en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
 ·RoadRunner Cable
 ·DSL EXTREME
| reply to dbldbl
Re: How does casual tethering usage come into play with this?
I personally prefer tethering.
1. No long term contract for the data card (vs. phone + card)
2. Pretty vanilla phone can be used (saving $$$)
3. Phone and data can be used at the same time (HSDPA)
4. Data plan is month 2 month add on (see #1).
I've had 1.3Mbps/380kbps throughput on my PoS Samsung ZX-20 tethered (USB) and +600kbps through bluetooth.
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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Nuts
join:2006-04-27
Forest, OH | I've never had a contract for my Alltel aircard. |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
| Alltel must be an anomoly.
Most national carriers (AT&T/VZW/Sprixtel/T-Mobile) require 2 year commitment, or an outright purchase ($$$$) of the data card.
My point being... if you have a cellphone, you don't need the data card.
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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voipdabbler
join:2006-04-27
Kalispell, MT
| reply to en102
I like tethering too, even though I don't live in an area served by EVDO; it's nice to be able to tether the laptop to the phone when traveling. Unfortunately, with Verizon acquiring my cellular carrier, Alltel, I'll lose that feature since Verizon doesn't like customers to tether phones (they want that extra money). With the imposition of caps on home-based broadband, I think it's inevitable that more who live in areas with decent cellular broadband signals and capacity will begin to chose to have cellular broadband only Why deal with two devils--make life simpler--deal with the one whose service gives you mobility. TW and Frontier have announced ridiculously low caps for home-based broadband and Comcast's announced cap keeps falling (I can see them dropping to as low as 8-10 GB per month if it looks like TW and Frontier won't get any local regulatory flack for their new stealth price increases via caps ). The baby bells are salivating and will chose the lowest cap they can get away with. If I were in an urban area with decent EVDO or 3G, I'd seriously consider dropping home VOIP and go cellular broadband only, even with the caps. At least the mobility is a great feature. |
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Subaru
1-3-2-4
Premium
join:2001-05-31
Greenwich, CT
clubs: 
 ·Packet8
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to en102
said by en102  :Alltel must be an anomoly. Most national carriers (AT&T/VZW/Sprixtel/T-Mobile) require 2 year commitment, or an outright purchase ($$$$) of the data card. My point being... if you have a cellphone, you don't need the data card. I agree I used my cellphone at a hotel so i would not have to pay the rip-off fees to use the internet. It got the job done and it was free due to bending around having to get a data plan.
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It's NOT Ni-kon It's NE-KON!
Check out my Gallery!
»/pics/dimaging/400265
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Cjaiceman
Premium,MVM
join:2004-10-12
Parker, CO
·Comcast Workplace
·Comcast
| reply to en102
said by en102 :I personally prefer tethering. 3. Phone and data can be used at the same time (HSDPA) I've had 1.3Mbps/380kbps throughput on my PoS Samsung ZX-20 tethered (USB) and +600kbps through bluetooth. I tether my phone to my laptop all the time. If you use GSM (HSDPA), voice and data can happen at the same time, but if you use EVDO, you can't. AT&T has their upsides (when your in a 3G area). |
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Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
·AT&T Midwest
 ·Site5.com
·Comcast
| reply to en102
said by en102 :I personally prefer tethering. 1. No long term contract for the data card (vs. phone + card) 2. Pretty vanilla phone can be used (saving $$$) 3. Phone and data can be used at the same time (HSDPA) 4. Data plan is month 2 month add on (see #1). I've had 1.3Mbps/380kbps throughput on my PoS Samsung ZX-20 tethered (USB) and +600kbps through bluetooth. Same here, but tethering is something not every phone supports and some require special software or configuration to be done. For typical users, its not easy and a card is just that....easy. For BBR users, its a challenge to get working.  |
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stufried
Premium
join:2003-10-13 | reply to en102
I am no contract on ATT. You pay a one time activation fee ($20 or $30) and bring your own equipment. |
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lvlorpheus
join:2008-02-17
Eureka Springs, AR | reply to Nuts
You might want to get one (A contract) soon. I am sure you love your unlimited data as much as I do. I would not count on Verizon leaving you at unlimited unless a contract says they have to for the contracts duration.
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