There is no getting around it! Almost everything we do these days is on-line. And with so many of us working remotely, one of the top questions we get is “how do you stay connected?” I’ve resisted writing this blog, only because everyone has different needs, and there is no one right answer. Plus, there are a lot of videos and blogs out there already. But we are continuously asked, so I decided to put together how we stay connected. Between keeping in touch with friends and family to paying bills, streaming movies, and yes, even writing blogs, having internet access on the road isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. For any full-time RVers who work remotely, having the right internet connection is important.
About a year into our full-time RV life, I (Stacy) was presented with a great opportunity to be a virtual assistant working as a Pinterest Strategist. As I write this 2 years later, I still work remotely and love my job! My hours are whatever I make them and I work as an independent contractor. So very different from the 30-year corporate job I came from.
Using Cell Phone Hotspots
Using your cell phone as a hotspot can be a great temporary fix. But it’s definitely not going to work long term. In the first few months I worked, I did use my cell phone hot spot. That quickly became an issue with being throttled, prioritized, and limited on monthly data. We needed another solution.
Boosting The Signal
Before we even pulled out of our sticks and bricks driveway, we had a cell booster. I’m a mom to grown kids, and I wanted to stay as connected as I could, even if was just sending a text. We have since bought another one, and have one in the truck, and one in the RV. After 3 years using these, we highly recommend WeBoost Drive Cell Phone Signal Booster for your RV! For our truck, we use essentially the same booster, but it comes with an antenna for the truck and what we refer to as “the candy bar”. You can find the Vehicle Cell Signal Booster here.
Hotspots
Our two hotspots are the main way we connect. We did a lot of research and found that many RVers are using the exact same plan we have but they are spending $120 a month on each hotspot. We wanted both Verizon and AT&T and there was no way we could spend $240 a month. So we went searching for a company we could find the same deal with, but for less. We have no affiliate with this company. We are just simply happy customers. All plans are un-throttled, un-limited, and un-prioritized. We pay $80 per month for each. No contract! You stop paying the bill, they stop giving you the connection. Plus they offer a lifetime guarantee. Your hotspot malfunctions or breaks, they send you a new one out right away. No charge! We are very happy with our provider. If you’re interested to check out who they are, you can click here for more information.
Mimo
Yeah, it’s a funny name, but seriously the best $40 we ever spent! I had never heard of a Mimo until a friend told us about it. What is a Mimo? A MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) is an antenna technology for wireless communications in which multiple antennas are used at both the source (transmitter) and the destination (receiver). The antennas at each end of the communications circuit are combined to minimize errors and optimize data speed. I promise this little thing will change how much you love your hotspots. This does not take power! It simply plugs into the bottom of your hotspot and provides a stronger antenna. There are several brands out there, click here for the one we purchased after some research and recommendations we got from friends. You will need to point the Mimo toward the antenna and you can find that under an app on your phone called OpenSignal. This is a free app and will come in very handy when making sure your speeds are workable while looking for areas to stay.
Using the simple items above have allowed us to stay connected for both working and personal. We are able to stream Netflix, or Youtube as long as we want, with no problems. Everyone has different needs and preferences when it comes to staying connected on the road. I’m sharing what has worked flawlessly for us for years.
We’re happy to answer any questions you might have on any of the items we use. We hope you find some value in our information and we hope it allows you to travel more freely!
Here are a few blogs we think you’ll love!
- How Much Does it Cost To RV Full-Time?
- Boondocking ~ How We Spent $48 in Camping Fees For The Whole Year
- The Best Tips for Organizing Your RV Stuff
- Off the Beaten Path in South Carolina
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