Internet to go

[parnold]

I'm wondering if anyone uses an internet "Dongle" while traveling. I have a very cheap cell phone plan that gives me almost no data. I can't see spending $70.00 a month for a plan when $30.00 a month is all I need except for when I travel. I'm looking at a Verizon Jetpack. They have a prepaid plan that gives you 250mb for $15.00 a week. This would probably be plenty for me. No activation, and no reconnection, or overage fees. Anyone have any experience with one of these, or something similar that you might recommend?

[parnold]

The prepaid phones typically don't allow tethering. I have a T-Mobile prepaid $30.00 a month phone, but it only gives me 50mb of non-roaming data, and it does allow tethering, but T-Mobile's data access is not so great outside a metro area. I'm figuring that Verizon has a wifer area of coverage.

[RandyG]

Some of the Boost mobile phones allow tethering, I was about to buy the Galaxy S II for that same reason. And at $55 a month for unlimited data, it's not a bad deal.

[jstrubberg]

Uh, $15 a week is quite a bit more expensive than the $70 a month for you to change your cell phone package.

Unless you are only planning to activate the dongle certain weeks out of the year?

[parnold]

Uh, $15 a week is quite a bit more expensive than the $70 a month for you to change your cell phone package.

Unless you are only planning to activate the dongle certain weeks out of the year?

That's exactly the idea. I travel maybe 4 weeks out of the year, that's $60.00. That's less than one month of an unlimited plan like I used to have. I have no need at all for internet the rest of the year. The 50mb a month I get is more than I need normally, but it doesn't allow roaming data at all. When I was out west last year, I used up my roaming data in the first two days of travel. It angered me so much I switched to a plan that is texts and minutes only, and in the process am saving just about $70.00 per month.

[S. Heisley]

Last summer, I traveled with a $25 a month Jitterbug that uses the Verizon towers (no contract; no minimum time). Where you can use your regular phone, fine. Where you can't, you use your JB minutes. If you have a laptop that uses WiFi, you can stop into a Starbucks, get a cup of coffee, and use theirs. If you stay at a KOA, most of them have free WiFi. (They give you a code that allows you access.) Many of the campgrounds now have free WiFi. I did fine that way.
?You need more?

[Verna]

Paul, the McDonald's in Spencer, IN is 2.3 miles to the west of McCormick's Creek SP or 6 minutes. Truly not trying to be a smart alec. Unfortunately Indiana State Parks do not have WiFi.

Watch for my PM.

[bdosborn]

Virgin Mobile's no contract data plan uses Verizon and is $35/month for 2 GB. Turn it on for the month you travel, turn it off when you get home.

Virgin Mobile

Bruce

[lancew]

i thought when one went camping it was to be away from all the wonders of the techy world .

[Verna]

:thinking: i thought when one went camping it was to be away from all the wonders of the techy world .

Believe me, Lance, McCormick's Creek SP is out in the boonies, in the hills and hollers of Western Indiana. So, even with some internet access, it will still be truly camping in one of our oldest State Parks. I haven't been in the park for a number of years, but I am familiar with the area around Spencer. It's gorgerous!!!

But, as I recall, Paul needs to be "on call" for work, so I can see how he'll need some internet access.

[parnold]

:thinking: i thought when one went camping it was to be away from all the wonders of the techy world .

I wish I could leave my job 100% behind.

[sagebrush]

:thinking: i thought when one went camping it was to be away from all the wonders of the techy world .

I wish I could leave my job 100% behind.

If I do there is the problem of leaving payday 100% behind also

[pmowers]

I am dumping my att dongle plan, at $35/mo plus fees for 200 MB I have been less than ecstatic about it, slow as well, even when I upgraded the firmware for 4G.

I purchased a mifi for my wife from Tru Connect. http://www.truconnect.com/ Their plan is $4.99/mo and 3.9 cents/MB, billed in 0.1 MB increments. Whether this might work for you, depends on where you are going, they use the Sprint network. The mifi is currently on sale for $59. You can have your account topped off in $10 increments. My wife has been happy with its performance, using laptops, ipads and android tablets while in airports, hotels, and in the car.

I am considering going with the TruConnect or since my cell is up for renewal, going with a Samsung Rugby Pro which also can serve as a hotspot. It depends on how bad the hit is going to be for a data plan.

[Shadow Catcher]

One of the best deals for a wireless hot spot is http://www.millenicom.com/page/accessories

[mustangcats]

Here's a website with a chart showing different providers and the plans available. http://www.prepaid-wireless-guide.com/b ... plans.html I'm not sure if they are all up to date, but at least it's a start and you can go to each provider's website for up to date information. I too have been wanting to find a no contract wifi plan to use with my laptop when I go on vacation, but for the areas I plan to visit...coverage is non existent. It seems that most of the low cost plans (which is what I want) all use the non roaming Sprint network. If you look at their coverage map it shows very little coverage in many states west of the Mississippi. Since I rarely use a cell phone, mine is a Tracfone and it does not have internet capability. At home I have DSL and a land line and since I pay plenty for that...$85 per month...I do not want to add anymore phone charges! It's no wonder everyone is broke because of their expensive cell phone bills. I'll never forget the time when the tenants who live in my rental house told me they couldn't pay their rent on time because their cell phone bill was $300!! I felt like telling them "fine, you can go live in your cell phone".