How do you connect to the internet??

I set up my "unlimited account" 3 days ago and got the modem free.
You can still get the same deal here:
https://members.millenicom.com/members/order.php?step=1&productGroup=23&product=115
Sprint is not unlimited anymore except for Cell Phone data.
I use my Smartphone as a Mobile Hotspot and they are threatening to cancel my contract since i got my new phone and signed the new contract for excessive data use.

 

I fired off this e-mail to Millenicom right after I responded to your post above.
This is their reply from the owner of the company which I might add was received on a Saturday within 1.5 hrs. (pretty good customer service)


Millenicom will continue our Unlimited Plan and we have no intention of discontinuing any of our services. In fact, we are expanding our services. Thank you VERY much for checking with us, and welcome aboard! Dennis Castle Owner Millenicom, Inc On Aug 4, 2012, at 6:38 AM, XXXXX XXXXX wrote:

I just signed up for your "Unlimited" plan on August 1, 2012 and just read on a message board that you are discontinuing this plan. Is this why the modem was free? I hope this is not true because this was the reason that I chose your service.
​

 

Same coverage as Verizon or sprint. Depends on which plan you go with. I have had very few connection issues in the last 8 months. Some places have faster connections than others. I've had as slow as 0.4 mbs and as fast as 6.4 mbs. I average 1.2-2.5 mbs. Plenty for videos or Xbox.


Sent from somewhere out there on the road.

 

Ok... not to sure which thread to post this question... I am not tech savvy... have a very basic dum cell and 2 laptops. One line for the cell and another for the mobile broadband. Thinking about buying a tablet. VZ tech guy told me to buy a wi-fi only tablet so that I can use with a jetpack... Is that right? He said I can use the jetpack with my laptops as well and will not need another line which would cost more. Not sure I understood correctly... Think will need to upgrade my plan to use this device and will have a 2 yr contract and will have to pay more per month anyway. And the rate will depend on the amount of data I use, correct? I have no idea how much I will need. I used to be on the unlimited data plan with them but was stupid enough to change it to 4 GBs Now had to change to 6 GBs and hope will keep it that way. Anyway, is that jetpack a good and cheaper way to get connected? What else should I know when deciding what kind of tablet to get and mobile hotspot to use with it?

 

You have summarized your research correctly in my opinion. There are multiple ways to obtain multi-device mobile internet access as you have said. By using a smartphone with a built-in hotspot (or tethering as it is also called) you can feed the internet to everything using only one device - your phone. But if your phone is NOT hot-spot capable and you don't want to change to one that is, then the next best thing is a standalone mobile hot-spot, like a JetPack or a MiFi device. Those allow to connect multiple tablets, PC's, phones, game consoles, etc, to connect wirelessly in your own "mini network" and all use the same data plan and connection.

The data plan and provider is widely variable too. Personally I would go with Verizon or Sprint if you are OTR, because of more consistent coverage and speeds. Multiple providers have unlimited data plans with some tether hacking and Verizon has various sizes of shared data plans among family members that can be selected to produce fairly large amounts of monthly usage without going over. How much data you need basically boils down to whether you will be watching video consistently or not. Regular surfing does NOT dent a decent data plan much - Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, DOES.

Selecting a tablet is an entire other discussion. The decision revolves around WHAT YOU WANT IT TO DO. You already have 2 laptops, so apparently there is something additional in a tablet that you are seeking possibly that your laptops won't do?

If you just want a tablet for internet surfing, reading books, watching video, doing email, Facebook, at the lowest possible cost, then get an Android tablet or a Kindle Fire HD. Both will connect to your "JetPack" or to a mobile hotspot phone and you are up with full surfing on the tablet.

If you're an Apple person then get a iPad. One again if you have a hotspot, you do not have to pay the extra for 3G or 4G built into the iPad, although the device itself will likely cost more than an Android and certainly more than a Kindle.

If you are looking for a full powered Windows tablet to do full Office Management and run the full gamut of any Windows-based program just like a laptop or desktop, then get a Windows 8 Pro tablet, like a Lenovo Thinkpad 2 for example. This device would cover all of the above conditions, in addition to running a GPS program like MS Streets or CoPilot Truck, and a Logbook program, internet, movies, etc. This device will be similar in cost to an iPad.

Disclaimer: there are lots of smart folks on here who have the technical knowledge to "bend any device to their will." There are hundreds of threads for your perusal on just about "any way to do it" when it comes to making a particular solution work. This post was aimed at those who ask about an off-the-shelf device without extensive rooting, installing, configuring, and regular tweaking as the OEM maker does "updates" to disable or confound such actions.

The question "Which should I get" is never comprehensive enough. The true question is "which should I get to do the following things, my tolerance for technical tweaking is, and my max budget limit is..."

 

Did sprint come up with more towers or something? I keep seeing people write that Verizon and sprint have the best coverage over AT&T and tmobile. Last year, I tried all four for 30 days, pretty much same android based phone from the four providers and sprint and tmobile were the worse outside of major cities, AT&T was holding its own but nothing compared to Verizon's coverage area...

So did sprint upgrade or something since last year??

 

sprint was the first to offer 4g. unfortunately, it was wimax. since wimax was way ahead of the game and lte was still be worked on. sprint went with wimax. and for whatever reason. cancelled their 2 year contract after 1 year.

now, they are playing catchup by transitioning to lte. don't know how their 4g service is now. but it's not as available as it once was. so your stuck with 3g.

my home city was one of the first to get 4g through sprint. verizon came along a year later. but now, 3 1/2 years later. you buy a sprint 4g phone all you get is 3g.

 

I use a Verizon 4G LTE hotspot. I have had pretty good experiences with it. BUT I use up my data REALLY fast if I don't watch it, and its not the cheapest thing in the world.

 

Here is a link to the exact unit I have in my truck. My service is through Verizon and the only place I have gone that I had no internet was on some of the mountains of Pennsylvania

MY Wifi Device:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...N=B009MA2KNY&linkCode=as2&tag=lifofamodtru-20