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laptop connecting to the Internet
I have a new laptop for editing. Does anyone have any ideas how to connect to the internet when there is no dial up (meaning no phone line) or high speed connection available at your location? One idea is a cell phone with a dial up modem but I hear that the connection is so slow that it won’t hardly run your laptop. Are there any satelite programs available that are small and mobile?
Any wireless dial up phone signal or high speed connection that could be received using an electrical plug in? I am hoping some kind of technology is available.
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5 Replies
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Several wireless providers (Sprint/Verizon) now have a broadband wireless capability using a special PCCard for your laptop. For example this service from Verizon. Costs about $70 per month (I think).
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I have one of the cards from Verizon. It’s $70/month plus the cost of the card– which is kind of high, but it’s unlimited minutes. It works quite well if you’re in an area that has broadband signal, but if you’re not, you’ll be surfing at modem speeds.
I used mine on the trip to NAB in Vegas this year. It was totally cool to be sitting in the car web surfing just outside of Bakersfield. Speed varied on the rest of the trip and while in the convention center, speed was pretty slow, but I think it was all the cell phone usage.
Verizon also has a gadget that connects a cell phone to your computer — the phone then can be used for both cell service and as a modem. I had one of those a few years back. It didn’t really work very well. When I did get service, it was very slow.
Kathlyn Lindeboom
The Mistress of Mmmooooo! -
Thanks for your reply. I just checked Verizon out on their service areas. My area on the Oregon coast is not covered with broadband. I live in a small coastal town 60 miles away from the city. I guess I could go digital like you once did with dial up modem. I wonder if it’s gotten any faster? I heard a year ago it’s speed was like 20 or so when a normal dial up connection should be around 45. This is probley my only option………thanks for your reply.
Regards, Gary -
If you have Sprint available in your area, one of our leaders had a broadband modem a couple of years ago. It was a device similar to mine that connected his cell phone to his laptop.
Kathlyn Lindeboom
The Mistress of Mmmooooo! -
Are you trying to be mobile with this internet connection – or do you just want a faster internet connection for your home location? You seem to have linked this with your laptop purchase and said you needed somethign small and mobile… but maybe I got that wrong.
As long as the location is fixed you can get a satellite internet connection installed. The download speed is usually fast… but the upload is usually very slow. Overall it is still much better than dial-up for most users.
Alternatively you may find there are “local” wi-fi internet providers. This type of service is being introduced in many areas asa competitor to DSL/Cable.
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