vB Easy Archive - Cingular As ISP? Trying to decide whether to ditch DSL and get a 3G card

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Cingular As ISP? Trying to decide whether to ditch DSL and get a 3G card
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Posted by: StattlichPassat

I'm moving at the end of next month and have a dual opportunity to renew and transfer my AT&T/Yahoo! DSL service (3Mbit pkg), or snag an unlimited data package for $49.99 on my ERP to use with a Novatel 3G PC card. I know the upload sucks, but all I really do is basic Internet browsing. Nothing bandwidth intensive (just streaming XM radio, occassional web development and uploading small files to an FTP server).

I have a NAS server running in my closet on WiFi and I'm thinking I'll still keep a WiFi network going in my apartment, but that box doesn't need to be on the Internet like it is now. So the WiFi LAN wouldn't have an Internet connection at all... hrmm. Am I off my rocker to be thinking this drastically this early? I may be, but as soon as these upload speeds get better, I think it's inevitable that wireless carriers like Cingular are going to start turning into Internet Service Providers as well.

Posted by: celltechy

I dont know if it is worth it if you dont travel a lot. Those cards are really designed for people on the go who cant always count on wifi and are out of their homes/apts a LOT. Wireless internet on the go is indespensible for a true business-person

Posted by: dchaney297

I've got one and I love it.

My employer has pretty much stopped all personal Internet use on company computers and I have a need (and desire) to have Internet access thoughout the day so I invested in one. Yes it's a little pricey but I can justify the expense plus it's a tax write-off.

In my office I average between 1 and 2 bars of "3G" but with even that weak of a signal download speeds average well over 100kbs.

Good luck!!

David

Posted by: KikoKazuma

Well, Cingular is an ISP. However as celltechy said, I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't on the move; download/upload speeds is nothing compared to dsl/cable speeds through wifi. It isn't a good replacement as a primary internet connection. So yea, I'd definitely wait it out, but if you find that you need the net on the go, get one of the cards.

Posted by: StattlichPassat

Yeah, not travelling much if at all. I'm fortunate enough that anywhere I go, I have an open WiFi hotspot to work off of, so it probably wouldn't make much sense right now. But I can't wait for the day when it really does!