Computer Help...Considering wireless mobile broadband for my laptop?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Computer Help...Considering wireless mobile broadband for my laptop?

Posted: 3/14/2006 7:17:34 AM EDT

Any suggestions? The only other option for accessing the net at work is dialup....too slow.

As a very satisfied Sprint PCS Customer already I'm seriously considering what Sprint has to offer.

Looks to be about $80.00/month for unlimited usage. ($20.00/month if I can get the employee rate)

Posted: 3/14/2006 7:19:07 AM EDT

[#1]

Depending on how often and how much you plan on using the mobile interweb you may be able to get away with just using your cell phone wiht a vision plan. I did this a few years ago and for just a few bucks a month I was able to get 100K speed.

Posted: 3/14/2006 7:54:34 AM EDT

[#2]

so how does this work? Is it infrared based?

Posted: 3/14/2006 9:46:53 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
so how does this work? Is it infrared based?

Packet radio. GSM or GPRS or something else.

Posted: 3/14/2006 9:48:07 AM EDT

[#4]

My friend loves the wireless broadband that she gets from Verizon. I have played around with it, and it is pretty fast.

Posted: 3/14/2006 8:52:33 PM EDT

[#5]

BTT For Night Crew

Posted: 3/14/2006 8:54:37 PM EDT

[#6]

Add-on qeustion: how does it compare to cable modems? Considering the same switch.

Posted: 3/14/2006 9:04:47 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Quoted:
so how does this work? Is it infrared based?

Packet radio. GSM or GPRS or something else.

GSM is just used for voice now, GPRS is the dog slow data add-on for GSM, EDGE is the tolerable data upgrade to GSM networks.

Sprint and Verizon use different technologies (1xRTT, EV-DO, etc..) since their networks are based on a different technology (CDMA). This is the way to go and much faster than GSM networks. The drawback is that it can only be used in the US (but you wouldn't want to roam using data anyways, I racked up a $600 phone bill using EDGE in Europe).

If I were you, I'd buy EV-DO card and get the unlimited data plan.

Posted: 3/14/2006 9:07:55 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Add-on qeustion: how does it compare to cable modems? Considering the same switch.

EV-DO is comparable to DSL but if you are going to do file sharing or other bandwidth hogging activities, they will put the kibbosh on your "unlimited" plan.

Posted: 3/14/2006 10:34:07 PM EDT

[#9]

You can find a TON of info on EVDO form Verizon and Sprint at the EVDO Forums found at www.evdoinfo.com/.

Posted: 3/15/2006 2:39:00 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
You can find a TON of info on EVDO form Verizon and Sprint at the EVDO Forums found at www.evdoinfo.com/.

Thanks for the link!

Posted: 3/15/2006 5:08:15 AM EDT

[#11]

if you have a sprint phone. you should get the deal for $59.95 they have a special going on

im going to setup a customer of mine with the sprint internet on his laptop in hte next couple months

Posted: 3/15/2006 6:08:58 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
if you have a sprint phone. you should get the deal for $59.95 they have a special going on

That's new activations only, unfortunately new upgrades do not get that promotion...I only qualify for $75.00 off and if I wait till November 2006(which I'm not) I qualify for $150.00 off.

Posted: 3/15/2006 6:13:02 AM EDT

[#13]

thats not what i was told by a sprint rep. he said current plans could get that price.

guess he was wrong. nevermind then

Posted: 3/15/2006 6:22:40 AM EDT

[#14]

I use Verizon. It does seem to use packets and works in bursts. It is slow. Kinda like dial up. Absolutely no comparison to cable or dsl. However, it is free (work) and you can get on-line almost anywhere and kill time. Very important in airports that do not have wireless. It is priceless for doing searches from the car, or changing reservations.

I have walked into hotels that were "booked solid", and then gone to my car, logged on and reserved a room, and then went back and checked into the sold out hotel.

The wireless air card is useless for video and is extremely hampered in photo-laden pages, such as BOTD on the ARFCOM.

Posted: 3/15/2006 6:23:43 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Quoted:
if you have a sprint phone. you should get the deal for $59.95 they have a special going on

That's new activations only, unfortunately new upgrades do not get that promotion...I only qualify for $75.00 off and if I wait till November 2006(which I'm not) I qualify for $150.00 off.

Somebody here is with Sprint, maybe he can get you a hook up. It's the calvin and hobbs avatar, from Kansas, specop??? maybe something like that, I can't think of his screen name right now???

Posted: 3/15/2006 6:26:50 AM EDT

[#16]

FEMA issued me a verizon air card when I was working Hurricane Wilma. I was pretty impressed with it. I think it is $60/mo unlimited use. I rarely had a hard time getting a signal. Worked pretty much anywhere my cellphone did and was pretty quick given the limitations. If I had a need for it in normal life I would get one.

Posted: 3/15/2006 6:28:02 AM EDT

[#17]

Found him, I was close www.ar15.com/member/member.html?id=56216

Posted: 3/15/2006 6:35:58 AM EDT

[#18]

i have the verizon service since it first came out several years ago with 1xrtt only. 80 a month unlimited. if you download many gigs of stuff a month, they will cut you off. But you really have to dl tons of videos, music files, very large software distributions to even begin to get close to the magical cutoff.

i use mine in my car. i can connect to the net in atlanta and drive to the beach or to the mountains and never get disconnected.

i get 1mbit (close to ADSL full speed) at times. round trip time is slow though, say 300 to 600 msec.

for those that have the need it is great. verizon has the best coverage, sprint has the same EVDO but not near the coverage as verizon.

to clarify, with verizon, there is 1xrtt (slower, like ISDN) just about everywhere. in many major metro areas, they have the full bore evdo. the card will run evdo if avaiable and 1xrtt if no evdo.

Posted: 3/15/2006 6:48:26 AM EDT

[#19]

At that point I'd just get one of those Treo 650+ type phones.

Through bluetooth you can actually get your laptop on the net rthrough the broadband connection on the treo phone if you want.

Posted: 3/16/2006 6:46:09 AM EDT

[#20]

Update:

Got this Sprint Phone:
Samsung SPH-A920

which allows me to hook my laptop up to the net via the cellular phone and a USB connection. SWEEEEEET!

However I'm confused. I also picked up a Bluetooth adapter that plus into a USB slot in my laptop. Can I connect to the 'net via a Bluetooth connection? I figured out how to connect via a USB cable but was wondering if this was possible.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Computer Help...Considering wireless mobile broadband for my laptop?

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