CELL PHONE INTERNET ACCESS

[DanaMc]

CELL PHONE INTERNET ACCESS

This is designed to explain the basic approach to using your cell phone with your computer to connect to the internet. It is not intended to be an in depth coverage of the topic. Rather it is intended to help folks get acquainted with what is necessary and a suggested resource or two. The first step in this process would be to check with your cell phone carrier. Make sure there is no reason you can’t use your phone like a modem. Some carriers can provide this for an additional fee.

It is the most cost effective way to keep up with your email and favorite web pages from nearly anywhere. In most cases you do not need a separate or different phone plan. You will use your plan minutes and can manage it to take advantage of the unlimited nights and weekends just as you might for conversations. Regular cell phone roaming charges may apply depending on where you are and whether your carrier has an agreement with the local service provider. This is no different than any other situation.

The key components needed are your cell phone, a special USB cord designed specifically for your cell phone. It will connect your cell phone directly to your computer via a USB port on the computer. Finally you will want software to manage the connection and compress the data being sent. There are many sources for this equipment. You can check with your local cell phone retailer. Radio Shack is a good source on this topic as well. But they will only be familiar with the phones they sell. I have been using SnapDialer. I have been very happy with the combination of Verizon and SnapDialer to connect to the internet.

Once your software is installed and configured for your internet service provider, you will only need to click on the Icon to launch your internet session. What service provider you use is not part of this topic. However there are many low cost or free email services such as Google’s Gmail, Microsoft’s Hotmail, or Yahoo.

Below is some additional reading on this topic:

HOW-TO: Use your CDMA cell phone as a USB modem

Cell Phone Internet Connections

Cellular Fills Gap Between Hotspots

Looking for a boost in your signal? There are third party systems that can enhance your cellular signal and/or facilitate the use of a cell phone in your RV or your home. One example of this is Wilson Cellular Antennas & Amplifiers. Properly installed, these systems can enhance your range of coverage.

[magicbus]

Same here. We just used our Galaxy S2 on At&t as a hotspot today on a long drive up RT 95. Very simple and no charge. I turn on the feature and my wife's laptop sees it and connects.

The reply nice thing is that it uses surprisingly little battery power.
Dave

[tomman58]

RockyRoadCamper wrote:
carbour404
This sounds really interesting. We are very tech challenged, only have an old trac fone, but we need to figure this stuff out pretty soon. Could you tell us a little more about the Verizon I phone feature?
Thanks, S.F.

I just got a Samsung galaxy 2 from Costco for 49.00.
With the ATT plan I can set up a hot spot for 0.00, nada dollars.
I use the 5G media plan. I didn't do an I phone as don't like the idea of being "locked" into their world only. the androit lets me play in all worlds less apple.

[RockyRoadCamper]

carbour404
This sounds really interesting. We are very tech challenged, only have an old trac fone, but we need to figure this stuff out pretty soon. Could you tell us a little more about the Verizon I phone feature?
Thanks, S.F.

[carbour404]

We use my verizon I phone. Make it a "hot spot" either on line or in the store. This will power 5 devices. My wife had her I pad fired up searching for the next cg or place of interest. The laptop was always online as long as I had cell service. It costs only $20 a month and is pro rated for partial months. It did drop out often and we would have to sign on to the service on the I phone once in a while.
Boy have we ever come a long way from having to find a pay phone along the way.

[ISM500]

Been really quiet and since technology moves so quickly, what is the latest and greatest?

More specifically,voice, email, Canadian access, pay as you go.

[elkhornsun]

If you need to access the internet and download a lot of data (like Apple updates or post lots of pictures for example) the data plan rates for smartphones are the highest ones around. Much less expensive are the data plans that feature a USB or Expresscard modem. Even here the reseller for Verizon data, Millenicom.com, provides 20GB per month at $20 less than the Verizon plan that has a 10GB monthly limit.

Verizon as of today has 4G coverage in less than 5% of the USA and in reality it provides 4G only in major metro areas, so 0% coverage in Montana or WYoming. 4G in Utah is only available in the Salt Lake and Ogden metro area, in Colorado only in the Denver metro area, in Georgia only in Atlanta, in Northern California only in the major cities. Once you drive 10 miles outside the cities the coverage is 3G only and that is across the entire USA.

We have a 3G only modem as 3G service is all we can get at our house and all we can get on the road 99.9% of the time. The 3G only modem provides a much more stable connection. It is important to go into the diagnostic mode of the modem and set it so it does not use 1xRTT and only CDMA. The CDMA is 10x as fast but the modem will pick whichever transmitter is providing the strongest signal.

If the nearest tower is transmitting 1xRTT at -75db and the CDMA signal is -80db the USB modem in its default mode will choose to link to the 1xRTT signal and the result is a very slow, as in dial-up speeds, connection.

With the added performance of a USB modem in a wireless router it is easy for multiple computers and people to share a single connection even when traveling. Much cheaper than paying for access in the parks.

One alternative we have found is that the public libraries have free WiFi and so when we have needed to upload or download a lot of data or found ourselves in a cellular black hole (not uncommon in California) we stop at a library for a couple of hours.

[elkhornsun]

Verizon had not even finished with converting all its towers to 3G from 1xRTT before it started a new program to convert them to 4G. Verizon is going to upgrade the towers in high density urban areas first and in rural areas eventually in a year or two or three.

With a 3G/4G card (modem actually) the device tries to make a 4G connection and when it fails it then tries to make a 3G connection which often succeeds if the tower is close enough and nothing interferes with its line of sight signal transmission and reception (from your device which puts out a lot less power). Problem is that after 10-15 minutes the modem will try to upgrade the connection to 4G and in doing so it kills the 3G connection.

With towers that have 1xRTT and 3G transmitters there is an internal setting that you can make to force the modem to never make a 1xRTT connection which is going to be extremely slow. If you do not do this the modem chooses whichever transmitter signal is stronger and not the one that will provide the fastest speed.

I switched back to a 3G modem only and all my dropped connection problems went away. It was the modem and the tower causing the problem as my signal strength is excellent thanks to the use of a mast mounted parabolic grid antenna and a powered signal amplifier which in tandem quadruple the signal from the tower.

Verizon has the most coverage with regard to data as well as cell phone and there are public maps that show towers in your area and whether they have Sprint or Verizon or AT&T transmitters. The companies lease space on the towers for their transmitters. The nearest Verizon equipped tower is 3 miles from my house and the nearest Sprint equipped tower is the same distance but on the other side of a hill so the only option was Verizon.

Millenicom resells both Sprint and Verizon data services at a lower price and with double the cap on monthly data usage and it is month to month and they provide the modem (card and USB types) at no charge. I have used them for more than two years and they have been great in every respect.

[brobox]

ventrman wrote:

Nascarcruzin wrote:
I use the Verizon's air card. It, so far, has been really great!

Rebecca

The only Problem I have with my Verizon Air Card is that sometimes it disconnects repeatedly right after it connects, Other Times it fails to detect the Air Card and I have to repeatedly detect it and wait for it to configure. Other Times I have to restart my Lapto in order foe the air Card to work..

I had that problem until I updated the air cards software, end of problem.

[ventrman]

Nascarcruzin wrote:
I use the Verizon's air card. It, so far, has been really great!

Rebecca

The only Problem I have with my Verizon Air Card is that sometimes it disconnects repeatedly right after it connects, Other Times it fails to detect the Air Card and I have to repeatedly detect it and wait for it to configure. Other Times I have to restart my Lapto in order foe the air Card to work..

[Motorhome_Georg]

I've purchased a MiFi device called Samsung SCH-LC11 4G mobile hotspot from Costco for Verizon Wireless. I like this because at home I use it and use it also on the road and at campsites.

At home in Atlanta I have 4G service which is faster than the AT&T DSL wireless home broadband service I previously had. This MiFi device will allow up to 5 wifi devices connected simultaneously -- which is my smartphone, my iPad, and my desktop in my home office. Still have room for 2 guests as well or other devices.

On the road and in the boonies 4G is not available. It drops to 3G and thus, slower. But still adequate. But if it's a rural community it could get really really slow or cut off temporarily depending on the number of other persons also using Verizon Wireless in the area particularly your campsite. They are not on my account of course, but their own account. I have security WPA or whatever. It was more than frustrating especially if you were transacting business and in middle of it your signal stops. I just hope 4G gets out beyond the biggest cities soon.

It's not perfect, but will do for having the same service at home and away. You can literally carry in your pocket your own little hotspot. The size of the device is about 1/3 the size of pack of cigarettes if not smaller. It runs for a while on an internal battery too. It's very very lightweight. I paid $80 for it through Costco --- at the Verizon store it probably sells for double that. Costco gives me 90 days to swap it out or adjust the price should it go on sale. Plus Costco refunds the $35 activation fee.

The bad news is that I can no longer afford to stream Netflix movies as I was formerly doing with my AT&T fast DSL service (unlimited). The Verizon wireless broadband is limited. I picked the 5GB monthly download for $50 a mo. plus taxes. I could get 10GB for $80, but I think 5GB will do as long as I don't watch a lot of videos, etc. I have to change my usage habits somewhat. I will miss Netflix streaming, but one movie could eat up 1/5th of my monthly allowance through Verizon.

It's expensive I think. Verizon does not offer unlimited broadband. Sprint does, however. But I tend to believe that Sprint service would be frustrating and quite inferior -- all depending on where you are as locations vary in quality. But generally speaking Verizon is king. They are the most expensive too. I've never regretted switching my cellphone service from AT&T to Verizon as I no longer had dropped calls and poor reception in Atlanta. I could now have an iPhone if I wanted through Verizon, but much prefer my Droidx. I love Android.

[ilovecamping]

Thank you for your input. I would pay for it if it would work with my phone. I will give it some more thought and maybe try calling AT&T again and see what input they can give me for a solution.

[xctraveler]

ilovecamping wrote:
Back in about Feb/March my DH and I purchased new smartphones, Motorola Flipside, and have our service through AT&T. We were told at the local AT&T that we could tether with these phones. A month or so ago we were in a different AT&T store and I was asking about tethering and they said it was an additional $45. a month and that my phone wasn't compatable to tether. The only reason I purchased a smartphone was to tether when camping/vacationing/away from home. I talked with AT&T online and was told the same thing. I explained it all and the most I get from them is an I'm sorry. We have always had AT&T and would like to stay with them because of their service. Anyway I have read about using Pdanet and that it is compatable with all phones. Since I am paying for the data plan through AT&T am I breaking any laws if I use this to tether. I would pay the $45. a month if it would work but it won't. Thanks for any help you can give us.

IANAL (I am not a lawyer) I have used PDAnet in the past when it was the only way I could tether my phone and Verizon tech was informed I was doing this. They did not tell me I couldn't they just said they would not support it and any problems I had were up to me to resolve. I never had a problem and it worked fine until I upgraded my phone and was able to pay VZ's fee for tethering and have it work. As of this moment I am in Homer AK with a 3G 4 bar signal using the wifi hotpot on my droidX to connect. It is sweet. I have no idea what network I am on, the phone says "extended service" but my plan says it is included. In Canada, data is VERY expensive, but my North American Voice plan includes all voice calls in the base plan.

[ilovecamping]

Back in about Feb/March my DH and I purchased new smartphones, Motorola Flipside, and have our service through AT&T. We were told at the local AT&T that we could tether with these phones. A month or so ago we were in a different AT&T store and I was asking about tethering and they said it was an additional $45. a month and that my phone wasn't compatable to tether. The only reason I purchased a smartphone was to tether when camping/vacationing/away from home. I talked with AT&T online and was told the same thing. I explained it all and the most I get from them is an I'm sorry. We have always had AT&T and would like to stay with them because of their service. Anyway I have read about using Pdanet and that it is compatable with all phones. Since I am paying for the data plan through AT&T am I breaking any laws if I use this to tether. I would pay the $45. a month if it would work but it won't. Thanks for any help you can give us.

[pulsar]

wa0mqe wrote:
wip, the Verizon 4G card should revert to 3G automatically when 4G is not available. You mentioned which you had 3 years ago, it should have been 3G, providing you were using a Verizon data phone, or a Verizon data modem.

To answer your question about Verizon in the lower 48, just like all the other carriers, they lie about their coverage. Their coverage maps are apparently a wild a@%ed guess. For example I can tell you their map shows solid coverage in most areas in Texas, yet even with the map showing excellent coverage it's not true.

I don;t believe they "lie." Verizon's coverage maps include the following:

These Coverage Locator maps depict predicted and approximate wireless coverage. The coverage areas shown do not guarantee service availability, and may include locations with limited or no coverage. Even within a coverage area, there are many factors, including customer’s equipment, terrain, proximity to buildings, foliage, and weather that may impact service. Some of the Coverage Areas include networks run by other carriers, the coverage depicted is based on their information and public sources, and we cannot ensure its accuracy.

Moreover, they use a mathematical prediction model, not unlike the one that the US copyright laws suggest be used to determine if a household is eligible for Distant Network Service.

We have traveled extensively and use a Verizon air card. I have not yet failed to have coverage when their coverage may said i would. I have, on occasion, had coverage when the map suggested that i wouldn.t. Sometimes, the coverage has not been what I would want; this weekend, we are on a very busy tower. Also note, i have only traveled once, in 2006, out west with the air card, But, the above statements are true about that trip.

Tom

[wa0mqe]

wip, the Verizon 4G card should revert to 3G automatically when 4G is not available. You mentioned which you had 3 years ago, it should have been 3G, providing you were using a Verizon data phone, or a Verizon data modem.

To answer your question about Verizon in the lower 48, just like all the other carriers, they lie about their coverage. Their coverage maps are apparently a wild a@%ed guess. For example I can tell you their map shows solid coverage in most areas in Texas, yet even with the map showing excellent coverage it's not true.