Okay, how RELIABLE really are wireless Internet services? And high bandwidth options?

[TMG51]

I've been fortunate enough to acquire a job working remotely with a web consultancy firm. I have dreams of this job tying in with my desire to live full-time on the road and travel; working remotely, I'll have a steady income to finance my adventures, and none need be the wiser! Currently I am living in brick-and-mortar in the Northeast. Two points of technological hurdles enter my mind here.

1. Of course this plan hinges on the availability of reliable, consistent Internet service. I've read up here about hotspots and data plans and et cetera, and all that information is helpful, but I think the answer I need first is am I really going to get the same reliable service as I would with a home line? I often maintain hour+ screen shares and conference calls for work. If my connection is going to bug out at all in that time, it's going to make for an unworkable environment.

2. Also, I sometimes have to download large files and databases, potentially in the neighborhood of 80GB. My understanding is that this is not possible with a mobile-type service without paying exorbitant fees. Is that a roadblock for me? How feasible would it be to rely on wifi locations along the way? I would rather not end up having to explain to my boss, "Hey.... sorry, I can't download that file today because actually I live in a van and I didn't find a good wifi connection today. Maybe tomorrow."

Just looking for overall impressions on this, if it's feasible or if I'm steering myself down a path for failure.

Edit: I am also not a smart phone user, and I know little about those data plans or the differentiation between them and "hot spot" devices. I use a feature phone with plan for call, text, and simple web, which I gather is different from smart phone data plans. (I'm tech-savvy, I just hate touch screens and thus have ignored smart phones all my life.) I would get with the times in this regard if it tied in with the road life.

 

[MikeRuth]

I too have the same needs and have been looking into this a bit, yet I have nothing definitive to say yet.

Seems with out that fixed location they have you bye the nads!!!

I haven't tried any big downloads yet, but I know Time Warner's hot spots can be super fast. I've sat and watched netflix movies on those connections.
Now as you say, whats gonna happen when the big data is pulled? soon as I can give up the time I'm going t test that path.
Then again this is in the big city, even though TW is nation wide I don't know what you would get in a small town city.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Have you guys looked at Technomadia's site and their book on such things?

For people who absolutely, positively, need to connect for work, they recomend multiple data plans from different companies, PLUS satelite internet.

Regards
John

 

[TMG51]

Have you guys looked at Technomadia's site and their book on such things?

For people who absolutely, positively, need to connect for work, they recomend multiple data plans from different companies, PLUS satelite internet.

Regards
John

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that. Seems this may also get expensive but necessary. Still doesn't solve the large file issue, but it's good thinking material.

 

[akrvbob]

Running this website I also need constant, reliable internet and I've had no problem with that using a Verizon data plan and I am always in the middle of nowhere. I have a 30 gig plan with a Jetpack and smartphone for $190 a month

How often do you have to do 80 gig downloads? Once a year would be no problem, just use wifi or pay the overage fees that time. Once a month or more might be a problem. Once a month would get very expensive so you'll have to find a way to have fast wifi somewhere.
Bob

 

[Bdog1]

80gig on public wifi? Don't think that's gonna work well.

How fast are the satellite systems these days? They use to be pretty weak. Do they charge by data used or just by the speed?

 

[akrvbob]

I only know one guy who is using satellite internet and he is an Uber Nerd and can barely make it work. It's difficult, expensive and slow. He nor I recommend it.
Bob

 

[Matt71]

If it's part of your job, your company should pay for your data package, or at least part of it.

 

[TMG51]

Running this website I also need constant, reliable internet and I've had no problem with that using a Verizon data plan and I am always in the middle of nowhere. I have a 30 gig plan with a Jetpack and smartphone for $190 a month

How often do you have to do 80 gig downloads? Once a year would be no problem, just use wifi or pay the overage fees that time. Once a month or more might be a problem. Once a month would get very expensive so you'll have to find a way to have fast wifi somewhere.
Bob

Ah, I'm graced by a response from the Bob himself. Your question is astute and forces me to admit that I do not know the answer. As of yet, I've had to make only a couple downloads in the ~10gb range, but I am aware that the company deals in large data backups at times and I am attempting to perform prudent planning without keeping council in my employer. The 30gb monthly plan seems reasonable for most of my usage needs. I will have to see, as my responsibilities develop, how my data needs grow.

The satellite info is interesting as well. It sounds like it wouldn't be feasible.

If it's part of your job, your company should pay for your data package, or at least part of it.

This is an interesting point, as my written job offer states that 100% of my cell phone bill is to be paid for by the company in 2016..... but I'm not sure that a $200 data plan was foreseen in that offer.

 

[RVTravel]

It may be best to be upfront about your mobile plans. They will probably know something is up when you don't have the usual cell phone bill amount?

 

[SoulRaven]

I have to agree with RVTravel, they know you're working remotely anyway, so they should have no problem that you want to do it while traveling, and may be very helpful in getting you set up.

 

[Almost There]

I'm also looking for super reliable internet service. Worst case scenario is that I will have to limit how far off the beaten track I can go. I may have to stay within internet range and only do day adventuring off the grid.

My other problem isn't a really large bandwidth, it's having unlimited long distance calling to Canada from the US. I can find lots of plans that offer unlimited US calling but the minute I want to call Canada a lot, I run into problems.

If anyone stumbles across a plan that will give me either 1000 to 1500 minutes a month or better yet, unlimited calling to Canada let me know. 

It's either that or retire completely and right now I kinda like the extra money!..

 

[Matt71]

I plan on having the company I work for pay for part of my Verizon bill.
It seems like Verizon is the best way to go overall since they have the best network.
I don't think you're going to get a bigger mobil data plan. All of the unlimited data plans I've seen have limitations in regards to mobile hotspots.

T-Mobel is offering an unlimited data plan, but it tops out your mobile hot spot data at 5GB
MetroPCS also has an unlimited data plan, but it caps it's hotspot data at 2.5GB then charges $5 per GB. You also have to pay $5 per month to have the hot spot option and only on specific phones.

 

[TMG51]

I'm also looking for super reliable internet service. Worst case scenario is that I will have to limit how far off the beaten track I can go. I may have to stay within internet range and only do day adventuring off the grid.

My other problem isn't a really large bandwidth, it's having unlimited long distance calling to Canada from the US. I can find lots of plans that offer unlimited US calling but the minute I want to call Canada a lot, I run into problems.

If anyone stumbles across a plan that will give me either 1000 to 1500 minutes a month or better yet, unlimited calling to Canada let me know. 

It's either that or retire completely and right now I kinda like the extra money!..

What about web calling services like Lync (another person can call in from a phone if they don't have an account) or Google Voice (not free for international but maybe cheaper)?

I don't have real first-hand experience there, just throwing ideas out.

 

[Almost There]

What about web calling services like Lync (another person can call in from a phone if they don't have an account) or Google Voice (not free for international but maybe cheaper)?

I don't have real first-hand experience there, just throwing ideas out.

Lync wouldn't work because most of my calls are chasing down prospects to finalize a sale. Once they're a client people generally return phone calls but when you're trying to convince them to become a client, the calls are all on my side.

Haven't looked at Google voice yet...off to explore what that is and how it works.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

An 80gb file is not "large", it's HUGE.

There are USB flash drives now as large as 128gb.

Frankly, the only way I could see something like that working is if someone at work downloaded the file to something like that and then Fed-Ex'd it to you overnight.

If security was a concern, the file would be encrypted.

Of course, for this to work, the company would have to know that you were off wandering, and be comfortable with that.

Regards
John

 

[TMG51]

An 80gb file is not "large", it's HUGE.

There are USB flash drives now as large as 128gb.

Frankly, the only way I could see something like that working is if someone at work downloaded the file to something like that and then Fed-Ex'd it to you overnight.

If security was a concern, the file would be encrypted.

Of course, for this to work, the company would have to know that you were off wandering, and be comfortable with that.

Regards
John

Good advice here, and thanks everyone. Looks like I'll have to settle in my position more and discuss with my employer before cementing any plans in.

 

[Matt71]

An 80gb file is not "large", it's HUGE.

There are USB flash drives now as large as 128gb.

Frankly, the only way I could see something like that working is if someone at work downloaded the file to something like that and then Fed-Ex'd it to you overnight.

I don't think he's talking about a single 80GB file, but a single download that big would be an issue on just about any network simply because of the download time. A MiFi 4620L, which is one of the fastest Mifi devices, has a typical download speed of 10Mbps which comes out to over 2 hours of download time. Your connection is likely to time at some point, which will likely mean having to start all over. Seriously, losing your connection at 75GB of an 80GB download could be costly. I'd be leery about downloading that much data at one time over a wifi connection, even if the cost wasn't an issue. Ultimately it would be cheaper to next day air a flash drive.

 

[offroad]

Many STARBUCKS have a google fiber connection. When I was logged in for free I was getting 30Mbps speed in a burst. Not sure about sustained connections.

Suggest you seek out an index of providers that have GOOGLE FIBER connection. You may need to set a time during the week when you do high bandwidth activity. Somewhere specific at a internet kiosk company.

 

[LeeRevell]

One nice thing about my mainframe programming was, being tasked to copy HUGE tape data files to DVD for archival, I was able to split the data out into smaller chunks and copy it that way to the disk. I wrote the copy program myself (love EasyPlus!) and could set the file length to whatever I wanted.
With a laptop utility, I don't know if that would be possible? I never got into programming in the newer/higher languages, so it might be doable for a good nerd.