This is at the 3G store. The deal in itself, price wise, seems quite good, so what I am wondering is if the workability of the this cradlepoint?
I already have been using a Sprint Aircard for a couple of years and has worked quite well. I haven't been anywhere yet where I did not receive service.
But we are now moving to full time and i'm about ready to buy a router. Is this what I need in order to have wifi in my rv? Or is there one more piece of hardware I am needing?
Thanks ahead of time for your help!!
Doris
dewwood said
05:11 PM Apr 25, 2010
I bought my equipment from them and have had excellent results. They have people on staff that can answer all of your questions if you have problems. They walked me through some stupidity on my part and stayed with me to make sure it was all up and working properly. Cradlepoint seems to be very good equipment.
Howard said
05:47 AM Apr 26, 2010
That's a very good deal! Just for the router, it's a good deal. And since you are already on Sprint, it's even better although the offer says it requires a NEW 2-year contract with Sprint. My only caution would be that, while Sprint has lots of satisfied RV customers, I believe most full-timers have Verizon as the overall national coverage is a little better.
We have the same router and it works quite well. It is all you will need to be able to have your own in-house "Wi-Fi" so that you can share the cellular internet connection between computers assuming, of course, that you always have a cellular data signal.
Now, do you need additional equipment? It depends.
Your internet connection will only be as good as your cellular signal wherever you are. As you move about the country and get away from populated areas and interstates, you will find weaker and weaker signals and sometimes no signals.
If internet is something you need or want every day, no matter where you go, you can increase your chances in rural areas by adding an "antenna" to the aircard. That Sprint air card in the promotion does have an external antenna port and 3G Store does have antenna options for that air card. I think 3G Store would recommend, at a minimum, the addition of an antenna.
In fact, they have a page called "RV Solutions" where they lay out "Simple", "Good", "Better", and "Best" solutions for RVers. All of those options include an antenna.
The "Better" & "Best" solutions also throw in an amplifier. An antenna improves your coverage and increases your initial cost and an amplifier boosts that coverage even more, but comes at an even higher initial cost.
So, it's all about balancing the overall cost with your desire to have internet as much as possible with the areas of the country where you want to park.
We like rural areas and we find ourselves without cellular service or with weak cellular service all the time. For example, where we are parked right now, we waffle between 0 and 1 bar on our cell phone with 1X service (the 1X simply means it's the oldest technology and slowest data signal we can get). However, with the antenna and amplifier, we increase our signal to three bars. Whereas we had dropped calls when we arrived, after I set up the antenna and amplifier, we've had no problems.
So, with the money you will be saving on the air card and router, consider adding an antenna and/or amplifier IF internet is really important and you plan to be out in the boonies from time to time. Still no guarantees, but you improve your chances quite a bit.
DorisandDave said
11:47 AM Apr 27, 2010
Thanks DEWWOOD! It's always nice to hear from someone who has had a good experience with a company. AND ! nice to know they will be helpful when I stumble with setup!
Thanks Howard! that really cleared it up nicely for me. I had read about the cradlepoints but wasn't sure if I was getting the right thing. I knew I needed a router and actually had been looking at an antenna.....had not even thought about an amplifier, but I think that would also be a good idea.
The campground we will be staying until next march...Tuttle Creek State park, we are very familier with and do get pretty good service. We have been with Sprint quite a long time and I need to do a new service plan on my old aircard, (two years old now)so might as well upgrade.
I see that you stayed there several years ago and had good things to say about our friend Cindy. She is still there and she and her husband are getting ready to go on the road as soon as they get their S&B sold.
Also, the state park has added another section on the other side of the river pond which is more like staying in a forest. That is where we will be.
Now I just need to work out how to get TV...more research, more reading.
Thanks again!
Doris
-- Edited by DorisandDave on Tuesday 27th of April 2010 11:52:50 AM
This is at the 3G store. The deal in itself, price wise, seems quite good, so what I am wondering is if the workability of the this cradlepoint?
I already have been using a Sprint Aircard for a couple of years and has worked quite well. I haven't been anywhere yet where I did not receive service.
But we are now moving to full time and i'm about ready to buy a router. Is this what I need in order to have wifi in my rv? Or is there one more piece of hardware I am needing?
Thanks ahead of time for your help!!
Doris
That's a very good deal! Just for the router, it's a good deal. And since you are already on Sprint, it's even better although the offer says it requires a NEW 2-year contract with Sprint. My only caution would be that, while Sprint has lots of satisfied RV customers, I believe most full-timers have Verizon as the overall national coverage is a little better.
We have the same router and it works quite well. It is all you will need to be able to have your own in-house "Wi-Fi" so that you can share the cellular internet connection between computers assuming, of course, that you always have a cellular data signal.
Now, do you need additional equipment? It depends.
Your internet connection will only be as good as your cellular signal wherever you are. As you move about the country and get away from populated areas and interstates, you will find weaker and weaker signals and sometimes no signals.
If internet is something you need or want every day, no matter where you go, you can increase your chances in rural areas by adding an "antenna" to the aircard. That Sprint air card in the promotion does have an external antenna port and 3G Store does have antenna options for that air card. I think 3G Store would recommend, at a minimum, the addition of an antenna.
In fact, they have a page called "RV Solutions" where they lay out "Simple", "Good", "Better", and "Best" solutions for RVers. All of those options include an antenna.
The "Better" & "Best" solutions also throw in an amplifier. An antenna improves your coverage and increases your initial cost and an amplifier boosts that coverage even more, but comes at an even higher initial cost.
So, it's all about balancing the overall cost with your desire to have internet as much as possible with the areas of the country where you want to park.
We like rural areas and we find ourselves without cellular service or with weak cellular service all the time. For example, where we are parked right now, we waffle between 0 and 1 bar on our cell phone with 1X service (the 1X simply means it's the oldest technology and slowest data signal we can get). However, with the antenna and amplifier, we increase our signal to three bars. Whereas we had dropped calls when we arrived, after I set up the antenna and amplifier, we've had no problems.
So, with the money you will be saving on the air card and router, consider adding an antenna and/or amplifier IF internet is really important and you plan to be out in the boonies from time to time. Still no guarantees, but you improve your chances quite a bit.
Thanks Howard! that really cleared it up nicely for me. I had read about the cradlepoints but wasn't sure if I was getting the right thing. I knew I needed a router and actually had been looking at an antenna.....had not even thought about an amplifier, but I think that would also be a good idea.
The campground we will be staying until next march...Tuttle Creek State park, we are very familier with and do get pretty good service. We have been with Sprint quite a long time and I need to do a new service plan on my old aircard, (two years old now)so might as well upgrade.
I see that you stayed there several years ago and had good things to say about our friend Cindy. She is still there and she and her husband are getting ready to go on the road as soon as they get their S&B sold.
Also, the state park has added another section on the other side of the river pond which is more like staying in a forest. That is where we will be.
Now I just need to work out how to get TV...more research, more reading.
Thanks again!
Doris
-- Edited by DorisandDave on Tuesday 27th of April 2010 11:52:50 AM