Sprint Phone as Wi-Fi Hotspot
 

We will be making 1 week visits to our home in TV until our move in September 2015, so it's not worth the cost to install cable/internet yet.

Has anyone used a Sprint phone (iPhone 5?) as a Wi-Fi hotspot in The Villages, especially south of 466a?

If so how much bandwidth could you get? I doubt I'd be able to run Netflix or Hulu, but could I at least handle routine internet access like this site?

I believe I can turn the hotspot on/off by the month with Sprint, so I'd only have it on the phone the months that we would be spending a week at TV.

I have not heard anyone speak about the Sprint cell service in the Villages. Would be curious to know what their signal strength is like.

With the iPhone 5, I don't believe you have to tell Sprint anything. You just go into the settings [on the phone] and turn on Hotspot. You can then use your laptop or any other device to connect and use your data connection. If you have a metered connection, you will eat up your data faster.

I have done this in the past and you should be prepared that the speed is not so good, even if you have a 4G connection. But, it'll do in a pinch.

You can't just turn on Hotspot on a Sprint iPhone. I tried. The option is not in Settings until you sign up for the service.

I have an unlimited data plan, but it does not allow hotspot usage. You need to subscribe (and pay) for this seperately.

If you had an Android phone I could tell you of an APP that would give you Hot Spot capability at no extra cost. The APP use to be free but there may be a one time charge now. I use it all the time.

We have Sprint, and it used to be that you could turn on the hot spot and just be charged for the days you used it. So I would use it in the car for the drive down from MI. But now, when you turn it on, you are charged for a whole month--either 2GB or 5GB ($19 or $49). And it's difficult to get it turned off, either by phone or online. You have to really keep on top of it and make sure they turned it off.

It seemed to work fine, though. I didn't notice it being slow.

You cannot just turn it on in your iPhone. That doesn't work with Sprint service like it does with AT&T.

I have an Android phone, TNLAKEPANDA. I wold love to know what this app is.

look for FoxFi

Thanks.

any time :wave:

I use the Verizon hot spot feature when we go to the lake in TN. It is slow but effective. I am grandfathered in unlimited as well but you are correct in that the hot spot data is in packages or 2 gig or 5 gig or so. I pay $20 for the 2 gig and am able to turn it on or off via myverizon account on the computer or via iphone. It is a pro rated feature so it can be for a few days or weeks or etc.