Anywhere Internet Access On a Mac

Can anyone tell me the best ( and fastest ) way to get online from anywhere I travel with my MacBook laptop since it does not have a card slot?

Maybe a USB access?

LMK,
Bernard

What cell phone service do you have? I know for a fact AT&T has a USB cellular card, and I'm guessing some of the others might as well.

Hey Kash, Thanks that was fast...I have the iPhone using AT&T?

You have two options, you can either tether your iPhone to your Mac, or you can purchase that USB thing. Keep in mind, however, that the USB card will require a separate data plan.

However, I'm not sure whether you can simply take the SIM card out of your iPhone and throw it in the USB card, thereby bypassing the need for another data plan.

Whoa, this is getting interesting....didn't want to mess with the iPhone but if this saves $ then I'm on board with it. Will look into this further.

thanks,
Bernard

Just in case this makes a third option:

My cell is with AT&T but my DSL service plan is with Verizon. My wife and Daughter both have Verizon cells...confusing I know but would I still need a seperate data plan if I get say, my daugther to get that USB thingy for my Mac?

Then I could leave the iPhone alone?

Just checked Verizon's website and it looks like there are several USB wireless cards.

So yes, you could do that with Verizon as well.

Bernard Mac said:

Just in case this makes a third option:

My cell is with AT&T but my DSL service plan is with Verizon. My wife and Daughter both have Verizon cells...confusing I know but would I still need a seperate data plan if I get say, my daugther to get that USB thingy for my

Click to expand...

Regardless of carrier, there are essentially two options. Tether your cell phone (slow) or buy a "data plan" and get a USB-based data antenna (fast). I have Verizon data service with a Novatel Express Card.

Cell phone service with Verizon permits you to sign up for a $59 / month data service plan ($79 without cell phone). That, plus a two-year commitment and you can get a USB data card for free or under $100. Don't buy the card from Verizon, sign up through http://www.evdoforums.com/ to save money.

With Verizon and the cell phone alone, you can "tether" to the Mac (like using a modem) and get slow data service. This uses prime time minutes, regardless of when you connect. Data rate is around 120kbps.

A well known secret is that Sprint offers "Friends and Family" data service for $50 / month. Anyone can sign up. Some prefer the Sprint plan due to unlimited data download, Verizon is theoretically capped at 5GB / month, but many people have exceeded this.

As a company, Sprint's in poor shape. But their technology is solid and the word on the street is that they are working on rolling out next generation data service (WiMAX) at a more aggressive rate than Verizon.

Yet another option is AT&T's data card service. But I think I've confused you enough for now!

Robert

Kash,
Thanks for all the tips!

Boberinicus,
Not confused because your explaino skills are good! I can see I have allot more options than I thought.

I already love the Mac and now I can say this forum is just as kool!

Not sure I can say this on here so if I can't let me know....


but just google teathering your iphone to you laptop...

I just wanted to point out that tethering your iPhone is not officially sanctioned and requires jailbreaking your iPhone and installing a 3rd party app, so it might not be the most reliable of solutions...

Plus, it's really annoying to do, not to mention rather slow since you'll be using EDGE.

Aptmunich said:

I just wanted to point out that tethering your iPhone is not officially sanctioned and requires jailbreaking your iPhone and installing a 3rd party app, so it might not be the most reliable of solutions...

Click to expand...

I did not know that sorry for the confusion.

Tethering the iPhone is going to be unbearably slow and require a fair amount of hacking.

My company has experimented with several of the USB cards and services from Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T. In Florida, we have found Verizon to be the fastest and most reliable. Typically these plans cost around $50 a month.

If you're not sure how you will like the service, I believe most of them offer a 14 day trial period. You can sign up and return the USB card and cancel the service within 14 days no questions asked.

You could also consider public WiFi. It's to be found all over the place in most cities. In rural areas, you're out of luck, but any wireless service can be iffy in the country. Public libraries, Panera Bread bakeries, most new McDonald's all have free WiFi. Starbucks has a pay service that isn't super cheap, but if you're in a major city in the US, there's one closeby, no matter where you are.

I've been using a Broadband card from Sprint for a year and a half now. It's a Novatel card that is USB. I get just under 1.5MB download with it and I can even share the connection with my iPhone through my MacBook and MBP via Leopard. Most broadband cards require a two year contract, mine has six months left. I have no pland on cancelling mine, it works that well. I have even been able to connect in the desert at some rest area in California.

Sprint offers true unlimited bandwidth with their cards, a few other services will cancel you if they feel you used too much bandwidth and they won't even warn you.

If Sprints 3G service isn't available where you are, it switches to a lower connection so that you can always have a connection no matter where you are.