Great question. The short answer is, Yes, there are updates to some of the equipment, but because of the high-cost of the new gear I think my recommendations in the video are still the affordable choice. I still use this setup after one year and it still works really well. One significant update however is that the same Google Fi Unlimited Plus Plan I talked about now lets each person use 50 GB (no longer 22 GB) of high-speed data before throttling down your speed. But if you REALLY want to get the latest gear regardless of the cost, go for the newer NETGEAR mobile hotspots, the Nighthawk M5 and M6 (Unlocked). They now support 5G and WiFi 6 connections. For Security cameras updates, I might be interested in trying the Wyze Cam Outdoor v2 paired with Wyze Solar Panel. The video quality is great and the night vision is very impressive. It also allows you to insert a memory card so that if for some reason the internet connection drops and you can't connect to the camera's livestream, it will still store the video on the memory card until you're back online.
Of course, you're very welcome. Let me know if you have any follow up questions. I've started working on some new videos about travel and tech, so subscribe and stay tuned
1. Congrats!!! This is an amazing video, the bg music, the tone of ur voice, etc. Big up! You went straight to the point, no time wasting, i love it!! Hope you have more videos like this 😉 2. I moved to Ghana 🇬🇭, not in accra but in a village, to realize our family dream project. Will your method enable me to experience hi speed internet (30-50mbps) to work remotely? With an ordinary mtn sim in my phone i enjoy internet at a speed of 5-7mbps. What would you recommend or advice me? Thanks in advance
Thanks for all the compliments on the video, it means so much! So to address your second point, the truth is I don't know. It depends which part of Ghana you're in and what the network coverage is like. I would say that if the local networks don't provide high speed where you are then it is likely Google Fi will not either, the reason being that Google Fi actually leverages local network towers to distribute service. There may be a possibility that Google Fi may give you a bit of an improved experience because it may not be using the exact same frequencies that provide service to local phones, but without testing that theory in-person I can't say for sure
Hey Irene, I saw your email so I replied to that, but for everyone here on RUclips that may have the same question, here's what I said: "You can just use your Google Fi on your smartphone and have great service, but you have to be on either the Unlimited Plus or Flexible plan. When you land and you turn on your phone or turn off airplane mode, it may take a while for your phone to reconnect. Mine took about 15 mins one the very first trip to reconnect. Sometimes you can speed up the process just by restarting your phone. As with any network, when you are in the cities with lots of cell phone towers, your service will work regularly, but the further away you get from major cities your service will be spotty. Depending on your plan, you have either 35GB, or 50GB of unlimited high speed internet / data, after which you still have unlimited internet, but it's slower. Depending on internet use, most people don't even use 10-15GB in a month, so considering that you are only there for two weeks, you should be just fine."
Using your phone as a hotspot is always a possibility, but it is not as reliable or effective even with one laptop/device. If you have one of the newest smartphones you'll have a little better success but in general the wifi broadcasting technology in smartphones are not as powerful and not as far reaching. Connecting more than one device will significant reduce your internet speed which may already be limited depending on your network and location. Long story short, I will always recommend using a dedicated MiFi/wireless router like the Netgear instead of a phone hotspot for the best possible Internet connections
Rich , thank you for the video. I have an issue . I got some laptops and desktops for a small village in Ghana and I am trying to setup internet connection for them. any insight on a way to do this. I figured I need some kind of internet infrastructure . I reached out to MTN but they have not reached out back to me .
Without knowing the specifics of your situation, I can't give a concrete answer, but as it relates to this video, I will say that Google Fi is likely not a solution for you because after 90 days of being used internationally there are restrictions to the usage, including canceling your service. But from what you said, it sounds like you could benefit from the type of router I mentioned in the video. It will allow you to use any registered SIM card with a data bundle to provide internet/wifi to your laptops and desktops. So if the network's customer service reps are not getting in touch with you, you may already have more than one registered SIM card that you could use in the router. Just be mindful that the router has limitations on how far it can broadcast a wifi signal, so your devices shouldn't be too far from it.
Hey Rich, I saw your video some months ago. Thanks for the info. Had a question though. I'm w/ Google Fi for a few months now & also purchased the Hot Spot Router from Netgear you spoke of. I've placed an activated unlimited SIM -Data Only card in it, which was working fine in the US. Sent it to Ghana w/ my kids & their mom & stop working in Accra. Does my Google Fi phone need to be in that same country?
Hi Kwaku, thanks for checking out the video, I hope you found it helpful. I haven't tested a scenario where you have the data-only sim in a different country as your Fi phone, but I do not think it should be an issue. I believe the issue might actually be that the "International Roaming" option on the Netgear router needs to be turned on: 1) Have your family download the "NETGEAR Mobile" app to a smartphone. 2) Use the phone to connect to the wifi network for the Netgear. 3) Open the NETGEAR Mobile app and login as the Admin. Go to "Settings." Click on "Network." Turn on "International Roaming." It should take a minute to start working, but if not restart the device. FYI, It will display on the screen as connected to a local network (most likely Vodafone). It will not say Google Fi. Let me know if this is successful. Also, turning on International Roaming does not incur any additional cost to your phone plan since Google Fi allows you to use your data internationally already as part of your phone plan.
If you have an MTN or Vodafone SIM with a data bundle you will still benefit a lot by having the Netgear modem. It gives you a much stronger connection and signal than a traditional mifi device, but at the end of the day it also highly depends on where you live and how well the telecoms service your area
Are there limits as to how long you can use Google Fi outside US (Ghana in this case) before Google shuts your data service down? I have heard the TOS says 6 months max.
I believe 90 days use outside the US is the official limit. If Google Fi is your primary phone service I don't recommend testing the boundaries of that limitation. Most of my trips to Ghana fall just under 90 days for other reasons so I've never experienced any issues. If your overseas stay is longer than that I recommend using a reliable local Data SIM with the Netgear and Google wifi system to have continuous internet access
Honestly it depends on your use and the nature of your work. The biggest drain on your data is going to be viewing video whether you're watching video or on video calls, most other work related tasks other than uploading or downloading big files typically use a few MBs. It can definitely be hard to stay under your 45GBs but not impossible if for example you understand how to optimize your video calling apps and video streaming platforms to play Standard Definition/Lower Quality instead of High Definition/4K. And if all else fails, then yes, you could buy a local data-only SIM card and it will still work with the entire setup.
So, just to make sure I understand. Only 22 gbs of fast internet per phone? Is there anyway to get unlimited high fast internet that doesn't slow down in Ghana?
Correct. 22gbs of high speed internet per phone each billing cycle. Of course you can also purchase a data sim card from MTN or Vodafone, and pay for their unlimited data plans. They both cost around GHc 300 to 400, but Vodafone's expires after 30 days and MTN does not expire. Both sim cards work very well with the Netgear router I talk about
Hey Erinn! So when the power goes out obviously you're faced with some limitations. The biggest limitation is that the Google Wifi points that are plugged into the wall throughout the house go off, so all your wifi-enabled and smart home appliances are unable to connect (but also, they are also probably off anyway). The Nighthawk M1 router, however, is battery powered, and when fully charged can still provide a wifi network for almost a whole day (depending on your usage and connected devices). So you may not be able to have a wifi signal that covers your whole house, but if you're using a laptop, tablet, smartphone, or any other battery-powered smart device, you'll be able to keep going even when the power goes off. I had this happen to me a few times while in Ghana, and as a remote worker I was able to continue working online on my laptop usually for another 5-6hrs by which time the power would come back or it would be the end of my work day.
@@rinnylaflor7147 I use two Nest Wifi access points in my home in New York, but not the Nest Wifi Pro, so I can't give you a definitive answer on that especially when talking about another country. What I can say is that I'm very happy with my Nest Wifi setup. The technology is much better than the Google Wifi mesh system in terms of ease of use, speed, range, and stronger signal. When I update my setup in Ghana, I would definitely upgrade to a Nest Wifi or Nest Wifi Pro system. With the "Pro", you could make an educated guess and say it work even better than the standard Nest Wifi, and you'd likely only require one wifi access point rather than two or three because of it's superior broadcast frequency and range. Pro tip: If you're going to be living for extended amounts of time in places where the electricity goes out often, invest in a good Portable Power Station like the kind that Jackery makes. It can be pricey, but it will seriously help you out for years to come. As an added bonus, you can plug in a Nest Wifi Pro access point to the power station to extend your home wifi again. Hope this helps.
Any update to any equipment you mentioned for 2023 ?
Great question. The short answer is, Yes, there are updates to some of the equipment, but because of the high-cost of the new gear I think my recommendations in the video are still the affordable choice. I still use this setup after one year and it still works really well.
One significant update however is that the same Google Fi Unlimited Plus Plan I talked about now lets each person use 50 GB (no longer 22 GB) of high-speed data before throttling down your speed.
But if you REALLY want to get the latest gear regardless of the cost, go for the newer NETGEAR mobile hotspots, the Nighthawk M5 and M6 (Unlocked). They now support 5G and WiFi 6 connections.
For Security cameras updates, I might be interested in trying the Wyze Cam Outdoor v2 paired with Wyze Solar Panel. The video quality is great and the night vision is very impressive. It also allows you to insert a memory card so that if for some reason the internet connection drops and you can't connect to the camera's livestream, it will still store the video on the memory card until you're back online.
@@RichHackman yes! I'm in tech and I def want to nerd out with the new new lol
This is exactly what I was looking for, thank you!!
Of course, you're very welcome. Let me know if you have any follow up questions. I've started working on some new videos about travel and tech, so subscribe and stay tuned
Thank you so so sooooo much for this! I’m going to try this
I already subscribed based on the 1:30 intro. I am eagerly anticipating your answer!!! Thank you in advance for this content.
Super helpful for travelers and remote workers! We'll be sharing it on our platforms so other people can emulate it.
Thanks TNN! 🙌🏾
thanks for the valuable information! I think a speed test showing the data rates would be great
Good point, I'll try to do that in the next video
Very helpful! Thanks for sharing 🙏🏾
You are AMAAAAZING Rich!!!!!!
Aw shucks thanks Susan! ♥️
This was dope! Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Much appreciated Gary! Trying to help people out in any little way possible
One more subscriber.
Excellent video!! Thank you very much
You are the REAL MVP!!!
Hah! Thank you Whitney!
1. Congrats!!! This is an amazing video, the bg music, the tone of ur voice, etc. Big up! You went straight to the point, no time wasting, i love it!! Hope you have more videos like this 😉
2. I moved to Ghana 🇬🇭, not in accra but in a village, to realize our family dream project. Will your method enable me to experience hi speed internet (30-50mbps) to work remotely? With an ordinary mtn sim in my phone i enjoy internet at a speed of 5-7mbps.
What would you recommend or advice me?
Thanks in advance
Thanks for all the compliments on the video, it means so much!
So to address your second point, the truth is I don't know. It depends which part of Ghana you're in and what the network coverage is like. I would say that if the local networks don't provide high speed where you are then it is likely Google Fi will not either, the reason being that Google Fi actually leverages local network towers to distribute service.
There may be a possibility that Google Fi may give you a bit of an improved experience because it may not be using the exact same frequencies that provide service to local phones, but without testing that theory in-person I can't say for sure
great content
Nice one
Awesome share. Thank you!
You're welcome! Glad you found it useful
Hey Rich,thanks soo much for the useful info.l have a question. How do you setup APN in ghana. Thanks
Wow that is amazing,I will need an info
wait sorry i have one more question lol- did you use a iphone with the google fi plan in ghana or did you have a google phone?
I use Android / Google phones with my Google Fi plan
Hey Rich, I’m only staying in Ghana for about two weeks. Will I get sufficient internet service without the router? Thanks
Hey Irene, I saw your email so I replied to that, but for everyone here on RUclips that may have the same question, here's what I said:
"You can just use your Google Fi on your smartphone and have great service, but you have to be on either the Unlimited Plus or Flexible plan. When you land and you turn on your phone or turn off airplane mode, it may take a while for your phone to reconnect. Mine took about 15 mins one the very first trip to reconnect. Sometimes you can speed up the process just by restarting your phone.
As with any network, when you are in the cities with lots of cell phone towers, your service will work regularly, but the further away you get from major cities your service will be spotty.
Depending on your plan, you have either 35GB, or 50GB of unlimited high speed internet / data, after which you still have unlimited internet, but it's slower. Depending on internet use, most people don't even use 10-15GB in a month, so considering that you are only there for two weeks, you should be just fine."
super helpful
Where do i order a data only sim card? Is that just through google fi?
Very interested i will set it up . If i need any help i will hit you up
but isn't 40gb going be used really fast when you get home and start streaming videos?
Speed is called Mbps ( Megabit per second) data amount has nothing to do with speed
I will be working for a month. Can I connect 3 computers at the same time using my phone as a hotspot rather than buying netgear?
Using your phone as a hotspot is always a possibility, but it is not as reliable or effective even with one laptop/device. If you have one of the newest smartphones you'll have a little better success but in general the wifi broadcasting technology in smartphones are not as powerful and not as far reaching. Connecting more than one device will significant reduce your internet speed which may already be limited depending on your network and location.
Long story short, I will always recommend using a dedicated MiFi/wireless router like the Netgear instead of a phone hotspot for the best possible Internet connections
Rich , thank you for the video. I have an issue . I got some laptops and desktops for a small village in Ghana and I am trying to setup internet connection for them. any insight on a way to do this. I figured I need some kind of internet infrastructure . I reached out to MTN but they have not reached out back to me .
Without knowing the specifics of your situation, I can't give a concrete answer, but as it relates to this video, I will say that Google Fi is likely not a solution for you because after 90 days of being used internationally there are restrictions to the usage, including canceling your service.
But from what you said, it sounds like you could benefit from the type of router I mentioned in the video. It will allow you to use any registered SIM card with a data bundle to provide internet/wifi to your laptops and desktops. So if the network's customer service reps are not getting in touch with you, you may already have more than one registered SIM card that you could use in the router. Just be mindful that the router has limitations on how far it can broadcast a wifi signal, so your devices shouldn't be too far from it.
Hey Rich, I saw your video some months ago. Thanks for the info. Had a question though. I'm w/ Google Fi for a few months now & also purchased the Hot Spot Router from Netgear you spoke of. I've placed an activated unlimited SIM -Data Only card in it, which was working fine in the US. Sent it to Ghana w/ my kids & their mom & stop working in Accra. Does my Google Fi phone need to be in that same country?
Hi Kwaku, thanks for checking out the video, I hope you found it helpful. I haven't tested a scenario where you have the data-only sim in a different country as your Fi phone, but I do not think it should be an issue.
I believe the issue might actually be that the "International Roaming" option on the Netgear router needs to be turned on:
1) Have your family download the "NETGEAR Mobile" app to a smartphone.
2) Use the phone to connect to the wifi network for the Netgear.
3) Open the NETGEAR Mobile app and login as the Admin. Go to "Settings." Click on "Network." Turn on "International Roaming."
It should take a minute to start working, but if not restart the device.
FYI, It will display on the screen as connected to a local network (most likely Vodafone). It will not say Google Fi.
Let me know if this is successful. Also, turning on International Roaming does not incur any additional cost to your phone plan since Google Fi allows you to use your data internationally already as part of your phone plan.
@@RichHackman
Thanks a lot....Will figure out a way to get that done & will see if it works. Appreciate the help. Will keep you posted.
Brother so if you got local ghana wifi at an apartment would that be equally effective?
If you have an MTN or Vodafone SIM with a data bundle you will still benefit a lot by having the Netgear modem. It gives you a much stronger connection and signal than a traditional mifi device, but at the end of the day it also highly depends on where you live and how well the telecoms service your area
@@RichHackman Wonderful- thanks so much for the fyi :)
Are there limits as to how long you can use Google Fi outside US (Ghana in this case) before Google shuts your data service down? I have heard the TOS says 6 months max.
I believe 90 days use outside the US is the official limit. If Google Fi is your primary phone service I don't recommend testing the boundaries of that limitation.
Most of my trips to Ghana fall just under 90 days for other reasons so I've never experienced any issues. If your overseas stay is longer than that I recommend using a reliable local Data SIM with the Netgear and Google wifi system to have continuous internet access
@@RichHackman Thanks
Do you find that you stay under 45 Gigs per month between both of your accounts both working daily?
Honestly it depends on your use and the nature of your work. The biggest drain on your data is going to be viewing video whether you're watching video or on video calls, most other work related tasks other than uploading or downloading big files typically use a few MBs. It can definitely be hard to stay under your 45GBs but not impossible if for example you understand how to optimize your video calling apps and video streaming platforms to play Standard Definition/Lower Quality instead of High Definition/4K.
And if all else fails, then yes, you could buy a local data-only SIM card and it will still work with the entire setup.
So, just to make sure I understand. Only 22 gbs of fast internet per phone? Is there anyway to get unlimited high fast internet that doesn't slow down in Ghana?
Correct. 22gbs of high speed internet per phone each billing cycle.
Of course you can also purchase a data sim card from MTN or Vodafone, and pay for their unlimited data plans. They both cost around GHc 300 to 400, but Vodafone's expires after 30 days and MTN does not expire. Both sim cards work very well with the Netgear router I talk about
@@RichHackman OK perfect. Thank you. Much appreciated. I subscribed to your channel. Can't wait to get out there.
Is this a reliable plan even when the power goes out?
Also how do you think the Google nest wifi pro would work well too?
Hey Erinn! So when the power goes out obviously you're faced with some limitations. The biggest limitation is that the Google Wifi points that are plugged into the wall throughout the house go off, so all your wifi-enabled and smart home appliances are unable to connect (but also, they are also probably off anyway). The Nighthawk M1 router, however, is battery powered, and when fully charged can still provide a wifi network for almost a whole day (depending on your usage and connected devices). So you may not be able to have a wifi signal that covers your whole house, but if you're using a laptop, tablet, smartphone, or any other battery-powered smart device, you'll be able to keep going even when the power goes off. I had this happen to me a few times while in Ghana, and as a remote worker I was able to continue working online on my laptop usually for another 5-6hrs by which time the power would come back or it would be the end of my work day.
@@rinnylaflor7147 I use two Nest Wifi access points in my home in New York, but not the Nest Wifi Pro, so I can't give you a definitive answer on that especially when talking about another country. What I can say is that I'm very happy with my Nest Wifi setup. The technology is much better than the Google Wifi mesh system in terms of ease of use, speed, range, and stronger signal. When I update my setup in Ghana, I would definitely upgrade to a Nest Wifi or Nest Wifi Pro system. With the "Pro", you could make an educated guess and say it work even better than the standard Nest Wifi, and you'd likely only require one wifi access point rather than two or three because of it's superior broadcast frequency and range. Pro tip: If you're going to be living for extended amounts of time in places where the electricity goes out often, invest in a good Portable Power Station like the kind that Jackery makes. It can be pricey, but it will seriously help you out for years to come. As an added bonus, you can plug in a Nest Wifi Pro access point to the power station to extend your home wifi again. Hope this helps.
Thank you so so much for this info ! Will definitely be implementing it in my next trip I can update ya on how it goes