Nice review, would of been a better presentation if you broke down your monthly cost and what people can expect to pay monthly for the Verizon plans.We live and travel aboard a catamaran sailboat based in the Florida Keys, we tried the prepaid Verizon Jet Pack but had a lot of issues with it so we decided to go with a portable satellite system that we could use on our sailboat and motor home, so we now have satellite internet, tv, and a SAT phone. Our monthly bill varies depending on usage, for us getting real time weather broadcast is very important when we travel by water so that is a big plus, because your cell phones are pretty useless after you get so far out from shore. Having the SAT phone is a blessing, keeping in touch with family or if you had an emergency because a lot of times the marine radios well only reach so far...
In lamest terms, it’s a mobile hot spot. I worked for cellular providers for several years and it’s nothing more than a mobile hot spot that gives just a bit more hot spot than your typical cell plan, it’s excellent for those who live in rural areas but you need to remember it is only a hot spot and will not compare to having actual internet or cell service.
Been meaning to tell you *how much* I have enjoyed (and learned! particularly planning routes) the RV Course. Courtney, you put in a lot of hours and did a tremendous job of writing those lessons. Not enough planning was our downfall last year (2019), the first full-year of full-time travel. So these lessons have come just at the right time for us - Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! (now keeping it up-to-date with Google may well be the harder part... Ugh)
Hey Steve! Thanks again for the content. We use the Netgear Nighthawk (AT&T) and were also having issues with it being flaky. I discovered that all those issues went away when I plugged it in WITHOUT the battery. We never unplug it when we're stationary and it works great consistently. When we're boondocking we have to to deal with the battery and flaky behavior again, unless we're running the inverter. Try that out and see if it helps your on your Verizon mifi.
Ditch the mifi and put the SIM card in an unlocked Netgear, much better performance and better signal. I used an unlocked ATT Netgear. You can also hot spot a phone on most plans and extend the wifi signal with a router capable of bridging a wireless connection. Been providing full time IT support for a year full timing all over the country. Generally speaking, ATT is much faster than any other provider.
Thank you for telling us that you also experience that jetpack freezing and just losing connections at times. It also just slows to a crawl from time to time...and i am like you, on an grandfathered unlimited plan. This happens to me about once per week and I thought it was just me. This is wonderful that others share in my misery too :) I will have to try
Have you ever thought of connecting/orientating a 2nd directional antenna in MIMO mode, then connecting both directly to the two TS9 ports on your MiFi, then rebroadcasting in your home with a cheap mesh wireless network? This may (should) yield higher speeds in MiMo mode IMO. TY for the video, heading to the SW in my RAV4 Hybrid SUV camper this week. Been following your blog for ages and retired at 41 in 2019. TY for the content!
Have you missed being on the road, seeing new things, experiencing things? Once you're back on the road, how long do you think you'll travel? While I've enjoyed your down time videos, I'm really ready for your travel videos to start soon.
Honestly, we haven't missed it quite as much as we had thought. After the East coast trip, we might have been burned out a bit, but we will probably be ready to travel a bit more next year. The plan is to travel for the summer, but we'll see how things go! :)
Nice info Steve. I see your weBoost is mounted on your off-grid house. I have a Jayco hybrid with no ladder. Is there any practical way I could use the weBoost on that? Even I figured out how to mount it I'm not sure how I would ever point it once I set up camp. Maybe a free standing pole of some type?
There might be, but without seeing it, it's tough to tell. We mounted our WeBoost antenna on the Airstream's TV antenna. It's directional so we can change where it's pointing. If you are going with a directional antenna (which we personally prefer), then finding something that can be rotated will be key in making that work.
One, Verizon doesn't allow you to use the mobile hot spot on your phone for the grandfathered unlimited plans. Second, we don't want to be tied to our phone for Internet. If we leave the house, we lose Internet in the house and we have Internet-connected temperature sensors that need connectivity. And, I just want to be able to take my phone anywhere and not worry about it providing Internet to the house in any way, shape or form. The JetPack makes it much simpler, and for us, it's well worth the price.
Look at using Visible as a hotspot. iPhones are not limited to one hotspot. If you get three others to join in a party your cost is only $25 a month for unlimited everything. I’ve been streaming with the phone I got for weeks. In the party you are only responsible for your line all others are responsible to pay there line cost. $40 for one person goes down $5 with up to three more joining your party.
@@mtellis3979, I have the Blade A7 smartphone with Visible. I get great internet with the hotspot, but I can only connect one device at a time. I tried a couple of different routers, but none of them will connect to my phone. It still beats paying $125.00 a month for satellite internet that doesn't work part of the time due to bad weather. I learned about Visible on a different video in which the guy in an rv used my exact phone, and his phone connected to a router, so I don't know why I have problems. Whatever - I love Visible!
The first link doesn’t work, said can not find !!!! ????, and the other one is $567. 00 that’s way crazy price I will never spend that kind of money on that, I got WiFi and internet for way way way cheaper from T-Mobile
May four green bands bless you every second of the day! Take care guys!
Nice review, would of been a better presentation if you broke down your monthly cost and what people can expect to pay monthly for the Verizon plans.We live and travel aboard a catamaran sailboat based in the Florida Keys, we tried the prepaid Verizon Jet Pack but had a lot of issues with it so we decided to go with a portable satellite system that we could use on our sailboat and motor home, so we now have satellite internet, tv, and a SAT phone. Our monthly bill varies depending on usage, for us getting real time weather broadcast is very important when we travel by water so that is a big plus, because your cell phones are pretty useless after you get so far out from shore. Having the SAT phone is a blessing, keeping in touch with family or if you had an emergency because a lot of times the marine radios well only reach so far...
In lamest terms, it’s a mobile hot spot. I worked for cellular providers for several years and it’s nothing more than a mobile hot spot that gives just a bit more hot spot than your typical cell plan, it’s excellent for those who live in rural areas but you need to remember it is only a hot spot and will not compare to having actual internet or cell service.
Perhaps starlink would be a good option for you guys, I hear that's suppose to be the best new thing for internet off grid.
I know this is about connectivity but its the first time I have noticed the spice/herb storage! Love it.
Congrats on the new article :)
Been meaning to tell you *how much* I have enjoyed (and learned! particularly planning routes) the RV Course. Courtney, you put in a lot of hours and did a tremendous job of writing those lessons. Not enough planning was our downfall last year (2019), the first full-year of full-time travel. So these lessons have come just at the right time for us - Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! (now keeping it up-to-date with Google may well be the harder part... Ugh)
Aww, thank you so much, Dee! That means a lot. :)
Hey Steve! Thanks again for the content. We use the Netgear Nighthawk (AT&T) and were also having issues with it being flaky. I discovered that all those issues went away when I plugged it in WITHOUT the battery. We never unplug it when we're stationary and it works great consistently. When we're boondocking we have to to deal with the battery and flaky behavior again, unless we're running the inverter. Try that out and see if it helps your on your Verizon mifi.
Very interesting! I'm not sure if the JetPack requires the battery in or now, but we'll definitely give that a try. :)
Ditch the mifi and put the SIM card in an unlocked Netgear, much better performance and better signal. I used an unlocked ATT Netgear. You can also hot spot a phone on most plans and extend the wifi signal with a router capable of bridging a wireless connection. Been providing full time IT support for a year full timing all over the country. Generally speaking, ATT is much faster than any other provider.
Hmm, interesting. I'll have to look into an unlocked Netgear device. Didn't realized they took mobile SIM cards.
So get a Verizon sim card and put it in a Netgear for optimal results?
I have the same shirt in red!
Thank you for telling us that you also experience that jetpack freezing and just losing connections at times. It also just slows to a crawl from time to time...and i am like you, on an grandfathered unlimited plan. This happens to me about once per week and I thought it was just me. This is wonderful that others share in my misery too :) I will have to try
Great info guys! By the way I read your feature story on CNBC Steve! Very nice! You guys have it going on and I loved it!
Have you ever thought of connecting/orientating a 2nd directional antenna in MIMO mode, then connecting both directly to the two TS9 ports on your MiFi, then rebroadcasting in your home with a cheap mesh wireless network? This may (should) yield higher speeds in MiMo mode IMO. TY for the video, heading to the SW in my RAV4 Hybrid SUV camper this week. Been following your blog for ages and retired at 41 in 2019. TY for the content!
That dam thing reminds me of the old school pager's 🤣
Have you missed being on the road, seeing new things, experiencing things? Once you're back on the road, how long do you think you'll travel? While I've enjoyed your down time videos, I'm really ready for your travel videos to start soon.
Honestly, we haven't missed it quite as much as we had thought. After the East coast trip, we might have been burned out a bit, but we will probably be ready to travel a bit more next year. The plan is to travel for the summer, but we'll see how things go! :)
Nice info Steve. I see your weBoost is mounted on your off-grid house. I have a Jayco hybrid with no ladder. Is there any practical way I could use the weBoost on that? Even I figured out how to mount it I'm not sure how I would ever point it once I set up camp. Maybe a free standing pole of some type?
There might be, but without seeing it, it's tough to tell. We mounted our WeBoost antenna on the Airstream's TV antenna. It's directional so we can change where it's pointing. If you are going with a directional antenna (which we personally prefer), then finding something that can be rotated will be key in making that work.
@@AStreaminLife The TV antenna idea is a great idea. I think that would work . Thanks
Would this work in the middle of the woods?
How do you keep snakes away other then cutting the weeds.
You mentioned there are other options but not affordable to you. What are the other options?
Instead of paying for the mifi. Use your hotspot feature on your phone. Only uses more battery and don’t have to have another device.
We definitely don't want to tie our internet to our phones.
Ok, I am wondering, what is the advantages of the jetpack vs using mobile Hotspot on your phone?
One, Verizon doesn't allow you to use the mobile hot spot on your phone for the grandfathered unlimited plans. Second, we don't want to be tied to our phone for Internet. If we leave the house, we lose Internet in the house and we have Internet-connected temperature sensors that need connectivity. And, I just want to be able to take my phone anywhere and not worry about it providing Internet to the house in any way, shape or form. The JetPack makes it much simpler, and for us, it's well worth the price.
That answers my question and makes perfect sense!!! Thanks for the reply.
Does this work in Pakistan? I mean outside USA?
Awesome t-shirt!
Haha, thanks! :)
Update.....Starlink, folks, or Starlink shared with other people. You all pitch in.
Where do you find the grandfathered unlimited plan for the mifi?
We found it on eBay, but this was almost six years ago now. Not sure if they are still there or not.
You guys rock. :-)))) :-))))
I tried to sign up for your course, but it kept flagging my name. So I just gave up.
Look at using Visible as a hotspot. iPhones are not limited to one hotspot. If you get three others to join in a party your cost is only $25 a month for unlimited everything. I’ve been streaming with the phone I got for weeks. In the party you are only responsible for your line all others are responsible to pay there line cost. $40 for one person goes down $5 with up to three more joining your party.
They are owed by Verizon and use the same towers.
@@mtellis3979, I have the Blade A7 smartphone with Visible. I get great internet with the hotspot, but I can only connect one device at a time. I tried a couple of different routers, but none of them will connect to my phone. It still beats paying $125.00 a month for satellite internet that doesn't work part of the time due to bad weather. I learned about Visible on a different video in which the guy in an rv used my exact phone, and his phone connected to a router, so I don't know why I have problems. Whatever - I love Visible!
Hi guys change your dns to 1,1,1,1 you will be surprised
The first link doesn’t work, said can not find !!!! ????, and the other one is $567. 00 that’s way crazy price I will never spend that kind of money on that, I got WiFi and internet for way way way cheaper from T-Mobile
Are you really off grid when you're accessing the internet?
Yep.
If you can get the internet, you’re not off the grid.
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You're not exactly off grid if you're connected to the internet, are you 🥱😂