In another thread, a shopper said to buy a "pocket wifi" and use it where I couldn't get a strong enough signal for apps to work.

What is it, what does it cost, where do I get it, and what do I ask for?

Essentially, this type of portable wireless modem, which is also know as MiFi, mobile hotspot, or internet dongle, can connect to Wi-Fi enabled device such as a smartphone. Any more information than that would look like a sales pitch, so I won't post links to sites that feature more information, prices, comparisons, etc. If you do a quick search, you will find oodles of information that gives you specifics.

Meanwhile, I remember that you are often in rural areas and without connectivity. This device might help you with your rural assignments. ?

@ceasesmith wrote:

In another thread, a shopper said to buy a "pocket wifi" and use it where I couldn't get a strong enough signal for apps to work.

What is it, what does it cost, where do I get it, and what do I ask for?

Shop, when this was mentioned in the other thread, I looked it up and found it needs a data signal. If Cease works in areas where there is no signal or a very weak signal, how would this work?

Ah, question on point! If it won't help where "No Cellular Network Available" appears on my phone's screen, then it would be an exercise in futility to purchase one....

I posted "?" because I did not know...

Yes, the portable "wifi" device does indeed work off of a cell tower signal. If your phone has the option to turn itself into a "portable hotspot", that is basically the same thing. For instance, hubby & I stayed with a relative a few weeks ago for 2 nights, without the availability of wifi. So I was able to use the option to turn my phone into a "hotspot", that basically then acted like a modem, so that I could connect my laptop to it and work on my laptop via the "hotspot" or "portable wifi" signal off of my phone. Some phones offer this in their monthly package, others you can buy as you need, which is what I did. But Cease, if you go out to remote areas where a signal is difficult to find, I'm not sure this would be a workable option for you.

Do you have any way of finding out what cell towers work out in the remote areas?? For instance, let's just say you have Sprint on your phone, but Sprint can't connect out in the rural areas where you go. If you can find out whether T-Mobile, Verizon, At&t or any other carrier does indeed have a strong signal in the area where you want to go, then you can perhaps look to purchase a "portable wifi" modem with that particular company for those rural areas. The modems can range in price from around $25 all the way up in the hundreds. Then you have to pay for your monthly service, just like you do on your phone. Hope this has been helpful.

Thank you all.

Yes, AT&T works where my Verizon phone does not.

I suppose I could do one of the current $100 cell phone shops if this would be a "qualifying purchase"....

@ceasesmith wrote:

Thank you all.

Yes, AT&T works where my Verizon phone does not.

I suppose I could do one of the current $100 cell phone shops if this would be a "qualifying purchase"....

$100 off of an $800 phone? Pocket wifi isn't what you need to buy for that shop.

Oh, I looked at the guidelines, I thought you didn't have to buy a phone, that there were other qualifying purchases -- like adding a line, and getting the wifi thingy would necessitate an additional line.

No way, of course, could I get a new phone. Last time I tried that, they pulled my credit and told me I'd have to pay in full, cash, up front ROTFLMFAO.

Cease, at home when you have time, look up the coverage maps of all the major service providers. Find the one that covers as many of your shopping areas as possible and switch. It's the only way to get service where you need it. Libraries and other free wifi places are great but won't help for things like Field Agent where jobs have to be done onsite.
Also, pocket wifi (portable wifi device) can be tricky. Tried it once (Sprint) for my home. It used up all the data in 3 days whenI had used the computer for only about 4 hours total, for work not games. Then they started billing me for more data. Right back to the store it went! Followed by a month of fighting to get my money back. I did, but it's just not worth the trouble.

Thanks for all the helpful info!

I am stuck with Verizon. It's the sole provider where I live (where I do MOST of my on-line stuff).

AT&T is the provider where I travel.

But I MUST have service at home.

Perhaps a second phone for business with AT&T as the service provider. You could get a cheap or possible free phone with a plan with them. This would also be a tax write off for you I believe but of course consult a tax advisor first.

cease, have you updated your phone (*228)?

Do you mean dial star 228?

That or you could get a sat phone which isn't cheap and tether it for the internet but you would be looking at dial-up speeds and about a dollar a minute to connect rounded to the next minute. Maybe when star link comes out from Space X we will be able to connect when we are in the real boonies.

Just beware. The coverage maps are not super accurate. I go to a rural area for vacation and we have fun seeing whose carrier works where, such as in town or at the lakeshore.

That's how you have fun on vacation?

@ceasesmith, yes. When you get to a new area, dial *228 and wait for the confirmation.

Thanks, Honny. Sure will try that!

That would likely be me.
I got one years ago to have my own secure WiFi on the go--the old iPad, school chromebooks, etc., all got connected. It is a small device, very thin, likely as thin or thinner than most phones. It is your own personal mobile hot spot.
Newer phones have that option to add the service in rate plans in a mobile hot spot. So lets say you had an older tablet that would not have a separate data plan, with that hotspot, you could get internet on the old tablet.
When I am in an area where the service may be spotty (or inside Target even shopping with my different apps), especially if I remember to turn on the WiFi as I enter the store, even if the primary signal on my phone from my carrier is weak, the boost from my little WiFi will almost always be strong enough to offset network crashes.
Unless you are only hardwired at home with computers, you likely have a home WiFi. Just like that, the pocket WiFi has two different frequencies--2.4 and 5.0 mega Herz I think. I switch between the two as required.
So my mother-in-law has the plug in port adapter for her car. Traveling in recent months through some mountains, there are just some places where nobody gets good service. (On a vaca, one son without a helmet had a simple fall getting of a ski lift, tangled up with his snowboard. Concussion. On the ambulance ride to the regional hospital, even the EMTs had spotty connections on their communication line to the ER, back and forth.
I like the convenience of faster uploads with some apps given that WiFi boost. And my apps are also less likely to crash with network error messages that causes me to reload often or need to hit submit again.
They charge fast. The charge lasts a long time generally compared to my phone battery usage. I only turn my WiFi on as needed when needed and am careful to turn off the WiFi capacity on my phones too when not intending to use it so I have no surprises with data limit overcharges. That would be a very bad thing on my mobile bill.
I hope this helps. Not recalling, if revealed, what region you live in, maybe it is a good investment, but maybe it would not work as well for you as it has for me.

I use the hot spot on my phone to connect my wifi tablets. I don't like connecting to public wifis.

I pay $30 a month for my Verizon service. I'm not sure, but I think I would have to pay a great deal more to be able to use my phone as a "hot spot".

@ceasesmith wrote:

I pay $30 a month for my Verizon service. I'm not sure, but I think I would have to pay a great deal more to be able to use my phone as a "hot spot".

That all depends, and the prices vary widely! Some companies will give you a measly 1 GB data for $10/month! Other phone companies will give you 10 GB data, which should be plenty for out of the way places, if you upgrade to, say, their $50/month plan. It all depends. Some companies even have multiple offers depending which plan you use. It's the same with the "pocket WiFi" stuff. I did some research and found companies and prices vary tremendously, in addition to the piece of equipment itself. So you would have to do some research and find out what is available in your particular area.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2020 03:30PM by guysmom.

Thanks. Research not my strong point when it comes to tech. I too often don't understand what the Hades they are talking about.

Totally foreign language!