Community Forums

BAMobile · 11-30-2020, 02:06 PM

I'll be going full time RVing in the Spring and I need to nail down my internet situation to work from the road.

I have an old Verizon plan under the name "Nationwide talk and test plan - 700". This has delivered unlimited data to me for over a decade but I am going to be ramping up the amount of data significantly and need it to do my job on the road. I'm concerned that this may not be the unlimited plan everyone talks about? I've heard everything from "dont worry about it, they dont throttle anyway - go ahead and get a newer cheaper plan" to "They throttle to 600k" to "never let go of your plan". I'm hoping there way be someone here that can help clear this up for me. I appreciate your time and help.

**Spdracr39** · 11-30-2020, 02:19 PM

If your old plan actually had truly "Unlimited" data for the hotspot function do not get rid of it. Verizon does not currently offer any plans that have truly "unlimited" hot spot data. They call it unlimited because they don't turn it completely off but at 600kbps it is virtually unusable. Plan limits are 15-30GB, before throttling, of monthly usage which is good for about a day and a half for me.

X-OEM · 11-30-2020, 03:15 PM

I think it would be helpful if you could share how much data you were using monthly on your present unlimited plan. It my be more than enough for future use.

The bigger issue (assuming you do have unlimited data) is you may need more than one carrier to be sure you have satisfactory connections wherever you are. Even then, there will be some parts of the country in very rural areas where you may not have adequate signal strength or perhaps no signal at all. Verizon and AT&T generally will both work wherever you are but there are exceptions and terrane complications.

But first things first - how much data were you using?

NXR · 11-30-2020, 03:19 PM

Quote:

They call it unlimited because they don't turn it completely off but at 600kbps it is virtually unusable.

Right. There is a difference between "unlimited" and "unlimited AND unthrottled" nowadays.

600 K/bps is not really "virtually unusable" because it does meet the minimum for streaming Netflix and we've done it. There is some occasional buffering but not much.

But there's no way you could actually do work with that limit. I used to run corporate remote access systems as part of my job. It's somewhat surprising how little you do need but 0.6 M/bps ain't it.

Why do I say that? Because your remote access bandwidth constraint usually is on the company side, not yours. In 2018 I worked for a 1,000+ person bank. We had a whopping 50 M/bps of upload and download bandwidth.

No, that is not a typo.

At any given time we had about 500 people actively using the Internet and our sustained usage averaged 35 M/bps, also not a typo.

When almost everyone at the bank went Covid Remote, they upped the bandwidth to 200 M/bps and had about 100 M/bps sustained usage.

So yeah, 500 M/bps at home or gigabit to the home is just making the Internet service provider a whopping ton of money.

Ray

lemodrop9344 · 11-30-2020, 05:27 PM

BAMobile,

Congratulations on making the transition to full time. We are approaching the completion of our 1st year as full timers. I also work out of my RV.

From what I've read, even the 'true' unlimited plans have what I believe is a 'fair use' clause in the contract. Typically one is looked at when you daily or monthly usage exceeds some pre-determined amount. Varies by carrier & YES, Verizon throttles me when I reach the limit of my data plan.

You indicated you believe you have & have been using an 'unlimited' data without any issues for some time. You did not specify the type of equipment you are using to consume this data, or, the type of data you consume. I believe a lot of the issues people are encountering with the 'older unlimited plans' has to do with the type of equipment they are trying to use with the plans. If you are going to upgrade your equipment to connect to your cellular plan, you need to make sure it's certified by Verizon (avoids a hassle).

If your work is dependent on internet service, you will most likely want some redundancy in how you receive your internet. I think you will find cellular service will provide the best & most reliable service with Verizon being recognized as having the best coverage & AT&T having a faster network. RV park WiFi is not generally considered adequate for work or streaming....there are exceptions. I would encourage you to look at a device with multiple SIMs (different carriers) along with the capability to receive WiFi (WiFi as WAN). This will allow you to leverage the internet sources available to you.

A good on line source of information is the Mobile Internet Resource Center. The free information is adequate to give you a pretty good idea of what is available.

Good luck.

As for data consumption. In the 6 months I've monitored my data consumption (in GB's). I found that I consume less than 2 GB's per day for work related activities. Email, uploading & downloading files to servers, on line meetings (ZOOM or other), on line PC assistance... that sort of thing. Streaming media, of any sort, consumes a lot of data. If you are big time into streaming media over the internet, you can easily exceed 1000 GB a month. Your mileage may vary.

mike625 · 11-30-2020, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by X-OEM

The bigger issue (assuming you do have unlimited data) is you may need more than one carrier to be sure you have satisfactory connections wherever you are.

+1

Have the same plan. It known as Verizon GUDP if you search on the internet. On your bill for that line - it should show the plan $$ & a hotspot cost $$.

Works well but over the last year, for me - Verizon has had lower download speeds in a lot of locations. So if your need it for work, I would have another provider.

https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/gui...ed-data-plans/

ArtJoyce · 11-30-2020, 05:53 PM

DD has a hotspot she got from Verizon. I know she cranks up the usage. Something about the usage on her unlimited phone plans not supporting her data needs. She got the hot spot.

For what it's worth the best coverage we have gotten have been with verizon.

BAMobile · 12-01-2020, 07:52 AM

Thank you all for the replies.

Currently I'm tethering devices to my Samsung S7. I use between 30gb and 130gb of data a month which will be increasing once cell is my only source. I am an Infosec Engineer so the type of work I do requires remote sessions, zoom meetings and data intensive transmissions. Plus the wife and I like to watch a couple hours of Netflix a night. I haven't tried my sim in a hotspot device yet but I have a feeling it won't work. So my plan is to go with the Mofi 4500 as it can be programmed to simulate data being used on the phone as I understand. An I thinking about this right? My bill is very unspecific and only mentions "Nationwide talk and text 700" which is fine since I don't talk on the phone much. I was able to confirm from 3 Verizon sources that I do have the Gudp plan. I also have an ATT backup hotspot in case of emergency.

We're looking forward to the full time adventure. I just ordered my solar and now internet is the final component to nail down!

mike625 · 12-01-2020, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAMobile

I haven't tried my sim in a hotspot device yet but I have a feeling it won't work.

I've can confirm that my SIM does work in different hotspots "Verizon and Netgear", but I keep it in S9 "not 100% what the TOS states anymore - but if the TOS states it has to be in a phone - they could cancel the plan"

Another option is Asus AC1900 and USB tether the S7. I like the 1900 because I have ATT hotspot on the ethernet port and S9 tethered as a backup.

If you want to load balance the Wifi Ranger products is something to take a look at.
https://wifiranger.com/shop/routers/indoor/spruce/
https://wifiranger.com/shop/routers/indoor/aspen/

BAMobile · 12-01-2020, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike625

I've can confirm that my SIM does work in different hotspots "Verizon and Netgear", but I keep it in S9 "not 100% what the TOS states anymore - but if the TOS states it has to be in a phone - they could cancel the plan"

Another option is Asus AC1900 and USB tether the S7. I like the 1900 because I have ATT hotspot on the ethernet port and S9 tethered as a backup.

If you want to load balance the Wifi Ranger products is something to take a look at.
https://wifiranger.com/shop/routers/indoor/spruce/
https://wifiranger.com/shop/routers/indoor/aspen/

Tethering to the Asus router is a great idea if I cant use the sim in the MoFi. If it came down to this, I would probably add a Weboost cellular booster to boost the signal to the phone. Thanks for the idea!

mike625 · 12-01-2020, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAMobile

I would probably add a Weboost cellular booster to boost the signal to the phone. Thanks for the idea!

You may want to hold off on the Weboost - I have one and only used it a couple of times over the last 3 years. With having ATT and Verizon, normally at least 1 will provider 5 to 10 meg download speed at the min.

The other reason to wait is Starlink could be available maybe in the next year & could be a game changer for mobile data provider.

Starlink RV installation and use
https://www.irv2.com/forums/f53/star...se-512812.html

SpaceX Starlink Satellite Internet Update & Reality Check for RVers & Boaters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp_fKk4DJC0

boyland · 12-01-2020, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAMobile

I'll be going full time RVing in the Spring and I need to nail down my internet situation to work from the road.

I have an old Verizon plan under the name "Nationwide talk and test plan - 700". This has delivered unlimited data to me for over a decade but I am going to be ramping up the amount of data significantly and need it to do my job on the road. I'm concerned that this may not be the unlimited plan everyone talks about? I've heard everything from "dont worry about it, they dont throttle anyway - go ahead and get a newer cheaper plan" to "They throttle to 600k" to "never let go of your plan". I'm hoping there way be someone here that can help clear this up for me. I appreciate your time and help.

refer the 40 unlimited thread

BAMobile · 12-01-2020, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boyland

refer the 40 unlimited thread

Yes, I think Visible will be my backup plan. I wish it was on ATT for failover but I'll take what I can get.

I did go with a Mofi4500 along with a Panorama 5 in 1 antenna that I will put on a 25' flagpole. Fingers crossed that this works or I will need to sell this hardware and buy something else. I *think* I'm headed in the right direction..