Do aircards work while driving?

[allan5oh]

Do aircards work while driving? What do you guys use? Any complaints?

New requirements at the border pretty much make it necessary for me to have means of faxing items any time/any where. Also, the boss would really like to be able to access the internet while I'm driving.

[tootie04]

Yep, We have the sprint broadband card and I LOVE it. I am on the internet alot while hubby is driving.

Do a search on faxing from the truck there is a good thread I started about that too.

tootie

[GMAN]

The short answer is that the air cards work while driving. However, I hope you won't drive while getting on the Internet. I use Sprint and it works fairly well. If you have a cell phone signal, you should have a signal for your air card, since they operate on the same towers.

[jnk2001]

The short answer is that the air cards work while driving. However, I hope you won't drive while getting on the Internet. I use Sprint and it works fairly well. If you have a cell phone signal, you should have a signal for your air card, since they operate on the same towers.

Never had an aircard, is it very fast? I have a cable modem and really spoiled on how fast it is..

[devildice]

The short answer is that the air cards work while driving. However, I hope you won't drive while getting on the Internet. I use Sprint and it works fairly well. If you have a cell phone signal, you should have a signal for your air card, since they operate on the same towers.

Never had an aircard, is it very fast? I have a cable modem and really spoiled on how fast it is..

they are not as fast as cable.....more like dial-up speeds

[tootie04]

Our Sprint broadband card is MUCH faster than dial-up. In fact we have discontinued cable modem at the house in favor of the broadband card.

tootie

[emerlin]

The short answer is that the air cards work while driving. However, I hope you won't drive while getting on the Internet. I use Sprint and it works fairly well. If you have a cell phone signal, you should have a signal for your air card, since they operate on the same towers.

Never had an aircard, is it very fast? I have a cable modem and really spoiled on how fast it is..

they are not as fast as cable.....more like dial-up speeds

Depends on your signal. At our main terminal I was getting Internet when I couldn't use my cell, but it was slow. Today, in Spokane, it's about as fast as my cable modem at home.

I'm on Verizon, BTW.

[GMAN]

My first Sprint air card was about as fast as dial up. The new one I have seems about as fast as DSL. Much of the speed depends on where I am. If there is a lot of traffic it can slow the speed down somewhat. The air cards are much faster than WiFi you find at many of the truck stops.

[Orangetxguy]

What is the monthly cost of an aircard??

[BanditsCousin]

Usually around 59/mo, depending on your service. i think verizon is around 70/mo.

Of course, they try to get you to buy a 250$ card first, but theres a lot of rebates out there.

[Orangetxguy]

Thanks

[serbie]

I can only speak for cingular's air card service

Cost of service without voice plan $79.00
Cost of service with voice plan $59.00

Speed varies depending where your using it. Most if not all of the cards they sell now support edge.(a type of technology they use) And all if I'm not mistaken, support their 3G service. The 3g service is limited to major city's across the country. When You do hit a 3g network, you'll notice broadband speeds. I'll avg speeds of .8 MBs to 1.5 MBs while connected to a 3g network. Very fast considering your connecting to the Internet via a data card

Most times than not you'll be browsing while connected via Edge. With full signal, you should be able to surf 2-3 faster than dial up. Either way, the ability to connect no matter what speed it is, where ever you have signal far out wieghs the price, and speed.

To answer your original question, yes, you can stay connected while moving. As long as you have signal in the area your traveling in. I will sometime leave it connected while I'm moving to download large files.

Everyone has a their favorite. Cingular works for me in the area I drive in(New England Region) Sprint & Verizon are the other major carriers that Offer this type of service.

[btinc]

Learn all you want about aircards

www.evdoforums.com

[GMAN]

I pay Sprint about $59 plus sales tax for unlimited usage. Sprint sometimes will give the air cards out for FREE or have a significant rebate if you sign a 2 year contract. T-Mobile seems to have the slowest air cards. I think Verizon or Sprint has the fastest cards. Of course, those statistics are subject to change at any time.

[tootie04]

I agree with GMAN, but remember sprint is unlimited and verizon is not. So keep that in mind.

tootie

[serbie]

I agree with GMAN, but remember sprint is unlimited and verizon is not. So keep that in mind.

tootie

I remember Verizon and sprint both having restrictions on the type of downloading, and streaming data. IE: Watching on-line media, using the connection to broadcast a web cam etc. Not sure if they have changed their TOS or not.

Cingular has a restriction similar to that. No large files and such. I normally don't stream media, and have no ongoing need to download large files on an everyday basis. Just every once in a while. I haven't been talked to about my bandwidth use-age for the 7 or so months I've used it. Though I've had friends who have had their data cards shut off for violating those TOS.

Meaning they were using the connection to use IM CAMS and stream online video, music, and using p2p sharing services.

[CADMANDO]

...I hope you won't drive while getting on the Internet...

Much of the speed depends on where I am. If there is a lot of traffic it can slow the speed down somewhat.

hey gman, by "traffic" i hope you mean traffic on the superhighway not THE highway :wink:

I agree with GMAN, but remember sprint is unlimited and verizon is not. So keep that in mind.

tootie

i have unlimited mobile broadband with verizon for $59 (would be $79 if i didnt also have cellular service thru them)

verizon's network speed is pretty good, especially when near the larger cities, sometimes even faster than my cable modem at home.

sometimes i can use verizon internet where i cant use my verizon cell - dont know why that is...

works fine listening to internet radio, downloading, etc while going down the highway, just cant change channels while i'm moving.

[serbie]

sometimes i can use verizon internet where i cant use my verizon cell - dont know why that is...

Data services require less of a signal to transfer data. Where voice requires more signal to process a call. You'll notice sometimes you'll get a text in an area you know you couldn't make a voice call. Same thing.

[CADMANDO]

sometimes i can use verizon internet where i cant use my verizon cell - dont know why that is...

Data services require less of a signal to transfer data. Where voice requires more signal to process a call. You'll notice sometimes you'll get a text in an area you know you couldn't make a voice call. Same thing.

thanks serbie, that sounds logical to me, always wondered about that...

btw, i'm just outside altanta right now and dslreports.com says i'm averaging a little over 400 Kbps 8)

Use www.2wire.com for your speed test. Very simple and fast to come up. Verizon has an agreement with many other cell companies to provide internet connectivity when your Verizon cell phone doesn't work. I was in Vernal Utah and messed up my connection and couldn't remember the password. I called Verizon and they gave me my password and said there is no coverage in Vernal UT. They also said I must have been using an unprotected cell provider.