Wifi, cellular signal availability and fixes

[RSchleder]

Originally Posted by Splitshaft

My plan is 15 years old or older and have no clue what it is. I know it is not the lowest out there. It just works wherever in the world I am. Ten miles or thousands of miles away. Unlimited data is $15/month and unlimited national voice is $10 per month. I don't have or add unlimited texting. International calling is only charged when used out of the country or on cruise ships. Who needs 25 gigs anyway? I have living breathing people in my life to enjoy too.

And we've very happy for you

[sgtlm17]

Like others have said if you have a weak signal I use boosters. I use camp pro wifi booster kit for wifi. It's very reasonable in price and does a pretty good job pulling in those weak wifi signals. For cell service I use a SureCall Fusion2go 3.0 booster. It pulls in weak cell signals and gives me 4 to 5 bars with great speed. But with any bosster your only boosting the signal that your phone or computer may not get. If the wifi or cell signal is garbage your boosting garbage.

[jvalich]

Just got done installing the other day. Mikrotek hardware, for the outside: MikroTik RouterBOARD GrooveA 52 ac wireless 2.4/5GHz 802.11ac (RBGrooveGA-52HPacn-US) and for the wireless network ing the coach: MikroTik hAP AC RouterBoard, Triple Chain Access Point 802.11ac (RB962UiGS-5HacT2HnT-US)

Requires a bit of skill using RouterOS to setup. Same hardware used by WifiRanger. They just put a use friendly firmware onto of the operating system for setup and management.

We are going to a campground this weekend where getting a good strong connection requires you to be by a bathhouse. There is a Mcdonalds 3 blocks away. I'm interested to see if I can connect reliably to their network. It should give me an idea of the performance I can expect.

[BatesMotel2]

Everyone has there favorites and I just went through this recently which enabled me to cancel DISH at home too and I don't miss it at all! We use laptops and phones while on the road and camping with little issues but have learned seek areas with good cell service. Since you are a Veteran, AT&T will give you 15% off your monthly bill and you can get 60 channels (including your local channels) on DIRECT TV NOW from AT&T for $20 per month (normally $35) and free HBO.

All movies and data streamed from DIRECT TV NOW does not count against any data plans. We have AT&T Cell Phones on the Unlimited Choice plan with unlimited (22gb) talk, text and data AND a 15gb Hot Spot on each phone which costs us about $150 per month for both. Works for us on the road and at home (using Amazon Firesticks).

Food for thought, good luck, thanks for serving!

[Picnic]

Originally Posted by ependydad

Happy customer? Or Verizon employee/contractor?

It helps to have 2 cell providers too. My iphone is Verizon(David’s phone and Ipad are both Verizon) and I find 12 GB serves well, then have my 12.9 Ipad Pro with TMobile with 5GB (5 mos) for $10 and easily reupped from the ipad. I don’t carry my Macbook, Ipad does fine (photographer) with a wifi external drive. Having 2 providers we’ve never found ourselves without coverage—and park wifi is generally sufficient for the basics.

[campkasten]

Originally Posted by Eidolon

We use a Weboost 4G-X. The external antenna is mounted to the top of the ladder and the cable can be handled in 2 ways. Included is the drill and fittings to make a permanent set-up. This time, we are just connecting up the antenna (5minutes, max) and then thread the cable in around one of the slides.. Inside, we can power off of AC or DC for the booster. The internal antenna has to be within 5-6 ft of where you are working, but that's not a big deal.


As for coverage, we use ATT and it works fine. The setup eliminates trying to find a signal strong enough for either use as a hot spot or just plain ol' calls. We don't stream anything. As long as we can get any signal at all, the booster does fine. We often camp in less populous areas and so far, it works o.k.

I am looking at similar setups. Do you use an omni-directional outside antenna?

[madsledet]

Originally Posted by USMC0311

I am not an IT guy, but I can install my own software. I have Verizon unlimited data and can use my cellphone as a hotspot, which is very expensive. I camp about a mile from a tower, but barely get any signal.


My questions: How can I increase the bars on my cellphone? How can I increase the Wifi signal to use my computer (also use Verizon, but can I use any available signal, does it have to be Verizon? if this is possible, what do I need to buy?


I know this has been discussed before, but it only brought up more questions. is the signal the same for both?

My wife works remotely so needs wifi most of the time and we travel constantly.


We have a TMobile contract with two phones at $75/mo unlimited data. I bought the cheapest phones cash and use the one phone as a hot spot - leave it on all the time.


We have a Verizon contract with two phones and a MIFI (a hotspot) with unlimited data. We use these phones as our regular phones. I think we pay around $200/mo. We turn the MiFi on when we want to use Verizon data.



We never depend on campground WiFi as it is usually overloaded and subject to disconnect.



We have found using two different services works pretty well as usually one or the other will work.



Unlimited data means after so many GBs of data it will be reduced down but still work. We sometimes switch from one to the other when the first one slows down.

[Gumpster808]

Since I work remote as well just picked up the Sprint hotspot through FMCA. Truly unlimited as well.

Will see how it is in some of the areas we go with no WiFi but gives more options to go camping and the wife to commute from there while I work from the coach.

[Shackrat]

I've seen the Winegard Connect system mentioned in this thread a couple times. A word of caution, only the Connect 2.0 4G works with both AT&T and Verizon. The original Connect 1.0, which looks like a disc with antennas on it, requires a Winegard data plan. You cannot change the sim in it. Winegard resells Verizon for their plans which may be limiting in some areas.

I have the Connect 2 4G and for the price paid, it's garbage. Despite being roof mounted and having large cellular antennas, it does not perform any better than my iPhone in terms of weak signal reception. If my iPhone has usable 4G, so does the Connect 2, if my iPhone loses 4G so does the Connect 2. One upshot is that it is an excellent booster for connecting to distant WiFi and weak campground systems, but thats where my praise ends.

The software it runs kills the device; it does not auto switch between WiFi and 4G, and while the 4G hotspot is enabled, and the 4G/LTE radio frequently disconnects and fails to reconnect until the unit is rebooted. One particularly eggregious bug in the 4G/LTE hotspot is the unit will frequently start dropping clients until nothing can connect until the Connect 2 is rebooted. It appears that Winegard has no plans to fix this bug as there's a section in the troubleshooting guide that specifically covers this problem.

My recommendation would be to avoid any of the Winegard Connect devices.

[007matman]

Just a PSA..

For those of you that have Verizon and are using the data to stream video.. remember that you can change your smartphone plan to Above Unlimited and get up to 75GB of premium 4G data included. Beyond Unlimited offers up to 22GB of 4G (and will only slow your connection down in times of congestion).

If you have an iPhone (and select Android devices) you can get a cable to mirror your display on a larger screen therefore bypassing the 20GB cap on Mobile hotspot usage (15gb on Beyond Unlimited)

Many applications give you the ability to downgrade your streaming to lower quality and save the data (you'll likely notice little to no difference on most TV's).

If you absolutely need to use the hotspot, Verizon will throttle you to 600kps after you pass the limits. However, you should still be able to stream in HQ if you adjust your player settings (Netflix and YouTube will stream on 500kps).

There are larger plans (up to 40 GB) available for dedicated hotspots.

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by 007matman

Just a PSA..

Beyond Unlimited offers up to 22GB of 4G (and will only slow your connection down in times of congestion).

Again...

IT WILL SLOW DOWN AT 15gb...

Not just in times of congestion.

I've had it for 8 months now...and it has done it each and every month the instant I get to 15.0000000000000000000000000001GB.

Not just during peak times.

And Verizon will gladly sell you 5 more GB for $35 bucks that won't roll over despite the fact you paid extra for it.

I'm in my first month of the new 'Above Beyond Unlimited' or whatever they call it...

I'll let you know how it goes after the first month is done.

[007matman]

Originally Posted by JohnD10

Again...

IT WILL SLOW DOWN AT 15gb...

Not just in times of congestion.

I've had it for 8 months now...and it has done it each and every month the instant I get to 15.0000000000000000000000000001GB.

Not just during peak times.

I'm in my first month of the new 'Above Beyond Unlimited' or whatever they call it...

I'll let you know how it goes after the first month is done.

John,

It will when using hotspot. Yes, I'll give you that. However, to my other point you can still use the 600kps to stream at lower quality.

However, if you use the device mirroring with your smartphone the limits are different.

[007matman]

I'll just say it.. if it were me I wouldn't use the mobile hotspot. I'd get a phone I can mirror on a larger TV and use that to stream your video.

[JohnD10]

My use is mostly computers on the internet...not the phones or iPads.

[babock]

Originally Posted by USMC0311

I camp about a mile from a tower, but barely get any signal.

Just because there is a tower does not mean it serves your carrier.

Up at one of our vacation homes, Verizon and ATT have zero signal and my Google Fi which uses T-Mobile and Sprint have full bars. I will be in another area where that is the opposite.