Miles of Yellow Lines

Sometimes having no cell service can be a good thing, but there are times when we want to be connected when we’re on the road. We take a few bigger trips each year that can range anywhere from 3-4 days to 2 weeks. We aren’t on the road full time, so we don’t feel the need to commit to an unlimited data plan for our phones or a hot spot that requires a subscription. A lot of full-timers are trying out Starlink now, but this seemed like a pretty pricy solution.

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Solis Hot Spot

I really started digging into this a few years ago when I was working on an online degree, and I had to take a test while we were on a road trip. I was required to take the test in a private area with a webcam running the entire time, so that ruled out a place like a Starbucks or Panera. We were staying at a campground with wi-fi, but I know that campground wi-fi can be a bit hit and miss. I needed something reliable that wouldn’t slow down or kick me off during my 1+ hour test.

After much research, I found a solution. I ordered a Solis hot spot and tested it out at home. It worked great! I was able to connect and run several tests without any issues. I knew we’d be just outside a major city when I needed to take my test, so I wasn’t worried about having reliable signal. Solis doesn’t require a SIM card. It searches for the best signal across multiple wireless carriers and selects the best one.

I was able to take my test (which lasted almost 2 hours) alone in the camper without any issues. What drew me to Solis was that you have several contract-free options for internet service. They have options that allow you to purchase a set number of GB and use them whenever you want. The GBs do not expire. On our most recent road trip, we found that our Solis picked up internet in places where our cell phones did not get service.

This is the Solis model we use currently. It’s been great to have on road trips when we need a little more connectivity than what our phone plan can provide.