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We are done with Nomad Internet! We DO NOT RECOMMEND NOMAD INTERNET!
We were contacted by Nomad Internet in February of this year. After some careful consideration, we responded to them and agreed to test the unit they wanted to send to us. Watch the entire video above to hear more about how Nomad Internet LIED to us.
After some testing for several weeks and great results, we communicated with Nomad about our satisfaction with the service and speeds.
We’ve been on the road for 5 years now and over the years. And during this time, we’ve had several mobile internet options we’ve utilized to keep us connected while on the road. Most recently we were using Starlink. However, after switching over to the RV Plan (to be able to pause service when we didn’t need it) we noticed significantly slower speeds.
So back to “old reliable” we went with our Verizon hotspot.
One thing that was frustrating for us in the past was we couldn’t really recommend the same internet solution we were using. This is because what we used to use was a grandfathered Verizon plan that is no longer available. People used to ask about the mobile internet service we were using in their comments and messages. However, our responses didn’t provide much help to them. Because they could NOT get the same plan.
The Nomad Air
What Nomad Internet promised was high-speed internet access to its customers through a cellular network. It provides an alternative to traditional cable or DSL internet services. Especially in areas where these services are not available or are unreliable.
Nomad Internet uses advanced technology to offer fast and reliable internet speeds. This makes it a popular choice for rural areas, remote locations, and travelers who need access to the internet while on the go. We were TOLD the service could be paused – this was NOT true. It can only be paused for 90 days and that is IT!
In addition, Nomad Internet offers a range of different data plans to suit different needs and budgets. Including unlimited data plans for heavy users. Its portable modem, the Nomad Air Modem, can connect up to 20 devices. And provides internet access anywhere within the cellular network coverage area.
The Nomad Air uses C-band and has built-in antennas to the router. This enables the use of advanced high-power directional antennas to extend the reach of carrier networks. While also supporting 5G sub-6GHz and 4G LTE – you do not need any external antennas with this modem.
What Is “C Band” As It Relates To Mobile Internet?
C band refers to a range of radio frequencies between 3.7 GHz and 4.2 GHz. In the context of wireless carriers, the C band is a part of the radio frequency spectrum that is used for wireless communication services. Including cellular networks and other wireless data services.
The C band is particularly valuable for wireless carriers because it provides a balance between coverage and capacity. It can cover a relatively large area, making it useful for providing coverage in rural areas or other areas where there are not many cell towers. At the same time, it has enough capacity to support high-speed data services, such as video streaming and other data-intensive applications.
In recent years wireless carriers are seeking to their networks. All while providing faster and more reliable data services to their customers. The C band has become increasingly important in this endeavor. The C band has been the subject of much discussion and debate among policymakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders, particularly in the United States.
Our Results With Nomad Air Modem And Mobile Internet
We’ve been testing the new Nomad Air Modem over the past month and it worked well. Speeds are great and the service coverage has been great in the areas we’ve traveled within. What did NOT work well was the customer service and the fact that the (at the time CEO Jaden Garza) flat out lied to us over the course of several emails.
One thing we were running into with other mobile hot spots or mobile internet modems is they needed a power source.
We can’t tell you how many times we’ve had to jump in our Jeep and drive to an area to find an internet connection. And then connect to a battery pack to power the modem to power it up.
We were excited about Nomad Air being an all-in-one solution. We are SO disappointed that this company is choosing to take orders and not tell people that products are back-ordered.
If you choose the travel pack option (additional cost) you receive what is listed below. (Note: we’ve been getting feedback from people that this is on backorder
What you get:
- A Battery Pack Provides 7 days of continuous internet
- Nomad Air Modem with Built-In Antennas
- Power cable to connect Battery Pack and Modem
Mobile Internet While In Motion
With Nomad Air, you can have internet while your RV is in motion. This is unlike the current Starlink setup (unless you purchase the In motion Starlink dish for several thousand dollars).
What Does It Cost?
The equipment cost for the Nomad Air is $299.00, but no longer recommend using Nomad internet.
Nomad Internet gave us the Nomad Air to try and give our honest review and Sponsored this blog post.
I had the same exact thing happen to me this past summer! I was using a grandfathered unlimited hot spot puck that broke and my cell carrier told me to use the phone as well. It was terrible! And I also work while we are camping. I am SOOOOOOOOO happy you found this and shared it! I ordered one already with the discount code you supplied. (Thank YOU!) I am super excited to test this out in a few weeks.
Awesome Victoria! You are very welcome and are also glad we came across this and could share it with everyone. Keep us posted, we have been very happy with it!
Awesome! Ordered. Thanks!
John, that’s great! You won’t regret it. Right now as I’m typing, I’m getting 200mbps down and 29 up. Pretty happy with the speeds so far!
Thank you for this review, a great alternative to what we have used in the past. My question is how does it perform when streaming tv and movies etc.
Thank you
So far with my testing, it’s been great for streaming movies on Netflix and Discovery+. The download speed is what you want to look at for this and we’ve been getting 40mbps to over 200 which is more than enough needed for streaming movies.
Thank you both, I hope I enjoy the same success you have with the Nomad Air. Just ordered the unit with the $129.00 plan. We’ve certainly enjoyed your videos. Keep up the good work.
Awesome. And Thank you so much and thanks for the compliment. We will keep the videos coming. We think you will be happy with it, we are still loving it, it’s been working well.
Great review. One question, will the Nomad Air run just plugged into a USB power port, and not use their battery pack? We would run the unit in our RV 99% of the time and not take it away from the RV.
Thank you! Absolutely, the battery pack is not required to run the Nomad air. You could run it from the supplied USB cable in your RV since the unit would be in your RV most of the time. You could always pick up a battery pack later if you needed the flexibility to be portable (away from your rv). Glad you enjoyed the review, we are super happy with it! -Ben
I was w/in my 30 days w/ Starlink and Dishy wasn’t even out of the box yet. Angered by all the changes plus $200/mo for possible throttled Starlink performance Saw your review the day you posted. Ordered right away. Returned Dishy and cancelled my backordered Flag Pole Buddy. Looking forward to testing it out
I ran across your review on this internet solution today. I was not very happy after Starlink raised their price on all of us, so now another player on the market at a better price, with more reliable connectivity. After watching your video, I ordered the nomad Air. Thank you for the discount code. Looking forward to testing this soon.
We are loving ours! Thanks for reading keep us posted on how you like it!
I am in the market for an internet source and am very glad I found this review. How does this compare to the Starlink? I know you mentioned a few things, but you still have your starlink for backup? Is the coverage just as good as Starlink? If you were to purchase just one or the other, which would it be? Thanks!
HI there, what we found with Starlink is being on the RV plan we were prioritized. It all depends on where you see yourself traveling mainly – if you will MAINLY be in very remote areas with NO cell service whatsoever, Starlink is a better option in those scenarios. If you will be mainly traveling in areas with cell service, the Nomad Air is the WAY better option. We mainly travel in areas where there is at least some sort of cell signal and the Nomad Air works better for us than Starlink in those areas.
That’s a really good question. It’s different for everyone, I would likely purchase the Nomad Internet because the upfront cost is less, service is good in motion without installing an expensive in-motion dish, good coverage still when under trees (unlike Starlink) and good for zoom calls (unlike Starlink). We have the Starlink rv plan that is currently paused as a backup for if we are in a position where nomad internet has no service and we need to upload a video for you guys! 🙂 There will be places where coverage is spotty, but to be honest we didn’t have the best experience with Starlink as more people got the service and the further south we traveled. Plus the RV plan is deprioritized and throttled at certain times. But Starlink can essentially give you internet anywhere (except under trees), but I feel still has the feel it’s in beta. So, to answer your question,I’d do both, but the Nomad may be just what you need to cover a majority of your needs. You can also pause it when not using and no contracts, so doesn’t hurt to give it a shot.
Thank you for all the information, and if we were in the Eastern part of the US (East of the Mississippi) it would be great even Boondocking. We are in AZ and all of our “Boondocking” places in AZ, CA, TX, and surrounding areas we travel now still would not have coverage. Hopefully they will add more coverage for those of us in the East. Some great functions and features with them though.
We ordered it! Thank you!
Is there a coverage map? We would like to know if the areas we travel have coverage. Most land based companies don’t.
I ordered my Nomad the same day this review was posted and was able to return my Starlink w/in the 30 day window. Unfortunately, I still have not received my system. Though I viewed 3 influencer with extremely positive reviews, further research, I am seeing multiple complaints including BBB regarding customer service. While I am connecting with customer support, I am not getting any information why my order has not shipped yet. I hope that the changes that have been made at Nomad Internet at the beginning of the year also reflect their customer service, but i am losing confidence. I’m kinda stuck to start my travel because I need my internet and I don’t want to throw more money at what might be a temporary solution.
Hi, Alan!
I’m sorry about the delay in the shipping of your device. We are working hard to get all orders shipped out, but we do program and ensure each device works properly before shipping so that once you receive the device you will be online. I hate to see that our shipping delays are causing delays in your travel, would it be possible for us to change the shipping address so that you can get on the road and when your order is ready we can ensure it gets to your at your new location?
Thank you Crystal. I’ll reach out to you Monday to discuss further.
In conclusion (hopefully) to my experience. I reached out to Ben and Charity directly about my issues, as I didn’t want to continually bash Nomad Internet in the blog. I saw Charity’s new post the morning I was to receive the Cube. As she mentioned in the video, I was one that Nomad suggested I purchase the Cube Residential Unit and use until the Air becomes available from backorder. I caught the FedEx driver as he was coming to my door and refused delivery and immediately cancelled this order and the Nomad Air. I will give it a day or two before calling my credit card company. I also learned through rvmobileinternet.com that Nomad is older technology. T-Mobile has latest/better hotspot that Nomad uses that can be included in a T-Mobile internet plan or a more robust device Netgear Nighthawk M6 that is multi-network compatible (yet spendy but cheaper overall cost for plan and device in the long run). Lesson learned for me too.
So the video was about not getting the nomad internet correct?? So why are so many people saying thank you and placing orders for it ! I don’t get it..
We had previously released a sponsored video talking about Nomad Internet (and as a side note, our unit is still working great for us). However, if you watch the video you will see that since we released that video, we chose to take it down due to customer service issues that arose after the sponsored video was released. We did not want to keep promoting Nomad Internet.
Unfortunately, I took your initial advice and am now living in back order hell. There customer service is terrible and they keep spouting the same “two to three week” BS. I STRONGLY suggest people steer clear of Nomad!
Dispute the charges with your card company/bank.