Alternatives to cellular data services

[davmoo]

I currently have a Verizon Wireless data plan and card to use my laptop on the internet. Its pretty much for emergency only, when I absolutely *MUST* have net access from where ever I may be. I've not even used it in two months now. I've swallowed the expense for the last two years using the argument that if I need access for a client and there is no other way to give them immediate service, then its worth it. But in the current crappy economy its hard to justify $70 a month for something I haven't used now in two months. My contract expires the first week of May, and I'm trying to find cheaper alternatives.

It looks like Boingo (http://boingo.com/) has pretty good wi-fi hotspot coverage in the area I need it in, and I'm not opposed to sitting at Starbucks or McDonalds and drinking something while I work on the laptop. And $9.95 a month sure beats the hell out of $70 a month, especially if I may not use it for weeks at a time. Anybody here used Boingo any? Comments and opinions?

[tokenuser]

I currently have a Verizon Wireless data plan and card to use my laptop on the internet. Its pretty much for emergency only, when I absolutely *MUST* have net access from where ever I may be. I've not even used it in two months now. I've swallowed the expense for the last two years using the argument that if I need access for a client and there is no other way to give them immediate service, then its worth it. But in the current crappy economy its hard to justify $70 a month for something I haven't used now in two months. My contract expires the first week of May, and I'm trying to find cheaper alternatives.

It looks like Boingo (http://boingo.com/) has pretty good wi-fi hotspot coverage in the area I need it in, and I'm not opposed to sitting at Starbucks or McDonalds and drinking something while I work on the laptop. And $9.95 a month sure beats the hell out of $70 a month, especially if I may not use it for weeks at a time. Anybody here used Boingo any? Comments and opinions?I have a Verizon based Blackberry with a data plan and tethering option. If I need emergency internet access, I tether my Blackberry and use the EVDO broadband cellular service on my laptop. I think this is actually a far more cost effective solution than having a seperate data card for a phone plus a smartphone.

Might be worth considering.

[davmoo]

Things may be different with a Blackberry, but with my EnV2 if I go legit and buy a data package instead of just tethering on the sly (which I'm not even sure is still possible any more with Verizon) the tethering package is almost the same cost as using the data card...about $65 a month additional instead of $70.

I think I'm going to try Boingo for a couple of weeks and see what happens, and then I can decide what I want to do on the Verizon package.

[tokenuser]

Things may be different with a Blackberry, but with my EnV2 if I go legit and buy a data package instead of just tethering on the sly (which I'm not even sure is still possible any more with Verizon) the tethering package is almost the same cost as using the data card...about $65 a month additional instead of $70.

I think I'm going to try Boingo for a couple of weeks and see what happens, and then I can decide what I want to do on the Verizon package.I have done ad-hoc Boingo in the past while I was stuck in airports, but now I just use the crackberry.

I pissed off the Mac zealot beside me at the airport back in Jan when they were complaining about lack of connection on their Macbook with their iPhone ... meanwhile I tethered my BB Storm to my Macbook and was happily online. The tethering option, plus the really spotty ATT service, were wahat stopped me from going iPhone. The UI on the Storm is good, but not as good as the iPhone - but the coverage and tethering where far more important to me.

[revision3fan]

Use Jiwire.com to locate free Wi-Fi hotspots in the meantime.

Have you thought about the new T-mobile 3g or Sprint's Wi-Max.

[davmoo]

Have you thought about the new T-mobile 3g or Sprint's Wi-Max.

Yes I have. But given the sad state of the economy I'm trying to not lock myself in to a new contract.

[Murphy1d]

The UI on the Storm is good, but not as good as the iPhone - but the coverage and tethering where far more important to me.
So I see you ended up buying the Storm. I had mine for 3 weeks before I slipped and fell with it in my pocket, cracking the screen and making it unusable (and not insured).

I finally was able to get Verizon to agree to replace it (for a minor fee) since I've gone 4 months without the phone (they have no parts to repair it yet).

Is tethering a Storm one of the plans, or just a function I didn't read about?

[tokenuser]

So I see you ended up buying the Storm. I had mine for 3 weeks before I slipped and fell with it in my pocket, cracking the screen and making it unusable (and not insured).

I finally was able to get Verizon to agree to replace it (for a minor fee) since I've gone 4 months without the phone (they have no parts to repair it yet).

Is tethering a Storm one of the plans, or just a function I didn't read about?Tethering will cost you an extra $10 on top of you regular data plan.
Once done though, in conjunction with the Verizon Access Manager app (on Windows or OSX - but you need to "trick" it with a different phone selection on OSX), you can dial out and use the Storm as is it were a regular EVDO modem. I use it on both a MB and a HP Laptop running XP and it is awesome.

There are hacks out there that let you by pass the tethering option and use bluetooth, but that kinda defeats the purpose ... with BT becoming the slowest part of the pipe and throttling back your connection speed.