Portable wi-ffi hot spot....

[mrcaptainbob]

In need of some suggestions...again.
The monthly bill has now topped 194 bucks. Not pleased.
I have a house land line and internet. The laptop is home bound because of it.
I have a TracFone flip phone from Walmart and is all I need when on the road.
I found unit called Ryoko that sound like a good fit for my needs.
But, how do I know what to order speedwise? Is 150MBs good enough?
All I do is weather on the tv and the laptop is for e-mail stuff fb stuff and tractor Forum type stuff. Occasional you Tube stuff, too.
I don't do movies or games.
Any suggestions or guidance?

[Tomhanks]

That bill creeping up to $194 is rough, especially when your usage is pretty simple. If you're mostly doing email, browsing, Facebook, forums, and the occasional YouTube video, 150 Mbps is more than enough. In fact, even speeds around 25 to 50 Mbps can handle that kind of use comfortably, especially if you're the only one using the connection.

As for the Ryoko device, it's basically a mobile hotspot. It can be a good fit if you want to cut the cord and still have internet access around the house without paying for a full landline and internet bundle. Just be sure to check what network it runs on since some work better in certain areas than others. Also, check whether the data plan has a cap because some look cheap upfront but charge extra after a limit. Lastly, see if the speed is consistent in your location.

If you're using the laptop mostly at home and you're not streaming 4K movies or gaming, you don’t need blazing-fast internet. Just something reliable with enough data.

You might also look into low-cost home internet alternatives like fixed wireless or prepaid internet plans offered by some carriers. Sometimes they’re cheaper than traditional cable or DSL.

Hope that helps a bit. Let us know what you end up going with.

[mrcaptainbob]

Thanks, Tom. The landline is presently through Frontier. They don't allow anyone else to use their equipment. I've checked. Not a great company to have t' deal with.
We're out in the sticks with maybe four other 'neighbors', so cable is out.
I'll check more deeply into what carriers are good in this area. Thanks for the info/tip on the speed.

[Tomhanks]

Yeah, Frontier’s pretty well-known for being tough to work with, especially in rural areas where options are limited. If cable’s not available, a hotspot like Ryoko could work, just make sure the network it uses has a strong signal at your place.

For what you’re doing online, even 25–50 Mbps would be more than enough, as long as it’s reliable. Definitely worth checking coverage before committing to any plan.