Air Card? Wireless Internet on the road?

[ptbeads]

Does anyone have an aircard for their laptop? Do most work on minutes, amount of info transferred, etc? I'm not sure where to get started on this. I know I can get one from cell phone carriers, but are there other companies that have them also?
Any tips?

[collectiblesbyrose]

Sounds like science fiction to me. You want to work on a laptop and not be plugged into anything? Didn't know it was possible, I'll be looking for responses to your post.

[Kevan]

Oh sure. I just got a laptop a couple of weeks ago. You can find hotspots all over the place and get on for free. Most hotels have wireless. You can actually sit in the parking lot of any motel and surf. lol

T Mobile is in most Starbucks and many other coffee places. You have to sign up and pay. I think the cards go on minutes of usage.

You can drive around towns with your laptop on and it will tell you when you are picking up internet.

[Silver Mist Studios]

No what she is talking about is expresscard. They have not officially been released by any providers yet.

Almost all notebooks come with a wireless card, thus in comes the hot spots or needing a router in your home.

But the expresscard is basically where your notebook works anywhere a cell phone signal works. They will be sold through major cell phone providers. My understanding the card itself will run $300-$400. Then you will have to pay monthly as you do your cell phone. This will allow you to use your notebook virtually anywhere.

My understanding is they are to be released within the next few months. But you will have to have a notebook with an express card slot, which most newer laptops will have.

[Kevan]

From what I understand if you have a cell phone you can get prepaid wireless access.

http://www.budgetdialup.com/prepaid-wireless-internet.htm

[Silver Mist Studios]

That is dial up. The expresscard will be high speed internet connection.

[collectiblesbyrose]

Well, what will they think of next?!?! Showing my age with that statement. Seriously, that is wild. I see people in Starbucks with laptops and just figured they were plugged into the wall or are not connected at all. I'm so old I remember the time before cell phones, the first ones were huge.

[yeepers]

Many wireless providers offer this service. Check out Sprint and look under connection cards. You pay for a monthly plan just like you would a cellphone and it works by kilobytes used instead of airtime minutes used.

Cingular has wireless cards as well.

I think the reason these are offered predominantly through cell companies is that the service piggybacks on the cellphone network.

Cheers!

-Yee

[ptbeads]

I use US Cellular and the card is $99.00 and then $60 per month. They told me that it works MOST places and that they guarantee dial up speed! :jawdrop: I will have to look up this expresscard because I don't want to have to do my work on dial up speed. I do have a regular wireless card so at most hotels, etc I can get online. I just want something that is available when we are on the road and not near a hotel.

Thanks for the tips.

[Joanne Owsley]

I use Sprint and just upgraded to the EDVO card. I can get broadband speed where it is available. When I'm out in the boonies (where a lot of our sites are) I get dial up speeds.
It's a plan that's paid monthly, just like my cell phone.

[ptbeads]

Joanne, is Sprint your cell phone carrier also? I think I might be stuck paying a ton of $$ for this thing if I don't use my current cell service. I was hoping I could shop around a little, but I keep seeing something about the price quoted with cellular service.

[Silver Mist Studios]

Yes the expresscard not officially released yet, my understanding is most air cards or mobile wireless require connection to cell phone to be used as a modem. Also the expresscard will expand many other options also.

http://www.expresscard.org/web/site/

[yeepers]

Dianna,

Looking at Sprint the cost to you would be $50 to buy the card and a monthly fee of either $40 or $80 depending on whether you go with a limited or unlimited data plan. You would also have to commit to a 2-yr agreement.

[yeepers]

Through Cingular you can get a refurbed card for $0.00. The montly plan rates vary from $60-$100 and you have to get a 2-yr contract.

[yeepers]

T-Mobile has a card for $150. The monthly plan fee is $49 and I think it's also a 2-yr contract.

[Sharon Abood]

My DH works for Verizon and has had an aircard for quite a long time. It works reall well. Since he works for the company he doesn't pay for it so I don't know how much it costs, but I know that lots of vendors use them and hook up with their computers and phones to do credit cards while in remote locations.