Tech Tips

If you have Verizon, they now have an unlimited data plan. Originally, I had a beefy 30 GB data plan, but it seemed like I still kept running out of data every month. I hesitated to get the unlimited plan, because after 10 GB of use, the speed drops down. I finally got an inventive Verizon rep on the phone who noticed that I had 5 devices on my plan. She let me know that if I alternated which device I used as a hot spot, it could extend my speedy data to 50 GB -- 10 for each device! So that's what we do now when wanting to stream Roku... we rotate the use of our devices as hotspots. It's working great!

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Update: we found that with streaming a few hours a night we used up our high-speed data on our unlimited plan really fast -- like within a week to 10 days, even alternating devices. So we found another solution for streaming and good high-speed internet:

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People often ask about how to solve the problem of having an internet connection while traveling on the road. I discovered GotW3 EZGo Internet and love it. It creates a wireless internet WiFi connection that works off AT&T towers but is truly unlimited high speed data with no throttling. It is NOT a hotspot. It is on 24/7. The router costs under $200. The service is $99.99/mo with no contract. It is a pay as you go. I was very skeptical that it would work. It is fantastic. We use it for streaming and for work. You can take the router with you on your travels. As long as you can get an AT&T signal you are good to go. And it picks up a signal stronger than a phone can. For example, we get only 1 bar on an AT&T phone, but we get a strong enough signal on this router to stream and run our online business. We also have Alexa and security cameras connected to it at all times. It is important to note that we are travelers and not stationary and have great luck with it. We stay at state parks and boondock. We used to use our devices as hotspots but found it way too limiting for our needs. I have a referral code. If you use it I’m supposed to get a $15 credit. I hope you will give them this code if you go with the service. 👍😃 Call to get service  833-492-6893 

Ref ID 805 540 9962

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Get a T-Mobile hotspot. Make sure you ask for the plan that gives you unlimited streaming of nearly everything you could want: Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, etc. The downside is T-Mobile's service isn't the best. But where it does work it's fabulous to have this capability as an option. We got this before we had the Verizon unlimited plan, but we've kept it to have as an option. It's only about $21/month.

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If people in your family use different cell companies, try to keep it that way. Verizon works the most consistently, but where Verizon doesn't work, AT&T often does. So it's good to have different carriers.

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Consider getting an InReach or Spot Satellite device. These enable you to text the outside world when you are out of cell range. We have InReach which we've been please with. But we used to have a Spot device when we had our boat and loved it too. They both also work as SOS devices. InReach has the ability to pair with bluetooth to your phone to make it easier to text. Spot may have this now too, although they didn't at the time we had one.