I need your smarticles!
By SomeCowgirl
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
United States
May 11, 2012 12:40pm CST
So I am going to get a laptop and my own net at some point I know this. It's not the laptop I have a question about but the prepaid net. I'm looking at the stick things and I saw some at walmart but it seems like you can buy them at walmart, but for one company you have to get these $15.00 cards. That's wonderful for someone only going to be using it a few days but that's not me. My question is, If I were to buy the thing at walmart, do you think I could call the company and they set it up with one of their other plans and not one of the card things from walmart??
I'm going to ask a walmart techie themselves before I do buy it as I'll be getting the laptop from the world of walls as well.
Also, I was looking at AT&T and Verizon. is there another stick company I'm not thinking about?
4 people like this
8 responses
@marie2052 (3691)
• United States
11 May 12
Every cell phone company has their own version of the wireless internet stick.
I would suggest going to Best Buy these guys are techie savey and have to keep learning what is the new thing up on the ladder for almost any technical thing you would want.
I am thinking of getting another one myself. I had one with Verizon it was a 2 year contract. But it was good as I was homeschooling my highschool son so it helped to not have to find out where you could get internet while trying to work on schoolwork.
I think Boost mobile has a wireless stick too they won't take you on a contract ride either.
But I would go and listen to what the guys at Best Buy say on the different sticks and if you are in a contract or not
Good Luck.
3 people like this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
11 May 12
Thank You SOO Much! I didn't even think of cell companies, I will go to best buy and let them help me, or maybe HH Gregg, but I'll see what they say and figure it out from there. Plus I know Best Buy has more to choose from. Again, Thank You!
2 people like this
@freqspaz (220)
• United States
12 May 12
If boost has one that's news to me. My hubby and I use our boost phones as wireless hotspots, and they work ok. We just can't afford another payment, so with boosts unlimited everything for $50 a month (ours is down to $35 monthly with shrinkage) it works but its SLOW and we had to'root' our phones to make it work. But it works. That is how I am posting to you this moment actually.
I've heard good things from verizon, bad things about sprint (overages and fees if you surf too much). Hope this helps!
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
11 May 12
Personal experience: I bought one for $80 at Radio Shack. It is a virgin mobile product. You become a "Boost" customer if you get one. They keep changing what it costs for how much data and streaming, etc. I only use it when I am travelling to Minnesota or if I am going to stay at my brother's second home. It might also work in New Hampshire where my sister in law is. It Virgin Mobile uses the Sprint phone towers. You can get unlimited use for $50 a month. You can buy the cards at Wal Mart and Sam's or use credit cards directly. I cannot remember how I loaded mine in the past. Whatever I load, I have a month to use it up. It is only 3G. ATT has a plan, but for me, the way I use it, this is the best way to go. You might want to look at a plan with wherever you get your cell phone.
2 people like this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
11 May 12
Mine is through straight talk so it's a no go there. Now you're saying Virgin Mobile has one, I think I saw it at walmart, and it's unlimited for $50.00? that isn't too bad as that's how much I want to use.
1 person likes this
@prenuer (277)
• United States
12 May 12
My friend has the prepaid one from Tmobile and she runs her Kindle Fire on it. She loves it! She has the prepaid version but I think yesterday she was considering moving over to the contract one as it costs less in the long run.
I am considering getting one and ditching my Cox but I don't think that enough devices can access it. My house can have way more than 5 devices running at one time.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
11 May 12
someCowgirl my son got what I think you mean by the stick things
at Microsoft on sale and he loves it as he has a used laptop
and he sometimes uses it to download stuff on my old desktop
computer .he is computer savvy and this is good as I am just
able to use my computer but not to program and trouble shoot
so you mi ht try microsoft sales as he was leery of Walmart and I know he is not a spendthrift so it did not cost him a lot of money.
So I hope this helps or if not someone else has more better ideasl
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
11 May 12
]That is a memory stick, I am looking for an internet stick, but thank you so much. I doubt Microsoft has any, nor would I really want to buy my net from them! [em]rofl[/em
@petersum (4522)
• United States
11 May 12
Those stick things are pretty useless in this country. Very slow and very unreliable. And it's a type of wireless device, which you already have in a laptop anyway.
You can't beat a phone line connection with a wireless router. I would advise against those sticks. You should look for phone or cable connectivity.
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
11 May 12
I didn't even mention those because I can't even consider those. It's stick or nothing. Thanks anyway.
@petersum (4522)
• United States
11 May 12
Well try to find someone else in your area that actually uses one. Ask their experience! I found that it worked perfectly in the store, but in my house, there often wasn't a good signal and the connection would disappear completely for days!
1 person likes this
@knoodleknight18 (917)
• United States
12 May 12
Actually, since you're already online. I'd look for everything online and buy it that way if possible. If you're not tech savvy, a place like best buy or a local computer shot can really help you out. The more knowledgeable staff usually comes with a higher price tag, but it's better than buying without knowing what you're doing.
@palonghorn (5479)
• United States
12 May 12
I have two, one is through AT&T, it's $70 a month, however, if you are doing a lot of streaming, watching videos such as youtube, it will use up your 5G in a hurry, and they charge for going over that. Your $70 bill can end up being in the hundreds. I also have one from t-mobile, I can connect up to 5 laptops to it, the AT&T can only connect one at a time. The one from T-Mobile is $80 a month, but it is unlimited, however, if you go over a certain usage, then you won't have 4G speed, it drops down. However, I have never had that be an issue. As for prepaid, I had a friend use that, and ended up costing more than going with one of the cell phone companies.
@celticeagle (168256)
• Boise, Idaho
11 May 12
Stick company? Don't know what that means. At%T would be my choice. I had a run with Verizon a couple years ago and I am not impressed by them any more. I chose them because they seemed to have the best coverage of any of them. But, it turned out to be a bad experience and I would not push Verizon off on anyone. Ugh! Oh, and don't forget Sprint. They are the company that my BFF uses and she is happy with it.
