Community Forums

johnmark · 07-21-2013, 08:53 AM

I would like to hear from Net 10 users as to how good the coverage is across the US and how well they like the system. I am tired of the way that Verizon gouges us. I used to get 4GB for $50 to tether my laptop to my phone when travelling. Now for $50 I can only get 1 GB.
When I last asked them to turn on the broadband for me, it didn't work. I am seriously thinking of going to Net 10. With a smart phone, will it create a hot spot to wirelessly connect to my laptop?
Thanks for your time and input.

jpf · 07-21-2013, 12:14 PM

I use net10, their service will run on AT&T or T-Mobile networks depending on which sim card you get from them. A sim card is a tiny credit-card type thing which fits in the phone and has your phone# on it so you can switch phones just by putting the sim card in another compatible phone.
net10, straighttalk & tracfone are all part of the same bunch. they rent bandwidth from AT&T & T-Mobile to provide their services. Depending on local coverage you could choose which sim card you want however recently AT&T restricted unlimited data to 2.5GB for net10. net10 subscribers were given the option to switch to a T-Mob sim if they had been using an AT&T.
So for $45 a month (plus tax) I have (pretty much) a phone plan with unlimited everything, data included. I don't use data that much but it's there if I need it without the gouging.
I use the AT&T sim and it works well enough. I transferred my # from AT&T which I dumped as too expensive. I've used my phone as a WIFI hotspot to connect a windows 8 PC and it was okay for browsing but I wouldn't expect to stream movies, etc through it. Note that you're breaking the EULA by tethering a laptop using one of these plans.
Creating a hotspot depends entirely on your phone. verizon phones won't work with AT&T or T-Mobile sim cards.
You will need an unlocked GSM phone that supports mobile tethering, although an AT&T sim will work in an AT&T phone, likewise for T-Mob. However if the phone isn't unlocked, tethering might not be allowed.
You will have to set up data & messaging APNs on the phone (net10, etc provide the parameters) and you will need a tethering app to create the hotspot.

denochs · 07-21-2013, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpf

I use net10, their service will run on AT&T or T-Mobile networks depending on which sim card you get from them. A sim card is a tiny credit-card type thing which fits in the phone and has your phone# on it so you can switch phones just by putting the sim card in another compatible phone.
net10, straighttalk & tracfone are all part of the same bunch. they rent bandwidth from AT&T & T-Mobile to provide their services. Depending on local coverage you could choose which sim card you want however recently AT&T restricted unlimited data to 2.5GB for net10. net10 subscribers were given the option to switch to a T-Mob sim if they had been using an AT&T.
So for $45 a month (plus tax) I have (pretty much) a phone plan with unlimited everything, data included. I don't use data that much but it's there if I need it without the gouging.
I use the AT&T sim and it works well enough. I transferred my # from AT&T which I dumped as too expensive. I've used my phone as a WIFI hotspot to connect a windows 8 PC and it was okay for browsing but I wouldn't expect to stream movies, etc through it. Note that you're breaking the EULA by tethering a laptop using one of these plans.
Creating a hotspot depends entirely on your phone. verizon phones won't work with AT&T or T-Mobile sim cards.
You will need an unlocked GSM phone that supports mobile tethering, although an AT&T sim will work in an AT&T phone, likewise for T-Mob. However if the phone isn't unlocked, tethering might not be allowed.
You will have to set up data & messaging APNs on the phone (net10, etc provide the parameters) and you will need a tethering app to create the hotspot.

We're interested in changing too.
Do you mean a tethering app like PDANET?

Dave

jpf · 07-23-2013, 06:39 AM

yes, precisely.

johnmark · 07-24-2013, 01:58 PM

I have recently found out that Net10 does not allow tethering to a PC. The next possible solution for me would be Verizon Mifi. I only need wifi 2 or 4 months per year. VZ will let you turn it off when you are finished with it but I don't know if there is a $20 reconnect charge, need to find out. A better system would be Millenicom but it costs much more to use and can only put on hold for 3 months. I may have to live with local or McDonlads wifi.

Marxtr6 · 07-24-2013, 02:06 PM

Millecom can be placed "on hold" or put in vacation mode for as long as you want. There is a reconnect fee when you turn it back on but if you only need it three months out of the year, it might be the way to go.

Gadget63 · 07-24-2013, 02:51 PM

My DW has net 10 on an android phone and uses the Sprint network. She has coverage in almost every place we have visited except in Wyoming. I credit that to being a cheap phone since I have sprint on an HTC phone and I had coverage. The long and short is, for 50 a month, you cannot beat the unlimited everything and no throttling. Just make sure you buy a better phone, or use the one you have now.

Gadget63 · 07-24-2013, 02:53 PM

as for thethering, there are apps out there that allow you to tether a phone via bluetooth or USB connection. You can also root your phone and then you can tether wirelessly. I have played with the USB apps and found them to work well as long as you are willing to pay a one time fee of 20.00 for the app.

PyrateSilly · 07-24-2013, 03:22 PM

Thom's mom and dad had Net10. Notice I said had. We moved them to a pay as you phone on the Verizon network for $50 unlimited calls and text. If we had an inkling they might understand how to use the data then it would have been the $70 version. They kept running out of minutes and would buy them in very small blocks when they could afford it. An annoying pain when his dad is having heart problems and been in the hospital several times over the last few months and the phone call goes like this "Almost out of mins but your dad's back in the hospital ... click" yep no more mins. So we took it out of their hands (and pocketbook) and got a different phone for them with unlimited stuff that would also allow them to go to FL, MI, SC and several other states for family visits with no problems.

Gadget63 · 07-24-2013, 03:40 PM

My DW has an unlimited everything plan with net 10 and she pays 70.00 a month which includes unlimited international calling. On months she doesn't need to make international calls, then it is 50.00 a month for unlimited everything which includes data. Again her phone is on the Sprint Network so she has service just about everywhere.

two2go · 07-24-2013, 04:13 PM

I think it depends on where you buy your Net10 phone and where you register it as to what carrier you get, but I haven't used Net10, so I won't say for sure. We do use TracFone, a sister company. In Denver, I am on the AT&T network with TracFone.
We also have a phone with Ting (ting . com) that uses Sprint phones and the Sprint network. They are very reasonable, and allow tethering at no extra cost, but the data rate gets expensive if you go too high. With a smart phone on Ting, we pay $15/mo for up to 100 minutes, 100 texts, and 100 Mb of data. If you go over, you only pay for what you use. I can recommend them if you can live with Sprint's 2nd rate coverage, which is good in major cities, lousy in the boondocks. Not much 4G performance either.

Gadget63 · 07-24-2013, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by two2go

I think it depends on where you buy your Net10 phone and where you register it as to what carrier you get, but I haven't used Net10, so I won't say for sure. We do use TracFone, a sister company. In Denver, I am on the AT&T network with TracFone.
We also have a phone with Ting (ting . com) that uses Sprint phones and the Sprint network. They are very reasonable, and allow tethering at no extra cost, but the data rate gets expensive if you go too high. With a smart phone on Ting, we pay $15/mo for up to 100 minutes, 100 texts, and 100 Mb of data. If you go over, you only pay for what you use. I can recommend them if you can live with Sprint's 2nd rate coverage, which is good in major cities, lousy in the boondocks. Not much 4G performance either.

When you are ready to purchase a phone through net 10 via say walmart, on the package, there will be a set of numbers ending in "s" for sprint, "v" for verizon and so on. Just ask an associate for help in explaining the carrier and phone you choose.

jpf · 07-24-2013, 04:35 PM

I'll chime in again. when I said net10 EULA doesn't allow tethering ~ there's no physical restriction on how you use their service. I tether the laptop when at a campsite, the rest of the time I don't use data. however $50 for unlimited calling & text (another thing I don't use much) is comparable to what I was paying on a plan so the data when I need it is icing on the cake.
I know net10 on AT&T is 2.5 GB per month, T-mobile is unlimited, sprint & verizon I have no idea.
If pyrates parents ran out of minutes with net10 then they weren't on an unlimited plan.

pagosajoe · 07-24-2013, 04:49 PM

Take a look at Page Plus, through their dealer, Kitty Wireless. Only $30 a month, 1200 minutes of calling time, 3000 text messages a month, and 500 MB of data. Works great for us. The actual carrier is Verizon, which has an excellent reputation for service throughout the country. We've saved a TON of money through this carrier. We can tether our Droid X phones through FoxFi (rooting NOT required), PDANet or any other tethering software you choose. It's 3G service only, however.