Internet from cell service???????????

[Horizon170]

Hi, we currently have Hi-speed internet with Windstream and a wireless gizmo that several laptops in out house can use. That is $40.00/month that we would like to eliminate.
The wife just upgraded our cell phone service with AT&T and we now have unlimited call time, internet, and Text messaging.
Questions:
1. How do I get my laptop to work with the cell service?
2. Will it be hi-speed?
3. Does it go through the cell phone or some other device.

It should be obvious that this old man ain't up with the times.:?
Thanks, Marvin

[shakyjay]

I'm one of those with a Verizon unlimited data plan. Have not upgraded for that reason although wife and daughter really are pushing me on this issue. I use FoxFi to tether and it works great.

[Horizon170]

I best leave well enough alone. My usage could get really expensive.
Thanks for everyones input.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

This will only be helpful to Canadians. Sasktel does offer 10 gigs @ $70.00 per month on smart phones. It is unlimited in the sense that after 10 gigs they throttle to a speed of 512, from the 4 g speeds.

The 10 gigs alas only applies in Canada.

[tatest]

The guy at the AT&T store could have checked your usage for the wireless, but if you just started there is no history on which to estimate what you might use.

I just added another device to my Value Share plan (which can handle 10 devices), and since that brought my collection up to four, the limit for the 10G plan, rep checked my usage and it wasn't high enough to save money by changing.

But there is no way it can replace my land-line Internet connection, which uses 50-100 GB a month, sometimes over 10 GB a day. That would be hundreds of dollars worth of data on wireless.

So whether or not dropping a low-cost land connection to go all wireless will save you the cost of the land connection all depends on how much data you use, and without historical measurements, that's at best a guess. The "how I will use it" estimating tools don't work for my wireless data usage, they overestimate because most of the time I'm on WiFi to my land line or somebody elses (usually free AT&T).

[Horizon170]

I visited my AT&T office today and for $50.00/month i can get a device to use the WIFI of my computer and connect to the Internet anywhere I have tower access just like my phone service.
For the 50 bucks I would get 5 gig of data transfer per month and I have no idea how to compare that to my usage. The rep said the average was around 3.5 gig if I didn't download music and movies, which I never do. Right now we are considering going on the road full time again.
We miss those 20 something years that we full timed with my job.

[rockhillmanor]

Ditto on the key word being "unlimited data". Which honestly does not even exist any more. Whatever you decide to do just be aware of the "data plan" that you will be charged for and how much you are allowed.

I am still running on my mobile broadband from 2008. $65.00/mo for UNLIMTED data.

2008 equipment and as long as the USB stick keeps on working I DO have 'unlimited' data.

Once the equipment breaks and I have to replace it I will be forced to join the ranks of paying dearly for data. 😞

[wa8yxm]

A lot of this depends on some specific information I do not have like the make and model of your wife's phone... But I will give you the generic view.

NOTE: SOME cellular providers do charge EXTRA if you "Tether" comptuers or activate the phone as a "HotSpot"

NOTE all pones can do it either.. One (Well several) that can are the Samsung Galaxy line. I have an S-III myself All the newer models of smart phones shoudl have this ability. And it should be described in the manual.

I have T-Mobile. AT&T is generally.. A lot like T-Mobile in how they do things (use the same phones in fact).

One of the "Apps" (Applications) on my phone is named T-mobile Hot Spot. I open it, turn on the HOT spot, and long press the selection as I recall, it gives me instructions for connecting..

Something like

Look for SGH-T999 (Mine is a T-mobile phone and that's it's model number)

Enter Ax12zbq as the pass key in your computer's client

(NOTE: That is not my network key, it is random keys I punched)

and connect.. And that, folks is all there is to it.

I did add a 2nd level of security to my system.. you not only need my network key you need to be pre-authorized to use my phone's hot spot.

This is optional, and explained in the phone's manual, which you can download as an application to the phone.

[Tennessee_Nomad]

We use a Verizon 4G LTE USB Modem. It works anywhere we can get Verizon service. Download a little program (VZ Access Manager) and your good to go. It plugs into any usb port. Laptop or tablet.

[timmac]

Horizon170 wrote:
Hi, we currently have Hi-speed internet with Windstream and a wireless gizmo that several laptops in out house can use. That is $40.00/month that we would like to eliminate.
The wife just upgraded our cell phone service with AT&T and we now have unlimited call time, internet, and Text messaging.
Questions:
1. How do I get my laptop to work with the cell service?
2. Will it be hi-speed?
3. Does it go through the cell phone or some other device.

It should be obvious that this old man ain't up with the times.:?
Thanks, Marvin

Don't get rid of your home internet service, AT&T internet use will cost you lots of $$ when you go over the plan, as to how to use the laptops on the road with AT&T internet is you need to get a small Wi-Fi mobile box from AT&T that connects to internet while on the road and that is where your laptop connects to the internet.

[Bill_Satellite]

Generally, AT&T can offer unlimited data ON THE PHONE but that would not apply to either a tether or hot spot scenario so would not apply to any connection between the phone and the computer. That's not to say there might be some way to work around that limitation, but that's they way it's planned and the service is likely monitored and excess use would cause a trigger to kick in. Sprint offered "unlimited" data service but the fine print said 50GB/month.

[Horizon170]

I have an AT&T office nearby so I will check with them.

[AllegroD]

There is a difference between unlimited text and unlimited data.

[MrWizard]

The wife just upgraded our cell phone service with AT&T and we now have unlimited call time, internet, and Text messaging.

I'm running on memory, but NO wifi hotspot on razor3

you will have to use USB cable, to laptop
can connect ONLY one laptop at a time, and nothing else

[RobWNY]

I have Verizon with unlimited data. I got the plan before unlimited data was eliminated and as long as I don't upgrade my plan by getting a new phone with a subsidized price (meaning I have to pay full price for the phone)I keep my old plan and unlimited data. If you have an Android phone, go to the app store and download the app called WiFi Tether. It's a yellow signal looking icon. It's free too. Then just connect your laptop, desktop, tablet or even another phone that has only WiFi capability to whatever the connection is called. Once connected, you're good to go. If your phone is 4G and you are in an area where 4G is available, the speed is really good. I bought a new Samsung television for our Travel Trailer that has built in WiFi and use my phone to connect to that so I can watch Netflix, Hulu plus etc. You will need accounts for those services but otherwise its free