Can anyone give a very simplistic explanation on DIY internet in a van?

[B and C]

No contract with visible either, cancel at any time as there is not a contract.

Plug your phone in to charge while using the hotspot (tethering) as the hotspot function uses more power.

 

[jacqueg]

After reading all this I'm actually really confused to be honest, lol. But I get what people are saying, I just don't know the step 1, 2, 3 etc of getting a cheaper thing comparable to land line.

The only thing you really need to know is that getting your internet over a cell network is a different animal than getting your internet via wifi over a router, and requires different components in your computer/tablet/laptop. Just about all computers sold these days can access the internet via wifi, all it requires is physical proximity to a router and a valid password. But they don't all have the capability to also connect via a cell network. As I said above, you can buy devices that will connect both ways. But it seems easier and more flexible to me to have a cell phone that will act as a hot spot, and a regular computer with ordinary wifi capability.

Basically, a computer that can access internet over the cell network is able to act as a cell phone. But you can't carry it around in your pocket.

 

[Weight]

Internet is connected by a router. It can be someone else's router, such as Micky-D. It can be your router. If it is your router it must connect to the internet using a subscription you pay the monthly bill, such as Verizon. That can be a wire from a pole into your home or it can be a wireless signal like your cell phone uses. You get to chose what service you want to pay. Key word you pay. There are numerous wireless plans available, some better than others. Then you need a computer that connects to the router. Some if not most computers have built in WiFi then you can connect to someone else's router if you have the password. Or you can use the router and service you pay the fee and you will have the password for that. Most cell phones have WiFi and can connect to the internet. Some can be used as the router and allow you to connect a computer to the cell phone data plan. You pay.

 

[MrAlvinDude]

The difference between your house-without-wheels and your house-with-wheels is, that the house-without-wheels can have a wire being permanently connected to the rest of the internet.


You house-on-wheels, needs to use wireless technology.
There are two basic types of wireless technology, WiFi and cellphone towers.

For WiFi to work, you need to be fairly close to the WiFi router.

Cell phone towers have a much longer range for its wireless signals, so you do not need to be anywhere near as close to the cell phone tower, for its wireless signals to work.


With WiFi signals, you typically need to be some feet away. So typically no longer than 10 to 100 feet away from the WiFi device.
A WiFi device can be the WiFi router in your house-without-wheels, the WiFi at a coffee shop, or WiFi at the library  etc. 
But for it to work, you need to be no longer than 100 feet away (often closer than 100 feet).


For a cellphone tower signal to work, you need to be within miles of the tower, typically no longer away than 1-3 miles

You cellphone can connect to a cellphone tower.
You laptop or notePad may also have the option to have a sim card installed, and then your laptop or notePad can connect directly to a  cellphone tower.


For many cellphones, laptops and notePads, it is also possible for them to convert and share their cellphone tower connection, as a WiFi signal.

There are special WiFi routers than instead of a wire to the internet, they use a cellphone tower signal for their internet connection, and then make a WiFi signal available for all of the devices in you house-on-wheels.

Using a device (a cellphone, laptop, notePad or PocketWiFi device) as a gateway between the cellphone towers and your local/private WiFi, is the most common way for houses-on-wheels to get an internet connection.


Most people living in houses-on-wheels combine these options, for internet connections, as a way to save on the bandwidth. As most cellphone tower solutions do not have unlimited download data plans.


For cellphone tower solutions you will want the 4G or 5G  type. 4G is sometimes also called LTE.

 

[MrAlvinDude]

WiFi connections are sometimes also called a hot-spot.

You need to be close to a hot-spot, for it to work. Because it uses WiFi signals. And WiFi signals only typically reach 10-100 feet away from the WiFi router.


It is possible for a library (or big shop) to set up several WiFi routers, and thus be able to cover a bigger area, than just 10-100 feet.

Some campuses/hot-spots use this method of deploying a high number of WiFi routers, in order to provide WiFi connectivity for an entire campus.

 

[MrAlvinDude]

Oh, there is a third wireless option, it is satellite.

A satteilte wireless connection  will however always need a special antenna.  For a two way internet satellite system, as in boh download AND upload happening via satellite, you need a dish no smaller than 2 feet in diameter. Typically 3-4 feet in diameter.

Some satelite systems only have download via satellite, and then upload via an other type of internet connection. Both types of internet connection will however need to be active at the same time, for the satellite download to work.


So in practical terms, there are only two wireless options, WiFi and cellphone towers.



In a few years we will however also start to see special low-orbit-satellite cellphone systems. But for now, this is still fiction, and/or way out of a normal house-on-wheels users price range.  And I suspect that we will first see these new types of low-orbit-satellite systems be used as the backbone connections for cellphone towers.


So again, we are back to realistically two wireless options  for house-on-wheels solutions: WiFi and cellphone towers.

 

[MrAlvinDude]

hmm... error - but meant to say, that in unique situations cellphone tower signals might be able to reach tens of miles. But this is not the norm.

 

[gslanm]

Yup, it's definitely the best play to use the cell phone as a hotspot that receives it's signal from the "cell phone tower" and just tether my PC to my cell phone as a hotspot afterwards.

Having no experience, I just assumed that there would be an easier solution that didn't drain cell phone battery or wear and tear, like they have a easy to buy antenna or something that serves as a hotspot but I see now that's not as easy.

Truth be told, I'm find with visible and I definitely need unlimited data. I'd have to buy a better phone though to handle the strain of hotspot use. My current phone is $140 retail from Tracfone.

 

[B and C]

You don't need a "better" phone. Any phone (that is compatible with visible (verizon)) that has a hotspot (tethering) feature will work. When I use mine, I just leave it plugged in for charging. Wear and tear will only really be on the charging port from plugging and unplugging. Electronics last a long time.

 

[wayne49]

One thing to mention (in my experience with Verizon and 4G LTE) is that while using a phone as a hot spot, if a voice call comes in, or if one wants to make an outgoing voice call, the phone's hot spot goes dormant. During the voice call one cannot look something up on the internet. Others may have differing experiences.

If one plans on working remotely, the ability to be on a call and to be on the computer at the same time would be critical. This type of usage has not been mentioned in this thread.

You may not need a WiFi router. I only got one recently to share files between multiple local computers. Otherwise, unless the phone has a restriction on hot spot connections, you can have multiple devices, each connected to the Internet.

My Jetpacks have been alerting me that it is not good for the battery to leave them plugged into a charger 24 by 7. My phone has never complained, but I never have left my phone plugged in 24x7.

As for a phone, as long as it is on, it is always communicating with the network. No extra work for the phone to be a hot spot. You probably will shut the hot spot down whenever the computer will be off.

 

[wayne49]

When setting up your hot spot, do not use a name that would identify you personally. Use a random set of letters and numbers for the hot spot name and use a secure password (letters, digits, special symbols).

Your hot spot name will be visible to the public close by your location.

Somebody in this local area uses "FBIStation1" as a name for their WiFi. A honeypot to attract hackers?

 

[RVTravel]

The hotspot name does not have to be "visible" to the public. Mine is not with the Visible service by Verizon on a Motorola phone. Click the box for "Hide my device".

 

[RVTravel]

My attempt at a simplistic explanation. In a mobile situation you have to either have your own device to connect over a cellular network or connect to sombody elses by wifi.

If you use your own device, it can be simple (phone or hotspot) or more complicated (cellular modem, router, antenna, etc). The most simple and the best value I can think of is a phone on the Visible network (Verizon, prepaid, no roam feature) with hotspot turned on, if you want to use a separate device (larger phone, tablet, laptop) to use the internet. You could use the phone itself if you don't need a larger screen. There are add on devices (antenna) to make a cellular signal stronger.

If you use somebody elses internet connection over wifi you have to be in the vicinity of their connection (inside or maybe outside a mcdonalds, etc). There are add on devices to make a wifi signal stronger so you don't have to be next to the building.

If you need a reliable signal for work, some people have multiple devices to connect to all four service providers (Verizon, AT&T, TMobile, Sprint) or use a Verizon postpaid device so they have roaming (can connect in more remote locations).

 

[jacqueg]

Yup, it's definitely the best play to use the cell phone as a hotspot that receives it's signal from the "cell phone tower" and just tether my PC to my cell phone as a hotspot afterwards.

Having no experience, I just assumed that there would be an easier solution that didn't drain cell phone battery or wear and tear, like they have a easy to buy antenna or something that serves as a hotspot but I see now that's not as easy.

Truth be told, I'm find with visible and I definitely need unlimited data. I'd have to buy a better phone though to handle the strain of hotspot use. My current phone is $140 retail from Tracfone.

That doesn't make a bit of difference. My iPhone is 5 years old (that's about 150 years old in human terms) and does fine. It will continue to do fine until 5G takes over. In other words, if it can do it at all, it does it as well as any other phone.

If you are used to wifi in a s&b, keep in mind that internet over the cell network is slower. And it's slower for everyone, regardless of the phone. And if a lot of people are using the same tower as you are, it will get REALLY slow. Has nothing to do with the capability of your phone. It's just the nature of using a cell network vs using a wifi router connected to a cable/DSL/fiber optic line.

 

[doublegregg]

has anyone here used pcs for people? they provide pcs and internet for lower income people. might be the ticket. for a single person, the limit is about $25000, or certain programs (such as for the disabled) that also provide elibility. i use them just for data. i got a little hot spot... a cool pad surf. it seems ok. you can choose how many months you want to sign up for, and the price goes down as you edge up to 12 months. for example, 6 months is $170, and 12 months is $260.

i think they use sprint towers.......but not sure. but the price certainly seems v attractive. they claim 4g lte, unlimited data only. you can apply online, which is what i did..... it's simple and easy... just a hot spot. the risk is the cost of the hot spot itself and the monthly costs.

happy trails