How is Verizon Wireless these days?

Lakeprincess · 05-25-2016, 10:47 PM

Hello everyone ... we are just wondering how the Verizon wireless reception is... we will probably be renting on the south part of Bear island this summer and we're hoping the signal is OK for use with an aircard (no internet connection at the home).

A friend told me there was a new Verizon cell tower on one of the Belknap Mountains?

Any insight you have would be MOST appreciated, and thank you.

Slickcraft · 05-26-2016, 04:52 AM

There is very good 4G service on the West side of Welch and the Gilford/Laconia area in general. There is a tower on Mt Rowe in the Gunstock area however that tower is not new. The new tower on Belknap is not a cell tower, it is state owned.

wifi · 05-26-2016, 04:59 AM

The most likely tower you would hit is the one behind McDonalds in Meredith. Been there for years, after the radio station left. There is a new-ish tower that Verizon is on behind A&B Lumber in Moultonboro, it covers (east) Center Harbor nicely, and would be a runner up for the tower behind McDonalds.

rick35 · 05-26-2016, 09:45 PM

I switched to AT&T three years ago because the Verizon connection was very slow at South Bear. I ran tests with Verizon and the tower I was connected to was off Meredith Center Road (per Verizon). It was too slow to use a hotspot to connect to work. I ran an ookla speedtest to Boston Comcast tonight and the download speed on my iphone was 5.2 Megabits with an upload speed of .9. I can't remember what the Verizon speeds were but they were much slower and barely fast enough to check email. 5.2 is fast enough to surf but painfully slow to try to work and load files.

uschisk · 05-26-2016, 09:51 PM

That is interesting, because we have Verizon and are on Mark island. We have no problems with our phone service or the wireless internet. However, we have family members who have AT&T, and they have had no service on the island. We are almost directly across from camp Lawrence.

rick35 · 05-26-2016, 10:00 PM

If I was out 200 yds or so off the shore my Verizon service improved considerably. It probably has to do with obstructions.

Lakeprincess · 06-17-2016, 02:14 PM

thanks for all the HELPFUL replies. We have a few work related things to do while visiting that may require more than a browsing level signal. Does anyone have a suggestion for a back up solution? Is there such a thing as temporary wire service? No landline in the home. And sorry to sound so dumb.

TheProfessor · 06-17-2016, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lakeprincess

thanks for all the HELPFUL replies. We have a few work related things to do while visiting that may require more than a browsing level signal. Does anyone have a suggestion for a back up solution? Is there such a thing as temporary wire service? No landline in the home. And sorry to sound so dumb.

Not sure what you are asking.

There is internet phone service such as Ooma, Nettalk, etc. There is also Tracfone for cell calls. Tracfone does not own any cell towers. Tracfone rents space from Verizon, AT&T, etc. Here, on this side of lake Tracfone uses the Verizon network.

05-25-2016, 10:47 PM	#1
Lakeprincess Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 6 Thanks: 1 Thanked 17 Times in 1 Post	How is Verizon Wireless these days? Hello everyone ... we are just wondering how the Verizon wireless reception is... we will probably be renting on the south part of Bear island this summer and we're hoping the signal is OK for use with an aircard (no internet connection at the home). A friend told me there was a new Verizon cell tower on one of the Belknap Mountains? Any insight you have would be MOST appreciated, and thank you.

05-26-2016, 09:51 PM	#5
uschisk Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: NH and Mark Island Posts: 63 Thanks: 36 Thanked 11 Times in 10 Posts	Great on Mark! That is interesting, because we have Verizon and are on Mark island. We have no problems with our phone service or the wireless internet. However, we have family members who have AT&T, and they have had no service on the island. We are almost directly across from camp Lawrence.

05-26-2016, 04:52 AM	#2
Slickcraft Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Welch Island and West Alton Posts: 3,218 Thanks: 1,173 Thanked 2,002 Times in 915 Posts	There is very good 4G service on the West side of Welch and the Gilford/Laconia area in general. There is a tower on Mt Rowe in the Gunstock area however that tower is not new. The new tower on Belknap is not a cell tower, it is state owned.

05-26-2016, 04:59 AM	#3
wifi Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Lakes Region Posts: 1,321 Thanks: 282 Thanked 287 Times in 169 Posts	The most likely tower you would hit is the one behind McDonalds in Meredith. Been there for years, after the radio station left. There is a new-ish tower that Verizon is on behind A&B Lumber in Moultonboro, it covers (east) Center Harbor nicely, and would be a runner up for the tower behind McDonalds.

05-26-2016, 09:45 PM	#4
rick35 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bear Island/Merrimack Posts: 710 Thanks: 56 Thanked 170 Times in 104 Posts	I switched to AT&T three years ago because the Verizon connection was very slow at South Bear. I ran tests with Verizon and the tower I was connected to was off Meredith Center Road (per Verizon). It was too slow to use a hotspot to connect to work. I ran an ookla speedtest to Boston Comcast tonight and the download speed on my iphone was 5.2 Megabits with an upload speed of .9. I can't remember what the Verizon speeds were but they were much slower and barely fast enough to check email. 5.2 is fast enough to surf but painfully slow to try to work and load files.

05-26-2016, 10:00 PM	#6
rick35 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bear Island/Merrimack Posts: 710 Thanks: 56 Thanked 170 Times in 104 Posts	If I was out 200 yds or so off the shore my Verizon service improved considerably. It probably has to do with obstructions.

06-17-2016, 02:14 PM	#7
Lakeprincess Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 6 Thanks: 1 Thanked 17 Times in 1 Post	thanks for all the HELPFUL replies. We have a few work related things to do while visiting that may require more than a browsing level signal. Does anyone have a suggestion for a back up solution? Is there such a thing as temporary wire service? No landline in the home. And sorry to sound so dumb.