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Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Yahoo Message Number: 99256
I am a professional software engineer (still working, many years from retirement) and I have the opportunity to "work remotely" which I frequently do from home, but would like to be able to do from my coach as well.  The issue I would have is finding reliable, stable, high speed Internet connections.  I would need to do server interactions, Lync video/chats, etc. as part of my job so a professional quality Internet connection is essential.

My initial thoughts are:

- Cellular/broadband (like with a iPhone hotspot or cell card built in a laptop) - Satellite (like a Direct TV dish or something) - Finding Internet access at a campground or RV park, either wi-fi or wired

My experience with cellular is that it can be spotty and slow, as well as expensive to have an unlimited roaming data plan, but I have also found it more reliable than wi-fi at campgrounds.  Some national/state parks have no cell signal at all (Rocky Mountain for example) so that becomes an issue too.

My experiences at several KOA and other campgrounds with wi-fi has been horrific.  Shared bandwidth with other campers streaming movies, poor signal strength, reset connections, and other issues.  Again many campgrounds (and most national/state parks) I have been to do not even have it as an option.

I do have some kind of TV dish that came with my coach, but none of the controllers or anything for it.  I would be willing to buy a dish or whatever hardware is needed (although I really have no interest in satellite TV, it would be purely for the internet for work) if that would provide a reliable fast connection.

Obviously finding a campground or resort with wired Ethernet connections would be ideal, but I have yet to see this anywhere I have been.

So - Does anyone have any experience with finding a great Internet connection method while traveling?  Are there any other professionals out there who have had success (or bad experiences) with any of these methods?  Are there particular campgrounds or RV resorts that cater to working folks who not only bring their home but also their office with them on the road?

Thanks for any advice or ideas.
Mark M

1998 Intrigue #10661

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99258
I used Verizon mi-fi, but as you said very expensive for even 5 gigs. Have a wi-fi Ranger to encrypt campgrounds signals if they were good and used them whenever possible. Found Verizon a bit more in coverage than our ATT iPhone hotspot, so used that the most. I believe when I researched it that you can get direct satellite wifi through Hughes net and there is a users group for exactly what you're interested in but can't seem to locate the link right now. Possibly do a search for wifi user groups, as I know there is one for folks on the road. Good luck as I tried to accomplish the same thing.
Roger Harper
2007 Affinity
#6840

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99260
I would definitely not rely on campgrounds or wi-fi hotspots.  They are unreliable and not secure.

I use Verizon Jetpack Mi-Fi and have been very happy with it. Very reliable and secure. They have plans from 500MB to 100GB. If I go over my allocated usage I pay a set fee per unit for example $20. I have only gone over about 2x in the last year.
Verizon's highest rate plan is 100GB plan for $750 per month.  There is a planner on their website that helps you decide how much data you will need.  With any of their plans, you can share data with many devices and users. We have used it all over the US with no problems. If we have a cell signal we have internet.  For fringe areas we use a Wilson Sleek with the Verizon Mi-Fi device.

They do have business plans. Here's a link.

More Everything Plan - Verizon Wireless

I don't think Hughes Net is fast enough.  I have seen some negative posts about their internet speeds. Might be different now.

Lonny & Diane Livingston
'04 Allure #31065

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99261
Hi Mark,

Hughs offers a program but cost is HUGE! I am still waiting for Hughs or any company to come up with a solution that is within financial reach. Meanwhile, I am hanging with an old Verizon "5-Spot" hot spot for internet. I have been hanging on to a very old grandfathered unlimited data plan. But, it is 3G only. Verizon warned me that if I want to change to new 4G then I would be subject to their limited data programs with expensive increased data add-on's. Similar to other comments on this forum, I have been generally pleased with Verizon's signal coverage in most places. I have the "Sleek" but have not tried it on the road yet.
Gotta go. More later.

Daron Hairabedian, 98 Allure 30226

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99262
I upgraded from Verizon's 3G unlimited to a 4G Jetpack and my monthly bill went down.  I have not gone over my limit since I switched.  I stopped auto play for videos and now stay within my allotment.  I do not download large files or videos.

Lonny & Diane Livingston
'04 Allure #31065

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99264
I am in a similar profession. When I work from the CC I have to make sure it is in a place where my Verizon LTE is working. This is suitable for Lync calls and for doing some activity on the side requiring internet BW. I gave up using campground internet for work a long time ago. I ahve tried using coffee shops with limited success. By far away by grandfathered unlimited verizon data plan is the most effective.

--

Mark Laser
07 Inspire

Portland, Oregon

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99269
Verizon Jetpack is the way to go... Hughes is slow. 4G is widely available now and cost is minimal compared to all the other costs of operating these behemoths. We have been using the jetpack for 3 years now and won't leave home without it!  Park wifi is almost always a joke.

Joseph Burkle

2010 Tiffin Allegro Bus 43QRP

43' quad slide tag axle ISL 425 HP pusher
formerly:

2008 Country Coach Inspire 360 Founders Edition
Wind-seeker.com

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99270
I have had a Verizon Mi-Fi for four years and have only had one location where the signal was questionable. Before that I used Hughes Net/DirecWay on a tripod but when I moved a lot it could be a hassle taking down and setting back up. The Motosat units, which are the automatic dishes mounted permanently on the rig, can be very expensive to set up. Someone mentioned the problem with the ping time. I would imagine with what your needs are that the latency would cause you problems.

From my reading in various forums, most people who travel a great deal in their RV's have both the Verizon and ATT MiFi's which seems to cover almost all potential areas of the country.

A good online resource to connecting on the road is technomadia.com. They could probably give you a good idea on which way to go.

Gary T

2002 Intrigue

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99271
I also work from the road and have found the Verizon Jetpack the best overall solution. I connect to a server and the connection can be a little finicky at times but usable. We have to use the Verizon coverage map as an overlay when we plan our trips to stay mostly within their footprint but their footprint is far better than the others. We too use a Wilson Electronics to get an extra 1 to 2 bars of signal in the marginal areas. I carry a 15 foot mast for the Wilson antenna but seldom need to use it.

Our cellular plan this month is $650 as there has been a lot of live video but the Verizon web portal allows me to easily monitor and adjust my plan on the fly. I've never had an overage charge.

I tried satellite for awhile but it's slow and really expensive. I rent a BGAN satellite system when I'm going into very remote areas but it's really expensive. I spent over $1000 in 7 days on data.

Jim Coshow

2005 Inspire 51501

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99272
Mark,

Reliable internet on the road is problematical.  My solutions over the last few years have been.

1.  Verizon hot spot.  I used to have three unlimited Verizon hot spot plans, two phone and one computer dongle type.  I still have one and that has been hard to keep.  For the last two years I have been using an Android smartphone to become a hot spot.  We travel mostly in the west and for the last two years Verizon has become very reliable out in the area of the US west of Denver.  Don't know about the rest of the country.  We upgraded to 4G about three yeas ago and still kept our unlimited.  As far as I know you cannot buy the unlimited plan from Verizon any more.  It is possible to get out of Verizon cell coverage.  A Wilson signal amp helps.

2.  We also have a Motosat internet sat dish on the top of our coach that came with this rig when I bought it used six years ago.  I kept that going until about 18 months ago.  Ours worked just fine but was relatively slow.  We had a ping time more like 500 compared to the other poster that said 1000.  But the down and up speed varied greatly.  This is not the same sat dish as used for TV.  If you wanted a used one they are available at much less than the 6,000 they sold new for.  When I stopped using this service the ISP charges were 80 a month.  There are much faster plans available from Hughes but at much larger money.  If I ever lost my unlimited Verizon I would investigate.  There is really fast sat internet cheap from both Hughes and ViaSat if you are in a fixed location.  If I was a snowbird that stayed one place for a few months I would check into this.  The 500 ping time is not that much of a road block.  Cell phone ping is usually about 50-60.  My cable though is down around 10, sometimes less.

3.  Campground wifi used to work fairly well.  Now there are so many wifi hogs at ever park that it is totally hopeless unless the RV park charges for the service or there are very few people in the park.  But it does work sometimes well.

If I was in your shoes I would check out on eBay to see if it is true you can buy a Verizon unlimited plan there. If you do this be SURE you only go to a Verizon direct corporate store to get any changes made to this purchased phone line.  I made the mistake of working through a Verizon franchise one time and the sales person was not up to speed on how to handle unlimited data plans.

If there are no Verizon plans available on used market I would look into the unlimited plans that are available from Sprint and T mobile.  I think T mobile only gives unlimited in the connection direct to a computer but you can work around that.  My kids and friends in the past have had issues with good coverage from AT&T.

Bob & Barbra 2002 Affinity 42'

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99273
I also work from the rig at times. Fortunately for me the company pays for my connection.  I had Sprint data for awhile and too many places no or weak coverage.
All of us at work use one provider for data and another for phone. Hopefully at least one works wherever we happen to be.

I have a Wilson amp and antenna external and internal that support both Verizon and AT&T.
I am using lync for concalls all day long.
While downloads are slower than at home, FIOS 25mb up and down,  it is still very usable.

Ray O 
---

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99274
You miget post your inquiry on the RVInternetbySatellitegroup on Yahoo. There are some real experts lurking.
We went with a Verizon jet pack, from AT&T hot spot for coverage reasons.

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99275
Bad news, there is nothing that will do everything you want except for a direct wired internet connection.

I had HughesNet satellite and the latency (time delay for signals to reach satellite in space and return) makes any type of phone or video conferencing unreliable, unappealing, or impossible using satellite links.

We all know how unreliable campground Wifi is, which really leaves nothing but cellular internet.

I tried Sprint and their service is very slow and unavailable in many places. Likewise with T-Mobile, etc. You really only have two choices for good reliable nationwide coverage: ATT or Verizon. These have the best coverage but by no means perfect coverage. They both have very good speeds and deliver a good computer online experience except where their signal is weak or not available. For video conferencing you might try FaceTime on iphone or iPads, which works pretty well on ATT and Verizon.

If you are staying in one place for months at a time, some campgrounds have available direct wired internet such as people have at home, but this is rare.

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99276
My experience with AT&T in the West near mountains was every time you got near a RV park the reception was compromised.  Even the AT&T salesman suggested we change to Verizon.  That's been years ago.  The only place Verizon has failed me was near the eastern entrance and throughout Rocky Mountain National Park.  I understand AT&T works great there.  Good luck!  TWI 2004 Intrigue 11731

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99300
We keep both an AT&T and a Verizon device as I rely on access for work while traveling.  We are able to stay connected with a minimal amount of planning between the two services.  There are remote areas where we have not been able to stay as long as we would have liked due to poor reception.

Dale C.

51477 05 Inspire
Dale Collier
05 Inspire 53477

Re: Wired or other high speed reliable Internet while traveling?

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 99303
if it hasn't been suggested, you could Google RVGEEKS  they have a blog of trying out many different methods.
Also, CNET has Tech articles all the time. Otherwise, I think all the reply's here have come to the same conclusion

John

1998 intrigue 10639