Truck WiFi Setup

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by snowmand03, Mar 20, 2023.

  1. snowmand03

    snowmand03 Bobtail Member

    2
    0
    Mar 20, 2023
    0
    Hi,
    I am new to the forums, but wanted to share my WiFi setup since I see a lot of us asking about it.
    I currently bond together multiple internet connections. This is done via software on a fanless mini-pc, that's powered by USB and my 12v system, and the software: Speedify VPN Bonding, and Connectify Hotspot.

    Speedify is software, and it's the glue that holds the connection from each provider - T-Mobile , and Verizon - together. Speedify is a VPN so it makes a connection to the closest, fastest server depending on your location (which it obtains from the IP addresses of the hotspots) and then begins bonding the connections together.

    Now, this isn’t a miracle worker - it won’t give you blazing fast internet speeds. This is done for redundancy, and stability of a connection, so I can continue to work, even if I’m being throttled or in a weak signal area. I often use VoIP, Skype/Teams, elog, and my little smart TV so keeping a solid, reliable connection is more important than speed. It's more important for me anyway, to have a reliable connection over a fast connection.

    I have a verizon cell phone that I tether to the software, and a T-mobile hotspot I get from a nonprofit called Gridcrowd.org. My verizon bill for 100gb of data is $109 and the Gridcrowd is $40 for unlimited data - so that one hotspot does help me out if I run out of verizon data.
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Moosetek13

    Moosetek13 Road Train Member

    13,770
    16,227
    Nov 1, 2010
    Burnsville, MN
    0
    I only use a T-Mobile hotspot. $55 for 100 GB. There are very few areas that I don't have a good connection.

    Your system sounds way too complicated and expensive, not to mention time consuming.
     
    Gridaxe5588 Thanks this.
  4. Brandt

    Brandt Road Train Member

    4,048
    5,325
    Sep 17, 2012
    0
    I do everything ony cell phone. $45 a month unlimited talk a text and data. They now say unlimited data but will slow it down to basically useless speed. Straight Talk says at 60GB they might look your account but I hear it 100GB is their limit. I'm at 46GB and have 10 more days till it resets. I get a little hotpot data like 15GB a month I never use.

    One time I had the Version Unlimited data plan for $120 a month. They canceled they plan but if you did not change anything you could keep it. I was making out like a bandit for years with that plan. Kinda funny now because it basically unlimited today for $45 a month. I don't use much more then 60GB.

    Verizon now owns Trac Phone. Straight Talk is TracPhone just with Walmart name.

    I thought T mobile had true unlimited plan. They are always playing with the unlimited data plans.

    Seems like Verizon is turning on a lot more 5G lately with 100+ download speeds.


    People could get Space X Starlink satellite internet. They kinda over sold it from what I see on YouTube today and are slowing down speeds . They don't have enough satellites in space yet. They might have a 1TB limits per month, they then slow you down. Starlink has mobile/rv plans but they are slowing them down even more. Starlink seems to have really over sold their system until they can get more satellites up and going.
     
  5. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

    20,614
    99,939
    Dec 18, 2011
    Michigan
    0
    Its not that it is oversold, it is that they have problems in growing it. The ground stations are the real bottleneck, there are enough sats up there, and for what it is worth, while it was in beta, it wasn't throttled but since it came out of beta, it had to be throttled at the 1tb level. I have four setup for the offices and home, I have five on trucks for testing. I live almost a mile away from a HUGE multicarrier tower, I have had Verizon and AT&T internet units here and every week day there was a real slowdown between 7-9 and 3-7. I know why it is happening but between the three access points, Starlink has been the one with the most up time and the least amount of problems.
     
    4wayflashers Thanks this.
  6. Brandt

    Brandt Road Train Member

    4,048
    5,325
    Sep 17, 2012
    0
    How do you like Starlink ? I was originally going to get it for home but missed the original sign up. I just got Straight Talk/Verizon home wireless internet. Not sure I need Starlink now because I can get 20-90MB download speed from cell tower. Probably faster once more 5G towers are upgraded. In my town I can get 150+MB download on Verizon 5G. All I had to buy was $100 box from Straight Talk/Walmart.
     
  7. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

    20,614
    99,939
    Dec 18, 2011
    Michigan
    0
    I love it, I have had little down time and very little throttling. My two kids run their business off of one of them here, and my wife works at home so she does her zoom visits and phone calls with it, even with the cell phone, she uses phone over internet. And of course I am using it for everything to do with my business. I've had it since March of 2021, haven't looked back. I still have to run cable at another location for security reasons and when we had the little ice age here, it was down for three weeks.
     
    Brandt and 4wayflashers Thank this.
  8. 4wayflashers

    4wayflashers Heavy Load Member

    921
    1,040
    Mar 14, 2014
    0
    iPad, IPhone, 2 unlimited lines, a bunch of hotspot for $139/month verizon. (They had a deal for trading in an old Samsung for $750)

    The gaming laptop which i barely use I was thinking of getting an external antenna for nighthawk router and I would Ike to find an unlimited plan for that.

    Last time I looked, if starlink is available at your home address you can order it there, mount it on your truck and get real Wi-Fi.
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2023
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.