Verizon Hotspot for internet access . . .

[chiefneon]

Howdy!

We fulltime and have AT&T unlimited plus on our phone and tablets and use it as our primary data connection. We are in a location the AT&T Signal is weak even with our Maximum Signal booster. I recently found a great deal on a Verizon unlimited data plan. Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) is offering a Benifit via their association your get a mobile hotspot for only $.01 with a 2-year agreement when you sign up for the $49.99/month Mobile Broadband Plan (plus taxes & fees), plus get unlimited data.

FMCA now excepts towable RVs to joint their association. So I contacted them they require a two years membership and you are eligible for the Verizon benifit. I joined and received the 7330L MiFi and for Verizon and got the unlimited data plan fir $49.99 a month. This unlimited data plan is much cheaper than the one you can get directly from Verizon. The (Verizon) even stayed that over the phone when I was setting up the new 7330L MiFi they sent me. No complaints here the Verizon MiFi is up and running with a great signal.

This will also help out as we recently cut the cable with DirecTV. Our DTV satellite bill was almost $200.00 a month. We switched to DirecTV Now which is total streaming. We have be using Netflix and Amazon Prime more than DTV anyway. Switching to saves us well over a hundred dollars a month.

” Happy Trails”
Chiefneon

 

[JohnD]

I don't do streaming (yet, anywayz) . . .

I just dumped my DirecTV about three weeks ago . . .

Of course, selling the house finally forced me to cut the umbilical cord!

With DirecTV . . . after the first year they'll start jacking up the price!

I started with them five years ago and it started at $39/mo for the first year and was supposed go to $69/mo after that and stay there.

Six months in to the second year they started jacking it up $10/mo here and $20/mo there . . . and it wound up at $150/mo about a year ago.

And I just recently got a notice that the price was going up another $10/mo starting January 18, 2018 . . .

I'm really starting to love my King/Jack bat wing replacement antenna more than I already did!




Plus I've got over 300 DVD's in the Prowler plus a hard drive full of movies and TV shows if there is no internet or OTA stations!

 

[Doublegranch]

Joined the FMCA for two years to take advantage of the WiFi deal with Verizon.
Received my 7330L today and one word "WOW", I am enjoying speeds like I have never had at the ranch.
I didn't really realize just how slow my internet was, since my options were limited.
$49.99 month for unlimited data, but they slow you down after 25 GB. You can hook up 15 devices on this system.
This is a super deal and can't be beat anywhere else. Verizon doesn't even offer this plan to it's normal customers.
This is an old Government plan carried over and FMCA was able some how to get included.
You guys really need to consider this if you are in the market for a new internet router!
Jet pack cost me one penny and I have a two year commitment at $49.99 per month.
One point of "interest" if you are an existing Verizon customer, FMCA suggest you sign up for this plan as a new customer!!
Wrong thing to do....it sends you to the Fraud Dept, they cancel your order and it takes a couple days to get things settled.
Also, Verizon will only send the Jet Pack to your billing address and not a PO Box....another problem as on the ranch I don't
receive US mail....so have only a PO Box....So I was able to drive into Sierra Vista 36 miles away and pick it up at a Verizon store.
PM me if you have any questions regarding this program....I spent 3 days researching and getting it to work for my needs. So can help
you avoid some pitfalls, I fell into.

 

[jbeletti]

Thanks for your review on this Garry. Yesterday, I joined FMCA for 2-years to possibly take advantage of this. Fortunately for me, my employer will cover the FMCA membership cost. Still considering the $49 deal. Will probably do it to have that plus by 40 GB non-throttled plan.

 

[JohnD]

Just thought I’d mention that I’m sitting in the parking lot of my place of gainful employment (for at least a couple more weeks, anywayzzzz ) typing this on my iPad Air using my Verizon Mifi Hotspot.

While it isn’t as fast as my Comcast at the house was, it so far has been plenty fast enough!

I’ve been using it mostly with my laptop, but find I’ve been using this iPad a lot more since I have WiFi on the go no matter where I am. Keeping the Hotspot box in my jacket pocket most of the time when in use.

As soon as I get the couch out of my Prowler and get the new desk situated I’ll get the desktop computer back out and see how that works with it.

I’ve had it (Mifi Hotspot) about a month and have been using it exclusively for the past two weeks (including at work since the WiFi there bites - ie.- worse than any RV park I’ve been in) and now showing only 2.59GB’s used!

 

[wdk450]

With this FMCA / Verizon deal do you have to have your cellphone with Verizon, or can the deal be just for the hotspot? How much are the FMCA dues?

 

[Doublegranch]

You can purchase only the Jetpack deal if you have your cell with another carrier.
The FMCA dues are $50 a year with a two year commitment. They wave the $10 FMCA set charge.

 

[porthole]

You can purchase only the Jetpack deal if you have your cell with another carrier.
The FMCA dues are $50 a year with a two year commitment. They wave the $10 FMCA set charge.

Do you need a code to get the two year discount? I looked online and so no advantage to multiple years.

 

[Doublegranch]

You have to order via the FMCA website. THey have a special link and a plan number that goes directly into Verizon when you order.
You have to sign up for two years, both at FMCA and Verizon. I have no idea what will happen after the two years, but at $49.99 month for
unlimited data, there is not any other plan out there that can match it, that I have found.
There is a check and balance within the system, you have to be a FMCA member prior to reviewing or signing up for the Verizon Program.

 

[porthole]

I guess I misunderstood your comment.

FMCA membership, there is no discount for 2 year signup, $60 for the first year $50 after that, 110 for 2 years membership.

 

[Doublegranch]

RE: FMCA you will get a $10 discount for the 2 year sign up...$100 total...It will be deducted on your final sign out.
Code should show up for the $10 off at the bottom of your initial sign up page.

 

[wdk450]

Gang:
I got this started yesterday, joining FMCA, and using their link to the Verizon website to fill out the required application form. I have had a Verizon hotspot for years, but I use a Tracfone smartphone. The Tracphone rides on the Verizon towers. I tried to call the 800-922-0204 Verizon customer service number this morning, but an automated announcement told me that "You are not a Verizon customer, please hang up and call *611 to talk to your provider". I finally got on a Verizon service online chat service linked to my Verizon hotspot. We went back and forth for about a half hour, I was told that the only way to get the upgraded hotspot and activate the FMCA discount service was to call the 800-922-0204 service number. CATCH 22!!! I finally had the chat department contact the customer service department about my NOT being able to access Verizon customer service with my Tracfone telephone. I guess we will wait and see if they get THAT ironed out.

 

[JohnD]

I was having trouble with my desktop computer...

It has been downloading and crashing doing the Windows 10 update for several months, and in one night burned through my high-speed allotment for this data usage period on the second day of the new month.

I tried to turn Windows 10 Update off...but is not a feature of Windows 10!

In other words, they are forcing us to update Windows when they want.

Anywayz...I took it to a computer guru friend and he finally figured out that the Wifi card in certain Gateway computers causes this issue.

He pulled the Wifi card out and plugged the computer into a router, and after about 10 hours on his super high speed internet, it now is a happy camper!

He suggested that for the RV, a USB Wifi adapter with an antenna would be better than the built-in card so I found this unit at Micro Center for $80 bucks!



This was the biggest and baddest one they had that wasn't $500+!

At his house and using this unit on my desktop (which I am making this post from) and connected to my Verizon Hotspot, this computer was blazing almost as fast as it did when still in my house connected to high speed cable internet.

Here in the RV park, it is much slower...

I'm guessing that maybe I'm not as close to a Verizon cell tower here.

And at his house when he connected this Wifi unit to my computer and his business-class high speed internet, it was blazing just as fast as it was when connected to his internet using the old card that was in the computer and causing the Windows Update issues.

I haven't been able to try it with the RV park's Wifi as it has been down since last night.

But so far this thing is pretty cool!

Can't wait for the park's Wifi to came back on to see how good the advertised 'Extended Range' is!

 

[mlpeloquin]

That unit should work at a lot of RV parks for internet. Some limit you to a limited amount of data per day and others charge through a provider. A lot are free and unlimited, but slow in daytime and early evening do to band width limits. We needed cell service as well, so we opted for the WeBoost which does both for a price. We also have gotten the HooToo wireless travel router suggested by Oregan_Camper. It is a battery that can recharge your cell phone or tablet for $39.99 from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...argid=kwd-143474917928&ref=pd_sl_6ynqsyj71e_e It is set up as our home router so out phones recognize it automatically. I use the app on my phone to connect to the park internet or anywhere where there is a connection such as Starbucks. Both phones and my computer do, and have WEP2 security. All for $39.00 from Amazon. Otherwise you are hoping that everyone at the park is not trying to get into your phone or computer. It only takes one for ID theft. It is a must protect yourself. So it maybe a great cheep investment for security.

 

[srcooke]

Anyone out there using the Verizon Hotspot for internet access, how good is it.

I'm used to having Comcast Xfiniti now, but will be moving on soon and looking at Verizon as a solution.

I was at the Verizon store tonight and got pricing, but would like some feedback about it.

Also wondering if I'll need a booster or an external antenna of some kind.

I already am a Verizon customer and have had good cell coverage almost everywhere I go.

We live in our 5th wheel, so we rely on our Verizon phone hotspot. I thought about getting a booster, but haven't found that many places that are bad enough to warrant spending the money. We have some friends that run their business out of their 5th wheel that have a dedicated Verizon Hotspot. Their teenage son plays his video games through it daily, and they don't seem to have any issues. Instead of paying for another device, like a Hotspot, I set up a bridge in my router for our phones. This allows us to access the internet from all of our devices through our router that gets it's signal from the phone's hotspot. The biggest advantage is I can connect our printer to the router. They only reason I see to purchase the dedicated hotspot is if you have an alarm, or something that requires internet when you are not around.
I've tried several carriers and Verizon is definitely the carrier to use. We have unlimited service, which is really the best plan if you use your phone as a hotspot.

 

[wdk450]

After connecting with the Verizon customer service chat service 4 times, I finally got the FMCA offer in place. This is the Verizon "Beyond Unlimited" data only plan at about 1/2 the Verizon website price. For more details on the plan see: https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/beyond-unlimited-faqs/

 

[JohnD]

After connecting with the Verizon customer service chat service 4 times, I finally got the FMCA offer in place. This is the Verizon "Beyond Unlimited" data only plan at about 1/2 the Verizon website price. For more details on the plan see: https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/beyond-unlimited-faqs/

That is what I have (Beyond Unlimited Plan), although once you reach 16GB. they throttle you down.

And, of course, they have it set low enough that you are forced to pay them a little extra every month for 5 more GB ($35 bucks a 5GB pop).

 

[violinini1]

Hi Dan,
You have been very helpful in the past and I enjoyed meeting you at the National Rally in Goshen. I am wanting to install a WEBOOST cell phone amplifier and wanted to find out your suggestions on best way to install. Most blogs suggest to install the outside antenna on the ladder, but that is in the back of my Big Horn and that is where I am wanting to install the inside antenna for best reception. I was wondering if I could use the RG-6 cable that is coiled in my roof and then feed to the living room Coax plates above the TV in the living room. Have you done this type of install or do you know anyone who has. I do not plan to install a satellite TV system anytime soon, so I was trying to use what was already in place. I have included what I think is the schematic for my Coax system for reference.

 

[danemayer]

Hi Dan,
You have been very helpful in the past and I enjoyed meeting you at the National Rally in Goshen. I am wanting to install a WEBOOST cell phone amplifier and wanted to find out your suggestions on best way to install. Most blogs suggest to install the outside antenna on the ladder, but that is in the back of my Big Horn and that is where I am wanting to install the inside antenna for best reception. I was wondering if I could use the RG-6 cable that is coiled in my roof and then feed to the living room Coax plates above the TV in the living room. Have you done this type of install or do you know anyone who has. I do not plan to install a satellite TV system anytime soon, so I was trying to use what was already in place. I have included what I think is the schematic for my Coax system for reference.

I tried my WeBoost with an external $100 antenna on a mast sticking up from the top of the ladder. I never found it to be worth the cost or effort. These days I just stick the WeBoost antenna on the inside of the window.

If you don't find the results satisfactory in the locations where you camp, then I would start working on an external antenna.

I've never heard of anyone using the coach's coax and I'm not sure it would work.