Posted on 07/09/2006 4:29:53 PM PDT by Rudder
I always lurk on these computer-help threads because they're so informative and downright useful. But this is my first request.
My dear lady friend drives long-haul OTR and wanted me to help her with using a laptop logged on the net and without trailing a 3,000 mile cable.
So we got a new lap top (a Dell that comes with a "wireless" card.)
The question is: What do we need to do to enable (what kind of) wireless link from a mobile (tractor-trailer or a boat/ship) unit to the internet?
She might be able to use blue tooth and a cell phone, but that's not something I've ever worked with. Pinging some folks who might know more.
They also make add-on cards that connect to what is basically like a cell signal. You have to have a subscription for that to work, and it's pretty expensive and, I'd guess, there aren't too many places to connect outside of major cities. Verizon's page with info on that is here.
The specs: Dell "Inspiron" B130; Windows XP; 512MB shard memory; Intel® Pentium® M 735 Processor (1.70GHz, 400MHz FSB, 2MB Cache; 3 usb ports; Express Cards slot (54mm); 56 K v92 Modem; Integrated 10/100 Ethernet; A wireless card installed but not sure whether it's a Dell 1370 or a Dell 1470; 40 Gig HD.
Bluetooth uses more energy than you'd want for internet usage. Most people use a tether cable and a cellphone. Unlimited data access with Cingular is an extra 20 a month which is money well spent near as I can tell. It's about double the speed of a 56K modem which is adequate for most email and browsing.
There ya go...good info. So Cingular acts as an ISP and gives you a number to call, or how does that work?
I've never used a cell phone for internet, so I'm curious.
I use one for emergencies when I'm away from home.
My Verizon/Motorola phone acts as a modem when I hook it to my laptop using a USB/Motorola cable.
For an ISP I use a free Juno account. You only have to put up with a movable ad banner.
For $10 a month you can get an ad free Juno account. Works for me.
Also, for a fee, her cell phone Co. can make her phone capable of exchanging computer data---can this be accessed by computer modem (e.g., plugging the cell phone into a computer port? (is this what you mean that would require an add-on card?)
Bluetooth is a word I recognize, beyond that I know virtually nothing.
Yeah baby! That sounds like the ticket...it enables a truly mobile interconnection, and for only 20 smackeroos a month.
I knew something like this existed, but I've beeen ignorant of the operational details--Thanks!
*99***1#
has to be changed to
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The app gives you a choice of GSM or wifi but you don't use the app for wifi.
The new laptops have comm capabilities quite a bit beyond what has been there in the past. You've got your own wifi setup, the laptop's modem, ordinary ethernet cable hookup, the cell phone/tether link, public libraries which usually have wifi facilities, many churches which have wifi setups, and whatever else you can come up with so that it's pretty hard to be without the internet. The one thing I recommend you avoid is things like Boingo or Tmobile or Barnes/Noble hotspot services. Those things are flakey and the outlets seem to change every other week so that they're not at all easy to use as they claim to be.
Thanks for the thread. I've been wanting to learn about this for my somewhat remote construction jobsite, but I was too afraid to ask.
Right before I got out of trucking (otr), Flying J was setting up Wi-Fi access at all of their locations. Don't know if that's still in the works, but have her contact them for more info.
Sounds like you got this wireless thing down. Does using a cell phone (e.g., My Verizon/Motorola phone acts as a modem when I hook it to my laptop using a USB/Motorola cable.) require a special card and port, other than a standard usb?
Thanks...will do.
I hope this proves useful to you. I've already learned enough from this thread to enter the wide, wide world of wireless.
Looks interesting...I wish the link would work.
Sprint $49.99 for the card, $59.99 unlimited access, Sprint now offers Mobile Broadband in more than 220 markets (cities with a population of 100K or more) - now covering more than 152 million people.
http://www.sprint.com/business/products/products/wirelessHighSpeedData_tabC.html
Nope. I've used Samsung and Motorola with nothing more that a $10 cable (proprietary) I got from eBay.
Plug and Play. When the cable is plugged in, WinXP recognizes it and sets it up as a modem. When you open Juno or whatever ISP software you are using, you select that modem and then setup a local number to dial and off you go.
One caveat. I would not use this method for extensive browsing. Because the modem speed at best is only 14,400 kpbs. OK for email but web pages load really slow. You could use something like the "Off By One" browser (Google it) to eliminate a lot of the graphics and speed things up...though I've never tried it. I load Firefox after the modem connection hooks up.
He disabled the internal one because the Hawking has superior range compared the the Dell internal.
He stops at truckstops that have wifi hotspots in the parking lot like Flying J and Petro.
Most of the national truckstop chains have them.
He pays something like $30 / month for nationwide access at certain truck stops.
He says that the most important part of this is the Hawking adapter, it has superior range compared to anything else.
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