skip to main content

Anyone use a cell phone for their internet access?

19 years ago

Does anyone here do this? Alltell has a package where you hook your cell phone by a USB cable to the tower of your computer and you get internet connection. It doesn't use your cell minutes, for $25 a month you get unlimited connection, in addition to a regular monthly commitment of about $40, minimum. You can even get cell calls while you're hooked up. It's not as fast as cable or DSL, but it IS faster than dial-up, about 5 times faster. We live in the woods and dial-up is driving me crazy.

I'm seriously considering doing this, but in order for it to pay off for me, I'll need to cancel our home phone lines and my ISP. For some reason I'm hesitant to do this, but financially it would make sense.

Also, I don't send faxes very often, but don't know if I can send a fax thru the cell phone connection, do you?

If anyone has this service or knows anything about it and can give me some feedback on it, I'd really appreciate it before I make my final decision. Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

jean_mi_z5
19 years ago
Our daughter had the Alltel internet service and she didn't like it....kept getting disconnected. What we did, was drop our landlines and got wireless internet service. All I needed on my computer was a network card. I have a small antenna on my roof, it plugs into the network card, or in my case, into my router and I can have my 3 computers online at once. We now have 2 cell phones, faster wireless internet and saving about $40 a month. (we had 3 phone lines + my cell phone).

and we had our home phone numbers ported to our cell phones.
grandms
19 years ago
Wireless is great, if it is available where you live, but in my area, the only thing available was satellite. I'd switch to wireless in a heartbeat if it ever became available to me.
Related Discussions
Anyone have or had a Sharp Kin Two m cell phone?
Q
Comments (1)
I guess no one here has one.
...See More
What is your budget for cell phone, cable Internet and dish?
Q
Comments (39)
It seems that everything is more expensive in my area. I used to pay $55.00 for DirecTV, no premium channels. I don't have a cell.....my land-line phone was $50.00 w/caller ID and 200 Min. Long distance. I had dial-up for $21.95 mo. I tried the cheaper ones and they were dreadful! I now have a combo package which includes Digital Cable + Stars & Encore premium channels and Tivo for 2 TV's, High-speed internet (will never go back to dial-up), and phone service still with caller-ID and unlimited long distance, and I now pay $118.00 mo. Not a great savings, to be sure, but with more options. I think it is a rip-off, the prices these companies get, especially for phone service, and scryn......I have never had phone service as inexpensive as yours, even when it was bare-bones. That must be awesome!! :>)
...See More
fyi--for anyone who posts pics. from your cell phone- fyi
Q
Comments (2)
you should be able to turn that option off on your cell phone. some cameras have it also.
...See More
Anyone here know anything about cell phone data?
Q
Comments (1)
I'm going to say the answer is Yes, same data usage either way. If you want to be sure, call the carrier. Another thing to do is to ask them to turn off their data and maximize the use of Wifi connections on the trip and at home between now and the end of the billing cycle. (Wifi to public locations like a hotel, Starbucks, McD's, libraries, not to one of the other phones) Some carriers charge less for overages if you buy it in advance (temporarily up your monthly quota and then drop it after the billing period ends), others don't. You can ask about how that works when you call, if that concerns you.
...See More
FlamingO in AR
Original Author
19 years ago
Thanks for the info! We are going to give it a try, we have 2 weeks to decide if we like it. We're getting our home number ported to one of the cells, too, that's a great service, now I don't have to worry about contacting peeps with a new number.

I know the feeling, grandms! We can't get satellite at our house, not for the computer anyway, too many trees. I despaired of getting anything better than dialup for ages, so this may be the saving grace for me.

Related Stories

DECORATING GUIDES The Cure for Houzz Envy: Guest Room Touches Anyone Can Do

By Becky Harris

Make overnight guests feel comfy and cozy with small, inexpensive niceties

HOME TECH Smart Phones Hold the Keys to Front Doors

Knock, knock. Who's there? A brand-new generation of hardware and app combos that let you play doorman from anywhere

HOME OFFICES The Cure for Houzz Envy: Home Office Touches Anyone Can Do

By Becky Harris

Borrow these modest design moves to make your workspace more inviting, organized and personal

HOME TECH Unlock Your Smart Phone's Front-Door Powers

Take your locks and keys into the digital age with 3 solutions that put convenience and new capabilities on your doorstep

HOME TECH Turn Your Smart Phone Into a Home Security System

Monitor your home a less expensive way by putting your phone and some new gadgets to work

HOME TECH Switch On the Phone-Controlled Home

Lock your front door from afar, let your thermostat set itself and more when you use your phone as a control device

HOME TECH Here's a Bright Idea: Smart Bulbs for Better Lighting

Lightbulbs that can change brightness and color with a cell phone command show flashes of design brilliance

HOME TECH Open Workspaces Let You Watch Over Kids' Online Time

By Danyelle Mathews

Keep your children safe while they're surfing the Internet with desks and computers in accessible areas of the home

MOST POPULAR How Bluetooth 4.0 Will Change Remote Control

Manage lights, TV, refrigerators and more through your phone or tablet when the latest wireless technology rolls into all your home devices

MOST POPULAR The Many Paths of Design, Part 1

By Jody Brown Architecture, pllc

Blame engineering issues, unforeseen revisions or even the Internet. As these diagrams show, it's probably not your fault

Sponsored

NME Builders LLC

2 Reviews

Remodeling Company in New Albany, Ohio

More Discussions

Tired of MS Office 365 Monthly Fees?

1