Is Internet Access an Essential Part of your Mobile Lifestyle?
If you consider internet access almost as necessary as fuel, water and electricity - then we created this website for you.
Whether you're working from the road, attending online classes, keeping in touch with friends & family, planning your next destination, sharing your adventures or keeping entertained - finding the mobile internet solution that fits your unique lifestyle can be an overwhelming challenge.
We're here to help.
We've made it our full time job to create resources to help make this stuff easier to understand, provide education and keep on top of this constantly changing topic - so you can concentrate on what drives you!
What is the MIA (Mobile Internet Aficionados)?
The MIA is a community of travelers who consider mobile internet to be essential.
Instead of seeking sponsorships, advertising or reselling products - we choose instead to be community funded. This keeps us accountable to our membership for our unbiased overviews, guidance and industry analysis.
The Mobile Internet Handbook is our textbook...
..the MIA is our classroom.
A MIA membership goes even further than our free content - more in-depth guides, our classroom for learning, product reviews & field testing reports, alert newsletters, videos, interactive access to experts, product discounts and insider tips.
Our goal is to save you time, money and frustration.
Your founders are Chris & Cherie of Technomadia.com. We began full time RVing while working remotely as technology advisors & software developers in 2006. We now split our time traveling North America by RV and boat.
We were fielding so many questions on our personal blog about how we stayed connected running our own high tech business remotely, so we created this resource center - it's our passion and now our full time "job".
We are joined by a staff of fellow full time travelers to keep this space constantly updated.
Join the Few. The Mobile. The Connected.
What Our Members Are Saying:
You will not find a better resource
Everything, and I mean everything, you need to know about getting and staying connected on the road (or water). From extensively tested gear guides to tips on working remotely, streaming movies, and boosting signals, you will not find a better resource for mobile internet information anywhere.
Fantastic service that pays for itself over and over
We have been extremely happy members of Mobile Internet Resource Center since they launched and are huge fans of the valuable content and up to date information provided by Chris, Cherie and team.
We trust their advice and follow it regularly, which always results in an improved technology solution AND significant cost savings.
It’s a service we regularly recommend to our RVLove followers and RV Success School students, for whom connectivity is important.
You simply cannot beat the value for money and the peace of mind.
MIA membership paid for itself many times over!
I signed up before I knew much of anything about mobile internet and I can’t believe how much money I’ve saved with the knowledge I’ve gotten from the newsletters and the forums.
I got in with Omnilynx before they shut it down and got a free hotspot. Then I was able to walk through the UDP AOL process myself.
I can honestly say that signing up to be an MIA has saved me over $1100 in the past 6 months and I’m sure the newsletters will keep me saving more as time goes on. Thanks guys for the awesome information source!
The gurus that beat all other gurus
Let’s face it guys, you are the gurus that beat all other gurus. What you don’t know you learn and what you learn you are able to disseminate in an easy to learn and absorb way.
I’ve been in tech and the computer industry for over 35 years and you guys are still able to blow my socks off with your in depth knowledge.
Invaluable Resource
If staying connected while being on the road is important to you, this invaluable resource will help you make the right choices.
Get access to all of the latest news and information about mobile communications!
Worth every penny
I’m a full time remote worker so tons of data is a pretty firm requirement for me. I was taking so much time researching what was the best deal and wondering if promotions were starting that I was going crazy!
Having someone else keep on top of what are the best data deals and promotions and then emailing me to make sure I am one of the first to know is just awesome. Add to that the handbook, the videos, the forums, the product reviews etc.
I can’t believe I waited so long to sign up. Thanks for all the work you do!
I have learned more than I could ever hope to imagine
In this fast changing technology they have provided breaking news and provided thought about what coming changes might mean to me. They have provided answers to specific questions and I have learned more than I could ever hope to imagine.
I highly recommend joining MIA along with the book and look forward to many years of continued knowledge as this technology continues to change.
You make things too easy!
Mobile internet solutions are decisions that I have been putting off for nearly a year because of the amount of time it was going to take me to do the proper research.
All I did was spend a little bit of money on your membership, take a few hours to read all of the incredible research you had completed, and magically, I had nearly everything that I needed to move forward.
And that makes me a happy (full time) camper!
A dream saved
In the Spring of 2014 we headed out on a 70 camping excursion trip across the Western US. Intending to work remotely.
The trip was awesome but I’m not going to lie, staying connected to the Internet for work was a disaster.
Once back home, we felt like future trips like this one were out of the question. Fulltiming, an impossible dream.
Then we stumbled across the Mobile Internet Resource Center and The Mobile Internet Handbook. Becoming a member and reading this book were salvation for our wanderlust. Now we are truly ready to venture forth with the knowledge and equipment to succeed.
What would we do without the MIA?
My entire arsenal of data plans, cell phone boosters and ways to find Wi-Fi are because of Chris and Cherie and their efforts through Mobile Internet Aficionados.
My wife and are going on our third year of fulltime RVing, and we’re able to stay connected on the road because of what we’ve learned on here.
It is money WELL spent to continue our membership with MIA.
Everything You Need to know about Staying Connected to the Internet in your RV
Chris Dunphy and Cherie Ve Ard, also known as the Technomads, have been full time RVers since 2006. They publish the Mobile Internet Resource Center, perhaps the most comprehensive and helpful website you’ll find for all things related to RVing and the Internet.
Worth Every Penny
There are several benefits to membership in this group, but by far the most valuable part for us is receiving current information and updated reviews on changing technology and products that may enhance our mobile internet experience.
Our ability to live on the road and generate income is highly tied to internet access and speed without giving up travel to the remote, beautiful places we love.
Getting timely, expert analysis of this ever-changing landscape is worth every penny of the membership.
Best of the Best!
Mobile Internet Resource Center is a top-notch mobile technology resource. Chris Dunphy & Cherie Ve Ard have been on the road full time for the past 10 years.
Working remotely as they roam – they practice what they preach through first hand experience.
You will learn critical information that will help you stay connected as you travel.
Why I’m A Continuing Member Of This Group
When you started MIA, I joined right up, not knowing what I might learn. The top three things I did glean from it are WeBoost cell boosters, WiFi Ranger routers, and AT&T doubling data if you buy at least 15 GB. I would not have known about any of these, were it not for you and MIA.
I plan to always stay a member as a way to say “thanks” for all of your advice; paid and not paid. It’s my way of adding to your “tip jar.” You guys rock!
Worth It! Consistent exceptional reporting.
Chris & Cherie have a corner on the market when it comes to all things dealing with RV mobile internet. No one else addresses these topics in the way they do. October 2014 alone — with its Double Data deals and the Millenicom situation — has been worth the price of admission. Consistent exceptional reporting.
One Word – Awesome!
Worth every penny in terms of the membership, the discounts you are able to provide on equipment and the very useful apps you developed for coverage, not to mention the public YouTube content you provide which was one of the deciding factors for us to hit the road
Don’t Leave Home Without It!
If you rely on internet connectivity on the road like I do, you absolutely must become a member of RVMobileInternet.com’s “Mobile Internet Aficionados”.
The detailed research and technical resources that MIA provides to its members are invaluable, and you can’t get them anywhere else that I know of.
And Chris, Cherie and the rest of the MIA community provide help on obscure questions and problems when you need it. My membership has doubtless already saved me many hours and dollars in having to figure this stuff out for myself!
Helped me tremendously along with saving me money
I am a proud member of MIA and I am also an IT professional with over 25 years experience mainly in large corporate networking. I have a number of Cisco and other certifications and am very knowledgeable about networks and networking.
That being said, when it comes to Mobile Networking, Chris and Cherie are experts and I continually learn new things from them.
They are continuously testing various devices in the field and reporting their results.
I cannot recommend MIA enough.
Small Membership Fee Is Worth It
I’m tech savvy and thought I could figure it all out without joining. WRONG!
Since I joined in June 2016, I’ve slashed my Verizon bill, protected my UDP (unlimited data plan), and now have more cellular data and options than I thought possible.
The small membership fee is worth it and has already been recouped in savings.
It’s Been Invaluable
I am so thankful for Cherie and Chris at the Mobile Internet Resource Center. I am pretty inept when it comes to technology. But with The Mobile Internet Handbook, their website, and forums, I think I have a much better handle on it now.
We’ve been able to get an unlimited Verizon plan thanks to them, and will be using their resources to get an antenna and a wifi booster that will work best for us. Thanks so much guys, it’s been invaluable!
Well worth it!
We started full-timing over 3 years ago and what I couldn’t figure out was how I was going to get internet on the road. Thankfully we found Chris and Cherie’s web site and using their suggestions we snagged an unlimited Verizon data plan for a very cheap price.
I never would have discovered this and would be paying hundreds of dollars more for less data. I will gladly be a premium member and pay the annual fee because we have saved so much money already.
They keep us informed of new information and I’m so grateful.
The Ultimate Resource for Mobile Internet Connectivity
With so many routers, hot spots, antennas, services, options, and plans available, not to mention trying to figure out what works better or is a better fit for your situation, it can be mind-numbing trying to search for and filter through the information you need and the hype you don’t.
My subscription to the MIA is the best money I could have ever spent, because they (Chris and Cherie) do this for you, DAILY, and provide an excellent text (print or eBook) to also educate you on what all of it means.
RVMobileInternet.com is the only RV’ing website I check every day!
A much needed and Valuable Resource
Planning on RV-ing when we retire and so joined the MIA to see what’s what as we are rather heavy internet users here at home in our Sticks’n’Bricks.
Was very happy to find plenty of resources to actually enable us to go from a weak DSL plan to a much faster Cellular plan here at home. The information is all collected for RV-ers, but you can adapt it to suit what you may need at home too.
Couldn’t have done any of it without the help of Chris and Cherie and all the other people “in the know” on the forums always there to answer my newbie questions.
I can’t recommend this site enough
If you rely on mobile connectivity for your travels and are looking for concise, clear and relevant info I can’t recommend this site enough.
I’ve learned more in just a few weeks on here then I could have in months of self-research.
AWESOME Support and Information!
My husband Jeff and I travel in our Fifth Wheel RV 5-6 months throughout the year. We purchased everything recommended and had terrific internet connectivity across the United States. We highly recommend The Mobile Internet Resource Center!!! They are Excellent!
The Good and Bad of it
I tend to research a lot before I buy, before joining MIA I made many good decissions and some really expensive and frustrating bad ones. Ideas sound good on paper, MIA Has provided a source of real world experience. Thanks for the insight and community.
Great Real time info
I like the fact that you guys are evaluating the latest hardware, probably saved me dollars and heartaches with one of your last evaluations. The cost to join is worth every penny.. Lance Hall
This group keeps me ahead of the connectivity curve!
Staying connected on the move is a part of our livelihood but trying to stay up to date with everything from carriers to plan changes and new devices, has become impossible…that is until The Mobile Internet Aficionados group came about.
This group has become an invaluable source of information and I have never felt more informed or educated.
This group keeps me ahead of the connectivity curve!
MIA…Mobile Internet Afficianatos saves $ and time.
Chris and Cherie do an excellent job providing great advice and knowledge for anybody trying to have reliable Internet while traveling in an RV.
MIA has saved us a lot of money and frustrations trying to stay connected.
With advice on equipment, cellular service and general knowledge the membership fee is a small educational expense. Thanks so much for your service.
They’ve Done the Work!
They’ve done all the work to find the answers for everyone! It’s tons of information. They’ve helped us make decisions that has really improved our travels.
View their Video Review of the MIA: https://youtu.be/8QEo4GHc-E8
The Icing On The Cake
Being a Mobile Internet Aficionado member has saved me hundreds of dollars in just one year. Mobile Internet is a rapidly changing technology and MIA members are always among the first to know about the latest and greatest. The cost of this membership is well worth every penny!
I could never be this happy in a full-time mobile lifestyle without internet connectivity.
Thank you, Chris & Cherie, for all you do.
Our number one source to mobile connectivity!
As full time RV’ers one of the hardest things to do is keep up on all of the latest technology. It takes a great deal of time, effort, and gadget accessibility to research the pros and cons of the devices suitable for our life style.
Cherie and Chris understand many of the technical limitations we face on the road and they help us find the best and most affordable way to stay connected.
We at liv2rv.com strongly recommend MIA as our number one source to mobile connectivity!
My Go To Place for Tech on the Road
While we do not work on the road (yet) we do use the internet for all of our travel planning and information to help us stay connected to the world. MIA membership was a logical choice.
We have come to trust Chris and Cherie, and Kiki too.
Top notch research and info served in a not too geeky format, but geeky enough to satisfy the more technical folks, too.
This is the place to turn
Hands down, the best resource for staying connected on the road comes from the folks over at Technomadia. Mobile Internet Resource Center is a membership site that provides full updates on every major change in the world of mobile data.
Need help getting your RV connected and ready to roll? This is the place to turn.
This is how I stay on top of wireless data programs
The information on Chris and Cherie’s website is extremely valuable. Just this week their information about signing up for T-Mobile before the program disappears saved me a lot of money.
I was able to sign up for the T-Mobile’s $35 plan and decreased my Verizon plan by $35 and now I have the same amount of data and I also have the unlimited data for YouTube, etc.
I highly recommend their program.
Thank you Chris and Cherie!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all you do for me and other full-time RVers. I rely on Internet for my blog and new online design business. Thanks to your help and timely advice, I lucked into a Verizon UDP in 2014. Since then, I have benefited from your constant monitoring of the mobile Internet world and have recommended you to others.
My MIA membership has repaid me several-fold and is an invaluable investment for any RVers who need to have Internet.
Amazing resource for staying connected while traveling
This book has been the perfect resource for me while I researched the best way to stay connected while on the road. I’ve turned to it again and again to decide how best to set up my bus for working on the road.
Cherie and Chris also provide great assistance with their site as well.
Buy the book, join the site. You won’t regret it. Reasonable price and converts techie stuff to English. Thanks!
Coming up to Speed
I was blown away by the Mobile Internet University Classroom which is a supplement to the book. In an afternoon, I learned what would have taken months to dig out on my own .
Join Now (see details of the benefits below):
Annual Membership
1-Year Membership
If you've already purchased a The Mobile Internet Handbook, we offer you a $5 discount off your initial annual membership.
- For the 2015 and later editions: Check the 'Going Further' or 'Ongoing Conversations' chapter at the back of the book for your $5 coupon code.
- For the 2014 Edition - Enter in the third to last word defined in the glossary (at the end of the book) as the code. This lets us know you already own the book.
Discount only valid for new Mobile Internet Aficionado memberships and can not be combined with other coupon codes.
or... Gift a Membership to the nomad in your Life!
Other ways to support what we do here..
Ways to Support the Mobile Internet Resource Center
Join risk free.
We're pleased to offer a ton of free guides & videos here on the resource center that should give you a good feel for our style and depth of research. We encourage you to utilize it as much as you like - it's a gift from us and our members.
Should you decide to support us by becoming a member, and if for any reason in the first 30 days you don't find becoming part of our MIA community was the right fit for you - just ask - we'll be happy to refund your full membership fee. No questions asked.
We want to provide you a valuable resource, your happiness is important!
More Information On the Benefits:
Mobile Internet University - With over 900 pages of content and countless videos, it can be overwhelming to get started. This structured course walks you through our guides - ramping you up from understanding your options, assessing your needs to selecting your plans & gear. And then bringing it all together. Go at your own pace, and bring questions to our forums or interactive Q&A webinars. Get a free preview of Section 1 in Our Classroom.
- Exclusive content - We release most of our in-depth mobile internet guides, product reviews, insider tips, guides, videos and field testing data to our 'Mobile Internet Aficionados' exclusively. You'll also find extra tips and insider info embedded in some news articles, just for members.
- Example: When T-Mobile announced they were discontinuing their Simple Choice plans in January 2017, we posted an article about it to our news center. The article contained extra information for our members with instruction on how to obtain the plan, recommended devices and even a 25m video overviewing the plans. We've now made that entire article public so you can see an example of the extra guidance members get: Click to See the full T-Mobile Article.
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Click to Preview a Sample Newsletter
Newsletters - MIAs get a specially written newsletter delivered at least monthly (usually twice), covering our analysis of industry development. This means you don't have to pro-actively check in to see what's up if you don't want to - just check your mail, skim the newsletter and know if there's anything up that might impact you. Our newsletters are more in-depth and comprehensive than our free public monthly summary, and might contain member exclusive insider tips.
- Breaking Stories & Alerts - We issue special breaking news alerts if we hear of anything that might impact our members that needs to be acted on quickly - such as a limited time promotion, threats to popular solutions (like grandfathered Verizon Unlimited Data Plans) or substantial shifts in the industry.
- Video Q&A Webinars - We host member-only interactive Q&A video webinars using Zoom, usually twice monthly. If there's a critical news topic going on, we may also host a special edition broadcast for our membership.
The Mobile Internet Handbook! Since this is our textbook - you get our book in PDF/ePub format, and any updates that come out during your MIA membership term, at no extra charge. We feel it's important that you have access to the latest information in the book, so that we can refer to content when fielding your questions. And of course members get full access to our constantly updated content online that complements the book.
Already purchased the book separately? No problem - we offer a discount off initial membership (see below for details).
- Q&A Forums - Got questions? Need a little help or guidance? Ask questions in our member only forums and our staff will address them. We encourage members to chime in and help each other too. We can't promise we'll always be able to answer your questions with a definitive solution, but we'll do our best to share what we know and point you in the right direction.
Community - Interact with other travelers who are also navigating keeping online while being mobile. Because together, we all have more experience and wisdom to share. Learn from each other, share product reviews, tips & experiences in a private space dedicated to just this topic. From our Q&A forums, commenting on guides and our optional member-only Facebook group (our 'lunchroom').- Discounts - While we are not sponsored by any vendor or manufacturer, several reputable ones extend special discounts to our MIA members. Enjoy special discounts from WiFiRanger, weBoost, 3GStore, PowerfulSignal, TechnoRV, LivinLite, Wilson Amplifiers and RepeaterStore. If you're in the market, our content can help you make wise decisions AND you can potentially save more than your membership cost.
Join Mobile Internet Aficionado for $89 for 1 year, or set up a subscription to lock in our discounted annual rate of $75/year.
Membership FAQs:
There's no denying it, this topic is technical. We do our best to break it down into non-tech terms and explain things that most should able to understand - but there's only so far we can go and still provide accurate information.
Before joining, we'd recommend you read through and view some of our free content (such as our Overview) - if you're able to get through that without too big of a headache, then you'll likely do well with our member content too. We strive to use similar language as you find there, and keep a full Glossary of terms integrated into every article.
If you're willing to be patient, do your research and pace yourself - you should be able to get through things. In our classroom, we have each lesson marked as Basic, Intermediate or Advanced. We don't recommend approaching more advanced topics until you have a good foundation.
We overview most mobile specific gear with specs and impressions to the public, and members can leave reviews for each other. As a secondary mission here on the resource center, we also review some as part of the in-depth content we create for MIA members.
However, we don't promise to review every single product available, or necessarily in a timely fashion. We tend to research the 'best in class' options and review those.
Remember we live in an RV and a boat ourselves, and have limited space for installing & storing gear. We don't just turn on a gadget and see if it works - we take it out to multiple locations and test it over time. This could take months for us to get sufficient hands on experience to make an assessement, but we do share our field testing data as we collect it with members.
Also, we do not cover most general mobile technology equipment - such as computers, TVs, streaming devices, smartphones, printers & tablets.
Our reviews are focused on consumer accessible equipment specific to mobile internet - such as dedicated hotspots, mobile routers, mobile cellular boosters, antennas and mobile WiFi repeating gear. We do not review equipment designed and marketed for stationary use or enterprise level gear.
We know RVers and cruisers aren't the only ones who depend on mobile internet options. Truckers, rural folks, nomads, travelers, storm chasers and cord-cutters also might rely on wireless connections instead of hardwired internet.
And we know many folks travel part time, and desire a setup that might be usable 'at home' and on the road. Or those living in mobile substrates might be stationary for long periods of time.
We absolutely welcome you to join, but just know upfront we are very focused on mobile internet options. Our 'Top Picks', product listings and advice are specific to mobile situations. Our first 11 years on the road was in RVs, and we launched this site within that community. We're also now part-time cruisers along the American Great Loop, and are ramping up marine content too.
Installation & equipment options for stationary homes, offices and trucks might have different considerations. Those options are not our area of expertise.
There is a heck of a lot of cross over however and you will learn a lot, and have access to our ongoing research & knowledge. We'll do our best to point out where the differences & considerations are when asked, but we make no promises that we'll be able to provide specific guidance for non-mobile use.
You will need to adapt what you learn here to apply to your own situation, and continue research on your own.
We want to make sure you fully understand what your membership includes, and doesn't include. Here are some specific things that the MIA is not intended for:
- Substitute for Reading The Mobile Internet Handbook or other content on this site - Membership is best utilized if you're committed to educating yourself and utilizing this resource in the self-help intention it is presented. We strongly advise you keep your included copy of The Mobile Internet Handbook handy, start with the Mobile Internet University and utilize the in-depth guides & video content throughout the site. Also, keep in the know with your member alerts as this industry constantly changes.
- E-mail and/or private guidance - We are community centric - and ask members to post their questions in the Q&A forums or our private MIA Facebook group. This helps other members learn & chime in as well.
- In-depth Advising - Our focus is creating content that helps you understand your options. It's designed to be self-paced and self-help. To effectively provide that content, we have to stay constantly on top of the industry, analyzing news and updating applicable guides. While we welcome questions in our member areas as you pursue your research, we're unable to assess your unique needs and recommend a suitable solution. Having conducted private advising sessions in the past, we know this takes multiple hours of time to do right - which is time we just don't have available. We are a small team after all.
- 24/7 Instant Responses - We're full time nomads ourselves - we don't just play them on the internet. That's how we know about this stuff. Our own time and bandwidth availability can vary quite a bit. and we do encourage our staff to have a work/life balance. We set aside time (and effort to have connectivity) to read the Q&A forums to respond to member questions. We will do our very best to respond to inquiries within 2 business days and we post a status alert when we know we'll be out of touch longer than that (such as vacations, extensive field testing time when we're mostly offline or just traveling through known areas of bad signal).
- Technical Support - The MIA is not a substitute for the customer support provided by the manufacturer or vendor you purchased equipment from, or for the solutions you've implemented. We are however happy to help you troubleshoot a problem, confirm a problem or point you in the right direction to get help.
- General Mobile Tech - Many folks know us for our Technomadia.com blog, where we do write about our personal experiences with mobile tech (computers, tablets, solar, lithium batteries, GPS, lighting, apps, etc.). This site is specifically about mobile internet options & equipment - and we super focus on it here. It keeps us busy enough as is to stay on top of. However, our members do have access to our off topic discussion forum, and we do welcome questions there if you have them. We'll answer when we can.
- Remember... membership is intended to provide education, a venue for asking questions to further your understanding, and keeping you keep up to date on the industry. We feel it's important that you understand the solutions you're purchasing, as when you're 'out there' - you may not be able to get online to get help setting up your equipment.
Mobile internet vendors & company representative policy: We do not allow products or services we cover to have an official presence in member interactive places.
However, we recognize that some who represent mobile internet related products are also travelers themselves, and would like to join for their own personal interest. And we welcome this. We just ask that if you do represent a product that you refrain from posting anything that could be seen as marketing of the product. If you see a fellow member with a question about your product that you can answer, that is most appreciated - just please be transparent about your affiliation, and keep it supportive not 'selling'.
Also, our content is intended for personal use only - not for helping related businesses target their products & services at RVers & boaters. If you would like our assistance in getting a market overview or in-depth feedback in your product development, please contact us. When we have time, we do offer business-to-business consulting services.
In order to keep prices as low as possible for everyone, we only offer a few select discounts:
- Purchasers of our book (find the discount code in the back)
- Members of partnered RVing clubs, including Escapees/ Xscapers, RVillage Gold and Boondockers Welcome (check your membership discounts there)
- Readers of some select awesome bloggers who are friends of the resource center.