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wireless laptop strut

DjArcadianDjArcadian 3,630 Posts
edited March 2007 in Strut Central
I need to find a wireless solution for a laptop. I'm a little naive on the topic. As I understand it we need to use a PCMIA card. I want to be able to hookup with Hotspots at Starbucks and would also need to connect wirelessly in remote areas. I understand I won't get coverage everywhere.Can anyone hip me up on this? Good providers (namely in the Berkeley/Oakland area) or what I should look out for.

  Comments

  • bthavbthav 1,538 Posts
    are you talking about the mobile wireless stuff ie cingular/sprint pcmi cards?

    i just saw a viao with built in broadband service. soulstrut on the bus n schitt
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,390 Posts
    I think you may be talking about two different things. There's wireless as in not having to be plugged into your modem router (i.e wireless within a 50 meter radius of a router, for Starbucks hotspots etc) and then there's being able to pick up the internet from wherever you are using the cellphone network. The second is not cheap and usually requires a big initial lay out for card or a monthly fee. I find it easier to use my mobile phone as a modem for my laptop when required.
  • DjArcadianDjArcadian 3,630 Posts
    are you talking about the mobile wireless stuff ie cingular/sprint pcmi cards?

    Exactly. It's business related so cost isn't as much a concern as service and reliability is.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    I need to find a wireless solution for a laptop. I'm a little naive on the topic. As I understand it we need to use a PCMIA card. I want to be able to hookup with Hotspots at Starbucks and would also need to connect wirelessly in remote areas. I understand I won't get coverage everywhere.

    Can anyone hip me up on this? Good providers (namely in the Berkeley/Oakland area) or what I should look out for.

    What kind of laptopo do you have, to begin with?
  • DjArcadianDjArcadian 3,630 Posts
    What kind of laptopo do you have, to begin with?

    Motion LE1600 Tablet PC

    http://reviews.cnet.com/Motion_LE1600_Pe...7-31391885.html
  • edulusedulus 421 Posts
    friend of mine has cingular one. works great in cities/urban areas, even the suburbs. but if you are tryin to hit up "remote areas" its shitty. even on the highway between philly/baltimore had trouble keepin a signal.

    i have no idea if that is cingular-related or just the facts at the moment.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    I think T-Moblie is your best shot if you're looking for where the most hot spots are since 1) Starbucks uses them and 2) many airports do too.
  • SnagglepusSnagglepus 1,756 Posts
    I'm able to access the internet, with my laptop, by using my Bluetooth phone. I use a MacBook Pro so I have no idea how Windows users sync up their computers with Bluetooth devices ... can't be too difficult. Anyway, I can always get a reliable (and reasonably fast) internet connection wherever my phone (Verizon) has a signal.

    I'm not sure how the service cost compares but, if you're only going to use it for short time here and there, it may cost less than getting an entire separate plan. Just a thought ... at least worth looking into.
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