Wifi

rlkubi

Member
We have Sprint cell phones and we camp at a place that has not great wifi in a rural area. If you park in certain places the wifi is ok but others there is none. I was wondering if there is anything I could get that would allow me to have internet for my husband and I and not worry about their internet? If I have Sprint can I buy a data card from another carrier? What suggestions do you have?

Thank you all so much!​
 

Gaffer

Well-known member
You can get a Verizon MIFI. Stands alone. Check with your neighbors to see if they get Verizon 4G. If not, you may be able to live with 3G speed at that site. Often 3G is better than poor WIFI and always more secure.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
We use the Verizon MiFi when we travel. In a pinch, our Smartphones can be set up as a secure hotspot.
 

Garypowell

Well-known member
You also might search for a recent Jim Beletti post. He is trying a service that is aftermarket. 20 gigs for $69? I think. There was equipment to purchase but you will have to do that with anyone
 

Rottiesmom

New York Chapter Leader - retired
We have sprint as a phone carrier and we have been using Verizon hotspot wifi for years and have had great service were ever we go & our home base is in the Pocono's were cell service is patchy. Good luck
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
rlkubi,

Yes, you can get data from any provider. The best bet is to check the provider's data coverage maps to see if they have decent data service in the areas you travel to the most.

As Gary mentioned, I just turned off my Verizon MiFi Hotspot device and went to a virtual network operator called Millenicom. I pay $70 per month for 20 GB of service. This is the only Hotspot plan they offer. They use the Verizon network, so that's the coverage area map I check.

I still have some (6 GB) of data on my Verizon plan that I share amongst 2 Smartphones and 1 iPad (and the turned off MiFi Hotspot).

Keep asking questions here. Forum members have many, many years experience with Internet and Phone service from the road.
 

Hunter11

Well-known member
We have Sprint cell service and when we are at a park with little to no WIFI service I use an app on my phone called Easy Tether which gives us internet access for our laptop through my phone . We use to have a Sprint Aircard but quit using it after I found Easy Tether.
 

Dave49

Well-known member
I have been with Millenicom now for 4 yrs. I have almost always had a signal of some sort everywhere. They buy data from Verizon and resell it to you. Nothing to do with Verizon but they use Verizon towers. If you look at map coverages of different providers Verizon wins hands down with there coverage by a wide margin. The company is very good, have had absolutely no problems with them at all. As was stated you buy the equipment but the positive side is no contract in doing that. So you can turn it on and off if need be.


Dave
 

evolvingpowercat

Well-known member
You may be able to use your Sprint smart phone as a WiFi hot spot. This can be turned on and off from Sprint's web site and the monthly billing price is pro-rated when you don't just turn it on and leave it on. I have a Sprint iPhone 5S and do this. Most newer Sprint Android Smart Phones and Apple Smart Phones have this capability. It won't be as fast as campground WiFi at most campgrounds where Sprint will only have 3G but it works great for email and checking web sites. If where you camp is not on Sprint's network and uses roaming coverage then this won't be a good option for you as the amount of data you can use while roaming is VERY limited.
 
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dave10a

Well-known member
One should consult the cell phone coverage maps for the service provider they are using. If you are outside the coverage area a booster will have no effect. Cell phone transmission is line of sight so if the curvature of the earth obscures the signal forget it.
 

wdk450

Well-known member
Dave:
The typical built-in antenna in a cellular device is tiny and is usually located in a poor signal area. An external cellular antenna with significant gain aimed at the nearest cell tower is going to get you more signal. In talking back to the cell tower, your typical cellular device puts out about 1/1000th of a watt. The cellular boosters amplify that signal about 1000 times up to a watt. Agreed, if you are out of practical range you are going to get nothing, but many RVers have reported communications where they didn't have them before with these devices.

When my son lived in Huntington Beach, he was in a complex of 3 paralell apartment buildings. His best friend lived in an apartment 2 buildings over. My son wanted to share WiFi with his friend. With the normal computers set-ups he couldn't do it. With a simple "Pringles can" WiFi antenna he got the signal from his friend's apartment THROUGH the apartment building in the middle. A little antenna gain CAN do wonders.
 

dave10a

Well-known member
I am very familiar with RF and obstacles that attenuate the signal, but I don't know many people who camp in urban areas. I do know a lot of people who camp in remotes areas and line of sight is generally the problem--barring ground waves. It is true that tree's and RV structure can attenuate a signal, but I suspect most problems are caused by not being in the "line of sight", and therefore a coverage map is a great tool to determine the probability of getting a cell phone signal. BTW cell phone put out 27dbm which is 512mw in most cases. That is plenty of power for line of sight operations. I have not found the need to pay the money for transponders that put out 2watts while in my RV. I used to run 2 meter at 5 watts input utilizing satellite transponders called "Oscar" when I was in Ham radio and I demonstrated I could use 21dbm on the 2 meter band satellite link successfully. So be carefull when you think you have a need to spend the money for a transponder. Most of the time it is not needed-- try it before you buy it.
 
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