Cell Phone & Air Link card

[Just Call Me Bobbi]

What cell phone services is the best for fulltimers? And do any of you use the air link cards for your laptops? We want to be able to use our laptop while in route and were wondering which one most of you recommend.

[pondlady]

I have found that most campgrounds have wi-fi these days.
If you have a air card, chances are it won't work if your cell phone gets no reception.

[Boyd]

I've been real happy with the Verizon stick that goes directly into the computer. Remember though, it is only as good as cell phone reception.

[Bama Rambler]

I had AT&T for 2 years and while it was the best available when I got it, it still sucked.

I now have a Verizon UMW190 and the service where we travel is 100 times better. They have 3G in tons more places than AT&T. My niece has the MiFi 2200 and loves it as well.

[rthrbelsewhere]

No matter which carrier you choose, you might also look into a Wilson Mobile amplifier/booster to help carry the signals back and forth when you're waaay off the beaten path. I have not used one...yet, but it's on the "wish list" for those times we travel to those remote areas in SW Colorado where we don't get much of a cell signal on the phone alone. I'm thinking that once we relocate to that area, we might install one in the house also...a few tests this last go around and I found that after 7pm, Sprint must turn the power down on the towers or some sort of environmental effect kills my signal at the property. Everything worked great during the day, but at night...signal faded in and out depending on where I stood. Just a thought...

thanks

[wayne1]

Yep, Wilson yagi systems are the key in fringed areas

[NWJeeper]

Verizon has the best coverage of any I have seen while we are out Jeepn' in some pretty out of the way areas. It amazes me that I can get a text out or make a call when others in our group with other carriers can't. They do tend to be most expensive but it's worth it that one time you really need it in a jam.

[WestCoastRV'er]

I use Sprints "Overdrive". Can connect up to 5 devices.

[zbittsurveyor]

When we went cross country last year we bought the Virgin pay-as-you-go usb device. It worked great for us for most of the trip. Of course where there is no cell service, the usb will not work. The family was able to surf and email while we drove. However, if you plan on streaming video with this thing, it's not for you. That will eat your alotment up in no time. The best part is you only pay for what you want to use. No contracts or perpetual monthly fees.

[jimh]

i had the sprint overdrive with an unlimited plan (or so i thought). had used it almost everwhere...at least everywhere i've been. outside of fringe issues, it would lock onto whatever was there and i didn't get any extra charges. recently (aug) they started limiting the roaming data to 300meg. they shut it down...so it wasn't unlimited after all.
it appears verrizon had the best coverage off the beaten path so we canceled sprint (for data) and went with verrizon...same set up. i think they call it myfi. as with the sprint, both my wife and i can surf the web at the same time. i can also locate the myfi so that it gets the best signal.

i still have the sprint for voice mainly because of the price. haven't had any issues there.

[ken0042]

What about tethering a smartphone? I always hear about how American cell plans are better than what we have in Canada- and right now I can get 6GB of data for $30 per month on my phone.

[whitebb]

I have been traveling southwest and northwest this year, and have used Verizon UMW 190 air card and have good signal 98% of times. I plan on installing a external antenna in the future. With my Cradle point router, all PC sand printer work great. I have a PEP Wave bridge for those times I need to use WIFI. I went with Verizon because it seams to have the best towers base. I would not use others such as sprint,T Mobile because there are best suited for larger cities, not in the smaller rural areas. Just my though.

[jimh]

Originally Posted by whitebb

I have been traveling southwest and northwest this year, and have used Verizon UMW 190 air card and have good signal 98% of times. I plan on installing a external antenna in the future. With my Cradle point router, all PC sand printer work great. I have a PEP Wave bridge for those times I need to use WIFI. I went with Verizon because it seams to have the best towers base. I would not use others such as sprint,T Mobile because there are best suited for larger cities, not in the smaller rural areas. Just my though.

where have u experienced the most problems?

[Janet H]

Originally Posted by ken0042

What about tethering a smartphone? I always hear about how American cell plans are better than what we have in Canada- and right now I can get 6GB of data for $30 per month on my phone.

Ouch - that's some expensive data! I have ATT and a smart phone. My data plan costs 30 bucks per mo and there is no limit on data usage... that said, ATT has made to very difficult to tether. Initially tethering was disabled on their branded phones, but with recent software updates I think there has been some change. As I recall the service contract specifically prohibited tethering as well.

I also have an air card (unlimited data) and use a booster and an external antenna. There are still some places where there is no coverage or even roaming coverage. In some parts of the PNW I think you still need carrier pigeon to communicate....

[Bama Rambler]

Janet, You must be grandfathered in on the aircard. AT&T doesn't have an unlimited plan anymore. And you're right, they strictly prohibit tethering without a separate data package and it's 5gb/mo.

AT&T also has the worst overage penalty. It's $504.00 a gb. Verizon's overage, while bad enough is only $50 a gb.

[whitebb]

I have not had hardly any problems at all, works fine for me. If the cell phone has a week signal usually that don't bother me at all. Of course you have a week spot here and now.

[MotocrossCamper]

Verizon all the way! It works great by itself but you buy a mobile booster and your good almost every where.

[Wildwood Danny]

We just started using a Verizon 5-Spot mobile broadbank device a couple of weeks ago. We got it for our home port, we live out in the country and could only get dial up or iffy sat. service. Our cell phone signal is weak at the house, the 5-Spot has been working great everyday and we can take it with us when we get the Wildwood Motel out on the road as it will work whenever we have a Verizon signal. We had depended on dial up, campground wife, or whatever hot spots we could find before when on the road. Sometimes we ended up without.

Will give it a good test in a couple of months at Crater of Diamonds State Park in SW Arkansas as there is not very good cell phone service there.

Let's all keep talking RVing
Wildwood

[marialee]

Verizon, is what we have. Phones and MIFI. We get service when others can't. At times there has been no cell service but we can still use the MIFI. Some spots are a no go, but 98% of the time it is great. Yes a lot of RV parks have free WIFI but most of the time it is so slow it is frustrating. I also like the convince of not having to pack up the computer. It is also pretty secure. I also use it on my I-Pod

[jimh]

Verizon recently had a rate change for their MIDI: for $35, u can get 3g/mo if u go over add $10 for one more gig. And so on.
some phones, like this one, can also be used as a hot spot. U have to have the unlimited data plan and they will charge an additional $20/no to use 2gig as a hot spot. Don't know what the charge is if u go over but it didn't look good. Data on theP phone is still unlimited.
If u grandfathered in with a sprint unlimited data plan (as I did) u may find that it is only unlimited while on their network.

I had had a data card with them (sprint) and had used it just abt everywhere then got shutdown in Aug after 300 Meg