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.

[anchor]

We have used Verizon for about 10 years or more whether on our ocean going boat or motorboat. Naturally on the boat you had to be in range. We use it month by month when we travel with the motorhome. Buy a cable plug one end in the bottom of the Verizon phone and the other in USB. It does take a special phone that has the port on the bottom where the charger is on some models. It is called BBA, Broadband Band Access. Look on a Verizon map they seem to have the most coverage anywhere in the U.S.

[peaches_cream]

I have decided to try the Blackberry Storm. I have a 30 day return on the phone if I do not like it. I have 1 year left on my contract with Verizon and I am happy using them as a provider. If I do not like the Storm, I will trade it for the Aircard.
Thanks for all the info.
Larry

[snookmjt]

If you are still searching for a provider, you may wish to contact "3Gstore.com". They sell systems for wireless access and I found them very knowledgeable and helpful when I was doing my search. Initially I tried using T-Mobile since that is my cell provider, but they could not make their system work. 3Gstore worked with me to figure out the best provider and made the system work. My contract has no limits and I've had access near everywhere we've gone.

The phone number for 3Gstore is 847-462-4004, and their email is "sales@3Gstore.com".

[AlexSian]

peaches&cream wrote:
Alex,
Thanks for the information.
I have 2 questions before I decide which way to go.
1. Is the Internet service as good using Blackberry Storm compared to using the Aircard? (no extra antennas added to either)
2. Is there any add-on antenna avaiable for the Storm which would enhance the service.

Assuming good signal to both a Storm and a USB modem, the performance should be very much identical.

The advantage that the USB modem has is that it comes with an RV/antenna jack, making it easy to improve signal to USB modem.

No blackberry that I know of has ever had an RF/antenna jack. Here's a good site to see if a phone has an available antenna adapter: http://wilsonelectronics.com/Adapters.php

There are "wireless repeater" options to improve signal to any phone that doesn't have an RF/antenna jack (like blackberrys and iPhones), but no wireless repeater will be as cheap as adding a "booster antenna" to the USB modem.

Hmm... am i making your decision easier, or harder?

[peaches_cream]

Alex,

Thanks for the information.

I have 2 questions before I decide which way to go.

1. Is the Internet service as good using Blackberry Storm compared to using the Aircard? (no extra antennas added to either)

2. Is there any add-on antenna avaiable for the Storm which would enhance the service.

Larry

[AlexSian]

peaches&cream wrote:
...Does the Aircard have any advantage over the Blackberry other than wireless to more than 1 computer at a time?

when the blackberry is tethered to the cradlepoint, it too will provide wireless to more than one computer at a time.

if the blackberry you are considering is NOT the storm, then it won't be as fast as the current 'aircards' which are Rev-A capable. (The Storm is too, so it will be as fast when tethering)

One last disadvantage for the BB is that while tethered, you cannot talk on the phone.

[peaches_cream]

I appologize if this has been covered. I am looking at a Blackberry vs Aircard and Cradlepoint.

I have a shared wireless plan with Verizon which has 1 year left on the renewal.I can purchase a Blackberry for $99.00. This is counting a rebate and a new 2 year subscription. The internet service for the Blackberry cost $29.00 per month. If I want to teter it will cost and additional $29.00 a month or $1.00 per day.

A Cradlepoint 350 cost around $125.00 and Verizon will give me the Aircard if I sign a 2 year contract at $59.00 a month.

Does the Aircard have any advantage over the Blackberry other than wireless to more than 1 computer at a time? I use Comcast in my stick house so my usage would be in the MH and at our Beachhouse which has no cable internet available.

Thanks,
Larry

[lionel_046]

Mr Wizard,

Thanks again for the info; think I'm all set. Harry

[MrWizard]

the easiest way to turn it off, ( for pro rate advantage ) is to call Customer Service.

is your hotmail attached to your home ISP provider cable or dsl

likely it will not let you send from a differnent ISP connection

if this was free sign up account not comming with your landline ISP, then it is a matter of correct settings on the PC,

IF your using the same PC and the same account settings, but it won't work with the vzw connection, you will need to use the web access to your hotmail acct NOT outlook, or setup a different acct and use the hotmail address for the 'REPLY TO' for anyone responding.

in others words an indirect or redirect labling

other users with more hotmail and out look experinece can help you with this

[lionel_046]

Mr Wizard,

I have turned on the 59/month option with Verizon and almost everything seems to work well. Two questions I would appreciate info on.
1. I have a hotmail acount and I can log on, send and receive emails fine. Trying to send on my regular home email through outlook - no go - pop3 error messages. Is there something I can change to fix this?

2. As I will be an on again / off again user of the 59/month access, how and where do I turn it off to take advantage of the pro rated feature.

Thank you very much for your help. Harry

[Caseydon]

EVDOalex wrote:
Casey and others may chime in that they have no such limitation on their EXISTING contract, but that may only be true because the limitations came into existence after the start of their contract date.

Just for the record, I don't know whether or not there is a usage limitation in my existing contract. Further, I don't know whether or not ATT is content to allow tethering, perhaps at some level, under their Unlimited Media Net service, or simply hasn't recognized that I do it. I do accept, cynically, that "unlimited" does not necessarily mean unlimited.

[lionel_046]

Mr Wizard,

Thanks for the info.

Harry

[AlexSian]

Let me add a caveat to MrWizard's post... he means there is no way NOW to get a NEW line of service that does not have some sort of 5GB limitation attached to it.

Casey and others may chime in that they have no such limitation on their EXISTING contract, but that may only be true because the limitations came into existence after the start of their contract date.

If you have no 5GB limitation, enjoy it while it lasts.

The fact that you have it, does not mean others can still get it on new lines of service.

[Caseydon]

I have two phones on an ATT Family Plan, a Motorola V3xx and an LG Shine. Each of them has a $20/month subscription for "Media Max 200 Bundle", which consists of unlimited Internet Media Net service plus 200 text messages per month. Both phones are tethered to their respective PC's. One was used as its PC's only Internet access for several months until recently. The other is used as a periodic backup to a sometimes unreliable ISP connection, and for access when traveling.

The maximum usage of either of these hasn't exceeded 2 gigs in a month, so I can't know whether ATT would catch them at 5 gigs, but they surely haven't caught either one in over a year of moderate usage. It's fairly clear that the Media Net service is only intended for use with the phone's internal browser, but ATT's web site still carries an old Cingular instruction sheet for setting up the tether connection. Where 3G service is available, the connection appears to operate at 3G speed.

[MrWizard]

there is NO way, ( that i know of ) to get actual real unlimited data, this is something verizon does NOT offer.

some att plans used to offer unlimited mobile web or unlimited tethering, but at has changed that to a similar/same setup as verizon.

it was unlimited data when you used 'call minutes' for your connection and would not leave the laptop on all night downloading music and video and there was no 'youTube' on the web. when you haD TO pay for your minutes,

for a short span ( about 2 yrs ) the backdoor using 'unlimited night minutes' let me get a lot of online time and NO data worry, but that has been pretty well closed off. except for a few old hackers on OLD 'legacy plans' who have NOT upgraded their plans with 'free phones'.

you can get connected for less than the $59 but, you will still have the 5 gig limit, and settings inside the phone have to be changed to do this.