The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Needing More than 5G for Wireless Plan-Help!

    Discussion in 'Networking and Wireless' started by Hollyb, Feb 25, 2009.

  1. Hollyb

    Hollyb Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Ok, so I'm creating a documentary and I'm leaving home April 1st and will be on the road for 9 months. I need access to the internet regularly. My son will need access to do his online schooling, and I will need access to check email, update my blog, upload photos, and my husband will need access for similar.

    I recently got the Verizon wireless modem because Verizon has excellent coverage in the US, but their 5G cap is causing problems. I have been using my computer an average of 2-3 hours a day, checking email, doing research, surfing ebay and craigslist for stuff that I need for my trip and so on. I have not been streaming video, uploading photos to my blog, or doing anything that would require huge amounts of data. And in the three days I've had it, I've used 325M. That's a problem. Between my family members and I, I think we can count on 5-6 hours of use of the computer daily while we are out on the road. By my estimates, I would be done with the 5G limit within a week. And that's with me NOT doing the whole blog thing and adding on photos and possibly video to youtube, etc. That's not going to work!

    My dad got his wireless back when Verizon was doing unlimited data. Does anybody know of any other service doing the unlimited data, as well? Sprint has a 5G cap, AT&T has a 5G cap. I can't afford more than about $100 a month for my wireless. At 25 cents per Meg over, in 4 weeks I could be paying $750 in overage charges. Grr. I considered buying four of those darn devices and using one per week, but then I'm still paying $240 a month!!

    Any hints or suggestions?
     
  2. brianstretch

    brianstretch Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    441
    Messages:
    3,667
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    105
  3. Hollyb

    Hollyb Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Yes. A travel trailer, actually. I'll check out that forum. Thanks.
     
  4. Trailryder

    Trailryder Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    5
    Messages:
    72
    Likes Received:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    16
  5. Andrew Baxter

    Andrew Baxter -

    Reputations:
    4,365
    Messages:
    9,029
    Likes Received:
    55
    Trophy Points:
    216
    Don't buy 4 cards, look into getting a laptop with a Gobi card installed, it lets you switch between Verizon, Sprint and AT&T:

    http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/159434/double_your_3g_option_with_gobi_technology.html

    http://www.qualcomm.com/products_services/chipsets/gobi.html

    You'd have to be signed up with service for each provider I believe, but it does ensure you'll have coverage just about every where you go. Bad news is you'd have to buy a laptop with the Gobi card installed, there's no external modem. So, you could sell your current laptop and buy one of the laptops that has Gobi installed:

    http://gobianywhere.com/products.html
     
  6. Toyo

    Toyo Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    305
    Messages:
    1,258
    Likes Received:
    36
    Trophy Points:
    66
    Gobi is the cats **ss!