Staying Connected in Disasters

[patric]

During the ice storm I became interested in using my cell phone as a modem for my computer.  The test results below are with an AT&T 3G phone connected by USB cable (often referred to as "tethering") to a laptop in midtown Tulsa.  While this phone has a connection for an external antenna, none was used in this experiment -- the phone was operated "as is", connecting through free software (Cingular Communication Manager) in uncompressed mode.  

The results:




Not screaming speed, but better than dial-up (or nothing) next time the poles go *snap*.

[YoungTulsan]

I remember I almost shat myself in 1999 when I *finally* got DSL (seemed like it took forever to come here hearing about all the other places with cable or dsl back then) - And the blazing fast speeds were less than you are getting on your "better than nothing" cell phone connection.  

This isn't a negative comment on you, it just makes me think how far we've come in a relatively short amount of time  I think my phone line back then was getting around 1100-1200kbps, which the kind Southwestern Bell guy assured me was "very good".  The whole DSL infrastructure was pretty new and kinda shaky back then.

[Noodlez]

I ended up getting PDANet www.junefabrics.com for when my internet goes out, useing it with my Q and sprint and it gets the job done nice when cox is down.

[sgrizzle]

Many bluetooth phones can be tethered as well if your laptop has bluetooth or if you have a $20 bluetooth adapter.

Last speedtest I ran on cingular's 3G gave me the opposite results to patrics, over 1M upload but only 300-400k down.

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

Many bluetooth phones can be tethered as well if your laptop has bluetooth or if you have a $20 bluetooth adapter.

Last speedtest I ran on cingular's 3G gave me the opposite results to patrics, over 1M upload but only 300-400k down.

unfortunately BT is going to peak out at 750k, but it is still not shabby....I use it to just check email.

[MichaelBates]

quote:Originally posted by patric

During the ice storm I became interested in using my cell phone as a modem for my computer.  The test results below are with an AT&T 3G phone connected by USB cable (often referred to as "tethering") to a laptop in midtown Tulsa.  While this phone has a connection for an external antenna, none was used in this experiment -- the phone was operated "as is", connecting through free software (Cingular Communication Manager) in uncompressed mode.  

Is this kind of usage included in your data service, or is it extra? And has anyone done something like that with Sprint?

[cannon_fodder]

Bates:

No, "tethering" is against the Terms of Service for a data package and they can terminate your contract and/or charge you for the data used.  If you want cellular internet for your laptop you have to buy a separate package.  Primarily because the data usage of a cell phone is minimal compared to a computer (no downloads, less pages, no games or VOIP).

However, I've never heard of anyone getting busted for it.   Some people report using many, many gigs of data in this manner with no ill effects.  ATT is the most common carrier I have heard of, run to Google and see if your phone + carrier combination will work.  It only works with select product combinations (unless you knew enough to GET it to work - I don't).

[Breadburner]

Never lost my SBC wireless internet....

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Bates:

No, "tethering" is against the Terms of Service for a data package and they can terminate your contract and/or charge you for the data used.  If you want cellular internet for your laptop you have to buy a separate package.  Primarily because the data usage of a cell phone is minimal compared to a computer (no downloads, less pages, no games or VOIP).

However, I've never heard of anyone getting busted for it.   Some people report using many, many gigs of data in this manner with no ill effects.  ATT is the most common carrier I have heard of, run to Google and see if your phone + carrier combination will work.  It only works with select product combinations (unless you knew enough to GET it to work - I don't).

you can tether with any phone that can act as a dial up modem. You just need to know the dialer string to initiate the connection on the network.

the TOS is just words with no technical way of enforcement for SIM based phones.  Spent can limit what you do because all phones are tied to a stupid ESN so your phone is tied to your plan.

[brunoflipper]

i'll see your tether and raise you an access point...

i activated the wifi on my phone and ran a sweet little program wmwifirouterthat set it up as a hotspot, plugged it in in the kitchen (via generator) and three of us, on various laptops, were able to sit around the house and get some work done...

thank you unlimited data plan... (im one of those many,many,many gigs people)... when we road-trip, my wife and i take turns driving and browsing the internet... hell, you can drive i-70 to breckenridge and only lose edge right at the ks/co border... (not to mention the fact that 3g gets seems to get broader everyday)

i used to use junefabrics pdanet (great program) but with winmo6 it became obsolete...

[FOTD]

quote:Originally posted by Breadburner

Never lost my SBC wireless internet....

same here... thanks to being unbundled!

[cannon_fodder]

Inteller, we are talking about cellular broadband.  Cellular dialup is so 1998.  [}:)]

[patric]

Im playing it legal with an Unlimited Data Connect plan, (ISP-based, A.K.A. LaptopConnect or DataConnect) which is more expensive than MEdia Net and similar WAP-based data plans.
Big advantage is being able to subscribe/unsubscribe to the plan according to your needs, and not have to pay for it year-round.

Yes I did compare it to basic DSL and it is as fast if not better, but DSL has also evolved and gotten a lot faster if you want to pay for the pricier packages.  Im OK with the cheaper one.

Sprint does have something similar with their EV-DO system but AT&T's is the newer, faster 3G technology.  If I run across the reason why Verizon isnt a good choice for tethering ill post it (some weird network restriction I recall).

Cingular's schpeel is located at:
http://www.wireless.att.com/businesscenter/solutions/wireless-laptop/phones-as-modems.jsp?WT.svl=title

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Inteller, we are talking about cellular broadband.  Cellular dialup is so 1998.  [}:)]

and you are a ****ing idiot if you dont know what I'm talking about.  you think your phone just "magickally" connects your computer to the Internet?

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by patric


Yes I did compare it to basic DSL and it is as fast if not better

it is not faster and "better" is a subjective quality.  If being mobile is better then yes it is better than DSL, but even with the faster speeds it cannot match the latency of DSL.  Just look at your ping times..200ms?  That is a freaking joke in the DSL/Cable world.