WIFI cost

[Happy Jack]

Hi everyone,
Starting out adventure in March, this is out first year.
Van is just about done, but for this year we won't have a telly, so on a night time we will play cards & monopoly,talk; & visit a pub occasionally.
We do have a TP Link portable Wi-Fi router and can keep it charged with usb.
For a time each night the wife could visit her favourite shopping channel and I could play online chess, on our 8" fire tablets .
We also intend to stream BBC I-player and the others occasionally to the big tablet we have but that one needs 240v for its charger, and we want to avoid hook up as we have solar and I'm assuming hook up costs more as well as the leccy you actually use.
The router is on 1p mobile and my questions are :-
For the sort of use I've outlined, is 1p mobile going to run out expensive and would I be better off getting an all monthly data plan and which one ?
Thanks,
Keith.

 

[donkey]

Is that 1p per megabit? If so it equates to £10 per gigabit, and as streaming uses about 1GB per hour, that is going to be very expensive.
As a Clubcard holder I use an unlimited sim from Tesco (O2) it costs £17 per month.

Geoff

 

[Reallyretired]

1p mobile is expensive for data. Letting your wife on a shopping channel could be even more expensive

 

[Shrimp]

I would look around and get a monthly contract.
We have Smarty (3) at £15 unlimited gb.

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

when you say big tablet what size is that we use a Samsung Galaxy S8 with a 14.6 screen which charges from a usb, as said streaming uses approx 1gb per hour. We tend to watch films from a hard drive on our laptop.

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[BillandHelen]

I’d look at what contracts you have on your phones, We don’t have a tv either, we both use our iPads to watch downloads, Netflix and sky, all streamed from our phones. Haven’t felt the need yet for a separate router, phones have been fine.

 

[Happy Jack]

Thanks all.
Our "big" tablet is a 12" idea pad flex 3 and it needs 20v for charging. All we have for now, apart from our fire 8s.
Our only phone is on 1P mobile as well as the router.
1P mobile costs 1p a Kb I think so it will be expensive to stream any which way.
Not used to smart phones so unless it is easy, best way at the moment is simply to stream to our tablets.
Looks like smarty is the way.
Keith.

 

[Happy Jack]

Yes it's 1p per Mb so it is verrrrry expensive.
Not used data much up to now, just found it very useful for our one and only phone as it's 1p a minute for phoning and texting.
Keith.

 

[Orion]

You won’t need 240v to charge your tablet if you buy a laptop charger that works from a standard 12v ciggy socket. We run our 22” LG Smart TV/Monitor plus Firestick from one without issue.

 

[kevenh]

Not used to smart phones so unless it is easy, best way at the moment is simply to stream to our tablets.

A tablet operates a lot like a smartphone.
Indeed, with the size of some of the smartphones they are a tablet

An android smartphone will be even more like the fire tablet you have now.

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[autorouter]

For the tablet I'd try Orion's suggestion of a laptop car charger, you can get them with changeable tips and it's very likely you'll find one for the tablet. If not, I'd suggest a small 150W inverter. Something that small can be plugged into a 12V cigarette-lighter socket. They are quite small, mine fits nicely in a drinks can holder. Be sure to get a Pure Sine Wave type for electronic stuff, not a Modified Sine Wave type.

 

[headlight]

I use my phone as a "hot spot" to provide WiFi to a Fire Stick.
I'm on a Three SIM only deal, unlimited data, minutes and texts £13 a month.
I used it in anger for the first time the weekend before last when we had 4 days away.
Watched 5 premier league football matches including build ups and after match debates.
Worked fine and used about 25gb of data.
That would have been expensive on your 1p mobile.

 

[PhilandMena]

With 1 P mobile you are restricted to 14 GB data per month in the E.U.. Also after two months data usage abroad an additional charge is made because you are roaming outside of the UK for a greater period than your are using Data in the UK, so be very careful with that.

 

[Happy Jack]

Thanks everyone,

So can I get a 12v input/20v output charger to plug into my tablet ?
Also, showing my ignorance here as I've never had or been interested in smartphones until recently. ( Not stupid though, I have got and use Victron app, bus Tracking app, lidl, Iceland apps) ; how do you use a phone as a "hot spot " then to a Firestick and do I presume you plug the stick into your laptop?
Would it not be just as simple as I already have a portable router just to use our fire 8s or the " big" tablet?
Keith.

 

[headlight]

You just select mobile hotspot in your phone settings.
The Fire Stick plugs into an HDMI port in my TV.
The hotspot allows the Fire Stick to stream TV over the internet.
I have Sky Sports, BT Sport, BT Entertainment, Amazon prime, Netflix etc on the Fire Stick.
The weekend before last was the first time I have used the Fire Stick/hotspot combination.
Prior to that I just had Freeview channels on the TV.
Now I have all the same channels in the van that I have at home.
I wanted to be able to watch Sky Sports so that I could watch Premier League football and F1.
The Fire Stick coupled with my phone as a hotspot seemed the easiest and cheapest solution.

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[kevenh]

So can I get a 12v input/20v output charger to plug into my tablet ?

I doubt it is a cheap option.

Our "big" tablet is a 12" idea pad flex 3 and it needs 20v for charging.

Is that a 2-1 laptop/tablet? Then I expect an invertor is needed.

how do you use a phone as a "hot spot "

A smart phone will have cellular data & WiFi data options.
Where you have decent cellular data reception ( 4G or 5G) a smart phone can use its WiFi as a hotspot for other devices to connect to the internet.
And enabling a hotspot will be easy when you see a smart phone’s settings screen.

then to a Firestick and do I presume you plug the stick into your laptop?

No, the Fire TV stick is for a television’s HDMI port.
{on your Fire tablet} Use the Amazon Prime app, for example, for what you’d do on a fire tv stick,

Would it not be just as simple as I already have a portable router just to use our fire 8s or the " big" tablet?

Yes, but the info on sim deals is relevant. You mean 4G (or 5G) router, right?

Edit: clarity

 

[Aireworth]

I doubt it is a cheap option.

£20 ish on Amazon and Ebay.

 

[PaulyP]

I have a tp link up at my static caravan with an EE SIM card, £20 a month gives me 200GB, I also use a fire stick up there and stream a lot, most I’ve used in a month was 130GB as I was there quite a bit, I have an aerial system out side wired to an inside receiver which boosts the 4G signal from outside to inside, then the mifi picks up that signal.

 

[kevenh]

£20 ish on Amazon and Ebay.

Thanks. I assumed DC step up adapters would be a dear option but they’re not

An Amazon example:
Amazon product ASIN B07Q2CHC2Q
Are they quite wasteful in energy use? Dunno lol

 

[berni109]

This looks like a newer version of what I have been using on a laptop for ages. Just make sure it's got the right connector and voltage. Or order similar from Amazon then it's easier to send back if it dont fit your requirements.

Universal 80W 12V DC Auto Car Power Charger Adapter For Laptop Notebook Gifts | eBay

DC 22/24V 3.3 A 80W max. Simply plug the 12v adapter into the cigarette lighter and plug the connector of your choice into your laptop for charging on the go! SIZE Applicable notebook. High efficiency and low energy consumption.

www.ebay.co.uk

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[Aireworth]

There are some that specifically state the can be used with ideapad flex 3s. But yes its essential to get one that matches the charging port.
I use something similar to power a 19v LG TV. My understanding is they are more energy efficient than an inverter.

 

[Lee Fryer]

I have an aerial system out side wired to an inside receiver which boosts the 4G signal from outside to inside, then the mifi picks up that signal.

What is this system, and roughly what cost, as I could use this at home as I live in a poor signal area. Thanks

 

[Happy Jack]

My TP-Link is 4G.
My "big" tablet is a Lenovo flex.
Just looked at the charger for it. Input is 240 but there are various outputs listed. 20, 15, 9,5v.
But, just looked at the Lenovo, input is stated as 15v,3A.
Am I right in assuming if I can get wifi from my TP-Link then I can connect to the Fire tablets or my Lenovo and importantly stream tv to them ?
Keith.

 

[PaulyP]

What is this system, and roughly what cost, as I could use this at home as I live in a poor signal area. Thanks

Do a google search for “signal expert booster” and there are a lot of choices and lots of different prices, don’t know if this copy works but it’s similar to the one I have.

ATNJ LCD Display 4G LTE Moblie Phone Signal Repeater GSM 70dB Gain DCS 1800MHz 2G 4G Cellular Signal Amplifier Band 3 Antenna

ATNJ LCD Display 4G LTE Moblie Phone Signal Repeater GSM 70dB Gain DCS 1800MHz 2G 4G Cellular Signal Amplifier Band 3 Antenna

www.googleadservices.com

 

[PaulyP]

My TP-Link is 4G.
My "big" tablet is a Lenovo flex.
Just looked at the charger for it. Input is 240 but there are various outputs listed. 20, 15, 9,5v.
But, just looked at the Lenovo, input is stated as 15v,3A.
Am I right in assuming if I can get wifi from my TP-Link then I can connect to the Fire tablets or my Lenovo and importantly stream tv to them ?
Keith.

When I’m up at my static then my iPhone, iPad, smart tv, fire stick all take WiFi from my TP link, I stream though my fire stick for Netflix, amazon prime etc works fine.

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[Happy Jack]

Thanks Pauly. Sounds like I can use my TP to use my tablets for what I wsnt.
Just need to decide which data plan to get.
Keith.

 

[suavecarve]

I d be slightly different because I m a bit weird but it also works for me.

I d get a package off of Virgin (12 gb per month for 10 nicker) because I can use that abroad as well.
Then I would download all the Iplayer Amazon and Netflix abusing the free wifi that is readily available onto the tablet/phone to watch when you want.
I would openly lie to the wife about shopping channel not being available on wifi or tell her if she watches it and buys then hackers can see her card details and point her towards some conspiracy theory website.

 

[Happy Jack]

Nice one Sauvecarve.
Got Netflix at home, can download all I want into my tablet and watch wherever I am. Wife is Ok watching her shopping channel, luckily we intend to be away at least 10 days each month in one go and with nobody at home no point in ordering anything; lucky me.
Keith.

 

[Reallyretired]

A lot of data can be saved by reducing the video resolution. Our motorhome tv, seldom used , is only 19". The difference visually between 480p and HD is very marginal but the data usage difference is great (about a quarter I think). Even 360p is quite viewable.
Might be different if you have a massive screen of course.

 

[Happy Jack]

Won't have a TV this year but will remember for future.