Fed up with Car WIFI-Help

[tntstormchasing]

We have been trying to figure out how to get wifi in our car for chasing. We have been chasing for three years now using Mcdonalds and different hotels for wifi. It is obviously annoying to have to veer off our course to run around and find a Mcdonalds in sparse country. This year, we got phones with internet capabilities. While chasing near home within 100 miles or so, our internet has been fine. However, this past weekend we ventured out to NE and KS and had zero connection. We didn't even have cell service. This actually ended up putting us in a dangerous situation. Our phones run off of T-Mobile towers.

In my now two year hunt for mobile wifi, I have become frustrated. I've done internet search upon internet search, read various forums and customer reviews, and talked to people at a few cell phones store and Best Buy. I cannot find anything that points me to an answer.

I know there are data cards you can buy through cell phone providers. But each one has wonderful reviews and absolutely terrible reviews. I'm afraid to try one and get stuck with a piece of junk tied to a contract. I've been looking at various devices such as Autonet, but they too give terrible reviews as well as outstanding reviews. An Iphone is not a possibility at the moment, but something similar may be.

In an ideal world, I would like to find something that can be used in the car while chasing, and in the house when not chasing. Is this even possible? I'm not sure of ALL the technology out there.

My questions to all of you....what do you use, how does it work, what are the costs, does it require a contract?

 

[Jesse Risley]

You would be wise to consider some sort of data source from one of the major network carriers that offer data on the Plains, e.g., Verizon or Sprint. Some people tether or "brick" a phone to get it to function as a wifi router, whereas others, such as myself, have a dedicated broadband USB data card that does 3G (and some 4G).

Due to coverage issues and data usage limitations, having full use of the device at home might be problematic if you use the Internet often, as you may face overage fees and, if you read the fine print, carriers sometimes throttle back the speed of your connection when you approach excessive amounts of usage.

With all of that having been said, sometimes it doesn't matter whether or not you have access to data. On big days when you have multiple chasers in close proximity on the same storm that you are chasing, the cell towers have a propensity to get overloaded and your data will essentially be very slow or non-existent. This has happened to me on the past few large outbreak days on the Plains, including this past Saturday. The massive pull that dozens (or hundreds) of chasers can put on a rural cell tower will render its performance essentially akin to a state of necrosis.

 

[tntstormchasing]

Ah, I hadn't thought about there being so many people using the towers, which probably caused our problem. We haven't chased in an area so full of other chasers and just plain ol' gawkers before. It was nearly impossible to drive down the highway.

Verizon is one of the companies we talked to, and the charges were going to be pretty high to start up. Sprint is not a company I have talked with yet, so I may give them a go. I thought tethering was not supposed to be done and they could cancel your service because of this. How often does this actually happen?

One other thing I am unsure on, is it possible to buy an external antenna to amplify your cell and data signal?

 

[Jesse Risley]

Ah, I hadn't thought about there being so many people using the towers, which probably caused our problem. We haven't chased in an area so full of other chasers and just plain ol' gawkers before. It was nearly impossible to drive down the highway.

Verizon is one of the companies we talked to, and the charges were going to be pretty high to start up. Sprint is not a company I have talked with yet, so I may give them a go. I thought tethering was not supposed to be done and they could cancel your service because of this. How often does this actually happen?

When I signed up for Verizon, there was a token activation fee, but the device was free with the signing of a two-year contract. I would check both Verizon and Sprint before making a decision, as you can get good deals.

I don't tether, so I'm not familiar with the contractual nuances of individual carrier contracts in this domain, but some people get away with it, probably because they only tether when chasing, which means they need a laptop for greater situational data usage. If your contract does specifically forbid tethering, then I would be cognizant of the fact that you could be sanctioned or have your plan cancelled if you are caught. Again, I'm only speaking anecdotally from having talked with other chasers that tether; personally, I've always paid for a data card.

 

[Gordon Spencer]

Easy answer , www.millenicom.com ,

no contract ,
no taxes
Much higher data limits

Lots of chasers using them

We have been trying to figure out how to get wifi in our car for chasing. We have been chasing for three years now using Mcdonalds and different hotels for wifi. It is obviously annoying to have to veer off our course to run around and find a Mcdonalds in sparse country. This year, we got phones with internet capabilities. While chasing near home within 100 miles or so, our internet has been fine. However, this past weekend we ventured out to NE and KS and had zero connection. We didn't even have cell service. This actually ended up putting us in a dangerous situation. Our phones run off of T-Mobile towers.

In my now two year hunt for mobile wifi, I have become frustrated. I've done internet search upon internet search, read various forums and customer reviews, and talked to people at a few cell phones store and Best Buy. I cannot find anything that points me to an answer.

I know there are data cards you can buy through cell phone providers. But each one has wonderful reviews and absolutely terrible reviews. I'm afraid to try one and get stuck with a piece of junk tied to a contract. I've been looking at various devices such as Autonet, but they too give terrible reviews as well as outstanding reviews. An Iphone is not a possibility at the moment, but something similar may be.

In an ideal world, I would like to find something that can be used in the car while chasing, and in the house when not chasing. Is this even possible? I'm not sure of ALL the technology out there.

My questions to all of you....what do you use, how does it work, what are the costs, does it require a contract?

 

[tntstormchasing]

Hmm, this looks promising. Do you use this yourself? With 20GB a month it seems there would be enough data to use this in home as well, but I may be underestimating how much I actually use. This would only be $10 more than we are currently paying for internet, and if it worked well enough we could have our house net turned off, and still have the mobile. Very curious about how well it has worked for those of you that have used it.

 

[Will Campbell]

One other thing I am unsure on, is it possible to buy an external antenna to amplify your cell and data signal?

Yes. I would recommend Maximum Signal @ http://www.maximumsignal.net/store/home.php?cat=10 These will boost your cell signal strength and run it to a external antenna. Fairly sure Gordon would be willing to discuss this with you...

 

[STexan]

Cellular data is the only way to go. Yes, you can sometimes (rarely) detect overload issues in hot activity areas but they are typically short-lived. If you're serious about chasing you really need to invest in a quality cellular booster such as from Wilson electronics (Amazon). These can extend your range significantly and allow you to get to areas previously unavailable while trying to stay "in range" with the worthless built in antenna in your phone or data device.

I have an ATT phone with hotspot feature as well as a Verizon data device. And with a wireless version cell booster, rarely do I find myself in an area where neither will operate, however there are areas where one is better over the other and vice versa.

 

[Gordon Spencer]

You need to ask any of the chasers here that have used our amplifiers and how they perform compared to a Wilson . Quite frankly ours blow them away . We have also have been long time supporters of the Storm chasing community . We advertise on the storm chasing sites ( this one to name one ) as well as sponsor the national conference every year . Ask pros like Steve Miller , Roger Hill , Chris Caldwell to name a few what the best cellular amplifiers out there are.

Cellular data is the only way to go. Yes, you can sometimes (rarely) detect overload issues in hot activity areas but they are typically short-lived. If you're serious about chasing you really need to invest in a quality cellular booster such as from Wilson electronics (Amazon). These can extend your range significantly and allow you to get to areas previously unavailable while trying to stay "in range" with the worthless built in antenna in your phone or data device.

I have an ATT phone with hotspot feature as well as a Verizon data device. And with a wireless version cell booster, rarely do I find myself in an area where neither will operate, however there are areas where one is better over the other and vice versa.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I've been a longtime user of Mobile Threatnet/WXWorx (8 years). The new units are pricey, but you can find used receivers for about $250 or so. I've seen a few sell on here for that price. A $30/month data plan with XM will get you guaranteed radar everywhere. It's not perfect but it gets the job done. I've had aircards/cellular internet since 2006, but have always kept Threatnet. After NW Oklahoma on Saturday, I'd say it's still not safe to rely entirely on cell data, even as good as it may be today.

 

[ericjkelly]

I use my iphone tethered to my computer. And I have this...

http://www.cyfre.com/?page=products&p=5&a=3


I chased all day on Saturday in Kansas....didnt lose my signal once! Oklahoma is another beast though

 

[John Wetter]

Well, your first problem is T-mobile... They're really a metro area carrier. Don't expect them to work on the plains. Look at the coverage maps and you'll see...

A hotspot or a card is the way to go. If you don't want to do millenicom for some reason, Sprint and Verizon (leaning more to Verizon) are the two big players in mobile rural connectivity.

Got a card/mifi, then get an amp from Gordon. I've had an amp for three years now and could never go back!

 

[tntstormchasing]

Thanks for the info everyone! We're considering the millenicom and an amp from Gordon. This is the kind of info I need!

 

[Bryan Stokes]

However, this past weekend we ventured out to NE and KS and had zero connection. We didn't even have cell service. This actually ended up putting us in a dangerous situation.

Perhaps I'm mis-reading this part of your post, but it's very important to know how to chase without cell phone service or data. Being able to visually identify the features of a storm, and understand where you should be (and not be) is very important. If someone is unable to do so, they need to back out even further form the storm to give themselves some breathing room.

In answer to your question about data service and wi-fi in your car, it can seem intimidating at first, but it's not too hard to set it up once you break it down.

1) Buy a USB Modem, such as the Verizon USB 760. You can purchase it free of a contract on eBay, or you can get one from Verizon if you want to enter a contract.

2) I prefer to activate my modem once a year ($35) and then use it on a month-to-month basis for 3-4 months a year ($60 a month). I do not need to use it as my home internet service. If you do want to use it at home throughout the year, then perhaps entering into a two-year contract might be beneficial to you. You'll have to run the math and see what works best for you. When you go with Verizon, you are limited to 5GB a month. This is plenty of data for standard chasing. If you are going to be doing large amounts of streaming, or using the modem for your internet service at home, there's a pretty good chance you will need a higher data allowance, in which case, Millenicom is an excellent choice.

3) Amplifier. In my experience, there are only two choices to choose from if you want reliable, proven performance. You can buy a wired amplifier (Rockies) or a wireless amplifier (Traveller) from Gordon at Maximum Signal. The wired version ($$) will only amplify your USB modem. The wireless version ($$$) will amplify your USB modem and any cell phones in your car at the same time, even if they are on different networks.

4) Wi-fi in your car. If you need data on multiple devices at the same time, or just want to have a very clean setup, then wi-fi in your car is the way to go. Cradlepoint makes excellent routers for this purpose and they are very easy to use.

That just about sums it up: USB modem, pick your service, amplify it, and then add wi-fi if you so desire.

I hope this helps. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

Bryan

 

[STexan]

... a lot of the storm cells Saturday in NW OK were essentially training over the same areas and it was easy to be focused on one cell while another was rapidly evolving and racing into your flank. I will second that if you find yourself with no current radar data in a very dynamic and rapidly developing pattern as we had Saturday, you need to be very careful about your road selection and travel direction decisions and operate as much in a defensive, cautionary manner as an offensive manner, and keep your visual focus on a swivel. I lost both ATT and Verizon coverage in a small area about half way between Alva, OK and Medicine Lodge, KS and in Northern OK, for me and my amp, ATT Edge/3G network was more reliable than Verizon's.