Portable internet???

[Dadsguns]

My cell phone company NTELOS is offering a thingy me bob that you connect to your computer or laptop via USB that provides internet and its free nationwide service for $35.00 month...... is that a deal or does anyone know another provider that is cheaper?

[sluggish]

Most providers offer an broadband aircard for around $60 amonth with a two year contract. The price you are quoting is what most charge for phone as modem.

[Meatwad]

Unless you live in the city that offers 3G, dont get the cell phone usb thing

Where I live, its about as fast as dialup

Outside of town, its GREATLY SLOWER then a dialup conection



Its a waste of money

[sluggish]

Unless you live in the city that offers 3G, dont get the cell phone usb thing

Where I live, its about as fast as dialup

Outside of town, its GREATLY SLOWER then a dialup conection



Its a waste of money

Totally untrue.  If you have an EVDO phone you can easily pull 140 kbps through a cell phone.  With a dedicated aircard you can pull 1.5 mbps steady.  If you are roaming it will be greatly decreased.  My only internet connection is my cell phone.  I use a bluetooth dongle to connect which slows me to 114.5 kbps.  It is 3 times faster than any dialup I have experienced.

[Meatwad]

Totally untrue.  If you have an EVDO phone you can easily pull 140 kbps through a cell phone.  With a dedicated aircard you can pull 1.5 mbps steady.  If you are roaming it will be greatly decreased.  My only internet connection is my cell phone.  I use a bluetooth dongle to connect which slows me to 114.5 kbps.  It is 3 times faster than any dialup I have experienced.

I never heard of an EVDO phone, but how can you claim for me to be untrue when I see it with my own eyes every day?

[Fulmar]

Aren't the bandwidth limits through these companies fairly low as well?  In my area they started promoting Cricket Wireless and they have a commercial that says u can get a USB modem and at the bottom it says "5gb per month limit."

Again, yeah you'd have to live in a 3G area with good coverage for it to work.  But for a personal like me, I couldn't live with that kind of bandwidth limit.  Also, 10mb internet has spoiled me.

[sluggish]

I never heard of an EVDO phone, but how can you claim for me to be untrue when I see it with my own eyes every day?

If you don't have an EVDO phone you will not get good data transfer rates.  Samsung R500, LG AX3800 (mine) and most current NON_FREEBY phones are EVDO.  If you take the phone that they give you for a two year contract it will probably NOT be an EVDO phone.  You have to ask for it.  They won't offer.

[sluggish]

Aren't the bandwidth limits through these companies fairly low as well?  In my area they started promoting Cricket Wireless and they have a commercial that says u can get a USB modem and at the bottom it says "5gb per month limit."

Again, yeah you'd have to live in a 3G area with good coverage for it to work.  But for a personal like me, I couldn't live with that kind of bandwidth limit.  Also, 10mb internet has spoiled me.

That's a fact.  Alltel still has unlimited internet with phone as modem (downloading some "art films" right now), most don't.  The catch is that these sorts of things are considered "features" and are not directly related to your contract.  The good part is that you can turn it on and off as you see fit.  The bad part is that since it is not part of the contract the provider can change the terms whenever they see fit.  If you are just using the intardnet to check email, surf, check facebook and on the off occasion do business, most of the bandwidth limits will not effect you.  Also, as a second connection while in the field, phone as modem beats an aircard hands down as far as cost effectiveness goes.  An aircard is an aircard is an aircard.  Phone as modem is also a phone (and is half the cost).  Throw in the ability to use bluetooth (no stupid wires) it's a no-brainer.

I have played AHII over my cell phone.  The ping rate was right at the outer limit of acceptability.

[rpm]

My dialup connection 56K.

My cellphone connection 10M. No 3G service available.


Yeah Meatwad, cellphone connects are much slower than dialup...

[drdeathx]

RPM you need to READ THIS POST A BIT  BETTER!

[Nilsen]

I use a usb dongle with mobile broadband. It has 3,6mb dl and works great. Costs the same as one month of AH sub and very handy when traveling. It could replace my home broadband if i didnt have to share it with my missus.

[Delirium]

Wouldn't playing on a cellphone make your connection jumpy?

I can't imagine you'd have a decent connection unless you lived next door to a tower.

[Nilsen]

Wouldn't playing on a cellphone make your connection jumpy?

I can't imagine you'd have a decent connection unless you lived next door to a tower.

I would not recomend it for gaming. Even if the speed is good enough the ping is higher than on my regular connecion.

[sluggish]

If you don't have an EVDO phone you will not get good data transfer rates.  Samsung R500, LG AX3800 (mine) and most current NON_FREEBY phones are EVDO.  If you take the phone that they give you for a two year contract it will probably NOT be an EVDO phone.  You have to ask for it.  They won't offer.

My phone is an LG AX8600.  I don't know what I was thinking.

If you want to find the data specs (or anything else) of your phone go here-

http://www.phonescoop.com/

[VonMessa]

I had a Motorola Q.  It worked alright DEPENDING ON WHERE I WAS.   The closer I was to Phillly, the faster it got.

Nice piece of equipment, very handy, windows mobile, etc.

Drawback was that it sucked at its most basic function, being a phone.