Best on the road internet these days?

[becida]

We're getting back on the road and the hotspot I used to use is no longer supported, what are the best internet deals around today?
I'm looking for as close to unlimited as I can get.
Thanks!

Rob

 

[bullfrog !]

Most places we go Star Link is about your only option at $150 a month (slower speed RV plan was what it was originally) which allows you to change locations with no waiting period.

 

[user 22017]

Most places we go Star Link is about your only option at $150 a month (slower speed RV plan was what it was originally) which allows you to change locations with no waiting period.

Really? What did you use before Starlink? What are all the nomads using out west who don't use Starlink?

 

[bullfrog !]

There are still areas in southern Utah where there is no cell service, Used to be YouTubers and remote internet workers didn’t come there because they needed to be connected. Lol!!! I actually sent my son there to work just as an intervention to his internet addiction which fortunately didn’t work but that is a really long story. Even today where we stay there is little or no cell phone service unless you drive 20 minutes or so. As we got older we began to consider medical emergencies which on best situations was an 1 1/2 hour flight time (45 minutes out and 45 minutes back)to get to a hospital. When they closed the closest clinic we decided that 20 minute drive time wasn’t worth the risk of not having communication and went with Star Link even though it was and is expensive. Even at Caballo Loco AT&T didn’t work when we went there so we first switched to Verizon. One advantage for us was you can shut off Star Link on a monthly basis as well. Soon we will be living most of the time where we have really good cell phone connections and internet for much less. The initial investment and $150 bill was way more than we wanted to pay but one possible life threatening medical emergency made up our minds it was worth it and necessary if we were truly going to live remote and getting older. Lol people wondered why I kept working seasonal jobs! Living remote does have some hidden costs! Another consideration is how you will power it. We had a full hookup so that wasn’t an issue for us but may be if on solar.

 

[rruff]

Carla, I've been researching lately so I'll chime in...

First, check out this map as it will give you an idea of where you can get cell service and where you can't: https://map.coveragemap.com/signal-strength

For the places I like to go, ATT usually has better coverage... but Verizon is cheap via Visible ($25/mo), and the limitations seem reasonable. What you need is a mobile hotspot plan through your phone to get internet on your computer. Most of the "unlimited" ones throttle for anything over ~50GB/mo which isn't that much. Gotta learn to conserve. https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/The-Easy-Guide-to-Mobile-Hotspots

With a monster trailer like yours, you'll probably stick close to decent roads and more populated areas where cell service will be fine.

 

[maki2]

Sorry but there are no magic solutions that are affordable, fast and reliable in all areas. But mostly fast, reliable and affordable only happens in towns where you are near cellular towers.

 

[user 22017]

Carla, I've been researching lately so I'll chime in...

First, check out this map as it will give you an idea of where you can get cell service and where you can't: https://map.coveragemap.com/signal-strength

For the places I like to go, ATT usually has better coverage... but Verizon is cheap via Visible ($25/mo), and the limitations seem reasonable. What you need is a mobile hotspot plan through your phone to get internet on your computer. Most of the "unlimited" ones throttle for anything over ~50GB/mo which isn't that much. Gotta learn to conserve. https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/The-Easy-Guide-to-Mobile-Hotspots

With a monster trailer like yours, you'll probably stick close to decent roads and more populated areas where cell service will be fine.

I've been staying in a national forest on the Alabama/Florida border for the past week and a half. My connection was awful. I used my straight talk hotspot and that helped sometimes. Other times I was just "stuck in the mud". (CB lingo, lol)

I'm closer to Gulf Shores now and my connection is better.

I miss Illinois... And my fiber connection. I'll research at your links. Thank you!

 

[rruff]

I've been staying in a national forest on the Alabama/Florida border for the past week and a half. My connection was awful. I used my straight talk hotspot and that helped sometimes.

I don't know what your other option was, but Straight Talk is Verizon... and according to the map they often have no signal on public land. I wonder if you can locate where you were on the coverage map I posted?

I've never had internet in the boonies... kinda wonder if it's stupid for me to even be thinking about it. One of the nice features of camping is getting disconnected from all the "noise"...

 

[user 22017]

I don't know what your other option was, but Straight Talk is Verizon... and according to the map they often have no signal on public land. I wonder if you can locate where you were on the coverage map I posted?

I've never had internet in the boonies... kinda wonder if it's stupid for me to even be thinking about it. One of the nice features of camping is getting disconnected from all the "noise"...

I was in Conecuh Natl Forest and it looks like T-Mobile might have helped there (the smashed Pixel). My daughter just told me she is due for an upgrade so I will get her Galaxy and be back on T-Mobile .

From your second link, am I reading it correctly that visible has a speed of 5mbps?

 

[user 22017]

One of the nice features of camping is getting disconnected from all the "noise"...

I think it is harder for many women to enjoy camping in remote areas. Due to statistics .

 

[rruff]

From your second link, am I reading it correctly that visible has a speed of 5mbps?

Ya, that is the max.

I think it is harder for many women to enjoy camping in remote areas. Due to statistics .

Criminals don't cruise remote areas looking for victims, just like predators don't look for prey in places where it's scarce. Plus these days damn near everyone has a gun. If you are worried, get a shotgun and just act crazy if someone comes around that you don't like. You could even leave the gun at home and just act crazy...

A lot of people are afraid of being alone in the wilderness for other reasons, though.

When I went camping in AZ recently, I thought it was odd that even people with offroad capable rigs clustered in groups near the paved road. 4 miles in I was at least 3 miles from any other campers.

 

[user 22017]

Ya, that is the max.


Criminals don't cruise remote areas looking for victims, just like predators don't look for prey in places where it's scarce. Plus these days damn near everyone has a gun. If you are worried, get a shotgun and just act crazy if someone comes around that you don't like. You could even leave the gun at home and just act crazy...

A lot of people are afraid of being alone in the wilderness for other reasons, though.

When I went camping in AZ recently, I thought it was odd that even people with offroad capable rigs clustered in groups near the paved road. 4 miles in I was at least 3 miles from any other campers.

Even if you are more safe, I think the fear has something to do with having grown up in a country with our statistics. Doesn't mean it's a rational fear.

But yeah, I can see that men too can be scared. I think a lot of their fear comes from the internet. We see and hear more today... Of crime all over the country.

 

[rruff]

I made peace with dying many decades ago. I take reasonable precautions, and then don't worry about. I like being unarmed and helpless... I don't fight and I don't run... and treat everyone I meet as a friend, regardless of how they look or how they are acting. Works for me...

 

[maki2]

Please try to keep on the topic for “BEST ON THE ROAD INTERNET THESE DAYS. It is an important subject that many newcomers want to gain information about.

There are lots and lots of threads about safety in a campsite, being armed, what solo women need to do for personal protection, etc. But the reality is those are whole different conversations that can overwhelm a simple question about internet provider services.

 

[maki2]

This past year I have had more difficulties getting a good connection from Verizon towers on my iPhone. I purchased a tablet in a December that works on the AT&T towers so this summer when I move to Arizona higher elevations where Verizon failed to connect as it did in previous summers I will try out a few of the lower cost plans that use the AT&T towers. My new tablet can take two SIM cards. If it works out then I will close my Verizon account and switch providers. Possibly putting Visible on my phone and an AT&T service on my tablet. T Mobile is good near larger towns but I am not typically near larger towns.

 

[thebarefootbadger]

Not that this will help, but I use Mint (T-Mobile). It's good enough for my purposes and extremely cheap (literally $203 out the door for a year of service with enough data for my limited use), but the coverage out of urban areas varies from spotty to non-existent (and it often doesn't work because, apparently, as a third party app I'm at the bottom of the list and have to shut down and restart the phone. A lot of calls go directly to voice mail and don't even register on the "recent calls" list). I'd steer clear of this one if you need reliable internet or even reliable cell service on the road.

 

[rruff]

I purchased a tablet in a December that works on the AT&T towers so this summer when I move to Arizona higher elevations where Verizon failed to connect as it did in previous summers I will try out a few of the lower cost plans that use the AT&T towers.

What part of N AZ? Does this map coincide with your Verizon experience, and does ATT look better? https://map.coveragemap.com/signal-strength

Apparently if you can get any signal at all, a cell booster can make it usable... but never used one myself.

 

[maki2]

What part of N AZ? Does this map coincide with your Verizon experience, and does ATT look better? https://map.coveragemap.com/signal-strength

Apparently if you can get any signal at all, a cell booster can make it usable... but never used one myself.

Last summer Flagstaff NFS area at Bellemont had Verizon signals but it was at snails pace , very slow, speed during daytime business hours. I generally got timed out when trying to connect to apps for mail or other things. Phone calls went through but texts were often delayed.

Last summer for the NFS dispersed camping areas offhwy 180 NW of Flagstaff the Verizon signals pretty much ceased once past the areas with housing developments and away from the highway. I had camped in that area two previous years and had a useable Verizon signal. When I talked to some cell providers in town it was mentioned to me that some Verizon towers in the area were sold off to AT&T but I have no proof of that. Mountain areas can be very spotty for cellular signals as the terrain can block signals from towers. It can be one of the situations where you just drive a half mile along a Forest Service Road to get much better reception. A signal booster device might also help out. The close in to the city of Flagstaff NFS dispersed camping was closed early last summer and it will not be reopening for this coming summer. Dispersed NFS camping is now about a 20 minute or so drive to the closest Flagstaff grocery stores.

 

[rruff]

ATT is generally better in remote areas based on the map, so hopefully you'll have better success.

It's been a long time since I've camped in that area... so long that I'm not sure what a "dispersed camping area" is. I guess they are places where they try to encourage clustering to make their jobs easier? And in some areas camping isn't allowed. I hear Flagstaff has gotten very busy, but 20 minutes seems close to me.

 

[WanderingRose]

I have only ever had Verizon, travel all over the country, and am very happy with it.

I bought a WeBoost, single device signal booster some years ago, and it keeps the phone connected for at least text in almost any area I might be in.

Very rarely can it get nothing at all, and I highly recommend it.