RickS

You do have a choice.... instead of porting your number to iLOX, start using a VoIP service... like Vonage but not them because they are too expensive. There are others that are very cheap with very little upfront cost. But first you would want to go to the link below and see if your number can be ported. If it can let me know and I'll proceed with the saga. RickS Note: The VoIP service you could use, among others, is CallCentric.com I've been a VoIP customer of another 'carrier' for over 15 years but recently changed to them. "Tom" recommended them. I will be implementing a friend's switch from Vonage to CallCentric in a couple of weeks. But first see if your number can be ported by going to: https://www.callcentric.com/lnp/

WOW!!! A 15.6" screen AND and i7 Intel chip and tons of memory. I guess that WAS an excellent buy! One will seldom see that kind of priceline with such a robust laptop. However, I would take issue with the recommendations of a laptop for a person who has never touched a PC. Your specs will drive up the cost unnecessarily I fear for someone who will never use the capabilities. I just bought a Lenovo 15.6", i3 chip and 8GB of memory, 500GB hard drive. I would have preferred to have an i5 but.... Windows 10 of course but I switched it to the "Classic Shell" as you did. I don't do anything 'over and above' but more than this person will ever do..... unless he somehow starts gaming 🤖..... and I'm not taxing this configuration. I also prefer a wireless mouse as opposed to having that wire ALWAYS in the way. I think the criteria for this PC should meet the user, not us long-term computer users. YMMV

I can't answer your question, but.... get used to calling your visa a Temporal (Residente Temporal) and not an FM3. There have been no FM3s since about 2012 and people will be confused if you continue to call it an FM3.

Back to the OP's need.... he/she is buying for a Mexican friend. This may or may not suggest a novice user. I agree with CG.... Chromebooks and Linux probably don't make a good choice for a newbie or low capability user. When one comes upon a problem there are very few 'friends' who could help but with a Windows machine many people could give rudimentary help. The KISS principle.... To the OP..... yes, new laptops will come with a copy of Windows 10. As suggested above, they will be Spanish.... but this may be an advantage to your "Mexican friend".

Any particular crossing or just random?

I heard of this 'problem' back several years ago. As usual it was a misinterpretation of the law being carried out by some Agents at some border crossings. I suspect that this has been corrected.... 1-ton trucks being allowed in again..... as I have not seen a peep about it on the Internet for over 2 years. If it were a problem there would still be current Posts that Google would find, but there are NOT. Nothing past 2017 when the problem first rose its ugly head.

Ferret I have read and been a part of the thread. I was specifically addressing CG's question. No more no less.

On the other hand I've probably driven into Mexico 10 times over the years and never once been 'detained' by the US driving out of the country. At some places there is not even an US CBP presence going out.

Where did you see this?

CG, on several occasions over the years I have just brought my VoIP telephone adapter (ATA) down to Mexico and plugged it into a modem or router off that modem and had my US phone # work instantly. No intervention asked or needed from my VoIP provider. That is how Vonage works too... I don't think one has to tell them anything about where one is really located. The one exception is the 911 service. It would work but show your US address. I plan on doing the same thing in a couple of weeks....

I stand corrected. I have not crossed coming in at Laredo, only smaller crossings and I've not seen this kind of infrastructure. Is this fairly new?

That appears to be what Tom is suggesting....

Yes I saw... but he said a "US" phone number and he also said "probably". I don't know what the 'register an account' means but maybe it's a good idea. Good luck.

When crossing FROM the US INTO Mexico there are no stops... no buildings, no gates, no personnel. On the Mexican side.... yes. On the US side, no. The big US presence is coming back into the homeland. I think the moral is, "we don't mind at all if your leave, but if you want IN, be prepared to answer a lot of questions, have your car picture taken, pony up your Passport which will be scanned into a computer and.....look calmly into a lot of eyes".

I would have to say that, for someone just driving through, being asked/searched before leaving the USA is going to be an especially rare event. One does not even have to produce those documents when reentering the US from Mexico... unless something is 'outa kilter' with your license plates, your Passport or your answer to the question "is this your vehicle" etc etc etc. 'Normally' neither of these two documents will be required by any US official going either way. I Never travel with the title to my vehicles.... registration card yes of course.

I'm still a little confused.... sometimes a normal situation for me.... about just what is going to be the results of this action. You will have, with your iLOX fiber, two phone numbers with two phones? One a Lakeside Telmex # and the other another a Canadian phone #? There are two RJ11 phone ports.... that look sort of like a small ethernet port.... on the fiber modem they provide? In addition to one (or two?) RJ45 ethernet connection? And you will end up with one phone on the old Telmex # and yet another physical phone on the old Canadian #?

RV.... no TIP (Importada Temporal) required in Baja so I'm not sure if your requirements are valid...

Look No flame.... it's just your experience & preference. I on the other hand have house/pet sat numerous times here and San Miguel, and multiple times for each so they were happy.

I'll bet that Harry might wonder how and when....😃

After crossing into N. Laredo one bypasses downtown by driving on Blvd Luis Donaldo. There are little or no banks/ATMs on that route. However when that Blvd intersects with 85.... your highway going south to Monterrey.... there are a couple of banks w/ATMs. Banorte and Bancomer. I would use one of them. Google "atm nuevo laredo" and you will see a map of this route and the banks that I mention.

I have never heard of anyone who, once driving or busing to that coast from Oaxaca City, saying they would ever do it again! Recently read an account by a writer who bused down and decided to fly back to Oaxaca City. Go to Google Map and look up close at either road that takes one to Huatulco. Seeing the twists and turns may change you mind as to driving. It is just hours and hours of driving in the forest at 40mph with nothing but curves. BMH, you talked about driving to Tehuantepec but that would be seriously out of the way to Huatulco IMO.

No matter where one crosses the border they are going to hit a few military stops before they reach Lake Chapala.... that's a given. Other than slowing one down momentarily I have never seen them being something to worry about unless..... one is running drugs and/or driving a huge black Caddy Escalade with the windows all blacked out.

He said to someone who has lived there/here for, what, over a decade!?! IMO Ajijic/Lake Chapala used to be just a retirement village.... in addition to, of course, being home to MANY Mexican Nationals..... but it is/has become more of an attraction to hoards of Mexicans. If this is doubted, explain all the 'birds-nest' condos around Joco or the other dwellings around "Ajijic" in general. Just my take 'tho.

Or if not there maybe the little 'five and dime' store south off the Ajijic plaza....

So, Harry, was that the gist of the meeting? Beneficial info but....