Best deal on wireless internet?

[MissLotus]

I'm always a late bloomer on this stuff, but I have a laptop and I want wireless internet. Currently, I have a DSL connection at home, with Verizon. I also have a land line (phone) with Verizon. Since I have a cheap cell phone plan with Sprint, I might just keep the cell, and get rid of the land line altogether (since I don't really need it AND won't need it for a DSL connection when I have wireless internet).

I don't want any fancy packages, just super basic stuff so I can log onto the internet.

If anyone has a good (or bad) experience, please share! Thank you.

[Tradd]

Why not just keep DSL only from Verizon (they might not advertise it, so you might have to call about it), kill landline (you CAN have DSL without landline phone) and just your cell phone? And get a wireless router to hook up to your DSL modem for wireless around the house. Here's why:

Wireless internet is more expensive than plain Jane DSL, speed can be an issue, and there is *no* unlimited usage plan I can find, when I did some research on it. If you go over, it can be very $$$.

The only unlimited wireless internet plans I've found are those that are the data part of the package on a smart phone, such as my iPhone through AT&T.

[annethcz]

If you have a semi-recent laptop, you probably already have an internal wireless internet card. All you need to do is buy a wireless router for your home, hook it up to the DSL you already have, and you're good to go. You don't pay for a separate 'wireless internet' service, beyond buying the router.

Most people I know use their regular DSL/cable internet with a wireless router for wireless internet around their home. That said, if you want to get rid of your land line you can do that without getting rid of your DSL.

[1growingsprout]

Get yourself to Best Buy....I love them.... they explained wireless routers to my DH who is geekless lol... $60 and one router later we had wireless... thats all there was to it... re-arrange some wires behind your current modem and you are all set to go.

[MissLotus]

Ahh...thank you! I'd seen stuff about a wireless router but didn't know really what it entailed.

So do you know...will the router also help you get service in "hot spots", or is it only good within your residence?

[boobybunny]

Our neighbor recently lost her job... so she piggybacks onto our wireless.

We barely notice she's there./.. and it saves her almost 30 bucks a month.

[Tradd]

Originally Posted by MissLotus

Ahh...thank you! I'd seen stuff about a wireless router but didn't know really what it entailed.

So do you know...will the router also help you get service in "hot spots", or is it only good within your residence?

The router ONLY works in your house - or maybe close-by neighbors. Make sure when you set it up that you password lock your wireless network, otherwise people you don't want to use it could get on it.

Hot spots, such as a coffee shop, etc., are totally different. They have no relation to your little wireless network in your house off your DSL+wireless router.

If you have AT&T DSL, you can get free WiFi (the hot spots you're thinking of) access at Starbucks, McDonald's, and lots of other places. Otherwise, you'd have to pay (per hour).

[sweetjasmine]

This is interesting info. We have AT&T landline and DSL. Also a wireless router. I didn't know you can have DSL without the landline. I've been trying to cut down on expenses and was wishing that were an option since dh and i mainly use our cell phones. I'll have to look into this.

[Noelle C.]

Originally Posted by sweetjasmine

I didn't know you can have DSL without the landline.

This is a valid point. In some areas they'll let you have DSL without landline service, but in others, it's required. If they won't let you go DSL-only, then see if the cost of cable internet alone (or added to your cable package, if you have one) would cost less than DSL plus a landline you don't use.

[Satori]

Originally Posted by sweetjasmine

This is interesting info. We have AT&T landline and DSL. Also a wireless router. I didn't know you can have DSL without the landline. I've been trying to cut down on expenses and was wishing that were an option since dh and i mainly use our cell phones. I'll have to look into this.

I have AT&T for DSL and while you can do dryloop its actually cheaper to get DSL + local only phone line if your on the lifeline plan. The reason is they give you a $5 discount for having 2 or more services with them but for some reason when you just have dryloop they charge you a $10 fee a month to penalize you for only have dryloop. Yes, seriously!

[megangaia]

I'm looking into similar options, but I think I am paying MORE now than before. I had Verizon double freedom package (phone+internet) for $70/mth+ taxes,anti-virus, etc = $90 average. We also have t-mobile cell plan (2 lines, 700 minutes/mth) which averaged $75/month. So we were paying $165 a month for FIOS, land line and cell.

I tried to save money by dropping our land line; FIOS alone should have been about $60/month. However, we didn't change our cell phone plan, and we have gone WAY over our minutes for the first time ever (amzing how much you talk on the phone when every minute is accounted for!) SO, last month the cell bill was $139, this month it's $100 (instead of the $75 I was expecting to pay) We did end up upping our plan to 1000 min/mth, which will help, but still costs more.

Now, to make matters worse, Verizon just informed me that my FIOS is going to increase to $80/month, $20 more than I was paying before. I'm looking for other high speed services, but by the time you add in the installation, modem, etc. you don't save ANYTHING. And usually their prices are 6 month promotions, and they all go up anyway.

I can't win for losing here. Instead of $165 for FIOS, land line, cell, I'll be paying $160 for FIOS and cell. And still having to be paranoid about going over on my minutes. I'm SO frustrated. I'm going to call Verizon and see if they can offer me anything cheaper; I don't even think I need FIOS, we don't download much (dd does download music from I-tunes, but not THAT much) But now I'm used to FIOS speed, I don't know if I can go back to slower DSL...

Any wise words, ideas, anything????

[Satori]

Originally Posted by megangaia

I'm looking into similar options, but I think I am paying MORE now than before. I had Verizon double freedom package (phone+internet) for $70/mth+ taxes,anti-virus, etc = $90 average. We also have t-mobile cell plan (2 lines, 700 minutes/mth) which averaged $75/month. So we were paying $165 a month for FIOS, land line and cell.

I tried to save money by dropping our land line; FIOS alone should have been about $60/month. However, we didn't change our cell phone plan, and we have gone WAY over our minutes for the first time ever (amzing how much you talk on the phone when every minute is accounted for!) SO, last month the cell bill was $139, this month it's $100 (instead of the $75 I was expecting to pay) We did end up upping our plan to 1000 min/mth, which will help, but still costs more.

Now, to make matters worse, Verizon just informed me that my FIOS is going to increase to $80/month, $20 more than I was paying before. I'm looking for other high speed services, but by the time you add in the installation, modem, etc. you don't save ANYTHING. And usually their prices are 6 month promotions, and they all go up anyway.

I can't win for losing here. Instead of $165 for FIOS, land line, cell, I'll be paying $160 for FIOS and cell. And still having to be paranoid about going over on my minutes. I'm SO frustrated. I'm going to call Verizon and see if they can offer me anything cheaper; I don't even think I need FIOS, we don't download much (dd does download music from I-tunes, but not THAT much) But now I'm used to FIOS speed, I don't know if I can go back to slower DSL...

Any wise words, ideas, anything????

If your just DL'ing music then basic DSL would work just fine, if your streaming video (netflix, hulu) on multiple computers you can still get away with a 3mb/sec plan. FIOS is serious over kill.

If your cells are your only phones I'd look into an unlimited minutes plan. If Virgin Mobile works in your area they now have a unlimited minutes package for $49.99 (about $55 after taxes) thats a prepaid plan. It would eliminate the overage fee's risk and probably end up saving a lot of money in the long run.

For switching ISP providers a lot of times they have specials where you can get the free DSL modem and rebates for the set up fees. It ended up not costing my parents anything to switch from cable to DSL. Another option is to buy one of there modems used off ebay so you don't have to pay full price for a new one which could save you a lot of money.