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turkeyboyslim
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2018 09:58am
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So I'm looking at a beautiful piece of land in central VT in a town without zoning. It's perfect for what I want and it meets all of my "checklists" except for one. I've checked every Internet Service Provider in my area and there is no internet available in this area. Now I do have great cell service on the land, there is 2 large cell towers miles and miles away, high up on some mountaintops. Of course I could use data from my phone but It is important for me to be able to sit down on my computer and have decent internet speed.
(I will be doing a lot of new things and learning skills I have little experience in, the internet is a great tool for research and guides which is why its almost a requirement for me)
Does anyone have any recommendations on what could be done? I've heard of satellite internet but Id rather not do that, I've heard its expensive and pretty crappy.
I think phones have a mobile hotspot thing where you can emit wifi from your phone service that other devices pick up, but I have no experience with that and don't know how it works. I'm hoping theirs some option I'm unaware of that would allow medium-high speeds in rural areas. Thanks for any advice!
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Borrego
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2018 10:11am
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That's a conundrum we face....most of us (I think) go the cabin route to get away from civilization, so the absence of internet is a relief, not a problem....
I would just drive into town, or wherever you can get internet, when you need to do some research...or just go to the cabin prepared. There are also these things called books that we used to use for research, you can get them on any subject, esp building....
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kittysmitty
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2018 10:16am
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I do not have internet available at my camp and cell signal is not great. I have set up my cell phone as a mobile hot spot and used my laptop with internet.Sometimes the placement of my phone outside it critical, but no wires are required.
I have been also looking at this
https://www.bell.ca/Mobility/Cell_phone_plans/Turbo-Stick-and-Turbo-Hub-data-plans
From what i can gather it uses cell signal and some units can have an external antenna for better reception.
https://www.bell.ca/Mobility/Mobile-Internet-Devices-listing
These are Canadian prices, i would be interested to see how US prices compare.
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Fanman
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2018 10:33am
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You've basically named your two options, using your phone as a hotspot (or getting an additional cell line as a dedicated hotspot), and satellite. Both have data limits, though you now again get unlimited data on your cell.
We have satellite (serving a group of cabins) and yeah, it's crappy. If we had decent cell service at our cabin we wouldn't bother with satellite.
The phone hotspot thing is pretty easy to turn on, just look for an app called "mobile hotspot".
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paulz
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2018 11:44am - Edited by: paulz
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I have excellent cell service 4g or whatever you call it. I'm in our small local fire dept, the one perk I get is a wifi modem (verizon mifi if you want to look it up) and free unlimited data. I can have Sling TV streaming on my tablet, wife has hers going and I'm web surfing all at the same time. But, as I mentioned on another thread, fiber optic cable is going in soon so I'll lose this freebe.
Last week I forgot the mifi thing, so no watching TV that night. It was refreshing, relaxing. Got it now though, necessary evil..
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lburners
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2018 12:28pm
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I know the state is looking to improve access to rural Vermont internet service. It might be a bit out but Im guessing the technology for high speed wireless internet is right around the corner. Even 4g like the poster above mentioned can get you decent speeds.
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Princelake
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2018 01:42pm
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I have satellite internet at my home in rural ontario. I have the highest residential plan I can get. I pay $120 for 100gig of data with xplornet a month. I can stream videos perfectly fine just sucks during storms and blizzards exactly when you want to use it. Real bad weather it doesn't work. Not sure what's available in your area.
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2018 02:07pm
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Here's what I do.
I go to town and sit outside the library in my truck and use their free wifi.
I downloaded a bunch of movies from Amazon Prime before we went back to camp in the fall.
With it getting dark and cold so early it was nice to get under the down comforter, drink wine and watch a movie.
I could get Internet at camp but it would be very expensive. I'm waiting for technology to catch up. I figure in a few years it will be more affordable.
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naturelover66
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2018 03:19pm
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What Borrego and Silverwaterlady Said !
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Borrego
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2018 09:02pm
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Quoting: silverwaterlady I downloaded a bunch of movies from Amazon Prime
Downloaded onto what if i may ask?
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2018 10:22pm - Edited by: silverwaterlady
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Borrego, My iPad.
I agree with you. It is nice to get away from the Internet.
If I had it at camp I know I would not read as much.
I also would have to see what is going on in the World news.
I go up there to get away from all that stress.
I actually had to buy a book on medical symptoms from Amazon to add to my camp library. Since I can't Google things like I do in the city.
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darz5150
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2018 10:28pm
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Phone, tablet, laptop, SD card, flash drive etc. If you have a computer with a CD burner, you can burn your own dvds with your favorite movies/music. I have a couple TVs with SD card slots. Actually you can get a cheap portable DVD player from amazon with SD card slots.
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darz5150
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2018 10:34pm - Edited by: darz5150
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Here's a portable DVD player with card slots.
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Borrego
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# Posted: 26 Nov 2018 11:25am
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darz - can you record, say, Youtube shows or Netflix series onto a storage like this DVD?
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hueyjazz
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# Posted: 26 Nov 2018 11:38am
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Borrego
The Amazon Fire HDs make it real easy to download movies and replay on TV. You just need a Micro HDMI to standard HDMI cable. You can get a Fire HD cheap right now
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darz5150
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# Posted: 26 Nov 2018 11:54am
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The player just replays the media. You still would have to download it. Like hueyjazz said. You can pick up something like a fire HD or something similar.
I just download stuff onto my phone or tablet. Got a larger SD card( more GB). Then can replay it on the phone, tablet, or on my TV (smart TV) wirelessly.
I am not tech savvy. Maybe someone else could explain things better than me.
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redwolfguild
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# Posted: 26 Nov 2018 12:48pm
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Turkeyboy - I know you think you want it, but do you really need it? If you are living and working full time at your cabin, yes you need it and most likely Satelite is the only option (try Cell to WIFi first to see if it is fast enough and get an unlimited plan).
For me, I bought a really nice chunk of land and had very little cell service on one carrier. Not even reliable enough for a Phone call. Spend about a $1000 and a ton of time with cell phone booster, etc. None of them work reliably. In the end, I have taken it all out and gone back to zero internet, zero phone and it is awesome. No work calls, no checking e-mail, no worrying about facebook etc. Just enjoy nature and the time away.
When we move their permanently, I will have to put in Satellite internet. A few of my remote neighbors have them, works pretty good until the snow starts.
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turkeyboyslim
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# Posted: 26 Nov 2018 01:39pm
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I will be living at the property full time, maybe I don't NEED it, but when buying a property you plan to build and spend the rest of your life I think most people try to make sure all their check marks are met on the land before they buy.
I could probably go without internet, and just use my phone to look stuff up when its needed, would I want that? not really. I can always decide to not use internet even if access is available on the land, however If my property I invest my saving into does not have an option for internet and I find I really miss it, well that would not be a good feeling.
Anyways i'll scout out other properties probably once the snow melts, If it seems like getting the kind of land i'm looking for with internet access is not an option I'll defiantly live without it. I'm pretty sure there are properties that meet my requirement with Internet access here in Vermont, though.
Thanks for everyone's input and suggestions.
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Borrego
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# Posted: 26 Nov 2018 06:10pm
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Turkeyboy - I'm guessing you're a young fella? When we were looking for land, any place with phone reception or internet access was an immediate thumbs down.....
redwolfguild had some good advice....big difference between want and need......
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hueyjazz
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# Posted: 27 Nov 2018 11:54am
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I lucked out on my property which is deep in woods but it has a phone line running through it and I can and do get DSL service which by my city standards is crap at 6 Mbps but I run a ton of stuff through this. Thing is, I don't do a lot of web surfing there. I got better things to do. Come Monday mornings when we are back to city I got a boatload of emails I didn't address over weekend.
I don't have cell service in general area and I was quite worry about being this deep in the woods without being able to make emergency contact. I did carry and sometimes still do, a pocket shortwave radio. I figure I could contact someone with this even if its on the other side of world.
With the DSL I can run Wi-Fi phone service to cell, security system, IP cameras, heating system, TV, lighting as well as just accessing internet. It is really nice to approach a lighted and heated cabin that I've turned on during transit to there. She that most be obeyed is much more pleasant.
We also intend to retire to this property. In fact, in some ways my mind is already there.
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turkeyboyslim
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# Posted: 27 Nov 2018 07:17pm
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Quoting: Borrego any place with phone reception or internet access was an immediate thumbs down.....
Why was it a thumbs down, even if you didn't intend to use it? I must be missing something because I don't see the downside. Yes I'm young and have lived in suburbia my whole life, for a long time I've wanted to make a transition to a more simple life. I want to go without many of the luxuries and do more fulfilling things with my time.
That being said I want the transition to be on my own terms and to have the flexibility to decide what I want to go without and what comforts I compromise on. I don't need high speed internet, but having some form of internet access at a low monthly cost would be ideal for me. If I decided I don't want it, I can cancel my service.
Quoting: hueyjazz We also intend to retire to this property. In fact, in some ways my mind is already there.
That sounds very nice, It sounds like you have a nice little set up on your property. I'm happy for you and I hope have a lot of time to enjoy it.
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redwolfguild
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# Posted: 27 Nov 2018 07:26pm - Edited by: redwolfguild
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Quoting: turkeyboyslim Anyways i'll scout out other properties probably once the snow melts, If it seems like getting the kind of land i'm looking for with internet access is not an option I'll defiantly live without it. I'm pretty sure there are properties that meet my requirement with Internet access here in Vermont, though.
I hope you don't let a good property get away from you when the internet could be a few years out.
For me, I see them dragging power into the valley in the next 10 years or so and that will quadruple the value of my place, so there is something to be said about patience and a little risk.
For us, really, we had 10 must haves on our list when looking for our place, internet, power, a phone was not on the list. Now, we could spend more time up there if we had it, but what the hell, we are only 50 miles from home.
Good luck turkeyboy and make sure you keep us updated on your search.
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Princelake
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# Posted: 27 Nov 2018 08:45pm - Edited by: Princelake
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My home has no cell service and I'm younger 31 I do have satellite internet and only very few select people have my home number. My property where im building a cabin is 3hr north in the middle of nowhere. The highway is a couple km and cell service bounces off the lake. I get texts and if I need to make a phone call I need to go down to the lake. It's great to have a form of service to know when friends are coming or in an emergency. I typically get to camp sgut my phone off and throw it in a drawer and man it feels good.
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deercula
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# Posted: 27 Nov 2018 09:43pm
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I use a phone app called wi Fi mobile hotspot. Works as well as any other provider with my laptop. Try it out.
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RiverCabin
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# Posted: 28 Nov 2018 10:10am
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Here you go. $60 unlimited cellular data.
https://www.otrmobile.com/
I have heard reports it is good but I have no idea. My cabin has no cell coverage. My neighbor has satellite and I'm contemplating trying to figure out his wifi password lol.
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Borrego
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# Posted: 28 Nov 2018 10:30am
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Quoting: turkeyboyslim I must be missing something because I don't see the downside. Yes I'm young and have lived in suburbia my whole life,
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.......
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hueyjazz
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# Posted: 28 Nov 2018 11:56am
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So many cell phone and cell phone plans allow you to turn your phone into a hotspot so you can use your laptop to get on internet. Of course any data used comes off your plan. Likewise you can just get a dedicated Hotspot unit that runs off of cell signal.
In the first cabin I bought I had a marginal cell signal. Generally as long as you have some signal you can boost it. I had an elderly parent that I was responsible for. Not being able to be contacted wasn't an option.
First thing is to determine what signal you cell gets. If it's 3G or 4g/LTE then if you get a cell repeater you match it to the signal you want to amplify. I found the Wilson units to be the best. A directional Yagi antenna will give you best results if it is properly aimed. TVfool will tell you location of nearby towers but this fooled me. Closest tower was Verizon however I got a very weak signal from that one. TVfool didn't mention the mountain between us. It turn out my wife's cell on ATT gave the best signal even though that tower was further away but was at a more equal plain with our location. Aim the yagi towards that and we had enough signal to make calls and some internet access but far from perfect. Texts take the least bandwidth.
The bars on cell phones to tell you signal strength is a joke. Most cells can be placed into a "Field Test Mode" This will give you a numeric output of signal strength. In this case a lower number is a stronger signal.
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slgerber
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# Posted: 28 Nov 2018 01:04pm
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As others have said, if you have strong 4G LTE signal with decent download speed then your best bet is probably to enable your cell phone as a mobile hotspot and then connect your desktop computer and smart TV through your phone to the internet. You may need to buy a wireless adapter of some sort for your desktop computer. Many people like to have a dedicated cellular mobile hotspot device so that the household and other family members still have internet when you leave home with your phone.
The main limitation of using cellular data as your primary connection to the internet is that you can quickly hit your high speed data cap (often around 25GB) and get throttled if you do even a little bit of high definition video streaming.
Standard definition 480p uses 240MB/hr
Medium HD (720p) uses 450MB/hr
Full HD (1080p) uses 750MB/hr. That's 3/4 of a GB
If you have multiple people in your household and everyone is watching their own separate video streaming you could reach the data cap in a few days!
I've heard rumors that sometimes people in rural areas will not experience throttling because there are so few people connecting to the same cell tower simultaneously that they don't create congestion problems on that tower and therefore throttling never kicks in. But that's not really a guaranteed situation.
Another thing to consider is that if the local cell tower seems to be well maintained and routinely upgraded to new hardware then it may get upgraded to 5G technology within a few years which theoretically should allow for adequate bandwidth for full-time primary internet service.
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LastOutlaw
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# Posted: 22 Dec 2018 07:48pm - Edited by: LastOutlaw
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I did the 4g connection for awhile. It was awful. poor connections a lot of the time and over $1 per gig. Ugggh. Once over the 100 gig per month it was cut off regardless of how well I paid my bill or overages. Then a walk through the door of their office trip into town to get it turned back on regardless of the new data date or start of my new month. Customer service was rude, lied to me and a general pain in the rear.
I've heard so many bad things about Hughesnet but I have to say it was so much better than the cellular 4g dedicated internet connection I had before. I may get throttled back once I'm over my limit but I still can run a video online regardless.
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Houska
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# Posted: 26 Jan 2019 06:35pm
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*If* you're contemplating internet-over-cellular, with the limitations others have mentioned, but have borderline signal, it's worth considering cell boosters.
Large boosters e.g. from weBoost can amplify a signal by ~50dB and rebroadcast it inside your cabin. Only works if there was some marginal signal outside, but can take borderline 0/1 bars, 3G only, into 3 or 4 bars LTE if you're lucky. Will cost several hundred dollars. This is what we're putting in on our new land.
Part of such a system is a directional antenna you elevate and point straight at the best but distant cell tower (then there's an amplifier and the rebroadcaster inside). However, if you're lucky, the outside antenna is all you really need, and they can be gotten pretty cheap from people who are upgrading their system. At our current, soon to be former cabin, that's what we did. A $50 used antenna from a farmer who was "upgrading" to microwave internet, wired directly into the antenna port of a mobile internet smarthub was all we needed.
As others have said, this is not for 24/7 connectivity and watching Netflix. But if you want to stay in touch when at the cabin, we find it's good enough for email, web, a bit of small-screen YouTube, and Skype to family members.
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