Community Forums

reubenray · 10-28-2015, 03:22 AM

I will be moving next month to another state and we will get a new phone/plan through Verizion. How do the Verizon phones with a FoxFi setup on the phone compare to a stand alone jetpack? My laptop and the DW's tablet will have to connect to this also. I want the best speed and connection as possible.

I will not need the jetpack for 4 to 6 months when we are not taking trips. I figured the FoxFi setup would be better for that being I would not be paying for something I am not using.

wa8yxm · 10-28-2015, 06:39 AM

FoxFi has the option to "hide" the tethering from Verizon.. I do not know if Verizon still double dips if you tether or not. I do know they got slapped by the FCC for double dipping on data plans for those who tether. Double dipping (Charging you for the data and then charging you again for using it on a Laptop instead of your phone) is illegal.

Assuming they do NOT double dip...

Jet Pack, My-Fi device, etc, has the advantage of NOT tying up your phone. You can make and receive phone calls with no internet interruption. On some phones you can not do that, if a call comes in Internet is "paused".. (other phones you can, and no I do not have a list) Disadvantage: Since the jet-pack has its own phone number, you pay for an additional line.

Advantage Phone: You do not pay for that additional line.

NOTE I do not know if Verizon has an "official" tether app. or not, or again it may vary phone to phone.. I use T-Mobile and they let me tether no charge using their own FREE app..

When I used Fox-Fi (Briefly) I had issues, but I was not using the paid version.

450Donn · 10-28-2015, 07:14 AM

Verizon smart phones can become a wifi hot spot. So need for an extra device is really limited. How much online time do you plan? How many phone calls do you plan during that time? Most phones cannot be used while in wifi mode, so that is the only draw back.
Had a jet pack for two years until the contract expired and I dropped it in August. We were on the road in June and again in Sept, and I did not see any difference between jet pack and my phones wifi. You dont need foxfi or any other apps, just turn on your phones wifi, connect your devices and go. BTW foxfi, jetpacks, and smart phone wifi all connect to the cell carriers network, all use data from your data plan.

paz · 10-28-2015, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 450Donn

Verizon smart phones can become a wifi hot spot. So need for an extra device is really limited. How much online time do you plan? How many phone calls do you plan during that time? Most phones cannot be used while in wifi mode, so that is the only draw back.
Had a jet pack for two years until the contract expired and I dropped it in August. We were on the road in June and again in Sept, and I did not see any difference between jet pack and my phones wifi. You dont need foxfi or any other apps, just turn on your phones wifi, connect your devices and go. BTW foxfi, jetpacks, and smart phone wifi all connect to the cell carriers network, all use data from your data plan.

Can you make or receive phone calls while using your phone as a hot spot?

chuckbear · 10-28-2015, 01:58 PM

Raymond, We gave up our MiFi and now use our phone as a hotspot exclusively. Surprisingly, we have no idea if you can make or receive calls in hotspot mode. I suggest a call to Verizon and ask, it may depend on the phone. No need for FoxFi since Verizon does not charge to tether or use the hotspot. It just counts against your data. FoxFi does not work with all phones anyway. We saw no difference in connection speeds with the phone or MiFi and the MiFi is just another phone line that you have to pay for. Good luck. Chuck

reubenray · 10-28-2015, 03:01 PM

We are on the internet a lot more than the phone. Some days we do not get any phone calls, so needing a phone while we are on the internet is not an issue. We only have one phone, but we have a Tracfone that we use when one of us is going somewhere without the other one. This is mainly for emergency use only.

phays · 10-28-2015, 04:38 PM

I use Foxfi on my Verizon Samsung 5 for a wifi hotspot. You need to check the website for Foxfi to see if your phone can be used as a wireless hotspot with Foxfi. You can always use a USB cable and connect the phone to your computer with Foxfi or use a blue tooth connection.

You cannot access the internet while on a phone call but as soon as you hang up, you will go back to your internet connection. I haven't found this to be a problem. As with any wireless internet connection you must watch your data usage.

dons2346 · 10-28-2015, 09:59 PM

I have the S5 and can use the phone and the Foxfi connection at the same time.

I also have the mifi and use both and so far, I see no difference in speed between the two.

**CountryFit** · 10-28-2015, 11:57 PM

using foxfi for years on samsung note 2. yes, you can use it while making or receiving calls. the speed is mostly 10+ mbps if you are in a location with a decent verizon coverage. i use tether for everything - laptops, dw's ipad, printer, sling tv, all on the network. it does exactly what a router in your home would do, except mobil.

reubenray · 10-29-2015, 04:39 AM

Here is a key question. Will the Foxfi option work with my laptop and the DW's tablet at the same time or will it bog down?

**CountryFit** · 10-29-2015, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reubenray

Here is a key question. Will the Foxfi option work with my laptop and the DW's tablet at the same time or will it bog down?

here is the key answer - "it does exactly what a router in your home would do, except mobil." in your home network, can't you log all devices on to the network at the same time? the bandwidth is shared, if you experience the bog down on your home network, it will be the same on foxfi wifi.

reubenray · 10-29-2015, 02:58 PM

I will try the Foxfi method first and if it does not work I will then get a jetpack. I used Foxfi a lot when my phone was AT&T. But when I switched to Straight Talk I could not use it.

Thanks for all of the responses.

ChasA · 10-31-2015, 11:48 AM

We have 3 android devices with Verizon. Our data plan is 10GB, shared between the 3 devices. Each device can be a hot spot which will accommodate up to 5 clients. Verizon does not care if you use share your data with any other devices. No need for any sneaky apps or trying to hide anything. It's your data, use it as you want to.