I used a Verizon USB plug-in card for over 3 years. It was fantastic. As has been said, if there's cell service, there's internet. Once I got a smart phone (Droid) though, I had to cancel the air card service due to the $60 a year. Haven't tried the phone as a hot spot for the laptop yet because I can do everything I need to do with the phone!
I still have the USB card. I think they're transferrable?
aircards internet access
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by Gonefishin » Sun Sep 18, 2011 9:14 pm
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Gonefishin - Donating Member
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- Location: NE Utah
Current State Of Data Plans/Modems
by Engineer Guy » Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:49 pm
Besides having been in the Cellular Biz, I'm about to get us 2 new Thunderbolt Model Phones from Verizon. So, I've done my usual over-the-top Research. I stick with Verizon because they cover our various locations the best, and have the best National Coverage.
1. You can go in, via Keyboard, and 'fix' the USB Air Modem to 3G or 4G protocol. Faster 4G kicks me off more often, even while stationary, so sometimes I just work via 'fixed' 3G. That said, 4G today hit a new peak speed of 3300 k Download; 900 k Upload. Being far from the Phone Office, wired DSL - which slows over 'more' Copper Wire distance - used to be more like 350k.
2. Even at the $60-/month 5 Gig Verizon Plan, individual Network speeds are now sensed and throttled back to slower speed after your 5 Gig limit/Month has been reached. So, 'Unlimited Plans' aren't really that. Same with all Carriers, so far as has been reported on Wireless Forums. Wireless Spectrum is finite, and the explosion of Phones and Pads have stressed Wireless Capacity. As are Applications like a casual friend watching a Football Game on his Phone today at the local Dog Park... Video sucks up Wireless Spectrum. One way to 'stretch' Spectrum capacity is to slow connection speeds over 5 Gig in order to fit on more Users. This is not too different from how more Vehicles on a finite Road width causes individual Vehicles to go slower.
3. I plan to use my pending, new Phone for Web Applications. To be sure, a PC becomes redundant for many Web Applications. However, Wireless Carriers are also clamping down on 'tethering' PCs to the Network via Phones. It used to be a hack done on the QT technically, as advised on Forums, but expect to pay for it now. When 2 Gig/Month of Data is $30-, and 5 Gig on a PC is $60-/Month, the PC is still a slightly better deal. There's definitely no such thing as a Free Lunch anymore.
4. There's a number of small, fixed and even Mobile Antennas that can plug into USB Modems to extend range for those who work on the Road.
5. I've also bought a separate USB WiFi 'Pez' that I use to extend my WiFi range to free, Open Network WiFi Networks. This also makes it possible to connect every time, at any distance, while in RV Parks, or in Motel Parking Lots, etc.. This also lessens my paid Air time on Verizon. So, any Data Plan 'goes farther' if you're on line for free some times.
USB Modems are transferable. All the programmable 'smarts' are inside on a SIM-style Card.
If you're lucky to be using a Cell Tower that's not maxed out at peak periods, or has a fast[er] connection to the Wired Network than do some Rural Towers, you can have very different individual experiences than the generalities above reported on Wireless Forums.
1. You can go in, via Keyboard, and 'fix' the USB Air Modem to 3G or 4G protocol. Faster 4G kicks me off more often, even while stationary, so sometimes I just work via 'fixed' 3G. That said, 4G today hit a new peak speed of 3300 k Download; 900 k Upload. Being far from the Phone Office, wired DSL - which slows over 'more' Copper Wire distance - used to be more like 350k.
2. Even at the $60-/month 5 Gig Verizon Plan, individual Network speeds are now sensed and throttled back to slower speed after your 5 Gig limit/Month has been reached. So, 'Unlimited Plans' aren't really that. Same with all Carriers, so far as has been reported on Wireless Forums. Wireless Spectrum is finite, and the explosion of Phones and Pads have stressed Wireless Capacity. As are Applications like a casual friend watching a Football Game on his Phone today at the local Dog Park... Video sucks up Wireless Spectrum. One way to 'stretch' Spectrum capacity is to slow connection speeds over 5 Gig in order to fit on more Users. This is not too different from how more Vehicles on a finite Road width causes individual Vehicles to go slower.
3. I plan to use my pending, new Phone for Web Applications. To be sure, a PC becomes redundant for many Web Applications. However, Wireless Carriers are also clamping down on 'tethering' PCs to the Network via Phones. It used to be a hack done on the QT technically, as advised on Forums, but expect to pay for it now. When 2 Gig/Month of Data is $30-, and 5 Gig on a PC is $60-/Month, the PC is still a slightly better deal. There's definitely no such thing as a Free Lunch anymore.
4. There's a number of small, fixed and even Mobile Antennas that can plug into USB Modems to extend range for those who work on the Road.
5. I've also bought a separate USB WiFi 'Pez' that I use to extend my WiFi range to free, Open Network WiFi Networks. This also makes it possible to connect every time, at any distance, while in RV Parks, or in Motel Parking Lots, etc.. This also lessens my paid Air time on Verizon. So, any Data Plan 'goes farther' if you're on line for free some times.
USB Modems are transferable. All the programmable 'smarts' are inside on a SIM-style Card.
If you're lucky to be using a Cell Tower that's not maxed out at peak periods, or has a fast[er] connection to the Wired Network than do some Rural Towers, you can have very different individual experiences than the generalities above reported on Wireless Forums.
~Reality proceeds with or without your consensus~
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Engineer Guy - The 300 Club
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Anyway we have internet anywhere we have phone service but some times it can be pretty slow.
