Mobile Internet Options

[MSN Member]

From: Member_Administrato  
Sent: 8/24/2006


You were right the first time, Kev.... if it's something not covered in the other boards and would be of use again in the future it belongs on the General Board.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 8/24/2006

I wasn't sure where to put this, here or under "General", so I figured "Miscellaneous" was the more likely place to post...lol.

Anyhow, we've been on the road for over a year now, and have tried several things to get and stay online while on the road, and have finally settled for what we use now.

At first, we were connecting through our cell phone, using a data cable.  A cable plugs into the bottom of the phone, and the other end, and USB side, plugs into the computer...SmithMicro software uses the phone as a modem.  Downside?  First, the cable is fragile, and failed after 6 months...and replacement cables are expensive!  Also, when using the cell phone as a modem, what Alltel doesn't tell you is that while you have unlimited data access, you incur all kinds of other charges, including minutes being racked up, and they were charging us by the kilobyte!  By the time all was said and done, our monthly bill, in order to have enough minutes on the cell phone and to have unlimited kilobytes, was 217.00 bucks a month!

Then we tried a satellite connection, through WildBlue.  It was super fast, worked great while we were down in Florida, and was only 49.00 a month!  We dropped the cell phone plan with Alltel down to thier 49.00 a month plan, and our bill was now down to less than half.  Downside?  The dish is huge and hard to store and carry, its extremely difficult to aim without special and very expensive equiptment (the cheaper Satellite Finders don't work with this style dish), and most campsites at campgrounds are surrounded by trees and rocks and mountains, and you simply don't have a clear shot at the southern sky!  So, we are stuck in a contract with them and have to pay for it for the next 9 months, but can't use it!

The final solution?

A friend of ours was connecting though a PCMCIA data card, using Verizon!  Basically, the card is assigned a cell phone number, and you connect to a high speed broadband connection, for 79 bucks a month!  This includes unlimited minutes, unlimited kilobytes, and as long as you can pick up a cell phone signal, you can access the internet!  Downside for us?  Verizon, for some reason, wanted a super high deposit from us, so we then looked to Cingular.

Cingular has the same deal, 79 bucks a month, you get the card for 99 bucks (just like Verizon), and they wanted a much smaller deposit.  They are also the fastest cell phone internet connection out there.  So, we almost contracted with them...but I wanted to check with Alltel first, since we have our cell phone through them.

YAY!  Alltel also has PCMCIA card access!  Because we already have a cell phone through them, there was no deposit at all!  The card was 99 bucks, plus a 25 dollar activation fee (they set you up a new phone number for the card).  The card is made by Kyocera, and its great!  I haven't been disconnected at all in the hours I've been using it, and that's only getting 2 bars where we are currently camping!  Also, because we have a cell phone through Alltel, the cost is only 59 bucks a month, with no roaming charges and unlimited data access (highspeed broadband),unlimted kilobytes, plus the 49 bucks a month for our cell phone, which has 1000 anytime minutes, no roaming anywhere in the US, and free nights and weekends!  We pay 5 bucks a month extra to insure the card, since its replacement value is 298 bucks!

Downside?  None so far!  The internet isn't as fast as DSL or Cable or Satellite, but its a heck of a lot faster than dial-up, and as long as you can pick up a cell signal, you are in business!

The card is the Kyocera KPC650, Passport 1xEVDO PC card.  You simply slide the card into the PCMCIA slot on your laptop after loading the software.  BOOM!  Instant internet access, even with a weak cell signal!  Also, Kyocera cells an auxilary attennae, which I just purchased and should be here tomorrow.  It plugs into a port on the card and clips to your laptop, or it can be freestanding as well...and it increases the signal by 6 decibles!  This is quite the increase, and the better your signal, the faster and more stable your internet connection will be!

And the card is tiny!  No more wires and stuff all over the place!  It slides in and sticks out about as far as a WiFi PCMCIA card, has a built in antenna that you can aim to get a better signal (even with the antenna folded down, the card gets a better cell signal than our Nokia cell phone!), and a little blue LED lights up and flickers, letting you know you are connected.  All you do to connect, after activating the card, is click on the icon, and BAM!  Online!

I know some of you like a WiFi connection, and so do I...when I can get one!  Most of the campgrounds we camp at don't have WiFi access, and most are too remote to even pirate someone's unsecured WiFi...lol.  When travelling, we don't often come to a truck stop that has WiFi, and certainly not often enough be able to have a connection whenever we want one.

I need a stable and reliable internet connection for my online classes (working still on getting my BA in comparative world religions), so WiFi for us simply is not an option.

So, want a reliable mobile connection and already have a cell phone and a laptop?  Contact your provider!  I know Verizon, Cingular, and Alltel all offer PCMCIA data cards and internet access, and, while I'm not sure about Verizon and Cingular, I bet they offer a discount, just like Alltel, if you already have cell service from them!

Even with our old data cable through the cell phone, we haven't had any signal issues at any of the campgrounds we camp at, and with the external 6 decible antenna, I bet our reception is going to rock!

So, if you travel a lot or are fulltimers like us, need or want the internet anywhere you go, then I suggest that using a cell connection and a PCMCIA card are the way to go!

Kev
[Kilt]

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 8/29/2006


The optional antenna from Kyocera came in today for the internet card...YAY!  And it works great!  Its raining and overcast today, and my cell phone is only getting a one and two bar signal.  The card without the antenna was getting a 48% signal...I stuck on the antenna, and voila!  73% signal!  That is quite the increase!

Kev

[MSN Member]

From:Coachmen1972   
Sent: 8/29/2006


I have GPRS through Cingular. It's a $20 add on to my cell account, and gives unlimited internet access. The phone is Bluetooth enabled, and uses that to "talk" to my similarly equipped MAC G4 Laptop.

Coverage is outstanding. Rarely do I run out of coverage....I've been on-line five miles off shore on the Atlantic all up and down the coast.

Speed is not readable, my guess is 30+kbps. Comparable to a medium speed dial-up.

I think it's a good value.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 8/30/2006


The data card from Kyocera, along with Alltel's network, is a lot faster than dial-up, although it is definately slower than DSL or cable.  20 bucks a month though...that's a great value, especially if you are just using it to check emails and whatnot!  We pay, as I said, 59 bucks a month, but we really need the higher speed.  Bluetooth is just too complicated for me...lmao!  And I don't think my laptop, an HP Pavillion, is compatable with the new tech.  I'm jealous of your Apple though...lol...I always wanted to own one, but they are way out of my price range.

Kev

[JDxeper]

Got another toy this week.  A Mobile broadband Router (MBR-1000)(Cradlepoint) for my Sprint card.  First tests indicated speeds equal to or better than my home DSL.  Next step is to add an antenna to the Sprint card.  Then get rid of the DSL at home and hit the road baby.  At least one can hope.  LOL
JD

[ClydesdaleKevin]

I just have to interject here and destroy my former hype...lol!

Versizon is what we use now at 50 bucks a month for essentially unlimited access.  Fast service, the USB card works better than our old setup with the antenna, and its cheaper.

Verizon is the way to go for a cell tower access.

Kev.