4G / 5G Backup -Technical

Our Motto is “We keep you Connected” For cable Internet customers and for those customers desiring a reliable Internet backup,  we can provide the following.

Choose an Internet Backup Method (in order of reliability)

Installed Cellular Backup SIM Cards: A router with integrated 4G cellular radio is installed with a SIM card that you purchase. This enables a 1 second restoral of a Internet service. Here is a video on it’s operation.

Tethering to Your Android Phone: Our Pepwave routers are capable of tethering to an Android phone for Internet backup. See 4G 5G Tethering to Pepwave Routers.

Our Emergency Internet 4G Routers: We maintain a few emergency 4G routers with active SIM cards ready to deploy. One account has a static IP.  First come, first served but so far we only run out after a hurricane.

Determine the Best Carrier for You Area

Use www.cellmapper.net to find your closest tower for 4G/5G coverage.  Adjust the web site settings as follows

    • Select Provider = click on “Provider” first box and enter 3102 for T-Mobile or 3104 for AT&T or 3114 for Verizon
    • Map settings = Open Street Maps
    • Location search = (your address)
    • Settings = Display Towers, all other options are unchecked 

Click on the green dot of the closest tower to display it’s address. You can then use google maps to map it’s location to your address. A line of site of under 3 miles is desired with a low point (fresnel zone)  half-way between the tower and your site.

We can also install antennas on roofs for better coverage by improving the fresnel zone.

Purchase a 4G/5G Cellular Data Plan SIM card

We must order a standard size (STD) SIM card through a cellular company employee we know. We sell these at cost as follows (updated 9-3-2021)

 

Verizon Wireless notes  per https://www.verizon.com/plans/devices/hotspots 

  • You need to add a data sim card to an unlimited phone plan for the best monthly price, as low as $20/mo.
  • A hotspot device and a mobile hotspot app on your smart phone are separate things.
  • A “mobile hotspot device” is the same as a “data sim card”.
  • You can add a mobile hotspot device (sim card) to a shared data plan for $10/mo or add an unlimited card to your unlimited plan per the 4 choices shown above.
  • You can “add a data boost” five times (5x) on a shared plan or single device unlimited plan and add 5GB for $35.
  • Unlimited plans don’t run away with charges. They slow down and then you data boost them.
  • We can setup usage monitoring so you can buy a boost just when you need.