8:04 am
Club Webmaster
August 5, 2017
Offline
Random question, I want to check connectivity in a specific area on one of the mobile hotspots before I invest in one. Wondering if someone might have one that is active on AT&T that I can borrow for a test?
K6NUB
11:41 am
Club President
April 2, 2003
Offline I had one but returned it to my work. Sorry.
They are free from my work - does yours offer the same?
3:56 pm
Club Webmaster
August 5, 2017
Offline No, they don't offer anything like that for us. I'm just trying to test one out to know if it will work for me before I invest in it and then can't use it.
K6NUB
5:41 pm
Club Trailmaster
March 13, 2015
Offline I have one from KNV solutions. Their sim uses ATT towers and has unlimited data for $130 a month. 30-50 Mbps in the canyon at my house with 1 bar of LTE. Enough to stream 1 TV in full HD and run a SONOS in another room. Not sure what data rate would be with full LTE signal. $20 cheaper than hughesnet, twice the speed, basically zero latency.
12:46 pm
Club Webmaster
August 5, 2017
Offline Yeah, if I can get 4G the hotspot seems the way to go over HughesNet or Viasat, these are my fall back plan. I have a test plan for AT&T hotspot and Verizon which looks to have better coverage in the area, will take a look at your service Kris, appreciate everyone's help!
K6NUB
1:41 pm
Club Member
December 14, 2018
Offline 
Hey Jamie,
What are you trying to accomplish for the hotspot?
Are you just wanting to hook up a laptop to the internet or provide a hotspot for other wireless devices?
I use an app called PDANet that I bought about 9 years ago for my android phone. It was only a one time cost of $8 and it allows me to use my cell phone as a USB connection to my laptop for internet connection. You do have to install a client on your laptop for the connection. I use it because DOJ does not allow connections onsite to their network for non DOJ laptops. I have moved it to 3 other phones when I replaced them and did not have to purchase another license.
The app does have a wireless hotspot capabilities but I have never tried it.
Food for thought.
John
3:16 pm
Club Webmaster
August 5, 2017
Offline I was trying tofigure out if signal was strong enough at a location that I would be able to use it as primary Internet access. Verizon showed full 4G coverage on their map and AT&T showed borderline 4G on theirs so I was trying to do a test with the hotpots, TMobile has zero signal. I am on AT&T for mobile and I found someone on Verizon who did a test with me on our phones and neither had good enough signal to connect a computer to them as a hotspot. I suspect the hotspots would not be appreciably better so sounds like not an option for primary internet. I think the only option is going to be HughesNet/Viasat until Starlink is availible.
K6NUB
10:39 pm
October 10, 2020
Offline Some libraries have hotspots that can be checked out. We checked one out from the Sacramento Public Library when a tree took out our fiber optic and power lines. It operated on the AT&T system, so that would give you an option to test. However, the reception was no better than with our phones, so if your phone was receiving a weak signal, the hotspot would be the same.
4:53 am
Club Webmaster
August 5, 2017
Offline Thanks for the idea on the Library! And thanks for confirming on the phone vs. hotspot, it is what I suspected. Sounding more an more like I am going to be stuck with Viasat or HughesNet until Starlink expands in the area, they are saying a year or more.
SMcCutcheon said
Some libraries have hotspots that can be checked out. We checked one out from the Sacramento Public Library when a tree took out our fiber optic and power lines. It operated on the AT&T system, so that would give you an option to test. However, the reception was no better than with our phones, so if your phone was receiving a weak signal, the hotspot would be the same.
K6NUB
8:08 am
Club Trailmaster
March 13, 2015
Offline How does the signal compare inside vs outside the house? I ran a cell booster at my old house that worked ok with a yagi antenna on a 20ft pole above the roof. Can also connect those antennas into the dedicated cell modems. 1 bar of LTE on my ATT phone gets 5-10 Mbps but the indoor router antennas get 30-50 Mbps in the same location.
12:23 pm
Club Webmaster
August 5, 2017
Offline All around the outside of the house I was at 1 bar LTE on the AT&T phone and unable to get an internet connection on my laptop through it. Same on Verizon phone. I did not realize you can get modem routers, thanks for the suggestion! Interesting you mention the booster & antenna, I just found a local company called Allcom Telecom that comes out and surveys the site to figure out your best option with similar solutions (boosters, modems, antenna) and he also has a point to point solution but that might require some kind of tower to be erected but would likely be the fastest solution. I am gong to make a call tomorrow and have him come out to survey.
kris_olof said
How does the signal compare inside vs outside the house? I ran a cell booster at my old house that worked ok with a yagi antenna on a 20ft pole above the roof. Can also connect those antennas into the dedicated cell modems. 1 bar of LTE on my ATT phone gets 5-10 Mbps but the indoor router antennas get 30-50 Mbps in the same location.
K6NUB
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