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Land Line vs Cell Phone
swlf ^ | June 12, 2024 | knarf

Posted on 06/12/2024 7:17:09 AM PDT by knarf

Does anyone use a cell connection for internet service ?

I have Comcast (the only one available here), and it's expensive, but relatively reliable.

I use a pay as you go TRACPHONE for approx. $20 a month and I wonder how it would work to use my cell connection.

My Tracphone is essentially an emergency tool, very little data but unlimited voice and text.

What is required of a crell phone to use as an internet connector ?


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Computers/Internet; Education
KEYWORDS: comcast; internet; phone; tracfone; vanity
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1 posted on 06/12/2024 7:17:09 AM PDT by knarf
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To: knarf
You could, but it gets complicated with multiple devices. I have a 5G phone with unlimited data. It works well when I travel, visit the grandkids or on the road.

But with the wife, she uses a computer and she watches streaming TV, it would be a hassle.

2 posted on 06/12/2024 7:24:55 AM PDT by FatherofFive (we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor)
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To: knarf

My sisters have their cell phone as their main number and they pay their provider for that. It’s not bad, as far as costs go.


3 posted on 06/12/2024 7:25:00 AM PDT by Jonty30 (He hunted a mammoth for me, just because I said I was hungry. He is such a good friend. )
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To: knarf

I can use my Visible wireless phone to get on the web.

It is very fast to the phone itself but they slow it down
if you connect your PC to the phone with wifi.. just 5kbps
... but it is unlimited at that snail’s pace on the hotspot.

It’s fast enough to stream video but not in hi def.

Visible wireless 25 dollars a month.


4 posted on 06/12/2024 7:25:46 AM PDT by Bobalu (I can’t even feign surprise anymore... And I am tired of the 🐂 💩!)
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To: knarf

Not an expert with Tracfone specifically or what device you are using. But you’re gonna want to look to see if you can add a “mobile hotspot” feature to your plan. When you enable mobile hotspot in your settings, you phone will broadcast a wifi connection like you’d see in any place with wifi.

On your phone, you would likely configure your hotspot settings to include a secure passkey to only allow you or other authorized people to use it.

In my opinion, mobile hotspot generally doesn’t perform well enough to serve as your primary internet access. And if you have data limits, stuff like streaming can run you through it quite quickly. You’d want to make sure you understand any overage rates if any apply.

The mobile hotspot feature is nice for occasions like traveling when you may have a couple devices like tablets, laptops, etc that don’t have a built-in cell connection.

Probably a lot of folks here smarter and with better advice than me. But I hope this helps.


5 posted on 06/12/2024 7:25:48 AM PDT by mmichaels1970
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To: knarf

Look at T Mobile Magenta plan for Seniors. You’ll get better service and it will cost less


6 posted on 06/12/2024 7:27:09 AM PDT by Fai Mao (The US government is run by pedophiles and Perverts )
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To: knarf

If you want to use your phone as your home internet, the first thing you need to find out is if your provider (Tracfone) and the phone you have are capable of being used as a local “hot spot.”

Second, you need to find out what sort of data plan you have, how many Megabytes per month you’re allowed to use, how fast is the service, and does your plan throttle your data rate during peak times.

Third, you need to determine how you wish to use the internet. Web surfing Free Republic (relatively low data usage,) or streaming video services such as Netflix, YouTube, etc. (very high data rate usage and probably not supported for very long under most plans.)


7 posted on 06/12/2024 7:27:19 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /Sarc tag really necessary? Pray for President Biden: Psalm 109:8)
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To: knarf

I’m no expert but I’ve seen ads on my TV from T-Mobile telling you to use their system as your home internet connection.I’ve read that such a setup can be unreliable.


8 posted on 06/12/2024 7:27:31 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Never Trust A Man Whose Uncle Was Eaten By Cannibals)
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To: knarf

I have Tracfone service and use it as an internet connection a bit. It is easy to burn through the data use on my plan and I have had to add data a time or two. If Tracfone offers a plan with unlimited data, that might the way to go.
My BIL ( with TMobile) uses his phone more for internet than phone calls. No idea what his cost is but I assume he has unlimited call, text and data.


9 posted on 06/12/2024 7:27:31 AM PDT by Donkey Odious ( Adapt, improvise, and overcome - now a motto for us all.)
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To: knarf
Works pretty well.

I spent over a year working from home out in the sticks before retiring, using Verizon cellular data.

Depending on the structure you might consider a cellular booster/repeater. I got ours from the RepeaterStore.

Living under a tin roof, getting a signal good enough for data is a challenge. The repeater has an external antenna you direct towards the closest cell tower (for your particular service) and then there is a antenna inside the structure that transmits a boosted cell signal to your phone.

You then run your internet on the phone's hotspot.

We've now moved into our barndominium and it's like a huge Faraday cage. The repeater is absolutely necessary to use a phone.

10 posted on 06/12/2024 7:28:26 AM PDT by grobdriver (The CDC can KMA!)
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To: knarf

I use mine as a backup all the time.


11 posted on 06/12/2024 7:31:32 AM PDT by Zathras
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To: knarf

You’ll need to ditch the TracFone and go with their sister company Straight Talk with an unlimited data plan with a hotspot or something similar.

https://www.straighttalk.com/


12 posted on 06/12/2024 7:33:02 AM PDT by conservative98
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To: knarf
What is required of a cell phone to use as an internet connector ?

Hotspot and data plan, a really big data plan. Verizon also offers a 5G Home Internet and LTE Home Internet

13 posted on 06/12/2024 7:35:53 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: grobdriver

I live in the middle of a huge forest, we have fiber to the house but during a days long power failure I used my phone’s hotspot for internet... it wasn’t very fast but I managed to keep browsing the web and watching my shows at 480p.

The funny part is I’m in a valley and the cell does not reach me here, especially with the metal roof so I used a 40ft fiberglass pushup pole (ham radio stuff) and actually duck taped my phone to the top and used the hotspot... goofy but it worked.. if you are older, like me you will understand that I laughed a bit as it reminded me of the old sitcom “Green Acres” where their phone was at the top of a pole :-)


14 posted on 06/12/2024 7:35:59 AM PDT by Bobalu (I can’t even feign surprise anymore... And I am tired of the 🐂 💩!)
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To: Gay State Conservative
I’m no expert but I’ve seen ads on my TV from T-Mobile telling you to use their system as your home internet connection.I’ve read that such a setup can be unreliable.

I have that similar thing from Verizon. My daughter has T-Mobile. It's called "Verizon 5G Home Internet" and runs you about $75-$80/month IIRC with discounts if you have cell phones with them.

It's not a phone per se. Instead it's basically an internet router that you do not need to connect any cables to except power. It's a square cube about 8"x8"x8" that you plug into the wall preferably near a window. If you have decent enough cell service to begin with, you get a nice, fast connection with this. Very capable of streaming video on several devices without any noticeable issue.

An advantage is if you don't like where you have it located, you can move it somewhere else that has a power outlet, plug it in, and you're back in business.

Easiest setup I've ever been through.
15 posted on 06/12/2024 7:37:28 AM PDT by mmichaels1970
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To: knarf

If you have the Sprint network available in your neighborhood, you can get a mobile hotspot with NO DATA CAPS or throttling for $400 per Year.

https://calyxinstitute.org/


16 posted on 06/12/2024 7:38:46 AM PDT by eyeamok
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To: Bobalu
I used a 40ft fiberglass pushup pole (ham radio stuff) and actually duck taped my phone to the top and used the hotspot

That's some real '70s stuff right there! I'd have wrapped my pushup pole in aluminum foil to give it that little extra boost.
17 posted on 06/12/2024 7:39:45 AM PDT by mmichaels1970
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To: mmichaels1970

Freeper ingenuity!


18 posted on 06/12/2024 7:44:21 AM PDT by Bobalu (I can’t even feign surprise anymore... And I am tired of the 🐂 💩!)
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To: knarf

Something like Textnow, free with local number on smartphone where you need internet connection ?


19 posted on 06/12/2024 7:46:15 AM PDT by butlerweave
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To: Bobalu

Great Green Acres reference. Keep Manhattan just give me that countryside.


20 posted on 06/12/2024 7:48:20 AM PDT by freefdny
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