Best of the ISP-Lists

How to Serve Up a Mobile Laptop

Members of the ISP-Tech list discuss providing a client a mobile Internet connection for a laptop computer. So much depends upon your client's cell phone.

[June 26, 2001]

On the ISP-Tech list in June, RH inquired,

"I have a customer who is interested in hooking up their laptop to a mobile phone to connect to the Internet. Any ideas on how to do this, and whether or not it's practical?"

RD offered a creative, if somewhat outdated, solution:

"Get one of the old Motorola phones that has a DialToner box. That would allow him to use the 56K modem on the cell phone. Being analog, it will be horribly slow, but it will work. I'm sure there are better ways to do it, though."

A number of respondents noted that most phones available today can do it, with limitations:

[GK offered] "Using GSM and a Nokia phone, there is a cable that you can buy to connect the two."

[KL advised] "I use a Qualcomm 860 CDMA from Verizon connected to my laptop. The best connection speed, though, is 14,400: it's always a race to see if my cell or laptop batteries run down first. When was the last time you used 14,400? It's really, really slow! I use it only as a last resort if I'm on the road. It's not very pretty, but it does work."

[JN added] "I use the Nextel i1000plus; it's limited to 19,200."

SS observed that improvements are on the way, but they'll take a while:

"Some cell phones, typically analog units, require a special modem; many digital cell phones do not. TDMA digital phones don't do data natively, as far as I know. GSM does, I think, but you'd have to check with your carrier to be sure. CDMA definitely does.

I have a Kyocera/Qualcomm QCP 860 that has a cable that plugs directly into the serial port on a computer and works flawlessly. There is usually a small monthly surcharge for data access and with most carriers, that includes Internet access if your phone is Wireless Web-capable. Note that second-generation phones—the phones everyone currently uses—are limited to 14.4K. The 3G (third generation) phones are supposed to run as fast as 64K or 128K, but the 3G technology is not going to be widely deployed for at least another year or two."

—End

Related articles:
	[Mar. 7, 2001]	BIFS is Back
	[Jul. 28, 2000]	Mobile Laptop through CDPD