Some questions about mobile internet

[Andy Elliott]

I have been using the Baron Mobile Threat Net software for a couple years now. While I have been pleased with the performance, spending $99 a month for service is becoming a bit of a burden, especailly with increasing gas prices.

I have been hearing a lot about the mobile internet, and I notice a lot of providers charge about $50 per month. I was wondering if I could get some insight on how, and how well, this system works.

I currently use Cingular/AT&T for my cellular service, but I have trouble getting a signal in rural areas. I have been reading good things about the Sprint data package.

If anyone has answers to the following questions, I would appreciate it.

1. Do I need a Sprint cell phone to use the Sprint mobile internet, or do I just need to purchase a network card?

2. Is the connection reliable, or are there a lot of holes/outages in rural areas?

3. Is the connection relatively fast?

Thank you for any help you can provide!

 

[Kurt Hulst]

You can get the master mariner plan for threat net for 49.99. You do not get all the things you would with the ground package, You really can work with out.

I have been wanting to go cellular as well but I have to wait till my contract is up in August until I can switch providers.

 

[J Kinkaid]

1) Sprint or Alltel allow you to use your phones for data on your laptop. With Alltell you can use your plan mins $39.99 a month and get 500 anytime mins and free nights and weekends. If you are going to use it more than that add the phone as a modem plan for $24.99. You can turn that off an on when needed from your online account .


2) Pretty reliable and even better with an amp or external antenna

3) Alltel / Sprint speeds EVDO range from 500k to to 1.9 while ATT edge speeds range from 150 to 170K and ATT 3G speeds range from 1.7 to 2.6 but you will only find that in limited areas and remember that latency will be very high and those speeds to not feel like DSL or cable .

a search on this forum will give you alot more info

 

[Tony Laubach]

If anyone has answers to the following questions, I would appreciate it.

1. Do I need a Sprint cell phone to use the Sprint mobile internet, or do I just need to purchase a network card?

You can get a separate data card plan and keep your current AT&T line. That actually may be a way to go so you have a backup data service for whatever reason.

2. Is the connection reliable, or are there a lot of holes/outages in rural areas?

Sprint's coverage is by far the best out there. I paired up my sprint card with a maximumsignal amplifier and that dramatically increases overall speed and range. There are a few small holes I have found in the central and southern plains, but not enough to consider it a burden. The software auto reconnects and usually I am unaware I was ever disconnected. The big areas are covered, and high speed is popping up more and more, so its definitely a huge plus. Northeast New Mexico has a hole and that's the biggest area for me. The amplifier keeps me connected over 95% of the time, so the will make a noticeable difference.

3. Is the connection relatively fast?

In areas where the high speed is, yes! Again, the amplifier increases those speeds. I noticed upload speeds nearly doubled in my Denver-based high speed area when I was connected to the amp. The entire stretch of I-76 and I-25 from Cheyenne to Walsenburg, CO are all covered with the high speed. It's almost out to Limon in the eastern Colorado plains. I know the extreme high speed also exists from Pratt, KS to Wichita, and of course near major metro areas and along I-70 from roughly Salina (just east of there) through Kansas City. The rural areas average about 2 to 3 times the speed of dial-up. I managed to net surf and run GRLevel3/Stormlab and it moves right along.

Hope this helps! If you go that route, let me know before hand!

Ciao!

Thank you for any help you can provide![/quote]