Internet while driving??

[jonabyte]

Anyone have experience with an internet stick while driving down, say the I75?

I make most of my money on the internet and would to be able to connect during the long drive.

I realize that there would be a lot of lag or periods of non connectivity, but there are a lot of cities to drive through that should have coverage.

I am thinking of something like this - http://www.virginmobileusa.com/mobile-broadband-plans/broadband-2-go/overview/

If anyone has previous experience with this kind of thing that would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

I used one of these for a few weeks with a laptop in 2005 before we had wifi in the house and it worked fine. I'm sure they have improved since 2005.

 

[Monty]

Most providers have coverage maps on-line. I don't know how detailed they are, but they should give you a fair idea of what to expect.

 

[englanddg]

For sheer QoS on 75, I would steer clear of Virgin.

Look into Verizon's options. More expensive, but more even 3G / 4G coverage.

 

[The Tomorrownaut]

My family makes use of a Verizon mobile hotspot that my mom has access to through her job, and it is a lifesaver on our 18 hour car ride to The World. If you're looking for greater coverage, go with Verizon. If you're looking to save a buck, go with Virgin, who I use as my cell phone carrier and hold very few complaints with. Either way, if your livelihood stems from the internet, you'll find many ways to incorporate this into parts of your life outside of vacations and will be amazed by the convenience! I hope you find what you're looking for!

 

[AngryEyes]

My family used one of these for several years and the kids used their laptop(s) on many a long trip with no reported problems.

 

[jonabyte]

awesome, since I'm from Canada, can these be picked up at a target or something on the way?

 

[englanddg]

awesome, since I'm from Canada, can these be picked up at a target or something on the way?

Possibly, depends on the Target. The Jetpack is the best offering they have right now, and costs $199 down with a month to month contract, or free with a 2 year agreement.

Verizon, by far, has the best service coverage in the US. But, it also costs more (you get what you pay for).

Jetpacks are available at Target, but like I said, availability would vary by location.

You may have more luck going to a Best Buy.

 

[jonabyte]

Thanks, I'll check them out.

 

[fam]

verizon never got below 3g all the way down 75 for me from the michigan\Ohio line to WDW...as expensive as they are there's a reason for it ;-) I used to it to tether 4g instead of the slow resort wifi.

 

[Polydweller]

awesome, since I'm from Canada, can these be picked up at a target or something on the way?

They are not what you apparently thinking they are. They use cellular service and turn it into a wifi hotspot. You have to have a data contract with a cellular carrier. They do not do away with the need to have cellular data. So, we Canadians have all the same cellular data issues we do with cell phones and cellular data and roaming in the US.

 

[englanddg]

They are not what you apparently thinking they are. They use cellular service and turn it into a wifi hotspot. You have to have a data contract with a cellular carrier. They do not do away with the need to have cellular data. So, we Canadians have all the same cellular data issues we do with cell phones and cellular data and roaming in the US.

The Verizon Jetpack mobile hotspot comes with two options. One is a 2 year data contract / agreement that gets you the device for free. The second, you have to purchase the device ($199) and you can sign up for month to month contracts with no long term committment. The plan costs start at $30 for 4GB and range up to $70 for 12GB.

Another idea (if you have a lot of phone roaming issues in the US) is to buy a cheap MetroPCS phone (or some other month to month phone). Metro is sortof neat though because is month to month, service can be deactivated and reactivated as you please (so, no need to keep that phone turned on when not in the US, but when coming to the US you can quickly get it reactivated by paying for just 1 month of service). Unlimited minutes, so no need to worry about that. Unlimited domestic calling, and for $10 extra dollars a month you can add unlimited INTERNATIONAL calling. Which is great for keeping in touch with people back home without massive international long distance bills.