what phone service work's best & computer onthe road

cj6350

Active Expediter
looking to find out the best phone services with no dead zone and how to have computer on the road all the time.:confused:
 

denny2010

Expert Expediter
i have verizon...only a couple of dead spots. but they all do, some more then others. and a hp 17inch laptop. wireless connection through phone (if needed)...
 

ChrisGa23

Expert Expediter
I would say Verizon hands down.

And to have a computer on the road all the time? You need atleast a 150-200watt inverter to power the laptop. For internet ? You can pay and use the truck stops for a monthly or yearly service fee. Or buy Verizon's internet plan.
 

chefdennis

Veteran Expediter
Verizon I THINK (not sure) has the biggest coverage in the US....I have 2 verizon phines and a Verizon air card for th laptop....are they the best?? I don't know, but my oldest daughter is a low level exc and my monthly bill is pretty cheap, and for the most part i don't have any problems with the service....
 

RoadKing06

Expert Expediter
I use Sprint, I have service almost everywhere. I also have the Epic Android phone just so I can use it as the "Hotspot" for my inernet for my laptop. I no longer have an internet bill at home.
So I pay, $120 a month for unlimited internet, unlimited text, unlimited mobile to mobile, 950 min of mobile o landline calls. I have tv on the phone, I don't fel this is bad. Only draw back I see is I can't talk on phone and be on internet at same time.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App
 

paullud

Veteran Expediter
I use Sprint, I have service almost everywhere. I also have the Epic Android phone just so I can use it as the "Hotspot" for my inernet for my laptop. I no longer have an internet bill at home.
So I pay, $120 a month for unlimited internet, unlimited text, unlimited mobile to mobile, 950 min of mobile o landline calls. I have tv on the phone, I don't fel this is bad. Only draw back I see is I can't talk on phone and be on internet at same time.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

As 4G service comes out talking on the phone and using data will no longer be a problem for companies using CDMA. Verizon is expected to have 4G everywhere there is 3G now by 2013 so that is less than 2 years now.
 

LisaLouHoo

Expert Expediter
I have Verizon, my boyfriend uses Boost. This works well, because 99% of the time, one of us has coverage...like in the remote areas of upper penninsula of Michigan and Laredo, where Boost is sporadic. The bootheel of Missouri/extreme NE Arkansas is not too hot for Verizon Note: mountain ranges are dead zones for both of us. Period.

"Bruises fade and bones will mend-but a psyche can be ruined FOREVER" : LisaLouHoo, c. 2008
 

Jack_Berry

Moderator Emeritus
us cellular phones. it piggybacks on everyone. lots fewer dead areas.
verizon wireless mifi for the 'puters.
 

Dabus1952

Seasoned Expediter
Jack I find Verizon to be my service of choice. Up until 2 years ago I had AT T didnt work for me to many drop calls. Also it would disconnect me from internet server.
 

zenrider

Active Expediter
Just don't leave the house without it
.


i use Clear for Internet service.

CLEAR | 4G WiMAX Internet Coverage Map with Service Area.

It'll automatically switch to the Sprint network, for free, if not next to a tower.
i think that people living right next to one of those towers, are vibrating....
imagine having a house router that can intercept a laptop 60 mil. away !

How does it compare to using Verizon? When I did a review on their service, I read a lot of negative comments about them dropping often and slow connections.
 

LisaLouHoo

Expert Expediter
How does it compare to using Verizon? When I did a review on their service, I read a lot of negative comments about them dropping often and slow connections.

All I can say is from our personal experiences. My boyfriend has Boost and along MOST major connecting roads he has service. None at the US/Mexican border or off the beaten paths. I have Verizon and I have service most places he doesn't. In mountainous regions, we are both without service. Only when my cell notification sounds do we know we are back ("SILENCE! I KILL YOU!")

"Bruises fade and bones will mend-but a psyche can be ruined FOREVER" : LisaLouHoo, c. 2008
 

idtrans

Expert Expediter
I have a straight talk with unlimited $48 per month and then a virgin mobile android as a back up incase I am in a dead zone $27 per month 300 minutes talk and unlimited text/web
 

cheri1122

Veteran Expediter
Driver
Verizon seems to be acknowledged as the better phone and internet provider - but don't forget about the free wifi that's available in a lot of places [especially in a cargo van]. You might want to use that [supplementing with the pay-per-day at truckstops when needed] while you comparison shop for internet service.
 

LisaLouHoo

Expert Expediter
Verizon seems to be acknowledged as the better phone and internet provider - but don't forget about the free wifi that's available in a lot of places [especially in a cargo van]. You might want to use that [supplementing with the pay-per-day at truckstops when needed] while you comparison shop for internet service.

Go to Mickey D's, get a sweet tea and set up shop in a corner booth. My Droid comes in handy for alot of things, including his business emails, but there are other things he needs his laptop to deal with. We do that a couple of times a week on the road. Breaks up the truckstop monotony and keeps me from asking him an inordinate amount of annoying questions.

Ok, maybe not the last part...

"Bruises fade and bones will mend-but a psyche can be ruined FOREVER" : LisaLouHoo, c. 2008
 

mcavoy33

Seasoned Expediter
Go to Mickey D's, get a sweet tea and set up shop in a corner booth.

I also like to park beside the building if I can. I have a bit of a conscience and I go in with my laptop and if I'm only buying a $1 soft drink, I only stay until my battery dies, which is about an hour.

Afterwards, I'll go outside and if I can get a spot next to the building, you can still get internet in your van.

Its why I prefer MickyD's over Walmarts. But library's still rock either of them. You can stay all afternoon, be set up properly, plugged in and you get can local advice on other stuff to do.
 

bobwg

Expert Expediter
I have had AT&T for years for my cell phone and internet with almost no problems as for dead spots parts of northern Michigan , North Dakota, and few spot s out west in the mountains
 
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