Verizon air cards

[Hooligan House]

My computer illiteracy will show here.... Is ALL time on the computer deducted from your monthly allotment with an air card? I spend LOTS of time online doing genealogy. most of my time is on Ancestry or surfing. Will this count? Or is it just when you actually download things? How about when you check email? Or just read the forum? We currently have comcast, so it's never been an issue.

[Barbaraok]

Air cards aren't used in terms of time, it is gigabytes of data. Generally if you use in excess of 5 gigs per month you could face a slow down, etc. - normal use for us is about 1.5 gigs/month. Only if you are going to stream videos would you need to worry about the 5 gig threshold. You can hook up and forget about it - the card goes into 'dormant' mode until you come back and ask it to go find something.

Barb

[Techie]

There is always some traffic goig back and forth even when you think that you're doing nothing. This is usually pretty small stuff.

For Verizon, they will surcharge you if you goover 5 Gb /month...unless you're downloading a lot this is unlikely.

If in doubt, when not needing the inetrnet, just remove the aircard.

[TandW]

My verizon usb720 reconnects automatically after every power interruption.

[Route 66]

Quote:

There is always some traffic goig back and forth even when you think that you're doing nothing.

I believe about every 10 seconds your cell phone or aircard "talks" to the nearest tower to keep your service available, and also to identify your location for incoming calls on cell phones.

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

You are always downloading to your computer. Every web page you visit is downloaded to your computer for viewing. Although unlikely, you could in fact go over Verizons limit by surfing. We run our business from our coach. Two laptops over the last two years and no limits have been hit. We do not download movies or video files. We no not do iTunes or any thing that. We do send a few pictures back and forth to the kids.

[AL]

Hi All,

I have had my Air Card USB 720 since mid Feb. 2008. I am on it every day for at least a couple of hours, and have not yet received any warnings or surcharges for over usage! I am very happy with the way it has preformed in the time I have had it!!

[Superslif]

What is the monthly cost to have a "Verizon Air Card"? with the 5 gig monthly limit. We just signed a new contract with AT&T for our cell phones, but would think they have something too on the lines of a air card. Our home based computer is just about ready for an updating. Were not full timers, but do camp 50-60 nights a year. I was thinking about getting a laptop for both home and traveling usage. Any ideas...???

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

$60.00 a month.

[hondo122]

Depending on where you travel the coverage varies between providers. They all have coverage maps available online, so it's easy to check. Last year in Eastport ME we could only pick up Canadian towers (read this as expensive) This year in Bar Harbor we were on a slow roaming tower, used the CG wifi to save charges. So just check providers to see who meets your needs.

[wahlfamily]

We went with Verizon because more people commented on their more extensive network. I signed up at Costco and had the activiation fee waived and they provided a free USB modem. The fee was 60/month, but they gave us a military discount of 15% a month on the fee. They also offered state gov. workers a discount (at least in CA). We got the same discount on the AT&T phone plan we signed up for at Costco.

In CA, the monthly fees are all the same, whether one goes to Costco, Radio Shack or a corporate store. The differences come with things like no activation fee and free phones or modem. I am amazed that no one offers discount on the monthly fee in order to sign up at their particular store. At least Costco offered something that compelled me to buy from them.

[slabman]

Jim, get an ATT aircard and a mobile wireless router. Then throw away the home isp and use the aircard both at home and on the road. If you camp that much, no need to pay for both services. That way you can run multiple computers at the same time off this router.

[Freemn2]

Slabman

What brand mobile wireless router is best?

[GoneFishin]

We've done business with 3Gstore.com for many items and have found that they are the most helpful around. They will explain things to you and tell you what is compatible with each item. We have a Verizon 720 USB air card with a CradlePoint 350 wireless router, run 2 laptops all the time with no problem.