Is 5 GB enough

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I thought that one got 10 numbers on Friends and Family with Verison. We even put FDCC on that list. Saved a TON of minutes.
5 numbers on individual plans of 900 minutes or more, 10 numbers on family plans of 1400 minutes or more. :)
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Smartphones aren't merely phones that do the Internet, they're hand-held computers that make phone calls.

Yeah, I know that they are. They are just useless to me. I can barely see my 15.6 inch screen, let alone those "DINK" screens. I have NEVER needed "INSTANT" internet for any reason and have only ever used my camera on my phone twice ever since phones have had them. I am not even allowed to have a camera phone at many of my deliveries or pick ups. They don't kill ducks OR deer. I have not need. Therefore, they are a waste of money for me. Every ones needs and wants are different.
 

denny2010

Expert Expediter
We have Verizon wireless hotpot. 5 gb. The only thing we don't do is stream movies. Online alot and play xbox 360 online when down. Never been over our 5 gb.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App
 

JimF51

Seasoned Expediter
Had Verizon smart phone and the 5 gig wireless. Phone service was the pits, and never used the data plan required with the smart phone. Most months, the 5 gig was plenty, but did come close a couple times. And they don't let you know, automatically, when you go over.

Now back to a Straight Talk dumb phone, and unlimited wireless through our cable company. $95 per month, total. My phone service is much better. Granted, there have been a couple of times I didn't have a signal for the wireless, but not very often.

If I'm in a area with poor or no signal, and there is a Pilot/J or TA/Petro, I get their wifi service, using my rewards points.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
I plan to get a new service plan that gives me unlimited talk, text and data. I'll then add on premium data for 4G service and add on hot spot so I can connect the laptop.

So wouldn't this make sense?

I still have an unlimited data plan on the phone, so I tether that to the laptop quite a bit. I also have a 5 GB aircard. I generally hit 5 GB on both the phone and the aircard.

Why have an air card at all?
 

Monty

Expert Expediter
I purchased my first "cell phone" while at Roberts in the 80's ..... there was no service in Dayton, so I had to get it through Cincinnati Bell, cost me $2400.00 for a bag phone.

Since those days I have used every provider out there. Verizon is my current plan. I have found them to be the best provider for those sojurns into the wilds ..... almost any provider can make it work in metro areas.

Since the wife wanted one of thos Galaxy tablets for her birthday, we now have the family plan, 1400 minutes. That includes 2g for her toy.

My business phone was rolled into her account. We share the phone minutes. For my internet, I have the miFi2200 .. on the 3G system with 10G of data .. and I usually get close to using it all.

I would NOT advise anyone that travels to upgrae to 4G ... while in a 4G area, it is awesome, but the software did not keep up with hardware, it drops service without notice!

I retired my 4G card and returned to the 3G alone.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
I purchased my first "cell phone" while at Roberts in the 80's ..... there was no service in Dayton, so I had to get it through Cincinnati Bell, cost me $2400.00 for a bag phone.

Since those days I have used every provider out there. Verizon is my current plan. I have found them to be the best provider for those sojurns into the wilds ..... almost any provider can make it work in metro areas.

Since the wife wanted one of thos Galaxy tablets for her birthday, we now have the family plan, 1400 minutes. That includes 2g for her toy.

My business phone was rolled into her account. We share the phone minutes. For my internet, I have the miFi2200 .. on the 3G system with 10G of data .. and I usually get close to using it all.

I would NOT advise anyone that travels to upgrae to 4G ... while in a 4G area, it is awesome, but the software did not keep up with hardware, it drops service without notice!

I retired my 4G card and returned to the 3G alone.

This 4g is a pain...I am in a flip flop area right now...keeps disconnecting me as it switches back and forth...and I just did a firmware recommended upgrade that was supposed to make it better...DOH.....Well Verizon...It did not work...:mad:
 

jjoerger

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Army
Now I am getting confused again.
Wouldn't I be better off getting the 4G service and having it for when it is available?
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Now I am getting confused again.
Wouldn't I be better off getting the 4G service and having it for when it is available?
Yes. 4G is still limited, but it's expanding every day. In another year year it'll be widespread. 4G can be a pain in a fringe area, as OVM notes, but it's easy enough to force it to CDMA-only and not have it look for LTE at all, which prevents the flip-flopping. I've done that a handful of times when I weak or fringe areas.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Had Verizon smart phone and the 5 gig wireless. Phone service was the pits, and never used the data plan required with the smart phone. Most months, the 5 gig was plenty, but did come close a couple times. And they don't let you know, automatically, when you go over.
I get a text message from Verizon when I hit 50% of my plan allotment. I also get one when I then hit 75%, 90%, and 100%. There's also an app for that, with a widget that tells me on-screen what my usage is.

Now back to a Straight Talk dumb phone, and unlimited wireless through our cable company. $95 per month, total. My phone service is much better. Granted, there have been a couple of times I didn't have a signal for the wireless, but not very often.
Straight Talk phones run off different networks depending on the phone you get. If you have one with a GSM-A sim card, then it's running off AT&T's network. If it's a GSM-T, then it's T-Mobile. If the phone has a "C" after the model number, it's running off Verizon's or Sprint's CDMA network.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Why have an air card at all?
Several reasons. One, when I first got an aircard, tethering wasn't a possibility with the phone I had.

Two, being with Verizon (CDMA network), I wanted to be able to talk on the phone and be on the Internet with the laptop at the same time.

Third, tethering a smarphone to a laptop is expressly forbidden by Verizon's Terms of Service unless you have a separate tethering data plan, which is the same as an aircard broadband data plan.

People who use less-than 5 GB per month total, including tethering with something like PDAnet, can proably fly under the tethering radar, but I use 5 GB or more each per month from the aircard and the "illegal" tethering. If I dumped the aircard and suddenly started using 10 GB a month on the phone, I'd be a very large blip on the radar.

I upgraded my aircard to a 4G card about a year ago, so I have another year on that contract, regardless.
 

jjoerger

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Army
So here is what I bought.
A HTC Evo Shift 4G phone with unlimited talk and web.
And a Overdrive Hotspot 4G/3G WiFi thingy. With unlimited usage.
My bill went up $30, but I found out I can get a FedEx discount and will save 23%. So I will be paying about the same each month.
Total out of pocket cost for the two devices was $116.
 

ChrisGa23

Expert Expediter
5GB Might be good for some who just check emails, weather, news, etc but Im over 6 sometimes up to 8gb a month watching alot of youtube videos, movies, football, tv shows etc. Luckly im on an unlimited plan.
 

AMonger

Veteran Expediter
5GB is enough for almost anybody. You have to be streaming a lot of video to go over that. I use my devices pretty much all day when I'm sitting, aand I usually peak between 3 & 4. Some months, I might get close to 5. Make sure you have a Wi-fi capable device so you can use free wifi wherever possible.

You know the problem with corrupt and abusive cops? They give the other 5% a bad name.
 
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