wireless net access for laptop

Map Monkey · Post by **Map Monkey** » 28 January 06 8:27 pm

With all this travelling we will be doing, now is the time to ask the questions....

What are the options for remote net access from a laptop?

I have heard of aircards and services provided by Telstra. Has anyone got one of these suckers and can elaborate on their effectiveness. Please be aware we only have dialup at the moment, so anything is better!!

Are there any other providers of a similar service and what are their coverage outside major population centres like.

If anyone uses this setup in Vic, we would love to pop in and check it out firsthand if you don't mind..

Agsmky

ZED! · Post by **ZED!** » 28 January 06 8:31 pm

While I was over that way I was using a CDMA modem that plugs into the USB port that I borrowed off BelKen, anywhere where there is CDMA Network coverage, you have internet access, something you could look into.

Fairly Magic · Post by **Fairly Magic** » 28 January 06 8:49 pm

HI

I have a card from Vodafone, uses GPRS network. Works well. $50 pm unlimited. About 56k.

Cheers Quilter

Aushiker · Post by **Aushiker** » 28 January 06 11:25 pm

nobodyZ wrote:While I was over that way I was using a CDMA modem that plugs into the USB port that I borrowed off BelKen, anywhere where there is CDMA Network coverage, you have internet access, something you could look into.

What was the speed/cost like? I have a CDMA phone but wonder if the transmision speed makes it too costly.

Andrew

belken · Post by **belken** » 29 January 06 10:38 am

The MiniMax from Telstra is $50.00 per month for 20 hrs per month on a 24 month plan. Speed is 256kbps most times. Sometimes slower sometimes you get bursts of high speed. Turn off pictures avatars etc.

The timer is in 15 minute slots. So if you dial up and drop out in 3 minutes you have used 15. On our travels we time it to the second to make the most of the available time.

Go over the 20 hrs and the costs start to soar at $2 for every 15 minutes.

To log caches we use GSAK to write all the logs, Log in then cut and paste.

Typically as we were driving we had PQ's being generated daily for the states we were in. When we were within CDMA range of a town (typically) 15 kilometres out Bel would fire up the laptop and log in. Send/Receive the mail. Log any caches. HAve a quick peruse of the forums. Typically the last thing we did was list the logs on GCA. Then log off all on a 15 minute timer. By that time we would be driving out the other side of the town. Once the logs are downloaded you can peruse at your leisure to see what people had been doing.

Damo. · Post by **Damo.** » 29 January 06 2:30 pm

That's impressive belken. Sounds like you have your setup pretty finely tuned!

TeamBeanDare · Post by **TeamBeanDare** » 29 January 06 5:11 pm

The timer is in 15 minute slots. So if you dial up and drop out in 3 minutes you have used 15. On our travels we time it to the second to make the most of the available time.

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This time has just (this week) been changed to 5min blocks. My brother uses one of these regularly in his work and the kids use it when they are stuck on a cache.