[AT] ATIS at Portland, now 'wireless'

[Francis Robinson]

I guess you would maybe call it "air card". It is a Verizon Wireless 727 USB modem.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=planFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=3304
Base price for the 5GB plan is $59.99 (Danged near $60)   :-)   plus .25 cents a MB for anything over 5GB. The average user would "never" go over the 5 GB. Some heavy gamers and especially heavy movie watchers can go over. That can add up fast. One silly family of 5 got one and used the very dickens out of it, mostly movies and games. they kept it going constantly back and forth between the 5 of them. They were not smart enough to click on the "usage" button on the connection manager on their screen and their first months bill was almost $10,000...  I used mine pretty heavy last month and I used about 1.3 GB. I tend to click on the "usage" button about once a day or so.
 BTW, like anything there is always some silly charge like taxes etc. Plan on a bill of almost $70. a month.
   We can't get DSL or cable either one here so I was on dial-up. We are now going to axe the phone company... We use mostly cell phones (cheap prepays) anyway and will activate a third to nail down in one spot in the house so it is always there. They only run us around $8 - $9 each a month now and I never have to buy extra minutes for any of them. Long visiting calls like to a daughter in TN will be free calls on Skype. She also is on Skype. Works well so far. I will also buy a "Majic Jack" which is $20 plus $20 for one years service and $20 a year after that.
http://www.magicjack.com/8/index.asp
 It will just give us another option for calling. The silly phone company was charging us almost $150 a month for the two lines with very little long distance. Add on charges were getting absurd. CHOP!!!
Right now I have my USB modem plugged into a front USB port on a new $200 PC I bought and have it running (well, trying) my LAN and a Linksys wireless unit. I still have a few LAN bugs but its getting there. One great thing about the USB modem is that I can drop it in my pocket and have broadband anywhere on my laptop. I did some email last friday going to and coming home from the Indiana State Fair (I wasn't driving)   :-) 
Some parts of the country will not have a good signal, check coverage. On my laptop in the living room I get 3 bars, in here in the front of the house about 85 feet farther west and with more glass (house is stone) I get 4 bars (out of 4).
I'm pleased with it, YMMV.   :-)



farmer

Francis Robinson
Central Indiana USA
robinson46176 at hotmail.com


> From: pwaugh at embarqmail.com
> To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
> Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:03:21 -0400
> Subject: Re: [AT] ATIS at Portland, now 'wireless'
> 
> OK,  I don't understand wireless I guess. I have wireless in my home that I 
> put together.  I too switched from cable to DSL because of poor service and 
> do not regret it.  If you are close enough for 'wireless' aren't you close 
> enough for DSL? Maybe we are talking about 'aircard' ??
> 
> Paul _ IN
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "charlie hill" <chill8 at suddenlink.net>
> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 9:27 AM
> Subject: Re: [AT] ATIS at Portland
> 
> 
> > Farmer what is your wireless broadband going to cost you?  I'm in the 
> > middle
> > of switching from cable to DSL because of poor service by the cable 
> > company.
> > I wondering if I should dump both and go to wireless.
> >
> > Charlie
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Francis Robinson" <robinson46176 at hotmail.com>
> > To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" 
> > <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 9:02 AM
> > Subject: Re: [AT] ATIS at Portland

> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at

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