Us Pandorites, How Will You Mobile Internet?

[Prestidigitator]

So I'm aware of this thread
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/49551-2-questions-about-the-internet-connection/
I learned about some devices that might work with the Pandora if I wanted to receive internet OTA.

I'm wondering what exactly your ideas are for how your Pandora will get internet on the road.

Which carrier? A USB device, or cell phone tether? Which phone is inexpensive and will last a long time tethering? What's the plan that you have that allows tethering?

I've shopped around and...
Sprint's talk/text/data plans specifically say no tethering
Sprint's mobile broadband plan is $60 for 5 gigs!
Other carriers are (suspiciously) similarly priced
I'm undecided whether i want a full features smart phone which already has compromised battery life to tether
...or if I want a simple phone that may have a superior battery to tether

What are you plans? Your thoughts?

 

[mindlord]

If it's in your area, Ntelos apparently has the best deal on mobile broadband. It's about 40$ truely unlimited 1.5MB/s with a USB dongle that is linux compatible. My friend uses it with his Ubuntu laptop with zero issues. In fact it's faster under Linux than Windows. I'm probably going to use Ntelos, even though it would be a smidge cheaper to tether my AT&T phone and bundle.

 

[MonkeyChops]

I prefer Pandorian, just seems flow better.

I'll be tethering with my samsung i760 simply because I already own it and it will work via this program: http://www.wmwifirouter.com/

I use verizon because they have the best coverage in my area. I'm due for a new phone and I'm hoping that the pandora will take the place of my mobile internet needs so, I might just go for the cheapest phone I can get and go for a dongle + cheap plan if such a thing exists and works for the pandora in the states.

 

[Gary13579]

Got a lot of experience here, so I'll chime in.

I've tethered on Nextel/Sprint/T-Mobile, and have never been charged a dime (outside of normal data fees). Sprint does specifically say no tethering, and if caught they'll either charge you insane fees or attach the $30/month tethering plan on your account. Some phones can get around this, that's all specific to the phone (I had an LG Muziq at the time, all I had to do was disable DUN and I could tether fine). I assume some phones can't tether without the $30 plan.

(bah, forgot about this post for about 20 minutes. anyway...)

T-Mobile is iffy. Although they spout unlimited data, they monitor usage. At 5GB, they supposedly cut your speeds down a TON (slower then EDGE). I never had to do anything (other than root my phone) to use tethering on T-Mobile.
For T-Mobile 3G tethering, your best bets are HTC Dream (aka G1), HTC Magic (aka myTouch 3G (dumbest name ever)), or TM506 (http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/products/mobilephones/overview/tm506?lc=en&cc=us ).

If you're getting a data card specifically for Pandora, it's going to cost an arm and a leg, no matter what.

 

[Gary13579]

I prefer Pandorian, just seems flow better.

I'll be tethering with my samsung i760 simply because I already own it and it will work via this program: http://www.wmwifirouter.com/

I use verizon because they have the best coverage in my area. I'm due for a new phone and I'm hoping that the pandora will take the place of my mobile internet needs so, I might just go for the cheapest phone I can get and go for a dongle + cheap plan if such a thing exists and works for the pandora in the states.

Look into whether or not Verizon blocks VoIP. I use Google Voice + Gizmo + VoIP client to get unlimited free calls and SMS, has replaced my home phone and cell phone.

If VoIP works on Verizon's data, you could just get a VoIP client for Angstrom and be good to go . This has been my plan, tbh.

 

[MonkeyChops]

I've read that they do, but I don't remember where I read it and I don't have any first hand experience trying to do it. I know for a fact that its against their policy, everything is. I too have wondered if such a thing would work. I imagine that when you cut the voice from your phone plan and just did data, that would prob raise a pretty big red flag. You'd have to keep a few minutes a month.

 

[Gary13579]

If it's in your area, Ntelos apparently has the best deal on mobile broadband. It's about 40$ truely unlimited 1.5MB/s with a USB dongle that is linux compatible. My friend uses it with his Ubuntu laptop with zero issues. In fact it's faster under Linux than Windows. I'm probably going to use Ntelos, even though it would be a smidge cheaper to tether my AT&T phone and bundle.

I'm really curious, they say they offer net nationwide, but only sell to certain regions.

I'm guessing you only get service in regions where they have towers... but why are they saying it's nation wide?

 

[Dead1nside]

I'm planning on using my Nokia N82 on the Orange network to either tether and connect via Bluetooth (You can do this with NetworkManager on GNOME in the latest releases) or using the paid-for Joikuspot to work as an ad-hoc wireless access point.

I really hope they make tethering to a 3g phone easy.

 

[MonkeyChops]

@gary,
If they don't have their own towers, they just buy airtime from companies that do. perhaps they only own their own towers in those certain regions. My guess is their coverage would be pretty limited in a lot of areas.

 

[Gary13579]

I'm planning on using my Nokia N82 on the Orange network to either tether and connect via Bluetooth (You can do this with NetworkManager on GNOME in the latest releases) or using the paid-for Joikuspot to work as an ad-hoc wireless access point.

I really hope they make tethering to a 3g phone easy.

That is most likely up to the networking tools and window manager (not Pandora devs).

 

[wardred]

Probably won't bother with it unless I'm near a free hot spot myself.

 

[Gary13579]

@gary,
If they don't have their own towers, they just buy airtime from companies that do. perhaps they only own their own towers in those certain regions. My guess is their coverage would be pretty limited in a lot of areas.

From their website http://nteloswireless.com/mobilebroadband/

"nTelos Mobile Broadband works nationwide."

Yet it says it's only available for select regions. The cell phone pages only show regions for one state. I mean, really, is this nationwide or not? Most annoying website EVER.

 

[Tensuke]

Looks to me like you can only buy the service from Virginia/West Virginia, but you can use it anywhere? They're all CDMA/EVDO so I guess they piggyback off of Verizon/Sprint towers.

 

[Gary13579]

Looks to me like you can only buy the service from Virginia/West Virginia, but you can use it anywhere? They're all CDMA/EVDO so I guess they piggyback off of Verizon/Sprint towers.

I wonder I could order over the phone, or find someone who lives in those states to forward mail to me. The prices are dirt cheap, $10 data plans for prepaid service?

I wonder if the HTC Hero would work on it. CDMA all use the same frequencies, correct? And I know how to tether a Hero with them having no way of catching it.. hmm...

 

[kloplop321]

I don't have a phone, so I would go just wifi at home or where-ever.

 

[atomicthumbs]

 I have a Treo 700wx. It's a Verizon version, registered with PagePlus Cellular (a prepaid MVNO). One of the coolest things about them is that they've enabled QNC, which is a free (no data charges, no minutes used) 14.4kbps data service.

It's slow, but it's free and it's everywhere!

If I want something faster near my house I might homebrew something with radio modems or packet radio with amateur equipment.

 

[neko]

Looks to me like you can only buy the service from Virginia/West Virginia, but you can use it anywhere? They're all CDMA/EVDO so I guess they piggyback off of Verizon/Sprint towers.

If you're in one of the neighboring states (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland) you can sign up with mycricket.com instead. It's also CDMA/EVDO.

 

[Gary13579]

 I have a Treo 700wx. It's a Verizon version, registered with PagePlus Cellular (a prepaid MVNO). One of the coolest things about them is that they've enabled QNC, which is a free (no data charges, no minutes used) 14.4kbps data service.

It's slow, but it's free and it's everywhere!

If I want something faster near my house I might homebrew something with radio modems or packet radio with amateur equipment.

PagePlus says they charge ~$1 per mb on prepaid?
http://www.pagepluscellular.com/Plans/Standard%20Plan.aspx

 

[gadgetoid]

I'm currently using a Mifi 2352 mobile wireless router alongside my Nokia N810, but chances are I will switch to using a Nokia N900 for most of my mobile internet needs, swapping the SIM into the Mifi or a USB dongle when I need to use a laptop or tablet online.

I'm in the UK, but I'm pretty sure mobile routers are available in the US too. They're very handy if you have a large number of devices you wish to (easily) connect to the internet without having to worry about dongle compatibility.

They are also a bit of a pain in the behind to get fired up, boasting only about 4.5 hours of battery life (in the case of the MiFi 2352) and not being as instantly available as a native data connection on a phone, or tethering. But I still carry mine everywhere along with a spare battery or two and a travel charger.

They're excellent if you want internet in-car, as you can power them with a lighter socket -> USB adaptor and rock out to Slay Radio as you drive.

 

[berichandcreamy]

I"m going the mifi route myself. It's carried by Sprint and Verizon. If you poke around online retailers you can score one for free for a 2 year contract. No big difference between the two so just see what has the best service in you area.