Cradlepoint or phone tether???

[Cory Schuller]

Morning everyone, I looking to see what the best option may be. Should I get an Android phone and tether to my laptop or would it be best get a data card and a cradle point router? I would like to use Viaero (GSM) because Verizon sucks in my area and they still offer unlimited data for 49.95 month. I also have Threatnet, so data will be a nice backup or visa-versa. I'm leaning towards the Android setup since it could be used more often if the tethering works good. Let me know any ideas and I apologize if this has been talk about before but I could not really find much on a search talking about the 2 options.

Thanks
Cory

 

[ChrisMartin]

i tethered my nexus one for a while, but the battery drain made me get something else. speed was great, but i just couldn't stand how quickly it would eat battery.

i have usb modem now w/ a zoom wifi router i plug it into. router uses a readily available digital camera battery for cord free operation or AC power. if you are going to use it enough get both if not tethering is a very economical & easy solution.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...5057&cm_re=zoom_router-_-75-995-057-_-Product

 

[Scott Hammel]

I tethered my Moto Droid all season with relatively no problem but as mentioned above, it is a serious battery eater. I was using more power than my car charger could give so even while it was plugged in it was still draining! On the other hand I do like the whole "free" part of it. Regardless I've decided to get an actual data card for next year.

 

[Jason Foster]

Of course a new thread for you specific situation is sometimes (but not always folks) situation. Each person has a different set of circumstances that dictate their decision. For you and in general some questions that may impact the decision are:

- how often do you use the set-up?
- do you use mobile internet a lot for chasing only, or other business or personal needs?
- what is the actual run time of the set-up (maxed out)
- can the system (assuming it will run all day) be charged ready to go the next day?
- what are the chances of you exceeding the duty cycle (the total run time between charges). If so, how often?
- what is the wear-and-tear on the system based on your projected usage?
- what is your budget, and how do the costs compare?
- if you need to switch systems can you do so easily? (ETFs, equipment changes, etc.)

Just some off the top of my head (as I'm also continually evaluating the same questions and looking for future technologies. Answering some of these here will help others make suggestions, but it will also aid you in your search.

 

[Cory Schuller]

Jason, thanks for bringing up the questions. After thinking about it, I would prefer a connection that I could use in the vehicle that my wife and daughter could use their laptops. I never gave the router option much thought because of the price of them but see I could get one for less than 100 bucks made me rethink. Chris thanks for the Zoom router link, this may be the one I get unless something else changes my mind.

Cory