Not really computer help; more like wifi hotspot help. [View all]

[mahatmakanejeeves]

The house where I live is not wired for the internet. To work from home, I've been using a Simple Mobile mobile hotspot. It works, but it's expensive.

Comcast Xfinity (CX) has some great deals going right now. Today, I saw an ad online for $30 per month. With Xfinity, though, there seems to be always a catch. What you see advertised is not what you hear when you go to the store. First Xfinity wants me to sign a contract. Only after that will they come out to the house, for $100, and then estimate how much it will cost to extend their service to where I live.

The people directly across the street are on Comcast, and I can see an existing spare tap on a utility pole right where Comcast runs the service to my neighbors' house. It's a whopping 150 feet away, but an extension to my house would have to cross a public right of way, so there is some complexity. We have overhead wiring in the neighborhood, which was here before there was cable TV or the internet. Over or under, the CX cable would have to cross a street.

Verizon Fios has not yet reached my neighborhood. Neither has T-Mobile. Ting is getting close, but their service is $89 per month, as far as I can tell. I have a twisted pair landline. No form of internet access that goes over a twisted pair will suffice for working from home.

I'm going to try another Comcast store to see if I can get them to tell me the same story twice. Oh, I'll have to come up with a router too, either by renting one of theirs or buying one of my own. They don't seem too expensive to own outright.

Meanwhile, Consumer Cellular (CC) has unlimited data for $50 per month. I called the phone number to ask if I could use one of their phones as a mobile hotspot. This is not possible on my Tracfone iPhone. Tracfone does not allow that. Consumer Cellular says that I can use their phone as a hotspot.

I was thinking of renting CC's cheapest smartphone, eventually owning it after two years, for the express purpose of using it as a hotspot. I would keep my Tracfone to use as my smartphone. My exising iPhone is compatible for bringing over to CC, but I want to keep it as a smartphone. The cheapest CC smartphone is only $5 per month. I assume that I would own it at the end. Hey, $5 is not really a big deal.

It would be more expensive than CX, but I'm tired of not getting the same story twice from CX. Either CC or CX would be cheaper than Simple Mobile. I have a nearby Target. They are the outlet for Consumer Cellular. CX has three nearby bricks and mortar stores. I try one or two of the ones I have not yet been to.

I am aware that CC will knock off another 5% for AARP members. I am not a member of AARP. It's probably worth joining just for the discount.

Your thoughts are welcomed.

Thank you.