For those coming here for the first time and jumping to the end, you skipped a lot of stuff. Some good. Some bad. A lot could be a waste of time, but you are here because you are interested in a simple solution for UNLIMITED internet for $40. Since the thread was started, currently you can get your monthly expenses down $25 getting a Party Pay. You need to Google that outside of here and not ask someone on this site to join. That appears to be against the rules.
Here is a summary of the thread to hopefully help get what you need to know without having to read it all. If you have the strength and courage of William Wallace….read it all!
(Pages below are only if you are using the default settings for the number of posts per page)
First 5 pages are mostly people saying, "Yes, I want to see that option"
Pages 5-15 were discussion using Jetpack or Pepwave and using different phones (and people still interested) and porting problems (I still don't recommend that you port your number)
Pages 15-60 have discussion about other services, other set-ups, and a lot more complaining that it didn't work and a lot of happy people that is all worked easily following the
POST #10. Some tangents and then getting really confusing as to who was talking about what.
Page 60-67 - Uuukkk. Just some banter about the thread getting too long and my desire to try to help those coming in later not be consumed by 1,000 different options and systems and configurations. If the option on POST #10 doesn't work for you, feel free to search the IRV2 site and find a thread that offers different setups and configurations. Many other discussions. Doesn't help this thread to start new topics on different equipment. Please feel free to start a new topic outside of this thread in the forum category.
1) The "solution" is on
POST #10. There is an attached Google Doc that is kept up to date and gives a very specific list of equipment to purchase and disclaimers about the service to help set your expectations. The setup will work off of 12v USB in your RV and will allow multiple devices to all be connected to a hotspot. We run this while driving and stream our music on Pandora or Spotity the whole time. Doesn't need 120v to run anything. Please understand that this configuration is suggesting you buy their cheapest phone (get a new phone number for it) and
leave it running constantly as your internet service.
2) The service is called Visible (now there is Yahoo, also owned by Verizon and appears to be exactly the same service). It is owned by Verizon and using their towers. Though unlimited internet, the speed fluctuates depending on area or time of day. Some have been using it for a long time and have enough speed to stream TV almost all the time. Others have used it in different areas at different times and NOT had enough speed. If you are looking at this as a permanent solution for your home or stationary RV, there is no way to tell if it will be good in your exact position, but the cost to try is fairly low.
3) If this solution is not the best setup for you, feel free to search for other threads on IRV2 that discuss higher cost and different configuration options. Search for "load balancing" or "high availability" or "redundancy". Plenty of other options. You can still add Visible to those other options. This thread configuration is not about those variations. Many use this setup to stream Netflix or Hulu and can do so all month long without worrying about limits. PLEASE...read and understand the disclaimers on the
POST #10 doc before you move forward.
4) Many have had a good and bad experiences using it around the country:
Rough start, but now glad
Followed POST #10 and went well
Setup and running in 30 minutes
Porting problems
Not good service
Not great speeds
Great Speeds
5)
Visible doesn't ship to PO Boxes
6) There was a 5Mb download limit,
but that was removed. Some experience very high speeds at times. Others stay lower. Most (but not all) seem to be able to stream most of the time (which is the main purpose of unlimited internet for most).
Some getting very high speeds. Page 15.
7) Some long ago had problems
porting their phone number, but I haven't seen that post in a long time. I switched my neighbor over to Visible just to get a new phone, and it took PagePlus 10 days just to release her number so Visible could activate it. Could be a problem with your previous carrier as well as Visible.
8) Like any cellular service, some get bad support or service. Others had great support and service. Their tech support is only through a chat....no phone to call. Again, reduce your odds of needing to use their support by following the doc on
post #10
9) At this time, you can only have one phone and service per account. Little pain in the butt. I opted to create 4 accounts for 4 phones using different emails and payment methods. Not ideal, but I created my own Party Pay. $25/line/month=$100/month for 4 phones each with unlimited data. Phone for me, my wife, full-time internet, and my daughter.
10) This is not a super high-speed service. Many have compared and contrasted the speed using a standard Verizon or AT&T network. This option will most often be slower. Sometimes much slower. If having the highest speed possible is your need, see the header at the top about searching for other threads to help you get what you need.
11) There are discussions about using the SIM chip in Jetpack or other mifi devices. Some worked. Some worked for a time. Seems like some have been using it for a long time. No clarity or certainty. You can try. Just first need to activate their SIM using their App on phones that work with their app. Not all phone are compatible...which is why the instructions on
post #10 are suggesting you just get their cheapest phone and not worry about compatibility and avoid tech support.
Pepwave
Jetpack
Getting JetPack to work
Then more to get it to work
Some stopped working
12) Some discussion about the WeBoost signal amplifier to increase your cellular range around page 13-15 (BTW...don't purchase the WeBoost unless signal strength is a common problem for you…adds a lot more work and expense)
So, the skinny....service is great for some and working to their needs and downloading 150-280 GIGs!!!!! a month. Others tried for a short while and could never get acceptable speeds.
Following the instructions on
post #10 , most everyone (if they purchased the recommended equipment and followed the instruction) found it easy enough that they didn't need outside help. Some (even myself at times) have had issues with their support chat. Some loved it. Some were ready to kill. I would continue to recommend doing
post #10 exactly so you take the cleanest route and most likely won't need their support. Any variation could force you to use their support chat. Hit or miss. Often people try to save $6 and not get a new 12V USB power adapter and then waste a lot of time wondering why it doesn't all work….hint, the power supply you have is not giving you 2.4A output….REQUIRED for the setup.
Some have tried variations. If you live on the internet 24/7 and require high availability all the time, try looking up user "DocJ" and send him a private message. He has options for those that need load-balancing or redundancy. This option and thread is not that. This is a simple option for those that aren't bothered by slower speeds at times but really benefit from a lower monthly cost all the time and want the option of streaming as much as they like, and don't want to try to buy various pieces of random equipment to build a system they don't understand.
post #10 is doing that for you and saving you the trouble.
I should mention lastly that if you only need to connect up a single device (only a TV or only a computer….not both at the same time), you could skip everything on
post #10 and just buy a phone from Visible for cheap. All of their phones have the HOTSPOT available for at least single connection by default….which is nice since most other providers want more money just to turn that on.
In the end, please read slowly and carefully the attached doc on
post #10. If it doesn't seem right for you, I will encourage you to continue the search on IRV2 for other options. This thread is already too long to start new ideas or configurations. If you have an experience to post or questions on the configuration of
post #10 , please continue to use this thread as many are still following and glad to help you with the configuration on
post #10.
Linear Mode
