Looking to put a satellite internet on our place in Northeast Callahan county. Starlink does not cover the area as of yet. We're not lookin for blazing fast speed. Honestly anything over 15mpbs download should be good enough. Any recommendations? Thanks!

Yesterday said:

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Looking to put a satellite internet on our place in Northeast Callahan county. Starlink does not cover the area as of yet. We're not lookin for blazing fast speed. Honestly anything over 15mpbs download should be good enough. Any recommendations? Thanks!

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I used Viasat for a year and it was acceptable for my business use

https://www.viasat.com/satellite-internet/

Another option https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/nomad-internet-review/

I was a Viasat customer before Starlink. It can get the job done but know what you are walking into with them or the other rural satellite company.

- customer service is straight garbage. Like all time bad including both the people on the phone and the installers.
- the speed is ok once it gets going but the ping speed is crappy. So basically there is a second or more pause between every click.
- streaming kind of works but if it the connection skips for a second (happens a lot) and has to re- ping you have a delay. Also streaming is an issue with my next point….
- they have data limits that are pretty easy to hit and when you do you get severely buffered.
- zoom or any video conferencing doesn't work. Technically it does but it's a second or two delayed so you constantly are talking over people.
- requires a long ass contract you have to pay to get out of. You gladly pay it though when a better alternative comes.

I had a DSL line that was my primary and satellite as a backup and hated it but I had no choice until Starlink.

Thanks for the advice! Really just looking to set up some cameras to check in on the place and a ring security system. We get decent cell service while we're out there and honestly it's a place to go to get away from the internet.

Get starlink. If residential service isn't available in your area, order the RV setup. It's the exact same equipment as residential, it just isn't tied to one address. We have it in Waller County and it works amazingly well.

Satalite sucks. Look at Nextlink for LOS.

Does cell service work in your area? We have a Mo-Fi router with an ATT cellular sim card that works really well.

We wanted one for our motor home and they have cracked down now on RV availability. They realized lots of folks were getting them as bogus to use at residential.

Satellite has always kind of sucked. I've had cellular broadband for nearly 20 years in some form or another. If your cell gets good service there, then you can get a tablet plan from you carrier and then look into a hotspot router or cellular router like Gunny has. Then you'll need to modify the IMEI on the device so the cell service doesn't catch on to the fact you are using an unauthorized device. It's a bit of a workaround but it's truly unlimited.

I would run full-speed through the brush naked before I'd consider Nomad again. Worst experience I've ever had with any company, and I've been around a while.

We live in the boonies and use an Iphone as an Internet hotspot.
Have a cell phone signal booster with external antenna mounted on the roof that can pick up Verizon tower.

Satellite internet sucks. Tried Hughesnet. It was better than nothing.

See if Tmoble 5G is out there. I switched from satellite to this and love it. 50 bucks a month and NO satellite on house.

LOVE IT. 50$ month, no start up fees and no contract, cancel whenever...At least this past November.

What's the timeline for Starlink in your area? I'd consider everything else a temporary measure until it's available.


Posted via starlink in the middle of nowhere north of Douglas, WY. Been handling all of our needs, moving data to Kingston, email, Teams voice & video calls, multiple connected phones and laptops, and music. No issues or interruptions.

EDIT... Have also used it outside Salem, OH, Decatur, TX, East of Orla, TX, and middle of nowhere north of Winnemucca, NV.

Have you looked for any wireless broadband providers? Might ask around the area.
I have heard great things about T-Mobile Home internet even if it shows you are not elegible you can go into a store to get the router and get an external MIMO antenna. Hard to beat the $50/month for a plan right now for rural internet .

We get decent AT&T out there. May need to look into that from the sound of it.

I've been using this company for a number of years. Very happy. Line of sight system. Maybe you're close enough to one of their towers.
https://www.amatechtel.com/find-your-area/

You can use cellular internet, which is not cheap but it's fairly reliable. Also see if there are any directional wireless providers in your area. That's what I use at home. Many have No throttling or caps. It's not that fast but it's fairly reliable with tolerable ping. Something like 10-15mbps. You will need a short tower to put your antenna on unless you are pretty high up as you need line of sight to a relay.

Satellite is beyond horrible.

I finally purchased a hot spot from AT&T and it worked so well that I've kept it after I got MidSouth fiber.

Use it in my travel trailer and pack it if I go out of town.

This. We had Viasat for a couple years. It was ok, better than Rise broadband, but as said, easy to hit your limits. Found the Tmobile internet, and absolutely love it. 50 bucks a month, no buffering, works even during storms. Says we only have "good" reception on the thing, but better than anything we've had. Scary to think what excellent might be like.

cochrum said:

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See if Tmoble 5G is out there. I switched from satellite to this and love it. 50 bucks a month and NO satellite on house.

LOVE IT. 50$ month, no start up fees and no contract, cancel whenever...At least this past November.

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We have also had great luck with TMobile.

I have hotspot on my phone but this would be left out there so we can remote into cameras etc. Does the hotspot make you log in constantly or kick you off if you're not using it? Thanks.

We have a place on Lake Leon and use New Source Broadband out of Eastland. Not sure if they reach that far west but you might want to give them a call. We have been very pleased with their service.

With Amazon about to launch their own version of Starlink, rural internet options are about to drastically improve.

Way more options that perform magnitudes better than 10 years ago.

Do not get satellite unless it's Starlink. The house where I'm at is very rural and the prior owner had Hughes Net which is beyond awful. I'd rather communicate with carrier pigeons.

I am on the wait list for Starlink. I have OTRmobile with a T-mobile card which is ok for streaming movies. I use a Cradlepoint router. I also bought a WeBoost power antennae with amplifier to increase the signal.

Yesterday said:

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Looking to put a satellite internet on our place in Northeast Callahan county. Starlink does not cover the area as of yet. We're not lookin for blazing fast speed. Honestly anything over 15mpbs download should be good enough. Any recommendations? Thanks!

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You can get SL Roam/RV right now. During the day it should be decent. You'll likely be deprioritized at night. The upload speeds can make watching cameras a challenge at times, but if you're really rural, you'll likely see similarly slow upload speeds using a hotspot

If you decide to go the hotspot route, search facebook for IMEI Magic. It'll help you get started rolling your own router that should offer better performance than the provided hotspots or TMO home router

We have a Mo-Fi router that uses my AT&T sim card from my iPad. Unlimited data plan and it works pretty great. We used it in our RV when traveling all over CO, MT, UT, ID, WY and it was great except for one area in MT that didn't have any AT&T service. Also use it at our deer lease with a Weboost cell phone booster and it works great. The Mo-Fi router we have can also use an exterior antenna and essentially function as a cell booster, but I haven't played with that functionality.
Starlink is definitely a step up above that but its expensive. We have it and love it (when it works) but still some coverage gaps. We mounted it up high to get a good view of the sky but now can't rake the snow off when its coming down harder than the defrost mode can handle. We also use a line of sight radio internet solution because its pretty cheap and more reliable than starlink. Not as fast but more reliable where we are. The cell router is very reliable and decent speed.

We've got Starlink on the place in the country and it's phenomenal. Streams to three TVs at once, handles Zoom calls etc.

Need a clear cone of sight to the sky with no obstructions and you're golden.

D&C 2002 said:

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We have a Mo-Fi router that uses my AT&T sim card from my iPad. Unlimited data plan and it works pretty great. We used it in our RV when traveling all over CO, MT, UT, ID, WY and it was great except for one area in MT that didn't have any AT&T service. Also use it at our deer lease with a Weboost cell phone booster and it works great. The Mo-Fi router we have can also use an exterior antenna and essentially function as a cell booster, but I haven't played with that functionality.
Starlink is definitely a step up above that but its expensive. We have it and love it (when it works) but still some coverage gaps. We mounted it up high to get a good view of the sky but now can't rake the snow off when its coming down harder than the defrost mode can handle. We also use a line of sight radio internet solution because its pretty cheap and more reliable than starlink. Not as fast but more reliable where we are. The cell router is very reliable and decent speed.

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Sounds like this is the ticket. Will your hotspot stay on if you're not using it? If you go out for lunch or are gone for a few hours will it stay active? Thanks!

Yesterday said:

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D&C 2002 said:

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We have a Mo-Fi router that uses my AT&T sim card from my iPad. Unlimited data plan and it works pretty great. We used it in our RV when traveling all over CO, MT, UT, ID, WY and it was great except for one area in MT that didn't have any AT&T service. Also use it at our deer lease with a Weboost cell phone booster and it works great. The Mo-Fi router we have can also use an exterior antenna and essentially function as a cell booster, but I haven't played with that functionality.
Starlink is definitely a step up above that but its expensive. We have it and love it (when it works) but still some coverage gaps. We mounted it up high to get a good view of the sky but now can't rake the snow off when its coming down harder than the defrost mode can handle. We also use a line of sight radio internet solution because its pretty cheap and more reliable than starlink. Not as fast but more reliable where we are. The cell router is very reliable and decent speed.

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Sounds like this is the ticket. Will your hotspot stay on if you're not using it? If you go out for lunch or are gone for a few hours will it stay active? Thanks!

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Oh yeah, it stays up and "hot". Acts just like a standard wifi router but the data in/out connection is via cell service.

Yesterday said:

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D&C 2002 said:

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We have a Mo-Fi router that uses my AT&T sim card from my iPad. Unlimited data plan and it works pretty great. We used it in our RV when traveling all over CO, MT, UT, ID, WY and it was great except for one area in MT that didn't have any AT&T service. Also use it at our deer lease with a Weboost cell phone booster and it works great. The Mo-Fi router we have can also use an exterior antenna and essentially function as a cell booster, but I haven't played with that functionality.
Starlink is definitely a step up above that but its expensive. We have it and love it (when it works) but still some coverage gaps. We mounted it up high to get a good view of the sky but now can't rake the snow off when its coming down harder than the defrost mode can handle. We also use a line of sight radio internet solution because its pretty cheap and more reliable than starlink. Not as fast but more reliable where we are. The cell router is very reliable and decent speed.

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Sounds like this is the ticket. Will your hotspot stay on if you're not using it? If you go out for lunch or are gone for a few hours will it stay active? Thanks!

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Seriously, don't buy a hotspot. Buy a router made for LTE. I've been down this road and tried a ton of hotspots. An actual router with external antenna is the way to go.

Buy something like this on the low end:
https://www.amazon.com/Wiflyer-WE826-T2-Wireless-Hotspot-T-Mobile/

Throw Rooter on it and get a decent CAT18 modem. if you're willing to spend $500ish, you can get a good 5g router.

Then get service through CircledIn. ATT or TMO are ~$45 a month for unlimited.

I used a TMobile system along with a cell booster and can stream.

txyaloo said:

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Yesterday said:

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D&C 2002 said:

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We have a Mo-Fi router that uses my AT&T sim card from my iPad. Unlimited data plan and it works pretty great. We used it in our RV when traveling all over CO, MT, UT, ID, WY and it was great except for one area in MT that didn't have any AT&T service. Also use it at our deer lease with a Weboost cell phone booster and it works great. The Mo-Fi router we have can also use an exterior antenna and essentially function as a cell booster, but I haven't played with that functionality.
Starlink is definitely a step up above that but its expensive. We have it and love it (when it works) but still some coverage gaps. We mounted it up high to get a good view of the sky but now can't rake the snow off when its coming down harder than the defrost mode can handle. We also use a line of sight radio internet solution because its pretty cheap and more reliable than starlink. Not as fast but more reliable where we are. The cell router is very reliable and decent speed.

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Sounds like this is the ticket. Will your hotspot stay on if you're not using it? If you go out for lunch or are gone for a few hours will it stay active? Thanks!

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Seriously, don't buy a hotspot. Buy a router made for LTE. I've been down this road and tried a ton of hotspots. An actual router with external antenna is the way to go.

Buy something like this on the low end:
https://www.amazon.com/Wiflyer-WE826-T2-Wireless-Hotspot-T-Mobile/

Throw Rooter on it and get a decent CAT18 modem. if you're willing to spend $500ish, you can get a good 5g router.

Then get service through CircledIn. ATT or TMO are ~$45 a month for unlimited.

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I'm listening!

txyaloo said:

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Yesterday said:

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D&C 2002 said:

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We have a Mo-Fi router that uses my AT&T sim card from my iPad. Unlimited data plan and it works pretty great. We used it in our RV when traveling all over CO, MT, UT, ID, WY and it was great except for one area in MT that didn't have any AT&T service. Also use it at our deer lease with a Weboost cell phone booster and it works great. The Mo-Fi router we have can also use an exterior antenna and essentially function as a cell booster, but I haven't played with that functionality.
Starlink is definitely a step up above that but its expensive. We have it and love it (when it works) but still some coverage gaps. We mounted it up high to get a good view of the sky but now can't rake the snow off when its coming down harder than the defrost mode can handle. We also use a line of sight radio internet solution because its pretty cheap and more reliable than starlink. Not as fast but more reliable where we are. The cell router is very reliable and decent speed.

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Sounds like this is the ticket. Will your hotspot stay on if you're not using it? If you go out for lunch or are gone for a few hours will it stay active? Thanks!

---

Seriously, don't buy a hotspot. Buy a router made for LTE. I've been down this road and tried a ton of hotspots. An actual router with external antenna is the way to go.

Buy something like this on the low end:
https://www.amazon.com/Wiflyer-WE826-T2-Wireless-Hotspot-T-Mobile/

Throw Rooter on it and get a decent CAT18 modem. if you're willing to spend $500ish, you can get a good 5g router.

Then get service through CircledIn. ATT or TMO are ~$45 a month for unlimited.

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Ok, got a 4g lte router. When looking for a data SIM card do I just get a regular phone account with unlimited data or are there data only plans? What did you use? Thanks!

This is the router I got.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B089JW8H4N?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I had satellite before covid forced the work from home thing.
Ended up with this service as a replacement and it's exponentially better than what I had.

https://www.att.com/internet/fixed-wireless/