Satellite vs Air Card - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Trabuco · RV-Dreams Family Member

Satellite vs Air Card

Paul and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Trabuco wrote:
I know there is a start up cost factor to consider.

There is another point to consider ...

We have no need for satellite, dish, streaming, or "whatever" TV. All we need is internet access.

Therefore, an aircard was our perfect choice when "camp site WiFi" was available but kept on cutting out, and also was not secure. We needed a secure connection to the internet for on-line banking. So, we considered the aircard as our best option since we now have constant and secure internet access.

It really depends on what you are after.

Paul

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

We carry a Sprint aircard and use it when the rv park doesn't have WiFi. We don't use it very often, but it sure is nice to have the option. Not all rv park WiFi systems are created equal. We also enjoy TV and subscribe to DirecTV service. We have the Slimline Traveler dish on the roof of the coach and I carry a 18" oval dish for those occasions when the roof dish is blocked. Some rv parks have cable tv, but like WiFi, not all are created equal.

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

We too have a Sprint aircard. We use it instead more frequently than campground wifi for security reasons since we do all our banking etc online. And we have an unlimited data plan so it's not an issue how much we use it.

We recently switched to DishNetwork and have a portable 18" dish we carry. We're thinking about getting an auto-aiming portable dish. We're hoping to switch to a MH with roof mounted TV satellite within the year, but will still carry the portable dish for times when trees are an issue.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have both, a Hughes.net satellite internet dish and a Verizon aircard, and for these reasons:
1) An aircard or tethered phone only works well in native areas for the provider. So in extended network (called "roaming" for Sprint) for Verizon it is slow and very flaky, often your email does not download cleanly. We have family in some of these areas, it stinks. Then there are the areas with no coverage at all, which are few but exist. Also if you want to go to Mexico or Canada, forget an aircard (we do go to Canada).
2) In trees and such you can't get satellite internet to work. We have a couple campgrounds where only the aircard works that are important to us and these campgrounds do not have wifi. It is common for public campgrounds to not have wifi.
3) The 5GB limit on aircards is too little for our usage. This is not a problem for many, but we can use 5GB in 20 to 25 days. We are on the Pro plan for Hughes, 375MB per day limit and 5 hours in the night where we can download with abandon. There are real-time monitoring tools for Hughes, while Verizon is one to two days behind on telling you usage.
4) The Hughes.net dish is a bit more effort to set up but works the same everywhere. We can watch YouTube videos on it everywhere, we just watch our usage. Verizon is often great, but not always and it varies a lot even in the day if you are where there is a lot of usage.

There are other threads here on this subject so I am not going to repeat all that is said before. Most find that the limits of aircards are enough for them, but if you need to be online everywhere you need satellite and need to be ready to use wifi hotspots or an aircard (or tethered phone) every once in a while where the dish can't shoot through trees, buildings or mountains.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Monday 1st of November 2010 03:31:08 PM

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

Excellent overview as always Bill J for those who truly need a “lot” of internet. Your right on as usual.

Here’s my take and why we chose an air-card some years ago.

The “air-card” or satellite internet decision thing IMO can be simply addressed by knowing where you are going to travel and how much data you are really going to use. While satellite is certainly “anywhere” – more or less assuming no trees or hills in the way - it is more expensive to start up. However, the monthly cost is about the same for service. However, some air-card speeds are actually must faster than some satellite services. (That’s another conversation – it depends.)

Now, if you are going to travel or stay primarily where air-card service is available, and that is a lot of the US, then IMO, it is less expensive and actually less trouble than satellites. If you are going to places well away from towns and major roads, then satellite is the only real option assuming you don’t want to depend on campground internet.

I suggest you go look at and learn how to easily use the Verizon coverage maps. The coverage shown on the maps, down to almost street level, is really quite accurate and is based on terrain, not just “circles” from the towers. We have found them to be very good and useful in predicting coverage.

For us, one major advantage of the air-card over the satellite system is that you can use the air-card in the co-pilots laptop while traveling. Mobile satellite antennas that can track a satellite for internet service while rolling along (not speaking about TV here) are expensive. We use the air-card while traveling during the day a LOT. That’s something that most satellite systems don’t allow.

Do what is right for you as we're all differnet as to situation and need. But as Howard said, I believe: now they would probably not go with a satellite system. Air-cards and tethering have come a long long way from when H & L started in 2005. You just have to consider where you are going to be, how long and how much you wish to spend. For us the 5GB / month “limit” is a non-factor as we don’t stream and download - we email and do business. For us, HDTV comes from satellite, data from the internet; at least for a few more years. {Grin}

Safe travels

Bill

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

We originally were going to get Satellite Internet but due to cost chose to go with two air cards. She use one and I let her use mine as well.

Most of the campgrounds/RV Resorts we stay at have very good WiFi. One charges a $14 per month fee, others are include in the site cost. So far we have had pretty good luck using the WiFi by adding an external antenna to improve the signal. We have gone over the 5GB limit a couple of times when my DW was downloading movies. We only download movies now using WiFi or at our home with DSL service.

A lot of our internet use is after 10PM and into the early morning so my DW rarely has trouble with bandwidth.

That all being said, I am actually using my iPhone to access the internet more than I ever thought I would. It uses 3G service from AT&T or WiFi if available and is just as fast as anything else I've used. We recently added Netflix to the iPhone and I have watched a couple of movies on it. If I could find a 15" or 17" screen laptop with 3G service plus WiFi capability for a reasonable price, I would consider going with it and make it our primary RV access point.

It's getting to the point where you won't need a Sat TV dish, Sat Internet dish aircard, or WiFi just use your 3G or 4G enabled device for entertainment and research.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just a warning that AT&T has changed its plans for the iPhone and other smartphones so they are no longer unlimited. Verizon has kept an unlimited plan for smartphones, but limits tethering to 2GB per month for their current tethering plan. Older phones that had tethering plans, like Howard and Linda's LG Dare, still pay $50 for 5GB per month. So you can't do what The Bear II does if you get an iPhone today, except on wifi.

Our success with campground wifi is not so good so it does depend on where you camp. We like to have internet in the morning before we are out and about or had a shower, so walking to the office, clubhouse or to a coffee shop is not what we have in mind.

3Gstore_Matt · RV-Dreams Family Member

We get a lot of customers that are converting from Satellite to 3G wireless and it's for a few different reasons.

1.) 3G typically offers much better speed than comparable Satellite service and isn't affected by weather like a satellite system is. The upload in particular is often much better, useful if you do a lot of photo/video uploading.

2.) Pricing - With Verizon's new MiFi plans they're more competitive than ever! 3GB for $35, 5GB for $50, 10GB for $80. No matter the package you select the speeds will be the same. The only difference is how much data you have throughout the month.

3.) Coverage is much better than it was a few years ago. Unless you're traveling to really remote regions, chances are good you'll have 3G coverage with one of the major carriers. Check out our map here - http://www.3gstore.com/coverage

4.) Low latency - This is what makes a connection feel really fast. A satellite system has to travel 22,500 miles into the sky to the satellite, back to the base station, back up to the satellite and back to you. This creates latency around 1500-2000+ms (1.5 - 2 seconds) rather than 100-150ms of a 3G EVDO connection. When doing real time things like VPN or VOIP it's feasible over 3G and impossible over satellite.

The only real advantage satellite holds over 3G is availability. All you need is a clear view of the sky and you've got access which could be beneficial if you're traveling to area's that are really "out there". PS - I'm from Central PA so I know what "out there" is ;)

If you have more questions feel free to give 3Gstore a call at 866-347-8673. We're available 9am-7pm CST Mon-Fri.

DorisandDave · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill J and 3G Store Matt as well as 50% of the people on this forum are probably more educated about this than me....but, we recently (2 months ago) purchased the Sprint Epic phones and pay the extra $30 a month for the internet "hotspot" on my phone.
We were told that we have unlimited internet and unlimited ROAMING. I asked the young agent several times to clarify that, as I had read here and elswhere that it would be limited to 5 gb's.

After getting our first full month's bill, it appears we do indeed have unlimited internet as we were just over 5.8 gb's and no extra charges.

The roaming is another matter. There I just don't know, because we had NO roaming at all for internet via the hotspot connection. I suspect that even though I know that we have unlimited roaming for our phone usage, our internet access will be limited when we are on roaming.

Doris

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Doris, my understanding with the Sprint Epic is that 4G usage is unlimited and 3G is limited to 5 gb per month. But then I could be wrong.

We use Sprint for both our phones and aircard. I'm anxiously awaiting December 3rd -- the date I can upgrade to the Epic!

We have unlimited everything plans on the phones -- no limits, no roaming. With Johnny working remotely and our future travel plans it just made the most sense to us.

We've held onto our 3G aircard because we have unlimited usage on that as well. Waiting until 4G coverage is more available in the areas we will be to switch to a 4G card.

DorisandDave · RV-Dreams Family Member

Carol,
We have not used 4g at all, mostly because we are in small town Kansas and it is not available here yet.

We also had unlimited everything on our previous phones and aircard. We decided to go with the epics because there was a chance we would be in two different places and both needed access to the internet. (maybe our unlimited service carried over??)

The one thing I have found with the Epics is that if you want to "tether" instead of using the hotspot outright you have to do something called "rooting". And most places that have the freeware to do that warn that there "might" be a chance of wiping your phone clean and rendering it useless. That's what decided for me to use the hotspot.

So, with the full data plan (which you have to buy with the epic in order to recieve internet on the phone) we get unlimited data access and this seems to include internet access on the "hotspot".
We also receive unlimited phone usage for regular AND roaming.

The other thing is that you can turn on and off the use of the Hotspot with a phone call or on the website at will and as many times as you want. Spint will prorate the charge for the month. Would come in handy if we WERE in two different places.

Doris

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ckerr wrote:

We've held onto our 3G aircard because we have unlimited usage on that as well. Waiting until 4G coverage is more available in the areas we will be to switch to a 4G card.

A good friend had a Sprint 3G aircard that was unlimited. One day Sprint contacted him and said he was "roaming" too much so they were changing his aircard software to show roaming and changing his agreement to be limited to 300MB per month of roaming and 5GB overall. They let him opt out and he now uses a Verizon aircard.

3Gstore_Matt · RV-Dreams Family Member

Doris,

Sprint phones like the HTC EVO and Samsung Epic are unlimited on BOTH 3G and 4G. They are currently the only two devices that you can purchase with unlimited access. The only condition is you have to pay that $29.99 per month for the mobile hotspot feature.

As Bjoyce stated "there is a 300MB roaming limit". That is currently the only restriction that the Epic and Evo have!

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

bjoyce wrote:

Ckerr wrote:

We've held onto our 3G aircard because we have unlimited usage on that as well. Waiting until 4G coverage is more available in the areas we will be to switch to a 4G card.

A good friend had a Sprint 3G aircard that was unlimited. One day Sprint contacted him and said he was "roaming" too much so they were changing his aircard software to show roaming and changing his agreement to be limited to 300MB per month of roaming and 5GB overall. They let him opt out and he now uses a Verizon aircard.

Thanks for the heads up Bill... I will keep an eye on it, but I think because I have their nationwide plan I'll be okay. But definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Also good info Doris. Johnny uses the Epic exclusively for his internet access -- mostly because I'm still in Austin part of the time and use the aircard in my business. So far he's been very happy with it!

Trabuco · RV-Dreams Family Member

So much good information on this forum. Based on the discussion here I think we'll start out with an aircard and see if it meets our needs. We won't be running a business or anything like that so the aircard might be just the thing. If not we can always upgrade to satellite later.

Thanks everyone of the feedback!

DorisandDave · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks Matt! We are paying the $29.99 for the hotspot on my phone. So far we have been very happy. Good speed on 3G. I do A LOT of surfing and watch quite a few TV shows on my computer and so far so good. smile

We will of course have to keep a better eye on roaming when we do start our travels next year. I do remember being told there was a limit on the roaming end of it for the Hotspot even though we do have unlimited roaming on our phones.

Of course we do pay for these plans but right now it remains in the budget as it is important for both of us.
$129.99 for the unlimited data plan with unliimited calls and roaming for both the phones and the $29.99 for the Hotspot on mine.

Doris

3Gstore_Matt · RV-Dreams Family Member

Trabuco wrote:

So much good information on this forum. Based on the discussion here I think we'll start out with an aircard and see if it meets our needs. We won't be running a business or anything like that so the aircard might be just the thing. If not we can always upgrade to satellite later.

Thanks everyone of the feedback!

If you'd like, feel free to give 3Gstore a call 866-347-8673 and we'd be happy to get you setup! Also, if you're interested I can PM you a coupon to help you save a little more ;)

Howard · Host

We have both satellite internet through Hughes.net and we tether our cell phone (an LG Dare) to use cellular internet as a back-up. Tethering is basically the same as using an aircard - both function as wireless, cellular modems.

With the great expansion of cellular data coverage since we started in 2005, if we were starting today, we would likely go with an aircard.

However, with that said, we frequent those "really remote" places where often satellite is the only true option. We have a cellular trucker antenna and a 3-watt direct-connect amplifier (which Matt will tell you is the best set-up to bring in cellular in remote locations). But we still find spots where we can't get cell signals at all or they are too weak for good internet service.

In fact, we are in a state park right now where we get a weak 2g signal without the boosting equipment. And even with the boosting equipment we barely get a 3g signal and it is pretty flaky - in and out. In a solid 3g area with a good signal, celluar is much faster than satellite. But in a 2g area or borderline 3g area where the signal goes in and out, it's much slower than satellite. So, if we didn't have the satellite where we are today, we'd be frustrated for the next few days. smile

We love having both options because we do like the really remote places.

BUT, many of our friends with satellite ARE converting to aircard only (or tethering). And IF we were starting today, we would forgo the satellite (mostly due to upfront costs and the increasing cellular coverage areas) and go with an aircard with an external antenna port. We would have to have the external antenna port so that it can be connected to an amplifier and external antenna which would give us the best shot to get cellular internet in remote locations. To that we would add a wirelss router so we could plug the aircard into it and use the internet signal on both our laptops.

The ONLY reason WE wouldn't go with a MiFi or a smartphone (as a WiFi hotspot or otherwise) is because they don't have the external antenna ports. Many people don't need that extra "boost" in signal, but we definitely do. Wireless "repeaters" are available for the MiFi and smartphones, and they are improving in boosting signal, but they still aren't as good as the direct-connect options, especially in remote areas.

I'm working on a complete breakdown of cellular, satellite, and WiFi options for internet. But while the most common solutions are pretty easy, there are lots of variations and pricing options that might appeal to some folks that can make it all a bit too complicated for a Forum post.

Hopefully, I haven't confused the issue. The bottom line, in my opinion, is this. If you want internet service most of the time with pretty good speeds most of the time, go with an aircard (or one of the other cellular options) ... and add boosting equipment as you need it. Cellular technology is advancing pretty fast, so the gap in coverage in remote areas that satellite internet fills will likely continue to be closed.

TxYellowRose · RV-Dreams Family Member

To the OP, you have received quite a bit of useful information. I'll just add my two cents' worth.

In preparing to go full-time, I gave a lot of thought to satellite Internet vs air card. As I work online and we both use the Internet quite a bit in general, having the capability of getting a connection is vital to us.

We do not have satellite TV and rely solely on "rabbit ears" or cable provided by parks.

AT&T is our cell provider.

I chose the satellite option via HughesNet. In four months of full-timing, we have been able to have Internet in two places where those with air cards where not able to get a strong enough signal to get online.

In particular, in NC we were at a park in a valley. One of the hosts saw me setting up the satellite and made a comment about what a hassle it was and wasn't I ready to switch to an air card. My response was I didn't consider it much of a bother, really. He then went on to say he could not get a Verizon signal strong enough to get online. Same thing with a neighbor across from us; he could make phone calls but had no Internet. Us? We were online in no time!

That's why I chose satellite vs air card. If we are somewhere remote or in a geographic location that blocks the cell signal, we want to be able to get online.

We also have the ProPlus plan and, even with Dave watching a movie or video clips, we have not yet run into the "forbidden zone." I will note that we were working a security job and were night owls for a while, so he was able to watch movies during the free zone.

As to cost, again, we do not have a television provider such as Dish or DirecTV, so we do not have that expense.

I'm a chick and do the entire setup, acquiring the signal and setting up our wireless network with the exception of asking Dave to help with putting the "foot" on the tripod. I have done that myself before, but it is a wee bit awkward. biggrin

Of course, for overnight or short two/three-night stays, I don't set it up.

What it boils down to, IMHO, is your needs/wants, where you plan to be traveling and so on.

Good luck with your decision and happy surfing!

Cheers,
Betty