Iphone with tether for internet sevice any users?

[mikelutestanski]

Hello:   Any users with the ifone and the internet laptop hookup option out there. I wonder if it is worth it.  And can it be used instead of an air card..   3g or 4g  tethering and stuff...  Is the internet sevice using the ifone usable for an older person?
     Seems like every one has their hands in my pocket nowadays..
   just trying to save some money and get the service I need.
   
    Regards   mike

[Ace]

If you don't already have an iphone then look at the HTC evo from Sprint. That's about all I ever use anymore at home, at work or while on the road! It's 3G and 4G capable IF and when it ever comes to my area. I have everything on it that I have on my laptop and MORE plus it's faster download times make it all in one for me! No tether needed unless you want to sync up and save data to save space. One thing IF you choose the EVO is buy the aftermarket battery for 70 bucks. The oem battery just plain sucks and the newer bigger one last a LOT longer between charges!
Many apps to choose from for work and fun also!

Ace

[rv_safetyman]

Mike, two issues.  First, the iPhone will not tether to the computer for internet connection.  It is capable, but AT&T does not permit.  Some folks have done what is called a "jailbreak" operation on the early software versions and have been able to connect.  I would think that AT&T would catch on pretty quick, but I have not heard of any effort to go after phones that have been "broken".  The latest software versions on the phone prevent tethering, but would guess that someone will break it soon.

The second issue is why?  I say that with tongue in cheek a bit, but the AT&T network is so overloaded that even 3G performance is a joke.  Certainly, if you want to do the jaibreak it would allow you to download email, but real surfing would be pretty frustrating in my opinion.

Jim

[mikelutestanski]

Hello:     ATT is offering the tether option with their latest offering. The sales girl actually told me about it.  The problem for me is does it work here at home..
     The cost is 39.95 for the phone service and 30.00 for the data service per month. the tether cable comes with it I think. The 4g phone is 199. but if I tie it to my homephone.  ATT  is the only  provider available here; it will be 149 for the phone. Possibly less 5 bucks for a bundle offer.  I have att and the home fone is 36 plus 13 for long distance plus dsl for 33  for a total of 83 or so per month. I dont have their cell fone. My tracfone cost is about 15 per month with usuage for travelling mostly. Cell service at home is spotty. i have a millenium aircard for road use and it is 60 per month and it works at home..  so total is 160..If I rely on the aircard the total is 140 because dsl is minus 33 but long distance goes up 10 net savings 22 bucks or grand total of 140 per month or so..
    Ifone + internet 70 per month + home fone is 60  total around  130 +/-  not much savings plus a 2 year commitment..
   So if I take the offer and cancel my dsl I have internet @ home and I can use the fone to pay bills if I can read the screen or use the tether....    All this is predicated on if it works..  THe savings  is not much but the big question is will it work .  Thats why I wonder if anyone is using the ifone and if the internet portion is worthwhile or worthless...   
    Much ado about nothing here I am trying to save a nickel and billions are lost in Iraq..
      Very good news my son-in-law came home from Irag this week   third tour and we are very proud and happy he is back
     Hope this makes sense if not well excuse the ramblings of an old man contemplating the sins  of the world.
        Regards   mike       

[artvonne]

  I bought a Palm Pre from Verizon, it came with free mobile hotspot. As long as I have a 3G signal I can connect up 5 wireless devices. This is all I use for internet coverage now. No phone line, no dsl, no satelite internet, no air card, just my smart phone.

[stevet903]

Jim's right about AT&T.  My girlfriend has an Iphone and I have Verizon - except for a very few places, I have always had better/stronger/faster/more reliable connections than her.  The downside is that the data plan is $59/mo for 5 GB for my aircard, plus a phone plan.  But you get what you pay for...

Steve

[PP]

I'm curious about the Palm Pre from Verizon. Is it a phone? Or just a hotspot and how much does it cost per month and are there limits to how much you can download? Tell me more, please 
Thanks, Will

[rv_safetyman]

Mike, I stand corrected.  Looks like AT&T made some pretty big changes in June.  I did some research and this is an interesting take on the changes:  http://theappleblog.com/2010/06/02/att-announces-iphone-tethering-cuts-price-and-quality-of-3g-service/

Looks like they have found a way to address the terrible bandwidth load that all of the iPhones and iPads have added to their network (plus all of the other smart phones on the network).

The 2 gig/month bandwidth limit could be an issue for some, but you can add more bandwidth $$$$$.

We needed a backup for the satellite, and chose a Verizon plan with a USB card that can accept an antenna.  We then network with a CradlePoint router (also used when we are on satellite).

At the house, our Verizon signal sucks and AT&T is not much better but good enough for phone calls.  I hook the Verizon card to the antenna at the house and we get reasonable bandwidth.  For your iPhone, you can use an antenna and amplifier with a broadcast repeater antenna.  They make these systems for both a house (receive and broadcast antennas must be separated by 30 feet as I recall) and RVs (no specification on separation).  

Wilson makes the most popular system for RVs.  I have the hard wire version of the Wilson antenna/amplifier and that works fine for the Verizon card, but no way to hook it to the iPhone.  I would like to change to the Wilson broadcast repeater antenna/amplifier system, but don't have the money.  I could use that system in the bus and at home and it would amplify both my iPhone and Verizon signal.  

The Wilson system is described at:  http://www.repeaterstore.com/products/repeaterkits/wilson/40db-vehicle-801201.html?gclid=CNfupaOZ6qMCFQsSbAodZgzD3w

Jim

[luvrbus]

Mike, my wife has the I Phone with the At&T data plan and she loves it.
I have Verizon just the phone part thanks to one of our friendly moderators here telling me how great it was,all summer I had to borrow her phone to make a call even to call him lol.
I think it all depends on the area with service of any of plans in the west AT&T to me has the best service Verizon, T Mobile and Sprint suck were I live.
I would try the AT&T plan using their 30 day plan all the phone co's rip you if they can

[artvonne]

I'm curious about the Palm Pre from Verizon. Is it a phone? Or just a hotspot and how much does it cost per month and are there limits to how much you can download? Tell me more, please 
Thanks, Will

  Its a smart phone. I can talk on it, google on it, has apps, and its a free mobile hotspot. I dont have to look for wifi, as long as I can pull in 3G, I can hotspot to the laptop. Verizon offers mobile hotspot coverage on all their smart phones, but the service is like $50 month. There were offering the free hotspot as a promotion, so dont now if its still available.

  It has a monthly download limit using the hotspot of 5 gigs, but ive used it hard and most ive hit is 1.5 gigs. Its not probably the greatest or hottest smart phone, but with free hotspot I didnt think I could beat it.

[Hcklbery]

What happened Jim is that the research in the WiFi technology produced a breakthrough 2 yrs ago and is called WiMax and is predominantly controlled by a company called Clearwire which has licensed to AT&T, Sprint and perhaps now Verizon but I don't know about Verizon but it would make sense. As you may know WiFi is very limited both in it's range (600 feet) between repeaters and it's data loads capability. WiMax however is a very substantial leap in both it's range (10 miles) AND data load capacity (in the Gigabytes per second range) but they wanted to find a way to capitalize on it and keep it from spreading like WiFi did which would reduce their profits on the new technology. So although your smart phones may still use cell frequency technology your so called 4&5G is nothing more than WiFi's second generation technology. BTW. What many don't know is that with the right AP Bridge every now current WiFi hotspot could in effect put the cell phone companies out of business practically within a years time. For if they all changed out their Router AP bridges to the WiMax (these AP Bridges are currently being produced by EnGeniustech.com) than the coverage area would easily encompass whole cities and with a phone designed to connect to any WiMax signal and the strongest one and using VOIP could make cell phone frequency technology obsolete overnight. Last year the major cell phone companies and the cell phone manufacturers along with clearwire execs met over a period of months within months after this WiMax technology break through to devise a plan to steer the repercussions of the breakthrough to their benefit rather that their extinction, which they rightly feared.
Their are numerous articles in the techie magazines on this very thing.
I personally give it 3 yrs at most 5 before this hits the fan and WiMax becomes the sword that the cell phone companies unwittingly fall on.
Clearwire is I think a very young Microsoft poised for great things.

Sorry to go so long but it is a very involved subject.
Hope this helps.
Eli.

Mike, I stand corrected.  Looks like AT&T made some pretty big changes in June.  I did some research and this is an interesting take on the changes:  http://theappleblog.com/2010/06/02/att-announces-iphone-tethering-cuts-price-and-quality-of-3g-service/

Looks like they have found a way to address the terrible bandwidth load that all of the iPhones and iPads have added to their network (plus all of the other smart phones on the network).

The 2 gig/month bandwidth limit could be an issue for some, but you can add more bandwidth $$$$$.

We needed a backup for the satellite, and chose a Verizon plan with a USB card that can accept an antenna.  We then network with a CradlePoint router (also used when we are on satellite).

At the house, our Verizon signal sucks and AT&T is not much better but good enough for phone calls.  I hook the Verizon card to the antenna at the house and we get reasonable bandwidth.  For your iPhone, you can use an antenna and amplifier with a broadcast repeater antenna.  They make these systems for both a house (receive and broadcast antennas must be separated by 30 feet as I recall) and RVs (no specification on separation). 

Wilson makes the most popular system for RVs.  I have the hard wire version of the Wilson antenna/amplifier and that works fine for the Verizon card, but no way to hook it to the iPhone.  I would like to change to the Wilson broadcast repeater antenna/amplifier system, but don't have the money.  I could use that system in the bus and at home and it would amplify both my iPhone and Verizon signal. 

The Wilson system is described at:  http://www.repeaterstore.com/products/repeaterkits/wilson/40db-vehicle-801201.html?gclid=CNfupaOZ6qMCFQsSbAodZgzD3w

Jim

[John316]

Okay, folks. I have a couple of comments too.

We are only on ATAT. Overall they have been pretty good. We all have Iphones here. However, I can say I probably have my last Iphone right now. Here is why.

I like the Android based phones better (at this point). As most of you know the Android (or just Droid) is a google software. My buddy has a Samsung Galaxy phone. It runs on an Droid platform, and it is great. Here is the biggest thing. It is ATAT, but if I remember correctly it has free tethering capabilities. So he can hook his phone up to the computer for no extra charge. However, the Iphone has an extra charge to do that.

The Samsung Galaxy also has a better user interface, IMHO. It has a clean feel (again this is coming from an Iphone user). Anyways, go to the store and play with both. Shoot, you should be able to spend a couple of hours in there, just playing with them, to see if you like either one.

Also, I know the cell phone store sales help. Usually they don't know much....FWIW

God bless,

John

[rv_safetyman]

Eli, thanks for the Clearwire info.  Prompted me to do some research.

It sure looks like the whole industry is really in a state of flux. 

Some folks think the AT&T move in June will push iPhone folks to explore other alternatives:  http://www.thestreet.com/story/10771930/att-metered-plan-good-for-rim-clearwire.html

Looks like Clearwire is going to need a whole bunch more capitol to make their plans a go and that means opening up to other companies besides Sprint:  http://ca.us.biz.yahoo.com/zacks/100902/39648.html?.v=1

Looks like the customer will benefit from all this technology.  Wonderful how competition works!!!

Jim

[Mex-Busnut]

Jim (rv_safetyman):

I was checking out that Wilson amplifier. Is there one that will allow more than one connection at a time?

[David Anderson]

Jim,

You're the 2nd person I've heard talk about the jailbreak routine and the fact that the newer hardware disallows the tethering option.  I have a friend who had an older generation Iphone and downloaded the jailbreak software (free) to tether his phone to his laptop.  He really likes it but did tell me it was not available on the new stuff. 

FWIW there is lots of discussion about the best over the road internet connection at the "fulltimers forum" at  www.escappees.com   This question gets asked constantly and rehashed over and over, and like posted above the technology changes overnight, so old advice may be obsolete.  Check it out.  It may help.

David