Best Wireless Card for Working on the Road with Laptop?
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Anyone have experience using AT&T, Verizon or Sprint wireless internet cards for their laptop at climbing destinations? I can work from wherever, as long as I can get online with the laptop, and I'm trying to figure out how to get more flexibility than just hitting up coffee shops, libraries, etc. while on the road. |
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I have had very good luck with Verizion. |
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+1 for Verizon. |
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Verizon for sure! |
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Verizon has the best reception in the E Sierra. I get 3G coverage in Rovana when A&T doesn't ever register a signal. |
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Just upgrade to an Android operating system phone. Verizon/Sprint use the same type towers, so I recommend sprint w/ unlimited roaming. You'll get Verizon coverage w/ sprint prices. |
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Thanks for the feedback everyone. Looks like I won't have much reception in the Valley regardless of the carrier but Verizon is the best all around for reception while peformance is pretty much the same across the various networks. |
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Price wrote:You can tether to your computer and use the 4g/3g anywhere you have service.How does this work? I have the Motorola Droid, and I'm also paying for a wireless card. Does tethering the phone provide the same quality of access? |
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Not sure if this would be useful in addition to a cell card, but I've had good luck with an external wifi antenna: hfield.com/the-wi-fire/. Gives you a lot more options on where to sit when using open wifi hotspots. |
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I've had good luck as a telecommuter w/ a Sprint wireless card (just got the 3G/4G Sierra Aircard). |
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Thanks for the beta everyone. Summer Time, in regards to battery life, I'm not sure how the solar options stack up to one another but it seems like you need something to trickle charge another battery and then use that to run/supplement the laptop. For car camping you can always get away with a converter (inverter?) to charge the laptop that way. My laptop has a 6 - 8 hour battery so I've always been able to just charge in the car. Maybe a simple fix is 2 or 3 laptop batteries and the car charger? Maybe not but at least it would be redundant! |
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+1 Android based device. Root it and you will have a portable hot-spot... free. Just make sure you use flash a ROM like Cyanogen so you have free tethering. |
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Brigette wrote: How does this work? I have the Motorola Droid, and I'm also paying for a wireless card. Does tethering the phone provide the same quality of access?Yeah you will have mobile broadband. However, you need to "root" your phone and install some apps such as "super user" and "tether". You can also flash an aftermarket ROM that supports tethering like CyanogenMod. |
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You don't need to root your android device-- |
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Brigette wrote: How does this work? I have the Motorola Droid, and I'm also paying for a wireless card. Does tethering the phone provide the same quality of access?There are several ways to tether on Verizon with your Droid for free: 1) You can root your phone and put a custom ROM on it that can turn your phone into a WIFI Hotspot. This works well and doesn't require a cable. I use the Bugless Beast one: droidforums.net/forum/bugle… 2) Another option is a piece of software called PDANet that is an app on both your laptop and phone: junefabrics.com/android/ There are other types of software for it, but I found this one to work really well, and it's reasonably priced. 3) Pay Verizon an extra $30.00 a month. Personally, I don't like this one. |