# cell phone intranet question



## FishingBuds (Jan 24, 2011)

never had it, thinking about it and if it does most of what i do on the net i may cancell my home net.

so my questions are, can you purchase items(Bass pro shop down to bass addict as an example). pay bills, look at your bank account and get on forums like this?

do you need any protection on your phone like virus protector?


I will be using ATT service


----------



## Jim (Jan 24, 2011)

Yes it can do that, but it is not the same as sitting in front of a pc. It can be annoying at times also. 

I have the droidx, an ipad, and a laptop. I still go to my laptop to do most of my stuff that is not just simple suring.


----------



## BassAddict (Jan 24, 2011)

Internet on my blackberry is great in a pinch when I need to send a quick reply to an email or view/ post to a forum, but there is no way I would ditch my home internet connection and exclusively use my phones connection


----------



## wasilvers (Jan 25, 2011)

typing can be a pain. Your ATT plan will limit you to 2gig on cell phone or 5gig on a wireless card - then overcharges kick in.


----------



## breachless (Jan 25, 2011)

Since I got my Droid 2, I barely ever use my computer anymore... and ironically, when I DO use my computer at home, 9 times out of 10, I am actually logging into it FROM my Droid via Remote Desktop to prep the latest TV shows from work (I cancelled my cable and pretty much use my PC as a media server).

If you are not someone that uses the internet a ton at home, but still has a laptop, I highly recommend getting an Android phone that can be rooted. Once rooted, there is a free app on the market called Wireless Tether that basically turns your phone into a wifi hotspot that you can connect to with a laptop and use your internet service through your phone on your laptop (or PC if you have wireless on your desktop). You can also pay your carrier a monthly fee for this option, but if you are like me, you are already paying for an "unlimited" data plan so why not do a little homework and really actually get it to be "unlimited"? I average 1 to 1.5 down which is pretty decent over 3G.

There are also a ton of other really great things you can do with the new smartphones... I use my car dock with GPS every single day, I use it to find places to eat when I am out of town on installs, I use an app called Navionics to get lakemaps, and to be able to mark good spots on said lakemaps with the built in GPS (I can even snap pictures of the fish I catch and it automatically tags the location on the lake via GPS).

I just recently got it set up so that I have my entire music collection (all 150 GBs) streaming to my phone from my home PC over 3G on demand... Doesn't take up any space on the phone itself, and I have access to listen to anything I want anytime I have a decent signal. Makes driving a whole lot better!

It really is a lifechanging device... Just be aware that rooting your phone comes with its own set of risks. It's not really that difficult, and the rewards are worth the risk, but just remember to follow the directions to a T if you move ahead with it. There is always that slight chance of bricking your phone...


----------



## BaitCaster (Jan 25, 2011)

I have internet access on both my BlackBerry Torch (which has a 3G wireless connection) and on my iPod Touch (through my home wi-fi).

First of all, surfing the internet thruogh your phone can be expensive. Cell phone cmopanies charge you for the amount of data you use on their network. Connecting thruogh wi-fi (whether at home or in hot spots) is not as convenient as 3G (which is vailable wherever you have a cell phone signal) but is cheaper.

Screen size is an issue. I access this site through both of my handheld devices, but it is much better viewing on a full sized computer screen. I could shop from my handheld but, ince again, it is much easer from a computer.

Handheld devices are convenient when you are on he go. However, I think you still need a home computer.


----------



## breachless (Jan 25, 2011)

This is true. I wouldn't be nearly as gung-ho about it if I didn't have an unlimited data plan. In fact, I don't think it would be much worth it if I had a limit on how much data I could use. I would be scared to stream my music from home, use Pandora Radio, and remote into my PC...


----------



## Quackrstackr (Jan 25, 2011)

With the ever growing popularity of smart phones, many of the carriers no longer off unlimited data plans or soon won't be. Now that they've got you hooked, you're going to pay for it.


----------



## nathanielrthomas (Jan 25, 2011)

Use my iPhone for everything, but Id rather be at home on my laptop or at work on my desktop. Nonetheless, it gets the job done, and its not all that inconvenient. All that tethering and rooting junk confuses me. But I wouldnt trade my iPhone for anything. If it came down between my iPhone or my laptop, id give up my laptop. I do most of my tinboats stuff and web surfing/shopping at work though  . 

I guess it just depends on what your needs are. Id get a new smartphone and try it out, then you'll know what you need to do. 

If you have a non-smartphone and are considering adding internet to it, I would advise against it. Your internet access will be limited as far as where you can go. For mobile internet, a smartphone is the only way to go. I have an iPhone and love it, but Ive played with Droids and HTC's, and they are all great. Its just your personsal preference.


----------



## perchin (Jan 25, 2011)

As breachless said... My home internet connection is my rooted droid.. :mrgreen: I have an unlimited data plan though so... 90% of the time I'm just on the phone itself though.



Quackrstackr said:


> With the ever growing popularity of smart phones, many of the carriers no longer off unlimited data plans or soon won't be. Now that they've got you hooked, you're going to pay for it.



This is very true. As long as you get on a good plan like I have, they can't just take it away from you, as long as you pay full price for your phone's. :wink: I'll never give up our plan... 1200 shared minutes, free mobile to mobile, free nights and weekends starting at 7:00pm, unlimited texts, unlimited data. This is with two smart phones all for about $120.00 a month. Of course this is after my healthy contractor's discount. :mrgreen:


----------



## breachless (Jan 25, 2011)

I don't see the unlimited plans going away. I think it's only a matter of time before all data plans with all carriers is unlimited by default (with the prices adjusted accordingly of course). Kind of like when home internet just came about. I can tell you this: when I was looking at upgrading my service and getting a smartphone, an unlimited plan was a REQUIREMENT for me. If you as a carrier don't offer it, you lose me as a customer forever, and I know I am not the only one...


----------



## PartsMan (Jan 25, 2011)

I just added an internet plan to my Solstice and I am not impressed.
I am going to keep it for a couple months but at this point I don't think it's worth the money.

My wife can't live without her I Phone but still keeps two laptops at home.
A real keyboard and a screen you don't have to squint at are nice.


----------



## Quackrstackr (Jan 25, 2011)

breachless said:


> I don't see the unlimited plans going away.



They already have or it's in the works..

https://paidcontent.org/article/419-att-drops-unlimited-data-plans-preps-for-iphone-tethering/

https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703384204575509640930858752.html


----------



## breachless (Jan 25, 2011)

Interesting stuff! I don't know how all of that slipped underneath my radar. Either way, I have a feeling you will see one of the other currently smaller carriers happily offer unlimited data plans and that will be that. It may be a neat idea on paper for ATT and Verizon to discontinue such services to save some cash and take the lazy way out of their problem, but I guarantee you someone else will come along and start stealing their customers. I will go to whomever offers me an unlimited data plan. Don't care who it is. If I have to start paying for a "block" of data, I might as well just go back to my old-school phone and pay a fraction of the cost...

I really think this is the way of the future. Verizon and AT&T apparently don't (or are choosing to ignore it until it's too late).


----------



## FishingBuds (Jan 25, 2011)

Thanks for the feed back breachless, if ya don't mind i have a few questions



breachless said:


> Since I got my Droid 2, I barely ever use my computer anymore... and ironically, when I DO use my computer at home, 9 times out of 10, I am actually logging into it FROM my Droid via Remote Desktop to prep the latest TV shows from work (I cancelled my cable and pretty much use my PC as a media server).
> 
> If you are not someone that uses the internet a ton at home, but still has a laptop, I highly recommend getting an Android phone that can be rooted. Once rooted, there is a free app on the market called Wireless Tether that basically turns your phone into a wifi hotspot that you can connect to with a laptop and use your internet service through your phone on your laptop (or PC if you have wireless on your desktop). You can also pay your carrier a monthly fee for this option, but if you are like me, you are already paying for an "unlimited" data plan so why not do a little homework and really actually get it to be "unlimited"? I average 1 to 1.5 down which is pretty decent over 3G.
> 
> ...



now this is what i found from at&t
Text, Web, Email Users Messaging & Data Unlimited for Non-Smartphones 
$30.00 Unlimited 

and i will talk to someone if i choose to get it but, with the word DATA in the package-this is the intranet stuff correct or does it all change if you get a smartphone?


again thanks for the detailed feed back and hope ya don't mind some questions cause i know nothing beyond texting and i'd like to ask ya stuff while i can for this


----------



## richg99 (Jan 25, 2011)

Just to add to the confusion...At the Consumer Electronics show...Motorola got top honors for a new phone ( Atrix) I think..that one can connect to both a monitor and a full sized keyboard. It turns itself into a computer CPU. It will be out in February, I think. Just the wave of the future. Rich


----------



## breachless (Jan 26, 2011)

The speeds you should get with 3G are kind of varied. With Verizon, I average around 1 MB down in the Minneapolis/St Paul area, and most everywhere else I have been. There are deadspots where I don't get 3G just like bad cell signal, but it's pretty decent. You might want to find someone with a phone that has 3G capabilities and is on the same carrier as you to ensure that you are able to actually get the signal in your home if you want to use that for your internet. As a comparison, dial-up speeds max out at 256kbps, which is considerably slower than 3G.

The Wifi Tether I was talking about is actually an app that you install on your phone. You have two options here: you can either pay for this ability to your carrier for a monthly fee, or you can root your phone and get this capability for "free" (although you are still paying for your Data usage either way). What it does it makes your phone take the 3G access to the internet, and broadcasts itself to make that internet connection available to other wireless devices, such as a laptop. You would just simply turn on Wifi Tether on your phone, and then grab your laptop and you should see your phone in the wireless networks. Just connect like any other wireless hotspot and away you go with the internet.

As for Rooting, this is a method people use to unlock their Android phones. It basically gives you full control over the phone so that you can do more with it. It does come with its own set of risks: it technically voids your warranty, although I know people who have brought their bricked phones that were rooted to Verizon stores where the employees themselves have rooted phones and are happy to fix it on the spot. It also depends on what model you have: some phones have more of a "hacker" scene than others, and thus, some phones get ignored by the rooting/custom ROM crowd altogether.

As for Navionics, it's just an app that you buy from the Market. It runs using your phones built-in GPS.


----------



## FishingBuds (Jan 26, 2011)

ok cool, I see the tethering on the att&t web site and its offered for appl Iphone-4 with 2gb data for $45 a month or the straight 2gb for $25 a month with out the Tethering.

So my question would be can ya root the apple Iphone-4, if so then I would get the tethering for free and just pay $25 a month for the data correct?

Lets see if Im understanding this :mrgreen:


----------



## bearsphan3.14 (Jan 26, 2011)

FishingBuds said:


> now this is what i found from at&t
> Text, Web, Email Users Messaging & Data Unlimited for Non-Smartphones
> $30.00 Unlimited
> 
> and i will talk to someone if i choose to get it but, with the word DATA in the package-this is the intranet stuff correct or does it all change if you get a smartphone?


That plan is for non smart phones. I do not believe at&t offers a "unlimited" data package for smart phones anymore. They are the first company to put in a tiered data plan. Supposedly Verizon is to follow. If you go over your allotted mb/gb you have to pay for the package again. for example, if you buy the 2gb for $25 and go over by .1mb you will be charged an additional $25 and get 2 more gb (for a total of 4gb for the month @ $50). As for tethering, youcan look at your phone now to see if you are on the Edge network or 3G. There should be an icon at the top of your screen. Edge is slower and can't transfer some things (not real sure about that last part). You would want to have the 3G icon if you were going to use it as a hot spot.


----------



## FishingBuds (Jan 26, 2011)

bearsphan3.14 said:


> FishingBuds said:
> 
> 
> > now this is what i found from at&t
> ...





Yea i get 3g, the signal is killer here at my house and as for the non-smart phone data-i see that and Im understanding this stuff, you have a data service totally differant for smart phones i see. i still need to see about jailbreaking this iphone-os4

Guys im trying to cut some cost and im thinking that if this smartphone intranet gives me what i need plus more usage out of it with alot less monthly cost im gonna be way ahead. I currently have hughes net at 1.5mbps at well over 80 bucks a month :evil: it sucks seeing lower prices with more speed :evil:


----------

