Posted on 07/23/2016 1:25:01 PM PDT by Yaelle
What is the cheapest way to get decent "cable" tv and Internet service in a very rural place, when you only need it a few times a year when there? Has a FReeper solved this problem already?
The people going up there will be elderly and/or not at all techie. They just want to turn on a tv and see the regular typical cable channels and they want to surf the web in normal ways as well as use texting etc.
The home might be used less than once a month, or even just a few times a year. It happens to be in the state of California but I assume any solutions anywhere can be copied.
Any ideas welcome. Thanks!
This probably doesn't make sense but it's important to me and FReepers know everything. Pretty much!
Seriously. You are mucking up the board with a vanity about how to hook up your TV?
If you have phone network service there - Hot Spot.
FORGET THE TV though.....It’s a vacation....
You don’t have to click on this thread. We FReepers ask for and receive advice all the time.
Thank you. I’m not sure how to do it but will research hot spots.
I happen to live in a rural area and my internet and satellite is getting to be very expensive. I'd like some options, too.
TV is sometimes important, so it is going to have to be available.
I hope we do get some rural FReepers who have solved this issue!
If wireless reaches the spot, maybe upping your cell service to act as a data hotspot would fit the bill.
The key issues are whether there’s a high enough data rate available at the location and whether your vendor allows you to switch on and off any extra data needed.
My suggestion is to check out Camping World—ask people there for advice. RV people are very cool and inventive. Getting this kind of infrastructure is a continual problem for the nomads.
Yeah, but—$$$$ !
Thanks for giving me the terms I need when I go asking! But it can’t be reliant on any one person’s cell service. It has to be connected to the house because we can’t be sure who will be using the house.
Hot Spot with your cell phone carrier. Be aware of data usage limits/costs. Then you can get a smart tv and at least steam stuff like netflix. I have Comcast and I can use any device to watch most live TV as long as I have an internet connection. So you can watch live TV from a tablet or even cell phone via your hot spot.
Excellent idea. See why I love FR?
[Seriously. You are mucking up the board with a vanity about how to hook up your TV?]
HUGH & SERIES ALERT
Can you do a hot spot with some kind of land phone service or something?
It can’t rely on the person and their cell phone. It has to be house specific.
Well, you have to look into it to get the answers.
For example, you can get a burner smartphone plan for $40 or $50 a month that will give you at least 3 GB of data. That’ enough for any normal browsing, but not TV downloading.
A lot depends on how data-hungry the people will be. Movies? Or just web browsing? And there’s another factor... it’s got to be easy to use, with little or no learning curve.
I’ve done it a couple of times, and rec’d excellent advice!!
If you have line of sight to town and a contact there, high gain antennas and rf amplifiers could get a 2-way connection to town over a few miles. check with your neighbors to see vif some local network could be set up. There is all sorts of affordable hardware out there now.
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