Tour and Wireless broadband laptop cards

[JBlade00]

Hey all,

I figured this would be a good place to post this considering you guys would know better than anyone else. I am looking to get a wireless broadband card for my laptop so that I can do some work and what not on tour (I'm on staff don't worry :)). There are basically 3 major players right now... Verizon, Sprint and Cingular. I was looking to get some opinions from anyone who might have or is using any of these services. I want to make sure that I will have coverage in a majority of the areas we are in (at high schools, etc...). It doesn't need to be lightning fast but I just need a connection.

Right now I am leaning towards Sprint for 2 main reasons:

- Plan is $60 a month which is the cheapest of the 3 I believe

- Plan is for true unlimited transfer. Apparently Verizon will disconnect you if you go over 3gb a month in data transfer... That can happen in a week if your on YouTube too much. This is not something I can really risk.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I figured that someone has probably gone through this as well.

Thanks!

~Jon

[iceman]

I have Sprint, and love it. Make sure you step up and buy the USB modem, as it is quicker. The free one isn't compatable with the fastest network that they are rolling out (Rev-A)

[JBlade00]

Thanks, and ya I'm planning on getting the "Sprint Mobile Broadband Card by Novatel Wireless™ (Merlin S720)"

Also, I just found an AMAZING deal through Sprint called "SERO" which basically means "friend of Sprint employee" but I found it on slickdeals.net

I believe it's 49.99 a month for unlimited and I don't have to buy a phone plan w/ it. Even though, their phone plan is REALLY cheap too so I might just end up doing that as well!

But other than that, how much travelling have you done w/ the service? Of course I will be on the road the whole summer so I am looking for reliability as well.

Edited April 20, 2007 by JBlade00

[84BDsop]

I have the Verizon one, myself...have greatly enjoyed it when I'm working a fencing tournament and need to run a credit card for payment...work really fine inside the gym where my cell phone sometimes did not.

[Jim Clark]

Get the regular EVDO card, a Kyocera KR1, and share with your friends...

[Matthew]

Last year, most of the schools we stayed at had a place for someone to plug in their router and setup wireless--or the school itself had the ethernet hook up, so all you would have to do is plug in your own cable, and be online. That was last years staff though, they were tech savie people who brought routers and such. I'm not sure of anyone doing that this year. Some schools block internet or have things messed up, or are just plain silly about who uses their internet lines... So I am interested in a wireless broadband card myself, or some type of wireless router.

If there are enough staff members bringing laptops on tour, I think the router idea is good--that is if you like to share!

Pat Davis had one of these cards you speak of, it works well when you are in one place. But trying to use it while on the bus going from city to city, is a real drag.

[tnmaiello]

I purchased Verizon service for my laptop last year before tour. I had no problems from Jersey to Canada to Madison.