Subj : Portable ISP To : Andy Roberts From : Sean Dennis Date : Tue Jul 05 2005 10:38 am Hello, Andy. On 04 Jul 05 at 23:37, Andy Roberts wrote to Sean Dennis: AR> Neither a router nor cable modem will work in my proposed situation. Well, you're connecting via PPPoE with Cingular, which is what my router uses to connect to Earthlink, so it's in the same situation... and it's a pain in the ass. AR> But regrardless the only phone available will be the cell phone. I AR> have several cell phones so it doesn't have to be GSM, if there is AR> some other plan that is better. Only GSM can do 3G stuff, such as the fast Internet connection. Nearly all major carriers are moving to GSM. AR> voice we never even come close to using all that time. What I don't AR> know is about how many minutes are typically required by those with a AR> data connection via their cell phone. All the minutes are the same when it comes to that. They'll charge you extra for using the Internet connection AND force you to use your regular minutes (unless you have some sort of night and weekend plan, then you get get whacked for the Internet usage). AR> Well see now this is where it gets sticky. Cingular recommended I AR> talk to Radio Shack. Radio Shack didn't have a clue. ROTFLMAO! I used to work for Radio Shack (hence how I know a bit about the cell phone thing). That was a copout on Cingular's part. AR> I suspect almost all cell phones have some sort of accessory cable for AR> data to a laptop. It would obviously be neater if there was some sort AR> of BlueTooth hardware that could be used instead of the cable. But AR> again, I just don't know what is available or commonly used. Like I said, if it's a wireless connection, more than likely you'll need to run Windows for that. AR> That is 99% of the point of this issue. I need something that will AR> work during our long trips and vacations. And I need something to AR> replace my existing StarBandit Satellite setup that typically fails AR> every year about this time with an expense of a couple hundred $, plus AR> the $69/month. I would like to get something that solves both AR> problems. To be very honest, I'm at a loss at this point. I've always considered wireless Internet over cell phones more of a toy than "real", due to the rather slow speed and very limited capabilities that mobile phones still have. I think you've got an uphill battle, but I'm not saying it can't be won though. :) AR> If used was so good then the original owner would not be selling it, AR> and we don't need to buy some one elses problems. A warranty is AR> useless if it fails the day after we leave on a long road trip. So AR> used is probably not going to be a option. Well, does your wife know about off-lease laptops? If not, you might want to explain it to her. I've had several off-lease laptops with nary a problem-in fact, some of them are refurbished and you can't tell them apart from new. The #1 reason why they're for sale: they're not the latest and greatest! For those of us who don't demand the hottest stuff, it's a virtual Garden of Eden when it comes to shopping. I'm sorry you've had so many problems with used stuff, but I can tell you from my experience and many others' experiences that you're in the minority. Perhaps buying one from TD might change your mind, but I can understand the treipidation factor. AR> I really need to find someone who is On the Road a lot and uses a cell AR> phone connected to their laptop. That is in the minority these days, Andy, as every hotel that I saw on my recent 5500-mile road trip across the US had either cheap or free wireless Internet access available. To be honest, I've never seen someone using their cell phone to connect to the Internet in recent years. Back in the early 90s, yeah, but not within recent memory. Later, Sean // hausmaus@darktech.org | http://outpostbbs.net | ICQ: 19965647 --- GoldED+/W32 1.1.5-21011 * Origin: Outpost BBS - outpostbbs.net (1:18/200) .