3G and Wi-Fi

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Mattkujata, Oct 28, 2010.

  1. Romans612

    Romans612 Light Load Member

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    Jul 6, 2010
    Dallas Texas
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    nope.... there are a few of us around... lol.

    gotta remember though,... McDonalds ARE everywhere... but you arent parking a 4 wheeler anymore...lol.:biggrin_25523:

    the virgin mobile sounds VERY promising though.,..gotta look into that
     
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  3. Mattkujata

    Mattkujata Medium Load Member

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    Oct 25, 2010
    Ohio
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    I'll definitely check out Virgin, thanks for the info High Desert Dweller.
     
  4. oknavy

    oknavy Light Load Member

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    Sep 29, 2010
    Oklahoma
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    you might look in to boingo, there all over hotels, fast food, motels, and such, there around $10/mo (wifi) Also you can try to cheat the system a little by using a blackberry as a modem since it would use the phones data plan. You'll have to check with the companys themselves though to see what phones work and to make sure you get the right cables.

    BTW there is a thread on here talking about WOW
     
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  5. Mattkujata

    Mattkujata Medium Load Member

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    Oct 25, 2010
    Ohio
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    Wow! Gaming and trucking can co-exist peacefully!? Well, not really co-exist, fighting monsters while fighting traffic can't end up well. :biggrin_255:

    Thanks for the heads up about boingo, will have a look-see.
     
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  6. kdryan

    kdryan A Pleasant Fellow

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    Nov 22, 2005
    Indiana
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    You know if you have a 3g or 4g phone like a 'Droid or an iPhone you can usually use it for a Wi-Fi hot spot, right? Screw paying Flying J. Failing that, most cell phone carriers offer some kind of dongle for broadband use. If you can deal with slower speeds, you can tether most any phone...
     
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  7. orion3814

    orion3814 Medium Load Member

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    Dec 31, 2008
    tulsa, ok
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    have an evo hotspot and go woo hoo lol theres only been a few places i didnt have svc like the tippy top of maine on the 95 lol usually the most remote places u wont have svc but im not complaining setting on the lappy playing at a walmart dc in va now hahahah
     
  8. oknavy

    oknavy Light Load Member

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    Sep 29, 2010
    Oklahoma
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    You mean Wallyworld is good for something other then a laugh??
     
  9. brinkj23

    brinkj23 "Asphalt Cowboy"

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    Minnesota
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    I had verizon when I was otr. Had a smart 3g phone that I used as a modem, or you could get a usb modem just for internet. My plan was $110 a month which was unlimited text, 500 nationwide never roaming minutes, and unlimited data. They also have a $30 data which is unlimited data. Verizon was pretty good for 3g coverage and have gotten better in the last year, only time I never had 3g or atleast enough coverage was when I was in the middle of bfe.
     
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  10. Ranger_309

    Ranger_309 Medium Load Member

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    Sep 26, 2010
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    4G is a joke. Most major cities still dont have 4G, forget about the smaller ones. They wont have 4G widely for three years at the least, so hold on to your 3G and save the money. lots of these new 4G phones are buggy as hell and expensive too. I'd rather have lots longer battery life myself.
     
  11. Nootherids

    Nootherids Light Load Member

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    Oct 28, 2010
    Woodbridge, VA
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    I wouldn't recommend going the route of the annual contract for the truck stops cause what are you gonna do when you're waiting at the dock or your waiting for a tire repair to come out to you? It'll just be wasted money then.

    I used to have a dedicated laptop card through AT&T with an unlimited plan. My mom still uses her laptop with a USB Stick through Verizon. Some points to note about 3G service for your laptop...1) There is no one better provider than the other. You will be one place where AT&T sucks while Verizon is perfect, and then you'll go somewhere else and it'll be the exact opposite. For example, in the Carolinas you can expect your AT&T signal to fade but Verizon will be blazing fast because Verizon has that market covered (they have headquarters there). But in areas of Florida your Verizon signal will be pathetic while AT&T is solid. 2) Even if your get a plan that says "unlimited" be aware that there is an undisclosed cap on the definition of unlimited. For the most part, it is about 5GB although not always enforced. Regardless, all providers give you online access to real time data usage. You'll be surprised how little web data you actually use. 3) If possible, get a laptop CARD instead of a USB modem. USB uses the computer's processor while most cards utilize their own tiny internal processor. Most people won't notice but if you plan to use games that require low lag then you'll notice the difference.

    Lately I just use my Jailbroken iPhone to act as a wireless bridge between my laptop on the AT&T 3G network. I have actually been able to test at 2+ Mbs so it definitely transfers at full speed. The only problem is that you would be using on the phone both the WiFi and 3G antennas at full force, while at the same time you are charging the phone. This can cause a great level of heat in the internal components which could shorten the life of your phone, at least on the older ones like my iPhone 3G (my GPS antenna is not being very friendly to me anymore).

    I'm planning on just reactivating my AT&T card very soon so I can do all over the internet stuff I need to do while on the road. And yes, using a full speed 3G you CAN make Skype phone calls and even video calls.
     
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