Mobil wifi in the car

[DannyLlama]

Hi All,

I am a mobile hotspot installed in my 4runner, would be cool for road trips and such. Has anyone done this on here or has recommendations?

I'm looking at a few different options

1. Hotspot through sprint or verizon and have the ability to take out of the car if need be.

2. GPS based wifi, where it's hard wired to the car.

Thoughts, suggestions, comments welcome :thanks:

 

[ClockWork]

Hi All,

I am a mobile hotspot installed in my 4runner, would be cool for road trips and such. Has anyone done this on here or has recommendations?

I'm looking at a few different options

1. Hotspot through sprint or verizon and have the ability to take out of the car if need be.

2. GPS based wifi, where it's hard wired to the car.

Thoughts, suggestions, comments welcome :thanks:

Oh really?

For use with a laptops or tablets/handhelds?

 

[Ducmonsta]

The only thing I know of is Clear from Best Buy, I believe.

 

[TTown]

I would recommend just getting a mobile hotspot. That way you can take it with you wherever you go.

We have this and use it often.

 

[DannyLlama]

Oh really?

For use with a laptops or tablets/handhelds?

Precisely!

 

[Beakerbox]

imho the ones dependent on cell phone coverage are kind of redundant in that most mobile devices can connect themselves and you can get 3g modems and tethers for laptops. Since your still bound by your proximity to a phone network your not gaining much if anything at all. You can still get email and web on your phone or tablet without the car Wifi.

A Sat link will provide you with internet when out of regular Cell phone range in more remote areas - so it seems that would be the primary reason to have Wifi in your car. Sat should also provide greater bandwidth and better potential for video streaming. I wouldn't expect netflix or the likes to work well on a 3g network.

 

[offroadingatc]

iPhone wifi hotspot works great.

 

[ClockWork]

Precisely!

It was a question. If the former - you can use the cell Express Card adapters and create a hotspot with your laptop.

 

[DannyLlama]

It was a question. If the former - you can use the cell Express Card adapters and create a hotspot with your laptop.

Oh Sorry, I wouldn't want to do that or user my cell phone as a hotspot because It's a moving object.

I want a stationary device in the car at all times. Wife & I switch cars at times, and makes it easier "not to loose".

Makes sense?

 

[ClockWork]

Oh Sorry, I wouldn't want to do that or user my cell phone as a hotspot because It's a moving object.

I want a stationary device in the car at all times. Wife & I switch cars at times, and makes it easier "not to loose".

Makes sense?

So it sounds automatically like you want Satellite which is $$$$$$$

 

[harper7]

Mobile Satellite Internet is very very expensive at over 5-6 grand plus high monthly fees. Look at like Nascar races and most of the driver travel buses all have them on.It would look border line crazy on top of a 4Runner. Mobile Satellite Internet

Just about any recent smart phone has mobile hotspot capability or you can buy a device that is specifically a hotspot from the big 4 cell phone companies.

Coverage is all thru cell towers though,dependent on 3G or 4G coverage and data is limited or throttled back in all but Sprint phones at the moment unless your grandfathered in for unlimited data.That's why I just switched back to Sprint from AT&T. I'm a admitted data hog......oink,oink!

 

[DannyLlama]

That antenna would look ridiculous.

I was more so looking for something like this:

GPS WiFi | Car WiFi

But I think Sprint Hotspot would probably be the best bet, I have sprint now and their service isn't all that bad.

I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else.

 

[axxman]

I use a VZW MiFi 3g extensively for work and when I am at my house in florida, I work on cell towers so I am usually in places where coverage is difficult, or nonexistent. Not sure what a "GPS based" WIFI would do, or what advantage it would give.

 

[Uneek]

Verizon MiFi with LTE FTW.

 

[kingpin748]

iPhone wifi hotspot works great.

I second the iPhone. That's what I use. I just plug it in and drop it in the armrest.

 

[sandcrawler]

I second the iPhone. That's what I use. I just plug it in and drop it in the armrest.

agreed. use your phone's built-in wifi hotspot or get a mifi.

 

[mpaquette]

Verizon MiFi with LTE FTW.

I have one of these as well. Works great. I usually just leave it in the slot thingy next to the gear shifter, just above the passenger side cup holder.

 

[twomonkeysayoyo]

I've been thinking about this. I've got sprint so it would be like a 25 buck a month option for me to make it a 'hotspot' but I've got a bunch of old routers lying around so I thought maybe I could tether my cellphone to one of them. Sprint already charges me for the 4G service and a single tether is within the TOA. I think I'd need a bluetooth capable router, though, to do it correctly, but you can set up a DD-WRT flashed router as a repeater no problem. So maybe the easiest thing to do is throw a little wireless router in the console, and configure it to repeat your phone signal. Actually I've got to think about this some more. I'll run a couple experiments and get back to you.

 

[Winstondvm]

I have a Samsung Verizon 4gLTE card which I use as a mobile hotspot for my 4runner. It has a USB charger with a small wall transformer that can be disconnected. I use the cable to connect to the USB input in the glovebox. Sure, I had to disconnect the ipod I had in the glovebox, but I really only use Bluetooth music streaming. 4G LTE isn't available everywhere, so I'm fortunate that I get good service in and around Austin, Tx. It will revert to 3G when it can't pick up the 4g.
I use it to wirelessly tether my laptop to my office software, either thru a direct connection with the software or now usually thru Log Me in.
4 gig plans are about 40 bucks/ month, 8 gig is about 80/month.
Download speeds range from 15 to 18 mbps (about what I get from Time warner cable at the office), and upload speeds are 3-5 mbps.
The cards were free (with 2 year contract...) thru best buy. I was tethering with my AT&T iphone 4, but 3g speeds were only 3-5 up at the best, and .8-1.5 down at the best.
I've been impressed, and the card is small.
my .02

 

[DannyLlama]

I have a Samsung Verizon 4gLTE card which I use as a mobile hotspot for my 4runner. It has a USB charger with a small wall transformer that can be disconnected. I use the cable to connect to the USB input in the glovebox. Sure, I had to disconnect the ipod I had in the glovebox, but I really only use Bluetooth music streaming. 4G LTE isn't available everywhere, so I'm fortunate that I get good service in and around Austin, Tx. It will revert to 3G when it can't pick up the 4g.
I use it to wirelessly tether my laptop to my office software, either thru a direct connection with the software or now usually thru Log Me in.
4 gig plans are about 40 bucks/ month, 8 gig is about 80/month.
Download speeds range from 15 to 18 mbps (about what I get from Time warner cable at the office), and upload speeds are 3-5 mbps.
The cards were free (with 2 year contract...) thru best buy. I was tethering with my AT&T iphone 4, but 3g speeds were only 3-5 up at the best, and .8-1.5 down at the best.
I've been impressed, and the card is small.
my .02

Pics of your set up please ?