Mobile Internet

[DrCJBoduma]

I really like the idea of using my pandora to browse the internet, check emails etc when I'm out and about. Then I suddenly realised I have no idea how I am going to achieve this.

I have read with interest in this topic an idea to connect to the internet on the move, but it no longer seems possible.

So I was just wondering how most people are going to be surfing the web on the go.

Thanks

Chris

 

[benjymous]

So I was just wondering how most people are going to be surfing the web on the go.

You can either bond to a 3G mobile over bluetooth (which may need some trickery on your phone, and may annoy your phone provider), or you can use a 3G "wireless broadband" dongle connected over USB.

You'll also be able to hook into any free wifi access points

Once people start receiving their Pandoras, there are bound to be plenty of howtos describing what to do, and what hardware is compatible.

 

[joseluisjazz]

Wifi when possible.

When there's not coverage, then tethering. I just learned this week how to use a nokia S60 phone as an external modem in linux, both via USB and via bluetooth. That's one of the first things I'm gonna configure when Pandora arrives.

 

[DynaMight]

S60 phone + joikuspot = win.

 

[Trip]

Free WiFi at McDonald's

 

[mcqfesijiba2]

Blackberrys can be used as external modems via bluetooth. EDGE can be kinda slow, but it's better than nothing when I will need it. Will use Wifi whenever possible though.

 

[Username]

Blackberrys can be used as external modems via bluetooth. EDGE can be kinda slow, but it's better than nothing when I will need it. Will use Wifi whenever possible though.

But isn't bluetooth slower?

 

[benjymous]

But isn't bluetooth slower?

According to Wikipedia, bluetooth is capable of about 1 megabyte/s (Mb/s)

Most UK 3G seems to run at between 3.6megabits/s (Mbit/s) to 7.2Mbit/s ( == 0.4 Mb/s - 0.9 Mb/s ) (link)

Obviously those are all theoretical maximums, so it's likely to be somewhat slower, but still BT's max is around the same as the current "best" mobile broadband you can get (in the UK, anyway)

 

[aq21]

But isn't bluetooth slower?

According to Wikipedia, bluetooth is capable of about 1 megabyte/s (Mb/s)

Most UK 3G seems to run at between 3.6megabits/s (Mbit/s) to 7.2Mbit/s ( == 0.4 Mb/s - 0.9 Mb/s ) (link)

Obviously those are all theoretical maximums, so it's likely to be somewhat slower, but still BT's max is around the same as the current "best" mobile broadband you can get (in the UK, anyway)


Your numbers are a bit off.

BT 1.0 is up to about 1 Mbit/s.

BT 2.0 + EDR (which is the version used in any HSPA phone) is up to about 2 Mbit/s.

Assuming the Pandora BT is capable of EDR, this is slower than even the theoretical HSDPA rate, but in practice (at least from my experience using either a laptop or a Nokia N800/N810), bluetooth is never the bottleneck.

About the suggestion to use a USB modem, I am not sure it is practical. Does the Pandora USB host port provide 500mA? Even if it does, how long will the battery hold?

 

[Tom`]

Maybe I'm completely off-base here, but... I don't have a data plan (way too expensive here) so I can't use any of these options. However... there used to be free dialup services around - would it be possible to use a phone as a dialup modem, without being charged any more than for regular phone service?

 

[aq21]

Maybe I'm completely off-base here, but... I don't have a data plan (way too expensive here) so I can't use any of these options. However... there used to be free dialup services around - would it be possible to use a phone as a dialup modem, without being charged any more than for regular phone service?

Theoretically, it is possible. I remember doing exactly this with a Nokia 5110 phone, but I don't know if current phones are still capable of acting as analog modems. You should also remember that your voice data gets at best 12Kbit/s, so with the digital->analog->digital->analog->digital conversions, you can not expect more than a handful of Kbit/s.

 

[Etinin]

HSPDA phone + bluetooth tethering is the way to go (with a data plan of course).

 

[atomicthumbs]

Packet radio.

 

[devhace]

Wifi where able. But unless you're in a car or something it's really hard to be around a place that doesn't have access to it.

 

[Tor]

Maybe I'm completely off-base here, but... I don't have a data plan (way too expensive here) so I can't use any of these options. However... there used to be free dialup services around - would it be possible to use a phone as a dialup modem, without being charged any more than for regular phone service?

This exact question came up on InternetTabletTalk.com (the Nokia iT forum), from someone in a location without wi-fi or even mobile coverage.
It came out from the discussion that there isn't much support for dialup internet anymore, although it's not entirely gone.
Some interesting things came out of that discussion - apparently there are modems with BT interfaces, and/or wi-fi interfaces available. With that you could do dialup internet easily, if there's ISP support in your area.
E.g. http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=985332

But you may want to look at those threads yourself:
http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&...ttablettalk.com

 

[timofonic]

Here in Spain we have flat rates when contracting ADSL for calling land phones. I'm not sure if your country has that, but if it has you could make a very interesting thing...

An interesting solution is having a computer connected to both broadband and having a land line modem, then that computer can use FreeSWITCH for making a small server (it's multiplatform, so no problem if you don't use Linux even if recommended for all the networking stuff). You call the computer line and do a knock door method for identify ( a certain number of dial tones, then cutting and doing a certain number of dial tones too...) and the computer calls you. Then you negotiate all the password thing and such

 

[joa]

Wifi only for me, It's on our buses, at work, at home. And You can usually pickup the Uni wifi in town.

Only time really i won't have wifi is cycling to/from work. But then i'm cycling so can't use my pandora, right?

That just in my normal routine though, if i'm off out somewhere and have no internet i'll play some games, and it's just too bad.

 

[Tom`]

This exact question came up on InternetTabletTalk.com (the Nokia iT forum), from someone in a location without wi-fi or even mobile coverage.
It came out from the discussion that there isn't much support for dialup internet anymore, although it's not entirely gone.
Some interesting things came out of that discussion - apparently there are modems with BT interfaces, and/or wi-fi interfaces available. With that you could do dialup internet easily, if there's ISP support in your area.

interesting, I guess it depends on the mobile phone provider? I don't know how useful one of those modems would be, since it seems you still need a phone line to use it.

 

[Tor]

For me it'll be wi-fi almost everywhere. The few places (and they are rare, in a town at least) where I can't reach a free access point I'll use BT to 3G via my phone, works beautifully with my Nokia iT.

However, there are a few countries in Europe where there aren't, in practice, any free wi-fi due to crippled local laws (e.g. all wi-fi users have to be registered, etc.). And there I can't really use 3G either due to the horrible data roaming charges currently in place in Europe. In other words, I'll be offline there (e.g. Germany, at least that's how it worked the last time I was there).

 

[valhalla]

However, there are a few countries in Europe where there aren't, in practice, any free wi-fi due to crippled local laws (e.g. all wi-fi users have to be registered, etc.). And there I can't really use 3G either due to the horrible data roaming charges currently in place in Europe. In other words, I'll be offline there (e.g. Germany, at least that's how it worked the last time I was there).

In Italy (one of those crippled places) it shouldn't be hard to buy a prepaid phone card with some semi-flat data plan that allows tethering and is probably going to be cheaper than using 3G in data roaming. You could expect to pay between 10 and 20 euros / month for the data plan, but you may have to pay up to 50 euro in advance (most of which will be available for calls/sms/etc.) to get the sim. You will also have to show some id to be registered, because of some crippled law like the one on wifi.

Of course it is probably worth only if you're staying for some time, not for a quick holiday.