked phone to try dual sim and test data speeds. I will when iPhone 12 is paid off. 2 mbps has actually worked fine for vast majority of what I use it for. It's usually just two of us browsing or one connection streaming. Don't need 4K streaming. I use the router mainly for convenience. I set it up in camp or car. Only takes a minute. All devices remember the WiFi network and the router has better WiFi range than mobile hotspot. BTW, Visible advertises as $40.00/mt but they make it easy to reduce to $25.00/mt with "Party Pay". Also, it is a no-contract service. I have suspended the account for a couple of months and come back without penalty or new setup. Now I just keep it going @ $25.00 /mt and use mobile hotspot often when just going about town or in the woods for streaming music. My AT&T 6 gig shared data plan is hardly touched. With iPhone you can still use AT&T network for calls and use hotspot for data. Dual sim would be a great solution. Probably more info than you were looking for.  fred ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 10:10am
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Just to add some data points... I am located on the Delaware River in Central NJ. Using the "Fast" app, I just measured: iPhone 6 Visible ==> 1.9 Mbps iPhone 12 AT&T ==> 4.5 Mbps iPhone 12 Home WiFi ==> 220 Mbps fred ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 10:13am
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Visible IS Verizon. It's just a different marketing plan. If you compare coverage, Verizon is better in some places, and ATT is better in some places. Around our neighborhood, Verizon generally has better coverage. Sprint and T-Mobile are OK in metro areas, generally not so much in rural areas. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 10:28am
Although Visible is Verizon, data prioritization seems to favor Verizon customers - at least that's what I've read on the inter webs. 
fred
------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 12:06pm
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I’m still using an iPhone 6 as my regular phone. I get 22 mbps on ATT LTE here in Christiansburg VA. So I don’t think your 2mbps is being limited by the phone, must be throttling by Visible. 2 mbps is getting marginal for streaming, 5 should be fine. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2021 at 10:35am
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We use Consumer cellular for our IPhone 10 and IPhone 6, we used wifi if available or we use the hotspot feature on data tp stream using our Roku or Sirius radio.
our plan works well for us up and down the east coast and runs $50.00 a month. We also used to on our trip out to Yellowstone had good coverage. ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2021 at 1:24pm
That sounds like a good deal, Leo! But, more importantly, what do you use for bait?!  fred ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2021 at 5:15pm
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Alot of tough decisions cut bait or shrimp..............bottles or cans!!
Looking forward to Assateague! Finger mullet and shrimp! ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 10 Feb 2021 at 9:02am
You got me digging OG. I even had Visible send me a new SIM since it seemed no matter what I did or where I went the FAST app kept reporting 2 Mbps. Turns out, since the FAST app is a Netflix server app it's well know that Netflix *does* throttle to 2 Mbps (at least on Verizon). I ran the test(s) on Ookla's Speedtest app and consistently get 10-12 Mbps @ home. I always did think it was odd how well Google YoutubeTV was streaming w/2Mbps. fred ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 10 Feb 2021 at 6:43pm
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That makes more sense.
I always use Ookla as well, seems to be a pretty accurate app. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: geewizard
Date Posted: 12 Feb 2021 at 9:56am
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https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/02/spacex-starlink-now-taking-pre-orders-for-service-in-mid-to-late-2021/
------------- 2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB 2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD 2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper 2014 Toyota Tundra DC |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 12 Feb 2021 at 12:45pm
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The only problem with Starlink (currently) is that it must be tied to a fixed address. They say they are going to change that when they can cover the entire US (at least the continental US), but that probably won't happen until 2022. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: debndave
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2021 at 3:17pm
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glad to find this topic... lots to sift through... not sure what to do yet... this weekend Deb and I were at Lake Willoughby in Vermont and had a lot of trouble with connections... the campground offered wifi but the owner (to his credit) was honest about it being horrible... Deb was able to connect and send a couple of texts but I couldn't even connect... the campground was down in a bit of a valley, which likely accounted for a lot of the issue... on the road outside coverage was ok... still not great, but ok... it would be nice to have reliable internet on the road... I work for a large hospital system and sometimes have to respond to "on call" stuff... it would be better to not have to plan around times when not on call... better still if we could work from the road and not have to take vacation! ------------- da ve |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2021 at 3:27pm
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Most folks that travel/full time and work have several providers. What works here, doesn't there.. Working on the road is tough if you reach for backroads. I use mine for entertainment vs. work, so At&T has done fine for us. Safe Travels! ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |
Posted By: poston
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2021 at 11:14pm
They started allowing address changes on the website in late March. My deposit's in, but I'm pretty far south. ------------- -- Jim Virginia City, Nevada 2016 R-pod 180 2015 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 16 Jun 2021 at 3:33pm
We put our dibs late last year, and we were invited in a month or two ago. I have not jumped in because we have great internet access here. I would say anything north of about the 35th parallel should be working 95% now. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 27 Oct 2021 at 10:44am
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I just bought a MoFi5500-5GXeLTE-EM7411-COMBO router and plan to get a Verizon SIM card for it. It's capable of wireless bridging/extending, which will alternatively allow me to use my Mint Mobile (T-Mobile network) phone with it. It's supposed to support a phone as a USB modem, but they don't have that working yet for the iPhone. ------------- Alan 2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |