Here's my communications plan...what am I missing or overdoing?

[bobblefrog]

Hi all - 

Okay, noodled through all my research and here's what I've decided to do.  If this sort of thing interests - would anyone be interested in reviewing and telling me what is overkill- or what I'm missing.

First as far as where I'll be, mostly I'll be on East Coast and only doing weekend traveling or trips up and down coast.  However this fall I'm going out to Denver for two months, then the next two springs my plan is to be at the RTR and then travel out west with a group for several of the spring months before coming back. I'm doing my field research on solo women RVers

Second - I do require data access - for school and for work - email, websites - some uploading and downloading, and skype, but I am going to try to limit data consumption - download movies and do video and photo uploads at public wifi when I can get it, work offline on my websites/blog.  Small rig, can pack and go pretty easily. Does anyone know if you can buy the wifi time at Loves there in Quartzsite?  I also have spectrum hotspots I can tap into, but not anything really out that direction.

1. Hotspot #1 flashed Verizon 3G unlimited (I understand they are throttled at 10G) for $5/mo (I ordered one - works flawlessly for now - thanks jimindenver).  Also have an IPad I can set up for 3G, but not a hotspot - so really is only a backup if needed for desperate measures.
2. Hotspot #2 verizon 4g hotspot that I'll use prepaid as I need if 3g fails - only will need it 3 months out of the year, contract seems bad idea.
3. Phone #1 - Total Wireless - not a hotspot, doesn't roam, but has other features I want and is Verizon 4G - my current phone is a first generation moto from Republic and I'm grandfathered into a great plan that only charges me for data I use, but phone is dying and it's sprint only, not GSM.  Only pay about $12 bucks a month but probably will get rid of it. Every $12 counts and getting upgraded data is not that cheap.
4. More Backups - before I go out west considering both Ting and Freedom Pop for $0 to $6 a month plans that I can then upgrade as needed - these will allow me sprint/AT&T or TMobile for emergencies, those times Verizon might fail for dirt cheap - just purchase of the device.  Freedom Pop only has GSM phones, not hotspots right now.  Ting does have a phone I could afford that is both GSM and CDMA for about $129 and it seems T-Mobile might be the best bet for a Verizon backup out in Quartzsite?  Have to verify that can be a hotspot.

Boosters - have the WeBoost (not the rv model - the one down - the car model - 4gm I think) which I'm still testing - that's cellular covered, and have a discussion started here where someone is going to help me decide on a better antenna - directional yagi I assume.  Going to order the Camp Wifi Pro for wifi boosting (when I'm in parking lots, campgrounds or my own backyard That will just be an omni directional.

Weather Alert Radio
Backup Pocket Radio/Possibly Handheld CB Radio
I really would love one of those radios that also can pick up bands like ham but not sure I could justify the expense...

Not planning to get off the roads too much or hike into the backwoods.  I'm a community-living kind of girl.  Actually have high clearance on my class C (it's on a dodge ram chassis) but not my 'thang!  HAHA.  I have laptop, ipad in addition to the phone for weather apps.  

So don't see any need for one of those emergency gps/satellite things.  I will put a locator app on my primary phone for family to "follow". And I think I can even get an emergency button app for my phone...

Thoughts? Sound practical?  Sound like overkill - Verizon all I really need? Missing something obvious?

Thanks all!!

 

[jimindenver]

I have not seen anything about the 3G hotspots being limited after a certain amount of data use. T-Mobile was useless in Quartzsite last year. With the Freedompop AT&T sim cards you can use any unlocked GSM phone or hotspot, not just theirs. A Freedompop Sprint hotspot would be a good back up but make sure it has 3G which is a much larger footprint including Quartzsite. I would suggest a AT&T mobley to anyone that can get their hands on one.

 

[bobblefrog]

I have not seen anything about the 3G hotspots being limited after a certain amount of data use. T-Mobile was useless in Quartzsite last year. With the Freedompop AT&T sim cards you can use any unlocked GSM phone or hotspot, not just theirs. A Freedompop Sprint hotspot would be a good back up but make sure it has 3G which is a much larger footprint including Quartzsite. I would suggest a AT&T mobley to anyone that can get their hands on one.

Thanks Jim - I ran across it on some forums that I now probably couldn't dig up - if not throttled I'll be happy as punch, but going to keep that in the back of my mind.  Super thanks on the information on T-Mobile being useless in Quartzsite last year and about the sprint 3G, and about the unlocked GSM phones/hotspots.  Still feeling a bit foggy about sim cards and such.

 

[jimindenver]

The last I saw the AT&T sim cards were 99 cents each. Each sim is good for 200 mb plus 500 mb for adding friends and another 500 mb that can be shared my friends. There is no monthly cost as long as you shut off the trials. You can have five sims per credit card and I know of some that have over 30 sims that they swap out one each day. All of mine are Global AT&T sims but I know they have AT&T LTE sims too. Those are faster with quicker pin times too. Both can give you 200 minutes talk and 200 text on top of the data if used in a phone.

For the low up front cost and the lack of recurring cost I think that the AT&T sims are the ultimate in cheap data.

 

[bobblefrog]

The last I saw the AT&T sim cards were 99 cents each. Each sim is good for 200 mb plus 500 mb for adding friends and another 500 mb that can be shared my friends. There is no monthly cost as long as you shut off the trials. You can have five sims per credit card and I know of some that have over 30 sims that they swap out one each day. All of mine are Global AT&T sims but I know they have AT&T LTE sims too. Those are faster with quicker pin times too. Both can give you 200 minutes talk and 200 text on top of the data if used in a phone.

For the low up front cost and the lack of recurring cost I think that the AT&T sims are the ultimate in cheap data.

I went through HECK with two freedompop phones I got as gifts on my account - but I figure NOW I know all their evil tricks  Support is miserable - lots of promises and no follow thru.  Looks like there phones are LTE but will fall back to 3G, haven't delved into hotspots yet. Sim cards not on special are $9.99 now.

 

[jimindenver]

$9.99?

WOW!

 

[bobblefrog]

$9.99?

WOW!

I found the .99 cent special  Have to go out and google it - LOL, like I said EVIL they are.

 

[bobblefrog]

Thought I'd update - despite all my research it has still all turned into a nightmare thanks to FreedomPop - lol. I knew that was coming.

The sim card from FreedomPop was okay - I popped it into an unlocked AT&T Kyocera and it works fine. Only I discover that for FreedomPOP GSM you can't tether a phone. At least a BYOD device. Don't know about the ones they sell. No GSM hotspots that I see for sale on their site. Not end of world but it would have been nice to be able to tether/use hotspot feature.

The 3g/4g sprint hotspot I picked up on Ebay has been a nightmare. Weeks of going round and round - they say they activate it but didn't and the support people put me on a cellular only plan - they couldn't fix it - just could close account, argue for refund and "try again". Except you can't activate online and for the past few days now that original account they set up is closed (good luck getting that email back) I can't get rep on the phone. System constantly disconnects me when I get to "choose option #3 if you have your credit card ready" - LOL.

So, that's my sad story - I'll update later. I've been happy with Total Wireless experience - but didn't have to deal with support. Everything worked as expected out of the box. Only of course, that is also not able to be tethered/use as hotspot.

 

[Boyntonstu]

Ting!

And I thought that I was there only customer.

My wife and I with data turned OFF, pay about $20 a month combined.

Use Galaxy 3 phones from Ting $100 ea. Recommended.

 

[bobblefrog]

Ting!

And I thought that I was there only customer.

My wife and I with data turned OFF, pay about $20 a month combined.

Use Galaxy 3 phones from Ting $100 ea.  Recommended.

I did check Ting - their online MEID checker says I can do 3g/2g with the novatel device but not 4 (or lte?).  I was just hoping for the convenient 4g with 3g fallback on a plan that didn't cost until the month I was ready to use.  I think though, those 3g fallback devices are going to be difficult to get (or get activated).  

I'm thinking about just keeping my moto for the 3g (I can turn it off and then set it back up on republic's refund plan when I travel) and getting one of the freedompops 4g hotspot deals for about $20, which again is free monthly until I need it...

Good to get a thumbs up for ting, though since I still haven't quite put the puzzle pieces together!

 

[bobblefrog]

Just in case anyone is following this (and it is helpful), I finally gave up with FreedomPop trying to activate the Novatel 3g/4g after both email support, and now today, someone I FINALLY got on a higher rung on the phone said the reason they couldn't activate my hotspot is they ONLY can activate BYOD PHONES. This is not anything the website indicates - they say "devices" and even show my exact hotspot to get the MEID from on the activate page. Also, if you are trying to activate a BYOD device an unpublished number that might help is 1-888-743-8107. Hopefully you will have better luck! It's not worth any more of my time pursuing. Hopefully I can get my Ebay purchase refunded. If not it was a $12.99 lesson.

My final plan is:

Public and Spectrum (my home cable company) hotspots when I can find and use them: Download movies, books and such for future watching to my IPad or phone(s).

Flashed unlimited Verizon hotspot 3g for $5 a month. I'm hoping this will work for most things - my work of updating websites (usually not media), being on chat support forums, email, web research, google drive docs, music, etc.

Total Wireless Phone (Verizon reseller) with 5 G of data for $35 a month, ability to add 3 more G for $10 - got a larger phablet as I intend to use this data for skype, streaming videos and youtube, but note, it can't be a hotspot.

Backup FreedomPop GSM (AT&T service) phone (with an extra sim) that also isn't a hotspot, but will act as an emergency backup / data phone that is basically free with 500mb data and some limited talk/text time every month until I need it and can upgrade at need. It's heavy, durable - great bug out style phone that would be hard to hurt and has a removable battery.

I'll turn off but keep my moto g (sprint 3g) for a backup backup (can be a hotspot and can pay as i need for data) with republic. That is like $17.99 a month if you use all the data, but if not it can be as low as $12.99 a month. Again, just will activate it nothing else works. Doesn't cost to keep it and if there is only sprint 3g available could keep me working.

Finally, will go ahead and get a Verizon pay as you go hotspot for 4g just for when I travel. Only use it if that's my only option. Least won't have to keep up a monthly fee I'm not using although it could rack up the three or four months I am!

 

[user 15722]

What a battle dealing with those nefarious carriers !

I hope to find best deal through the thread Jim has just started here...

All I can do is cross my fingers... to prevent me from using data ! lol

wheels

 

[Minivanmotoman]

Wow, what a tech head! I mean that in a good way.
Acrobatic gymnastic contortions for cell and data? Simplified? Metro PCS has a true unlimited data plan, throttled at 23 gigs if network is busy, 8 gigs tetherable, $50/ month. And they were giving away phones if you ported a phone# (got a 6" ZTE, 2nd one, find them good). I used a tracfone that was expiring with 3 mins left on it and an easy to remember number. Lol. Found the coverage mostly good from A1 Flagstaff to outside of towns in CO.. Downloads? Local libraries for DVD rips doesn't eat into data and once in your data library, accessible all the time. Would that be too simple for you?

 

[John61CT]

MetroPCS uses T-Mobile towers, not nearly as widespread as ATT or Verizon outside populated areas.

 

[Minivanmotoman]

FYI on T-Mobile and MetroPCS. They have more than doubled their 4G LTE signal in the last two years.
And plans for 5G shortly. Much better than they used to be and most think. Check out their coverage map, but no doubt, Verizon is king of the hill. Now if you are covered for much less cost....
https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/lte-comparison-map
Not a fanboy, just cost effective, true unlimited 4G, no contract.

 

[John61CT]

Yes **if** you are OK with T-Mobile coverage, their bandwidth for data is often better than the more crowded ATT & Verizon, and cheaper.

But although they've been expanding their footprint geographically, populated areas and main roads, in many very rural areas they will never IMO find it worthwhile financially to really match those two.

 

[DuneElliot]

I like simple and lots of coverage. I'm not a huge fan of big companies but Verizon's Unlimited has been awesome so far...did both a hotspot and a phone for about $100 a month...that's 30Gb of LTE (hotspot and tethered) plus Unlimited on the phone

 

[bobblefrog]

So, in real world use, now that I've traveled across country, I have to say that the only thing I've really used is my flashed Verizon 3g and the weboost with stubby antenna. I am considering the directional, but so far haven't needed it. But then I don't go 'far out'.

I never got the wifi extender since I had unlimited with the flashed 3g and it is fine for streaming netflix and youtube. However, mostly I stayed near interstates or in Ehrenberg, Yuma and Quartzsite. Once in Quartzsite for the RTR yep, it's congested. Signal is good however. I just get up in the wee hours of the morning to use it for now.

My total wireless phone - verizon 4g - is my backup as needed (not often but has been a help here and there) but that seems to be as congested as well here at the RTR.

I have never pulled out my AT&T back up phone (freedom pop) and while I considered reactivating my Sprint 3g here in Quartzsite, haven't gotten a clear answer whether it works well here or not and since I am getting internet through the 3g haven't bothered. Just working around congested times.

I will say back east the verizon 3g didn't work at a couple of state parks out in the forest and I understand probably anything wouldn't!