Beth & Court

The Best Internet for RV Living

Written by Beth Barbaglia | Jun 27, 2025 10:37:34 PM
Updated: Sept 4, 2023

 

If you’re planning to live and work full-time in an RV, you’ll need the best internet - fast, reliable, and abundant.

We’re not internet experts, but after trying six different services as full-time digital nomads, we can share what’s worked for us and what hasn’t. Before diving in, it’s important to understand our specific requirements, which may differ from yours.

 

Our Internet Needs

  • 15-20 Zoom calls/week
  • 25+ pieces of video content uploaded/week
  • Other items needing internet:
    • Workouts
    • Podcasts
    • Meditations
    • Security system
    • Security camera
    • Shows and movies

TOTAL MONTHLY USAGE = 250GB+/mo

We’re a moderate to heavy-use internet household and we need strong signal to complete our work each week. Let’s dive into the solutions we’ve tried so far and how we’d rank them.

One last note – there are people who know how to set up really complex internet devices and wiring throughout their rig for stronger this and more consistent that. We are not those people. We are regular humans. The internet services we’ve tried are out of the box.

Table of Contents

Click to jump ahead
  1. Nomad Internet (+ AT&T Phones + AT&T Truck Internet)
  2. Skyroam (+ AT&T Phones + AT&T Truck Internet)
  3. Cricket Wireless (+ AT&T Phones + AT&T Truck Internet)
  4. RV IT Guy (+ AT&T Phones + AT&T Truck Internet)
  5. Starlink (+ T-Mobile Phones)
  6. T-Mobile Home Internet (+ T-Mobile Phones)
  7. The Winner

Nomad Internet

 

Startup Cost: $349
Monthly Cost: $129/mo (+ $150 cell + $30 truck internet) = $309/mo
Equipment: Nighthawk (which is no longer the device they use)
Year of Use: 2020
 

When we found Nomad, we thought we hit jackpot. We did not, in fact, hit jackpot.

Pros of Internet Service

  • Super fast – the end. The service was as fast as our home internet we were used to.
  • Multiple devices, no problem – Nomad could handle all our devices no matter what we were using them for.
  • All the high-speed data we wanted – the data was virtually limitless. Customer support told me we could use up to 800-900 GB of high-speed data and never run out. It was true. We never ran out of high-speed data and were never throttled.
  • Reliable network – we purchased the “blue” plan…which was AT&T network. AT&T was reportedly the only network that hadn’t slowed down when the pandemic hit.
  • Portable device – we loved that you could just charge the Nighthawk, throw it in your bag, and go anywhere you wanted to work for the day.

Cons of Internet Service

  • Reasonable startup costs – it took a hefty $350 to buy into Nomad, and that was supposedly for the Nighthawk router…that you didn’t get to keep. To be clear, you could buy a Nighthawk outright for this same cost. I bit my tongue and did it anyway to get the service.
  • Reliable hardware – we were paying for the blue plan, so we had an AT&T SIM card. One day the card just stopped working. I had to contact customer service, which leads me to the next point…
  • Extremely frustrating customer service – it took us a MONTH to get a new SIM card, and they sent it to an address they assured me they had updated four times. Fortunately, the campground they sent it to, which was 10 hours away from us at that point, was kind enough to forward it to us. Additionally, there was no phone number so I literally couldn’t talk to a human. My emails kept getting passed to whatever customer service rep had logged in for that day, so that meant either re-explaining myself or getting a totally different answer.Furthermore, with no phone number – it’s a bit ironic to need internet or cell service to contact your internet company by chat or email to tell them your internet isn’t working.
  • Legitimate business – the first time our SIM card stopped working, they explained that it was just a “bad batch.” Ok, I guess that happens. We get the replacement a month later, it works for about 3 weeks, then stops working again. They say it’s a bad batch again.

    At this point, I’m getting suspicious. I talk to a different customer service rep and they say it’s because of the bombing in Nashville near the AT&T building – no mention of the bad batch. He’s saying it’s because of whatever the bomb supposedly hit.

    Whatever the reason, they tell me they’ll send me a new SIM card…again. Next, comes an email that says their contracts with the carriers are changing and they’re no longer able to use the Nighthawk hardware, that they now need us to use this other type of proprietary router…for $50/mo more. They said you could either say yes and they’d send you a new router device, or say no and keep the Nighthawk. We said no and kept the Nighthawk.

When we were leaving Nomad, they promised they were hiring a whole fleet of customer service reps, they were changing their equipment, their prices, and their equipment. Looking at their website today, a lot has definitely changed, but the ability to talk to a human has not.

 

Skyroam Internet

 
Startup Cost: $140 (cost of the device)
Monthly Cost: $49/mo (“unlimited” data, 20 GB high speed) (+ $150 cell + $30 truck internet) = $229/mo

Equipment: Solis Lite – the orange Skyroam puck
Year of Use: 2020

When our Nomad SIM card failed, we were in Arley, Alabama.

The cellular and wifi signal was about as strong as you think it would be when Arley, Alabama rolls off your tongue.

In order to connect to the internet, we either had to sit in the truck for 8 hours with the engine idling to use our OnStar internet, or drive 35 mins away to the nearest coffee shop……where we had to park very close and still sit in the truck because it’s generally frowned upon to take Zoom calls in a public place.

Anyway, we made it through the end of that week piecing together whatever solutions we could because we thought our SIM card would arrive before we left.

It did not.

When we arrived at our next site in Florida, I was desperate to not have a repeat week of sitting in the truck all day or creepily lurking outside a coffee shop. So we did some research, read lots of reviews and decided to get a Skyroam “orange puck” Amazon 2-day Primed to us so we could have reliable internet.

Ehhh. The word “reliable” can only be used loosely. In our particular location, Skyroam didn’t do a whole lot for us.

Pros of Internet Service

  • Portable device – this little orange puck was even more portable than the Nighthawk. Charge it with its matching orange cable and you’re good to go.
  • App – like most everything today, you can download the Skyroam app to monitor your usage, scan for a stronger signal, or chat with support.
  • Scan for Signal – it has this feature in the app where the device will take a beat and scan for the strongest wifi signal it can find. Most devices don’t give you that option.
  • Unlimited Data – though you only get 20GB of high-speed data, you do get unlimited slow data…which is sometimes better than no data at all (but most of the time not).

Cons of Internet Service

  • Reliability – it was always a crapshoot if our signal would actually be strong enough to do anything at a speed quicker than the sloth in Zootopia. Definitely hit or miss whether it was strong enough to hold me through a Zoom call.
  • Only 20GB High Speed – we blow through 20GB of high-speed data in like a day and a half. And if the high-speed internet was questionable, the slow speed was EVEN more questionable.
  • Customer Support – I did try to engage with them once because I think I got charged a month I wasn’t supposed to. It was a bit of a circular conversation until I gave up.
  • Member Portal – while their website boasts a Member Login, it’s literally just their app enlarged to a website. It even has vertical dimensions still like a phone. Survey says…room for improvement.
  • Extra Data is Pricey – if you happen to need more than 20GB of high-speed data for the month, you’ll be paying $8/GB. That’s right, if you wanted to purchase another 20GB of high-speed data (which is what your $49/mo subscription gets you), you’d have to pay $160 extra. What in the world. So they sell you your first 20GB at $2.45/GB, but then raise the price 31% every GB after that? Get outta here.

We read LOTS of really great reviews for Skyroam, and since we own the device outright, every once in awhile, we use it as backup internet.

If you’re curious about Skyroam and want to give it a try, check out their website. Who knows – maybe where you are, it’ll work great!

 

Cricket Wireless

 
Startup Cost: $120

Monthly Cost: $99/mo (90 GB high speed) (+ $150 cell + $30 truck internet) = $279/mo
Equipment: Nighthawk (purchased separately)
Year of Use: 2021

Ok, so now we were in FL – we had blown through 2 internet providers that were NOT panning out for us, and we really needed reliable internet.

We did some more research – the big dogs (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, etc.) were still only offering 20GB of high-speed data on their hotspots, and we know that’s not going to cut it. Then we stumbled upon Cricket, which is a subsidiary of AT&T.

Our AT&T service had been floating us during these long bouts of unreliable internet. We’d tether to our phones, and even the slow tethering data on AT&T was faster than campground wifi or Skyroam (most of the time).

We also learned that not only is Cricket the same coverage as AT&T, but they’re actually different towers so you don’t get bogged down with the rest of the AT&T users. Same coverage, different towers, faster speeds.

We were definitely on board for that…especially for “only” $99/mo for 90 GB of high-speed data.

There was only one problem with our understanding of the plan. We had been spoiled with unlimited data until this point and just assumed that every plan was always unlimited but just a finite amount of high-speed data.

Pros of Internet Service

  • Portable device – when we broke up with Nomad, they let us keep the Nighthawk since they were switching equipment anyway. So Cricket just activated a new SIM card for us.
  • Nice and Fast – we were loving this 90GB high-speed data.
  • Easy to connect – once we left the Cricket store, it was easy peasy to get all our devices connected

Cons of Internet Service

  • Unlimited Data – when they say you get 90GB…they literally mean only 90GB. And while that was still a better deal than every other major provider out there, it wasn’t enough for our “moderate to heavy internet use” household. We regularly found ourselves tacking on data…up to double the amount every month.
  • Extra Data Gets Pricey – their add-on data was $15 for 10GB, which is a MUCH better deal than Skyroam, but when you have to buy an extra 100 GB each month, you’re looking at an extra $150, leaving you with a $250/mo internet bill. Ugh.
  • Clunky Data Add-On Process – the way you have to add data is through the website and it’s such a clunky system that half the time, we’d just have to call customer service to get more data. When you’re literally in the middle of a Zoom call and your data runs out, you don’t have time to call customer service to get more. You need to be able to buy it and activate it immediately.

Overall, Cricket was honestly not a bad service – we just needed way more internet than we could get. I would still use Cricket for a really great supplemental internet choice.

RV IT Guy

 
Startup Cost: $195

Monthly Cost: $99/mo (+ $150 cell + $30 truck internet) = $279/mo
Equipment: Beacon
Year of Use: 2021-2022

 After spending an absurd amount of money on startup costs and data for about 5 months, between Skyroam and Cricket, we decided we needed a different solution. This just wouldn’t work.

So we went back on the hunt for our best internet/data option.

That’s when we found theRVITGuy.com. When the little chat box popped up at the bottom, I wasn’t impressed by it – literally every internet website has those bots pop up that asks if you have any questions.

What I WAS impressed by is the fact that RVITGuy’s was not a bot – it was a real, live human. A very knowledgeable one.

This company is based out of Milwaukee, they have a real phone number (!!), and their staff are former IT professionals who also currently RV full-time (or have previously). Needless to say, they intimately know the need for good internet on the road (and the frustration of not being able to find it).

After a conversation, some review snooping, and let’s be honest, some desperation – we switched to our 4th internet provider in 7 months.

Pros of Internet Service

  • Unlimited High-Speed Data – we never ran out of high-speed data.
  • Built-in IT Support – your $99 monthly fee includes both data coverage and IT support. If you have a different internet service but still just need IT support, you can subscribe to RVITGuy’s $59/mo plan and BYO internet.
  • A Real Phone Number – we cannot overemphasize how much of a difference this makes. When we started having issues with our coverage, there were multiple times we got on the phone with a real live person (most often Mike), and got the help we needed. There were even times Mike helped us on Saturdays or Sundays! This isn’t just a phone number with people on the other end who have scripts that take you in a circular discussion – this is someone who is knowledgable and passionate about the internet.
  • Support = Incredible – we’ve used their phone support, we’ve used their chat feature on their site, and we’ve emailed with them dozens of times. Can’t rave about their team enough – Mike, Dena, and Phoebe were our regulars.
  • 2 Networks – typically, when you get an internet service, you only have one network. With RV IT Guy, you actually have 2 – one network is encrypted and keeps your sensitive data secure and the other network is for streaming or Zoom calls.
  • Support = Literally, the Best – did we mention this three times? Yes, we did. Because it’s worth it.
  • Very comprehensive FAQ – theRVITGuy.com has one of the most expansive FAQ sections I’ve ever seen, so if you have other questions that are way more technical than I understand, check out their FAQs here, and also – chat with their super responsive customer support rep on their site for questions you have that aren’t listed.

Cons of Internet Service

  • Corded Device – the device always has to be plugged in and with an RV, power outlets are limited. Plus, our rig isn’t set up for solar yet so only our lights and slide work on the battery’s power. That means, we need to be plugged into shore power for our outlets to work, and thus for our internet to work. This also means this is not your “throw it in your backpack and work from anywhere” option.
  • Service Got Dicey – when we first started with RV IT Guy, everything worked wonderfully. But something happened about 6 months in, and we noticed our upload and download speeds began slowing down and soon I was tethering to our AT&T phones for all my Zoom calls and anything that needed fast internet.

We worked with support dozens of times – they did everything they could to help us. They pulled up Google Maps and looked at our campgrounds, found the nearest towers, and even told us what side of the campground to grab a site at our upcoming stays. They were truly spectacular.

But sadly, the service still wasn’t working for us. Finally, they discovered our beacon wasn’t working how it should so they mailed us a replacement. There was also something about T-Mobile having replaced their 2G towers? Not sure. Finally, after 6 months of tethering to our phones…we made the really tough decision to try something new 😓

We had several friends try RV IT Guy and it seemed to work for them in the parts of the country where they were. Ultimately, we’d still recommend RV IT Guy. They were unlike any other service we had. If you stay on one side of the country or stay for long periods of time in the same general area, RV IT Guy is a really great option.

If you decide The RV IT Guy is right for you, use code BETHANDCOURT at checkout for $20 off your initial setup fee.

Starlink

 

Startup Cost: $599
Monthly Cost: $150/mo (+ $157/mo cell) = $307
Equipment: Starlink satellite, Router

After 6 months of tethering to our phones for social media uploads and Zoom calls, we finally heeded the advice many RV’ers had been telling us online – try Starlink.

As we mentioned above, we really loved the people of RV IT Guy and didn’t want to move away from it, but we got to a point where it was pretty painful to get what we needed out of the service.

We made the jump to Starlink, and so far, it was everything it was hyped to be.

Pros of Internet Service

  • Unlimited High-Speed Data – you can stream, you can Zoom, you can upload, you can download, you can send, you can receive…the speeds are *chef’s kiss* (update: see asterisked con below)
  • Fast Internet* – high-speed data is only as good as the fastest speed you can get. To this point, we usually hovered around a 10 Mbps download speed, and a 3-6 Mbps upload speed on our best days. With Starlink, we’ve clocked download speeds at 155 Mbps and upload speeds at 20 Mbps.
  • Minimal Equipment – there’s a Starlink (outside), a router (inside), and then the cables that connect the two to each other and a power source. That’s it…and it talks to space. Pretty sweet.
  • Very Easy Setup – the instructions for the hardware setup are literally 3 pictures, no words. The Starlink app then walks you through the digital setup step-by-step. You’re all set to use your internet within 20 mins.

Cons of Internet Service

  • Need an Unobstructed View – we’ve seen Starlinks in some pretty unique places because of this need. It has definitely made booking sites harder knowing we need to a clear shot to the sky, and it’s started limiting the areas we can go as well. With an obstructed view, you still get internet but you get “interruptions”, which I can’t have on Zoom calls. It’s painful when you have an interruption every 34 seconds and you’re leading an hour long meeting.
  • *Fast…Until It’s Unexpectedly Not 🤔  – after 7 months of use, we’ve found Starlink to be somewhat unpredictable. We first started using it out in Colorado and have since made our way back to the East Coast. It works, but download and upload speeds are very low to average. Certainly nothing to write home about. Your speeds get throttled just the same as they do for cellular coverage during “peak hours”.
  • High Startup Costs – while it’s true that this is the highest startup cost we’ve paid, we actually would’ve saved money after 2 years on the road had we started out with Starlink instead of trying all the other services with their startup costs. Plus, my company reimburses $500/year in technology costs so we were able to recover all but $100 of the startup cost through my work. As a remote worker, see if your company is willing to do the same! Or, as a business owner, write the expense off as a business expense since you need the internet to conduct business.
  • You’re Captive to Price Increases – currently, there’s no other service like Starlink, and they know that. Recently, they raised their monthly cost to $150/mo instead of the $135/mo the service cost when we first signed on. $15/mo may not seem like a lot, but when $135/mo is already a stretch, it feels tough to continue justifying the cost.
  • Oversaturation – as you can see from the map below, the majority of the country is in “Waitlist” status, which Starlink says means, “Area currently at capacity. Order to reserve your place.” The service will likely continue to get better as more satellites launch, but until then speeds can be comparable to any other service provider.

If you’re considering Starlink…

This was our unboxing and initial thoughts. An update video is to come.

 

T-Mobile Home Internet

 

Startup Cost: $0
Monthly Cost: $40/mo (+ $157/mo cell) = $197/mo
Equipment: T-Mobile Router
Year of Use: 2023

After dozens of Zoom calls apologizing for my internet service glitching or lagging or otherwise being interrupted with Starlink, we decided to cut our losses and try a new service. $150/mo is way too much to pay every month for subpar performance.

Meanwhile, we had been hearing rumors of T-Mobile Home Internet. We thought this was off limits to us because, well, our home is on wheels and you have to have an eligible “service area.” We reached out to customer service on chat and were told our current address wasn’t eligible. But then we heard from other friends in the campground that they were able to get the service no problem. They told us to go into an actual T-Mobile store.

So we did. And we walked out with brand new internet for $0 activation or device rental and $40/mo payments for 5G service 🤯 

Pros of Internet Service

  • Unlimited High-Speed Data – we have yet to hit a limit or have our data slowed.
  • Blazing Fast Internet – these speeds tested higher than Starlink ever did on its best days. How fast? My last 3 speed tests as of writing this show download speeds of: 216 mbps, 258 mbps, 218 mbps. Upload speeds show: 59.9 mbps, 57.3 mbps, 61.3 mbps. For comparison, Starlink’s last 3 speed tests in this same location showed download speeds of: 65 mbps, 57 mbps, and 7 mbps. Yes, 7.
  • Just a Cube – no satellites on the roof or cords running through the cracks of the slide. Just a cube plugged into the wall.
  • Very Easy Setup – it took 3 minutes to set up from start to finish, including a speed test. You plug in the cord, link your devices, done.
  • Guaranteed Price Lock – I don’t know how they can promise this, but they say they’ll never ever raise the price on us. (Lookin’ at you, Starlink 🙄 )
  • T-Mobile Customer Discount – we save $10/mo because we’re currently T-Mobile customers. Without an existing T-Mobile account, it’s still only $50/mo.
  • $0 Activation Fee: the amount of money we’ve spent in activation fees alone makes my mind go numb. But with T-Mobile Home Internet, we walked out of the store without even pulling our wallet out.

Cons of Internet Service

  • Must Have Eligible Service Address: …but, you don’t have to live at this address or show any proof of being connected to said address. You just have to give an eligible address as the service address 👀 

The Winner: T-Mobile!

$0 Setup, $40/mo*
 

After weighing the pros, cons, and prices of the above options we’ve cycled through, T-Mobile is our clear winner 🥇

*$60/mo for non-T-Mobile users

Learn More
 
 

Runner Up: RV IT Guy

$195 Setup, $99/mo
 

While Starlink was impressive in the Mountain region of the U.S., RVITGuy has the potential to pull ahead again as our favorite service. Stay tuned. Use code BETHANDCOURT for $20 off your setup fee.  

 

One thing you’ll discover very quickly is that internet on the road is MUCH more expensive than at-home service, and internet needs vary wildly so it’s very hard to get a straightforward answer to “what’s the best internet for me on the road”.

The answer is – it depends on what you need, what your budget is, and where you’re going. Whatever your situation is, don’t let it stop you from hitting the road. The right service for you is out there.
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