Anyone using Autonet? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Country Dancer · RV-Dreams Family Member

Anyone using Autonet?

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Autonet is just packaging since you can buy all the pieces yourself. You need a USB modem from Verizon/Millenicom/Sprint, a wireless router that supports it from Cradlepoint or WiFiRanger or a MiFi if you believe it will be good enough (not for me). I would add an external antenna and amplifier, which we have needed and that is why we don't want a MiFi. Plus the inverter or 12volt adapters to make it all run on 12volt.

Bill Adams · RV-Dreams Family Member

Any time you take a number of separate components and then repackage them for resale the end user nearly always pays more than necessary and often ends up with a less than optimal combination. They like to advertise that service only costs $29/month but often forget to mention that this only includes 1GB/month.

Autonet Mobile has two monthly data plans to accommodate your needs. Our $29 monthly plan includes 1GB of data per month, and our $59 plan includes 5GB of data per month.

In most cases you can get by with the an air card (free or very low cost) and a router (Cradlepoint or Wi-Fi Ranger). Total cost.....less than $100.

Currently the Autonet system is also 3G only so if you want 4G (coming to many cities near you) or if you want to take advantage of an offer such as Millenicom where you get 20GB for the same $60/month you would be tied into hardware that cannot handle these kinds of extras.

Country Dancer · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks to both of you Bills for the advice. We are right at the point where we have to be making some of these decisions. Perhaps we will be asking more questions of you both very soon.

rwarner22 · RV-Dreams Family Member

bjoyce wrote:
Autonet is just packaging since you can buy all the pieces yourself. You need a USB modem from Verizon/Millenicom/Sprint, a wireless router that supports it from Cradlepoint or WiFiRanger or a MiFi if you believe it will be good enough (not for me). I would add an external antenna and amplifier, which we have needed and that is why we don't want a MiFi. Plus the inverter or 12volt adapters to make it all run on 12volt.

I have been using Autonet since we started full-timing in May 2009.

We needed to get a 12v adapter for about $3.00 at Walmart which was quite easy to configure. Initial cost was $300 for the router. I recently bought an amplifier antenna for $49.95. I have never paid more than $29/month for the last 23 months of service.

I write a regular blog and do a few hours of online work each month and Autonet has worked good for us.

Country Dancer · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks Randy, good to hear it's working for you. The question may become which is easier to manage, as well as cost. So I like the simplicity that Autonet seems to offer.

Bill Adams · RV-Dreams Family Member

The air card/router setup is just as easy. You get a router, plug the air card into and you are able to share that one card with multiple users.
Even if the Autonet were somewhat less complicated than that I still like the flexibility of having a separate air card. If I travel away from the RV I can pack my computer and my air card alone and still have an internet connection at my destination. Or, if something does goes wrong with the router it only take a new router to get going again instead of having to replace/repair the Autonet system.
You can also get one of the Mi-Fi cards that is a router and air card in one. It will handle up to 5 devices within about a 30 foot range. The drawback is the lack of availability of an external antenna port, but if you want simple, this is as simple as it gets.
If I did not mention it above the air card/router combination also allows you to sign up from service with Millenicom and get 20GB/month for the same price Verizon charges for 5GB and Millenicom uses the Verizon service. Nice!

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

There is absolutely no reason I can see to use Autonet. Listen to Bill.....There are far better options at this point in time, that are cheaper, work better, and offer more flexibility. I would carefully do my homework. JMO.

Country Dancer · RV-Dreams Family Member

Do any of these other options allow internet access as you are moving, like Autonet does?

Bill Adams · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yes, all cellular connections work while in motion. There's nothing magic about Autonet, it's just a Sprint or Verizon card (an air card) built into a box with a router and an antenna. As long as a signal is available for your service you will be able to get on the internet.

JWagen · RV-Dreams Community Member

Actually while "internet" connectivity might appear the same with a cellular carriers modem it is quite different from the Autonet system.

If you read their specks they state:
"Autonet Mobile delivers high speed network connectivity to vehicles by leveraging the 3G network. Autonet Mobile's TRU Technology, a proprietary and patented technology, provides a seamless connection regardless how fast you are traveling. Unlike conventional cellular data technology, TRU Technology manages data as users travel at high speeds between cell towers, eliminating dropped connections."

Autonet is not a cellular company. Unlike a cellular service that will drop in out of their cell tower reaches autonet uses a proprietary technology so you are "online" a lot more. It's as if they are part of the whole cell towers network as opposed to an individul carrier that is subject to certain areas and reach. I have heard that Autonet will even work through tunnels! I have heard of people that have seamless communication through areas that neither my At+T or Sprint air cards could ever dream of going.

While it's true that they cannot reach to every nook and cranny of coverage, if you look at their covereage map you will see that it far exceeds the individual coverage areas of Verizon, At+T or Sprint. Their reach is like all of those combined.

Then to think you can even remove the unit and place it in a portable cradel elsewhere and STILL maintain your interenet connection?

It is NOT just packaging... As they state that have proprietary patented technology.

Nice!

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jwagen,I think full disclosure about your connection to Autonet should be included in your next post.

Bill Adams · RV-Dreams Family Member

If any of that were true you would would somehow be able to use the AT&T network despite the fact that it says it EVDO and AT&T is GSM. It's an air card in a box. That does not mean that it's no good, it's just unlikely that it's better than any other air card with and external antenna. It also currently shows that it is 3G only and the only level of security is WEP. No thanks!

-- Edited by Bill Adams on Friday 30th of September 2011 04:51:35 PM

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

This is a joke, right? Listen to Bill. There is no significant technical benefit to Autonet for the average RVer over other packaging, or creating your own package of comparable capabilities. If you like the simple packaging and support from Autonet, fine. But is does NOT combine all the cell cariers into one extended coverage area. And it is not going to work in a tunnel any better than a package you put together yourself. That is dependent on luck and antennas. Use a good antenna and you might get lucky too. I have maintained a connection in short tunnels with my external antennas. But it is pure luck unless there are mini-cells in the tunnel. And there are usually not.

Max Signal · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jack Mayer wrote:

This is a joke, right? Listen to Bill. There is no significant technical benefit to Autonet for the average RVer over other packaging, or creating your own package of comparable capabilities. If you like the simple packaging and support from Autonet, fine. But is does NOT combine all the cell cariers into one extended coverage area. And it is not going to work in a tunnel any better than a package you put together yourself. That is dependent on luck and antennas. Use a good antenna and you might get lucky too. I have maintained a connection in short tunnels with my external antennas. But it is pure luck unless there are mini-cells in the tunnel. And there are usually not.

Listen to Jack and Bill . These claims by the Autonet spokesperson are outlandish and pure fiction . Autonet is fine if you cannot put a system together yourself . But it will cost you . Much better financially and equipment wise to put togther your own package . It will upgrade easier and be more flexible depending on your applications . Also if you choose a company like Millenicom to buy your data service through you will get a better price , higher data limits and no long term contract.

-- Edited by Max Signal on Monday 3rd of October 2011 12:23:31 PM

John & Mandi · RV-Dreams Community Member

I wanted to add that there are MiFis that have the option for external antennas now. I picked up a 4G MiFi a few weeks ago and puposely selected one with the port. If you are in a 4G area it is great but when it downgrades to 3G it can get trying at times, especially if you are going to rely on it for work.

-John

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

It is nice that some of the mifi-like devices now have antenna ports - and I noted that on my website some time ago.

But you still need to consider if you need to have wired ports available. They are handy for many things. So consider carefully before you lock yourself into a 2 year contract. In most cases, having a router and separate aircard provides for a better long-term solution for RVers. But not always, so consider your requirements carefully.

Also, a mifi-type device can not capute wifi and make it available across your local network so that all your devices work the same without reconfiguration, and you also can not add an external wifi booster (called a CPE) to them like with a normal router. There are places for these small simple devices - but consider carefully before purchase. If you are not network savy then using a consultative business like 3GStore to assist in your purchase decisions is the way to go. (and no, I have nothing to do with the 3GStore)