verizon hot spot

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GotOldEarly said:
Straight talk is either AT&T or Verizon.  It depends on what you buy.  RED labeling is Verizon and BLUE labeling is AT&T.  If you go with Straight talk for your service just make sure the device and the SIM both have the same color labeling.

Straighttalk does Sprint too, I go by the part number on the box in the store, it needs to have a V at the end if i want a Verizon phone.
 
becida said:
Straighttalk does Sprint too, I go by the part number on the box in the store, it needs to have a V at the end if i want a Verizon phone.
Good catch and solid info.   I guess I've been away from it to long.
 
I was at Best Buy earlier and yes, Verizon does have a pay as you go plan for a hotspot, but it's pricey. I'm using my phone's hotspot (I don't have Verizon) with my laptop in a campground that does not have wifi right now!! Just go to your settings and choose "hotspot/tethering" and select that on your computer's wifi connection thingy, then put in the code that appears...mine was my phone number, and walaah, I'm using my laptop!!
 
I recently got my hotspot through PCs for People. They offer low cost hot spot with low income verification. It is a Sprint hotspot and works really well.
 
westtexan1977 said:
I recently got my hotspot through PCs for People. They offer low cost hot spot with low income verification. It is a Sprint hotspot and works really well.

I just received mine today and it works great. I now have Verizon hotspot, ATT Tether Phone and the PC For People (Sprint).
 
I am at my home in an urban area. I am a few miles from the tower so it seems. The high frequency that Sprint uses ( the PC for People Hotspot), seems to make the data speed higher when the signal is low. So that is a good thing. How close do you need to be? A few miles and keep in mind, line of sight matters. Hills, trees, buildings etc... all affect the signal between the hotspot and the tower. And no, these are not satellite. Basically a cell phone in a tiny box with no voice, just data. Hope that gives you some info you were looking for.
 
Jacksonricher said:
How close to a cell tower do you need to be or is it satellite?

It depends.  With just a phone it is only a few miles.  Some phones have a better antenna than others and can get a little further.  3G can reach further than 4G.  Anything in the way reduces the signal strength including rain, fog, and being inside your van.  You can add a booster to increase that distance, usually significantly.

Satellite phones can be had but they are expensive and require a view of the sky (can't be used inside without an external antenna).
 
Satellite devices are a completely different technology and industry, different companies and devices from cell service.

**Terribly** slow for data, no way for streaming entertainment, only a few GB is hundreds of dollars a month and devices start at $500+.

Usually very short text comms, GPS, downloading small files (weather, navigation maps) and very short voice calls.

99% paid for by the user's business or employer.
 
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