| [GMCnet] getting Internet in the GMC [message #247832] |
Fri, 18 April 2014 13:52  |
glwgmc
Messages: 1014
Registered: June 2004
Karma: 10
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Quite a few caveats here. I used this Wally World service for a while with an unlocked Nokia N8 (great camera, BTW). It used the Verizon towers and worked well as a phone all over the US. At the time most places were still 3G so data was slow. It looks like the current contract language does not allow tethering, even though the phones can. They say "unlimited" data, but the fine print goes on to say they will throttle you down or cancel if you use more than could be expected of a phone user so don't think in terms of streaming video or games. The biggest issue now is now they apparently use both Verizon and ATT towers and you apparently cannot specify which you want - you get what they give you. It is a very price competitive service if you are a single user, but to have two people in one household using the service ends up costing about as much as a Verizon family plan purchase. I cancelled that service, sold the N8, ditched our land line and purchased two Galaxy S4s
about a year ago. I don't like the S4 as well as the iPhone so may do some switching when the iPhone 6 is released, but the phone/data plan works really well. We even get Verizon 4G service out in the boonies where we live in Southern Oregon. Don't need it at home as we offered up the rooftop of our building as a rebroadcast site for a new wireless ISP with a fiber link to their service in exchange for virtually unlimited internet access speeds (north of 20mb up and down) so have all we need while home.
We still find for our use that using the iPad for our second travel machine (Sharon always brings her Powerbook as all her financial records are on it) works best for us. It is easy and fast to connect both the iPad and the Powerbook to the internet (Verizon plan) no matter where we are in the US and can add Mexico coverage for not too much when we need that as well. The iPad battery lasts way longer for tethering than any of the phone batteries or the Mifi contraptions so it is handier to use and leaves the phones free for calls whether you are on the internet or not with your computer. From one end of the US to the other we have found Verizon is way better/faster than ATT everywhere other than major metro cities which we try to avoid in the GMC anyway! I am told we could save about $20 per month by combining both phones and the iPad on one shared data plan but it looks like we might loose the ability to turn on and off the iPad portion as well as the same price up-charg
e for going over as for buying more than you need. So far, this combination works well for us, better than the Wallyworld experience.
Jerry
Jerry Work
The Dovetail Joint
Fine furniture designed and hand crafted in the 1907 former Masonic Temple building in historic Kerby, OR
Visitors always welcome!
glwork@mac.com
http://jerrywork.com
++++++++++++++++
Message: 19
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 08:49:25 -0500
From: RJW <mygmc@palmbeachgmc.com>
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] getting Internet in the GMC
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Message-ID: <3c806.53512d64@gmc.mybirdfeeder.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-15"
ljdavick wrote on Fri, 18 April 2014 01:54
> My thriftiest friend says that the deal from WalMart is the way to go.
>
> Larry Davick
At first glance, Walmart's deal sounds good. However, it might be quite a bit slower. Speed and coverage and is what I am looking for.
Verizon's website.
"Verizon 4G LTE wireless broadband is 10 times faster than 3G—able to handle download speeds between 5 and 12 Mbps (Megabits per second) and upload speeds between 2 and 5 Mbps, with peak download speeds approaching 50 Mbps."
<https://www.verizonwireless.com/insiders-guide/network-and-plans/4g-lte-speeds-compared-to-home-network/>
In my testing I found Verizon 4G LTE speeds to be in the 12 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload range as advertised.
Internet on the GO: FAQ
"As long as you are in a strong coverage area, average download speeds will range from 600-1400 Kbps, peaking at 3.1 Mbps and average upload speeds will range from 350-500 Kbps, peaking at 1.8 Mbps."
<http://support.internet-go.com/Knowledgebase/Article/View/9/3/download-and-upload-speeds>
Internet on the GO seems to be quite a bit slower (their specs not mine), but I have not tried it.
--
Richard
76 Palm Beach
SE Michigan
www.PalmBeachGMC.com
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
Jerry & Sharon Work
78 Royale
Kerby, OR
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] getting Internet in the GMC [message #247841 is a reply to message #247832] |
Fri, 18 April 2014 20:00  |
 |
USAussie
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Karma: 6
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Jerry,
Point of clarification - I just bought a Samsung S-4 Active to replace my S-2. It has the same specs as the S-4. It takes a SIM and
is a GSM phone.
Somewhere I read that Verizon uses the CDMA system are the S-4 phones you have CDMA or GSM?
Regards,
Rob M.
Sydney, Australia
-----Original Message-----
From: Work Jerry
Quite a few caveats here. I used this Wally World service for a while with an unlocked Nokia N8 (great camera, BTW). It used the
Verizon towers and worked well as a phone all over the US. At the time most places were still 3G so data was slow. It looks like
the current contract language does not allow tethering, even though the phones can. They say "unlimited" data, but the fine print
goes on to say they will throttle you down or cancel if you use more than could be expected of a phone user so don't think in terms
of streaming video or games. The biggest issue now is now they apparently use both Verizon and ATT towers and you apparently cannot
specify which you want - you get what they give you. It is a very price competitive service if you are a single user, but to have
two people in one household using the service ends up costing about as much as a Verizon family plan purchase. I cancelled that
service, sold the N8, ditched our land line and purchased two Galaxy S4s
about a year ago. I don't like the S4 as well as the iPhone so may do some switching when the iPhone 6 is released, but the
phone/data plan works really well. We even get Verizon 4G service out in the boonies where we live in Southern Oregon. Don't need
it at home as we offered up the rooftop of our building as a rebroadcast site for a new wireless ISP with a fiber link to their
service in exchange for virtually unlimited internet access speeds (north of 20mb up and down) so have all we need while home.
We still find for our use that using the iPad for our second travel machine (Sharon always brings her Powerbook as all her financial
records are on it) works best for us. It is easy and fast to connect both the iPad and the Powerbook to the internet (Verizon plan)
no matter where we are in the US and can add Mexico coverage for not too much when we need that as well. The iPad battery lasts way
longer for tethering than any of the phone batteries or the Mifi contraptions so it is handier to use and leaves the phones free for
calls whether you are on the internet or not with your computer. From one end of the US to the other we have found Verizon is way
better/faster than ATT everywhere other than major metro cities which we try to avoid in the GMC anyway! I am told we could save
about $20 per month by combining both phones and the iPad on one shared data plan but it looks like we might loose the ability to
turn on and off the iPad portion as well as the same price up-charge for going over as for buying more than you need. So far, this
combination works well for us, better than the Wallyworld experience.
Jerry
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
Regards,
Rob M. (USAussie)
The Pedantic Mechanic
Sydney, Australia
'75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
'75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] getting Internet in the GMC [message #248131 is a reply to message #247985] |
Mon, 21 April 2014 23:17 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
|
Senior Member |
|
|
I use a Wilson Sleek for AT&T and it definitely raises the number of bars, but in really marginal areas, I've noticed that when I try to make a call, the number of bars instantly go down and the call won't be completed. Overall, though, I like it.
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
[Updated on: Mon, 21 April 2014 23:17] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
GMCforum
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
