I have a Generac Generator with Mobile link monitoring. It uses a Cellular connection to get status information from the generator.
The hardware option from Generac cost $300.
I originally signed up for a 3 year subscription. It’s expired.
They no longer offer long term subscriptions. 1 year is $118 and monthly it’s $12.50.
That seems like an excessive fee for access to a web site. It offers a Status, and activity log. It doesn’t let you RESET! I still have to physically open the lid and press that button.
We already paid Generac $4k or more plus installation. I can understand a small fee for the Cellular data to update the web site. But, $12.50 month??
Does that seem reasonable to you? $5 a month seems more appropriate to me. 
I’m debating whether to renew this subscription. I logged in twice a month to check the activity log. Confirm the weekly test ran ok.
What did you decide?
Mobile Link can be configured to Send Alerts to a Generator Service Company. They’ll be notified if the generator goes down.
Yeah, there’s a fee for that too. 
I rejected that option.
I voted Other because my subscription has lapsed and I haven’t decided to renew.
“Other” also because I’ve no subscription and every time I try to setup MobileLink, it crashes, so fuck it.
I’ve had trouble logging in to Mobile link. I have it written down and some days it just won’t let me in.
Sometimes it’s really slow. There’s a noticable lag as it queries the generator and retrieves the data.
They charge a premium price at $12.50 a month. It costs them very little. I doubt there’s more than a few thousand Kb of cellular data transmitted. Maybe a lot less. The actual data from the generator could be only a few hundred bytes.
The web site should be a lot better.
Well, this is a fine mess.
I decided to renew my Mobile Link and found out it can’t be renewed. It’s been inactive 18 months and Verizon, the cellular carrier has banished my mobile link device to the 3g trash can. 
Why do I have a 3g device on a generator installed in Oct 2014? I have no idea. Didn’t know anything about the Mobile Link unit. It was an option offered to communicate with my generator. I didn’t even know Verizon is the carrier. I deal with Generac.
So now my option is to spend another $300 on a mobile link device. This time a 4G model. The subscription fee is $69 a year.
Option 2. Generac is developing a plug in wifi module for older generators. The rep checked and my 2014 model would be compatible. Yearly subscription is $49 for wifi. But, theirs no specific time line when this device hits the market. I’d guess Mr Coronavirus has set back any development schedule.
At least my mom’s 16kw generator doesn’t have a Cellular connection. It was installed in Aug 2018 and has built in WiFi. It’s connected to her home Wifi. She’s paying the $49 a year subscription.
Technology is often confusing and frustrating. Nothing we can do but try and keep up.
The lesson learned…
Don’t think of MobileLink as just another web site that you subscribe to when needed. I often get bored with a web site and don’t renew. I’ll eventually drift back and subscribe again a year or two later.
MobileLink is not just another web site hosted by Generac.
It’s a Cellular contract with all the headaches and pitfalls of a phone.
Sorry. I have to ask; can’t you just walk into the backyard and see if there are any problems with your emergency generator?
I could when I’m there. I’m staying 30 miles away in a small community and avoiding the city. Sheltering from Coronavirus.
The best feature of MobileLink is the Text and Email alerts. I can see it ran the weekly test successfully. Any error codes and shutdown is sent as an alert.
It’s not essential. That’s why I let the subscription lapse. But, remote monitoring would be a lot more useful now.