I’m going to move back to Tulsa for at least a couple of weeks to help my late wife’s parents transition into an assisted living facility.
I’m going to telecommute while I’m there and help around my work hours. The problem is a need a pretty high quality WiFi / MiFi signal while I’m there and they aren’t equipped for that.
What suggestions do you guys have? When I search for MiFi rentals there are just too many results for me to know what to do with. I found one MiFi rental place that charged about $250 for two weeks. I don’t even know if that’s a good price. At that price I thought maybe it would be worth it to just get a years service through my cell provider; but they want a two year commitment.
Help me get portable high speed internet for a couple of weeks minimum or longer if the price is about the same.
Do you have an iPhone, or an iPad with mobile data?
Both can be used as mobile WiFi hotspots easily. With the iPhone, you would have to add the service to your existing plan. With the iPad, you can sign up on a month-to-month basis without a two-year commitment.
In general, the two-year commitment is only required if you want them to subsidize the cost of the device for you. If you pick up a used mobile hotspot device on Craigslist, you should be able to take it into the appropriate provider’s store and open an account on a month-to-month basis.
Is it a house? Just sign up for cable internet service and cancel it after a month. Much cheaper and faster than MiFi. You can rent a router, get one off Craigslist, or buy one new – it’ll still be cheaper.
If you have a recent smart phone with G4 capability and a decent data plan that would seem to be the way to go as most modern phones will act as wifi hot spots. Using my Samsung Galaxy SIII to do this costs about a dollar a day (I have an unlimited data plan) and gives me broadband like internet speed with a good connection.
This is NOT signing up for separate data plan and wireless net card. This is using the current data capabilities of your existing plan and phone. If you have no data plans on your current service ofr an old school phone obviously this will not help.
Well, first of all, I have a Windows phone; but that might be OK because supposedly it can be used as a wifi connection. The problem with that is I need access to my phone; plus I need 24x7 internet; or at least for 9 - 10 hours straight for my work hours, and the ability to hop on easily as needed.
I half-heartedly looked buying my own unlocked mifi device; and then just got lost in a world of too many devices to pick from and not enough confidence to just pick one.
Yes, so? None of these should be a problem. The WiFi hotspot functionality is totally transparent on my iPhone, I assume it is the same for Windows phones.
Another option… most contracts allow you 30 days to return. So, you could “try” one for about two weeks and return it w/out cancellation fees (but you would pay for services used)… then ‘try’ another company for two weeks and return that one.
I should be clear as I misstated something earlier. I have Verizon. If I get the hot spot sharing Wi-fi option activated that comes with it’s own unlimited data plan for the $ 1.00 a day and does not share or use the data plan of the phone.
The key to make this real world workable is that you need to have G4 capability AND G4 service (via your carrier) accessible in the location you will be surfing. Using the wi-fi hot spot feature does not lock a out the phone functionality as it did on older devices if you had them tethered.
A little known feature of Verizon hot spot functionality is that you can purchase it for a specific set number of days at a time. Unlike the requirements a year+ or so ago you do not need to sign up for any long term plan re activating the hot spot functionality. You can also turn it on and off (as a feature) via your web Verizon user interface. It runs about a buck a day.
In re reading your OP it sounds like you will doing most of your work at your folks residence. Do they currently have any sort of Internet cable access via their cable TV cable provider? How do they currently use the Internet?
In looking most of the Tulsa cable providers appear to offer high speed net access packages for 3-6 months for $30-$50 a month.
You sure you even can use Cellular internet ? If you have to be on 9-10 hours a day + some personal surfing, presumably update your computer, for the whole month, won’t you blow through the 2gb or whatever cellular internet gives you on day 5 or 10 ? I’d look into DSL or Cable internet at the actual residence. Barring that, get a T-mobile prepaid SIM card, buy the cheapest GSM android phone you can find that can be rooted easily, and sign up for the $30/month 100 minute/unlimited text/5gb data (with dialup rate throttled speeds, not fees if you go over). Use the GSM phone plugged in as a wifi hotspot. Edit to add, you have to get the SIM card (or SIM + android phone at walmart) either directly from T-mobile online or at Walmart to sign up for the $30 plan (it is sold/promoted by walmart), and you have to select that plan right away when you sign up, you can’t switch to it.
Yes, I will likely be doing my work at their house. But, as the rest of the OP states, it’s so I can help transition them to their new assisted living facility by the end of February (I’m going down there 2/16). I assume their current setup is an ancient desk top, plugged directly into a (cable?)modem. Truth is, I’m not sure. I suppose I could get a wifi router to take with me and plug their computer into that, also allowing me to have wifi internet access. I won’t go through the hassle of changing any of their services. That would be a bit much for them, I think. Especially since I only need to find a 2-3 week solution. Within reason, it’s not the cost I’m worried about. I’d say speed and simplicity are the top top two concerns. That’s why I thought a 4G MiFi might be good. Also, I’ll have my personal and my work laptop; which is why I’m not over thrilled about tethering or an air card.
Seems like a good option for your needs. The device requires a 100 dollar deposit. And, you get the first 500 MB free. After that, you pay a fee.
I think it’s a 100 dollar deposit for the hot spot, and 10 for the stick that you plug into your laptop.
I have been thinking of trying it, but I haven’t yet. It’s worth looking into, at least.
If they already have internet, by far the simplest and cheapest solution is to buy a wireless router. You don’t need an wifi card for their desktop, either, you can just plug their ethernet cord into the back of the router.
Cellular internet is more complex, if only for trying to figure out the device + billing plan + software + data cap combinations. The cellular providers’ entire business model is “How can we best scare our customers with confusing overage charges so they end up paying more than they actually need every month just for peace of mind?” Cellular internet is also unlikely to be much faster, unless your parents’ existing internet is super-slow. You can always call their provider and move to a higher-speed tier for a month and it’d still be cheaper, simpler, faster, and just plain ol’ better than cellular internet. There’s no reason to go for cellular internet unless you need internet while you’re out and about, not simply working from their home.
I’ve been out of town for a week or I would have responded sooner. If they (as you seem to indicate) have cable internet you don’t have an access issue. Per** Reply **just get an inexpensive N wireless routerand set up wireless (and wired if desired) with that. Take it home and keep it as a backup after you finish.