<p>This is a dumb question, but how do you use a cell phone to connect to the Internet? If I buy a cell phone (and I’m guessing it has to be a certain kind??) and connect it to a computer, can I connect to AOL? And if so, how does that work exactly? The same as using a dial up telephone?</p>
<p>Anyone know how this works?</p>
<p>Also, I’m guessing this is not cheaper than using a dialup telephone?? (I have seen sites like AT&T and Verizon with data plans that say you get unlimited minutes of data use–I’m guessing that means you only pay whatever fee they give for the unlimited data??)</p>
<p>You can buy a special cord that connects your cell phone and your laptop. They should have them at the store where you got your phone. Then you do dial your ISP like you do with a home telephone. </p>
<p>Be careful about reading the fine print of any agreements though, to make sure you understand both about the phone charges for dialing up the ISP itself and the charges for data transmission via the Internet, as well as any charges from the ISP.</p>
<p>ETA: This is kind of the old fashioned way to do it; I think now most people who want to use their laptop on the road have a wireless modem and pay for wireless Internet. Down here it’s about $200 for the equipment and $79 a month for service, so pricey.</p>
<p>I have a crappy pay as you go phone, so I am assuming that this will not work, but have no idea what kind of phone to get. </p>
<p>So you pay for a) the purchase cost of the phone (that was obvious), b) the internet provider (obvious), c) the phone charges (obvious), and d) charges for data transmission–the part I don’t quite understand. I have seen some companies that say unlimited minutes for data only, and some that say voice and data plans, and some that say 40MB or something a month data only plans, but don’t know which to get. I won’t really use the phone for talking, so the voice part is useless. </p>
<p>How much is 40MB exactly? So when you buy the plan of 40 MB a month, you only pay for 40MB a month of usage, right? Plus the phone charges for dialing up?</p>
<p>You can tell I’ve never paid a phone bill in my life. And paying like $30+ a month for a plan is ridiculous to me. Especially when I won’t even use the thing except to get to the Internet. But, eh.</p>
<p>My son uses his cell phone to access the internet a lot. His unlimited internet access is $20/month ABOVE the monthly plan of $30. That was the best deal he could find, and he spent a LOT of time researching it.</p>
<p>I have a Verizon Blackberry. The additional fee to use unlimited data as a modem for the computer is an additional $15 per month on top of the $44 Blackberry data charge. It is their software for connecting and it is easy to use. Since I use them for my work I need the Blackberry functions, but there are phones that are less that can do the same thing. Saves the fee for the separate card.</p>
<p>Whoa. I see on Verizon’s site that their’s cost $79 a month–how’d you get $15 Singers?
I also just found out that you can get AOL for 9.95 a month–is this true? $25 is what it is now??</p>
<p>The $15 was the add on to the phone and data I already had. If you already have qualified equipment, adding on the plan is cheaper. </p>
<p>So it depends how you calculate. Like all cell phone pricing plans, they make it very hard to compare. There are 4 of us on the cell plan so my phone was a $10 service, plus the unlimited data service for the blackberry of $44 and then the $15 for the computer data service. I don’t know how the data - computer charges are when you have a phone not a blackberry.</p>
<p>Bottom line - I went into to one of their centers to get all the info. Not found on line.</p>
<p>Also, I don’t really know anything about wireless Internet–how is it that you can take your computer to a library/campus and get on the Internet with it? Is that free? Or is that technically not legal? I have heard of something call wifi but don’t know what that is.</p>
<p>Wireless internet means a few different things.</p>
<p>Some places subscribe to a wireless internet service that’s meant for their customers, etc. to be able to use. So whether you could use college wireless legally if you were physically on campus but were not affiliated with the U. would probably depend on the college policies. Some might allow anyone in the library to use the wireless service there, others only people with a library card.</p>
<p>It seems a very technical point, but it’s a good one to ask about. A man was recently arrested for checking his email while parked in a car outside an Internet cafe. (Using the service without being a customer). I would imagine such arrests are going to be extremely rare, but why ask for trouble, when you could just go in and buy a cup of coffee or ask the librarian for a copy of the policy and see for yourself?</p>
<p>The other option is to subscribe to wireless internet yourself, and have access to it wherever you go that the signal is available.</p>
<p>Oh gosh, conyat - I honestly had no idea it was illegal to use wireless signals. We have wireless at home, and to keep folks (neighbors, people parking in front of our house, etc) from using it and slowing down our speed, (Or from accessing our computers virtually) we have our network set up with a password. I figured anybody who didn’t set up with a password was basically leaving their signal open and available. Like tuning into free airwaves. (As I said, I’m illiterate in these matters - so I’m not really sure how it all works.) When relatives come to visit, and bring their laptops, my H gives them the code.</p>
<p>We’ve stayed in plenty of hotels with wireless - the front desk gives us the code. I assumed that college libraries, or McDonalds, or anyone else who wanted to control it, would just put a password on it.</p>
[quote]
A Michigan man has been fined $400 and given 40 hours of community service for accessing an open wireless Internet connection outside a coffee shop.</p>
<p>Under a little known state law against computer hackers, Sam Peterson II, of Cedar Springs, Mich., faced a felony charge after cops found him on March 27 sitting in front of the Re-Union Street Caf</p>
<p>Interesting. It’s a Michigan state law; wonder how many other states have similar laws. I also think it’s interesting that the owner of the cafe didn’t care. Seems odd that he can be arrested - I assume for stealing service? - but the person he’s stealing from didn’t complain.</p>
<p>Yep. He got “rousted” because someone called in to complain about him being parked in front of the cafe for no apparent reason…and the police went out looking for something to charge him with. </p>
<p>In the police chief’s own words:
“[After the stop] We came back and we looked up the laws and we figured if we found one and thought, ‘Well, let’s run it by the prosecutor’s office and see what they want to do,’” Milanowski said.</p>
<p>From the article, the prosecutor wasn’t too happy about the situation, but didn’t really have an option because of the facts presented.</p>
<p>In Michigan, as well as other states, laws were quickly passed or amended when stories appeared about hackers gaining access to customer credit card information with their laptop’s WiFi capability. The hacker would park in front of a retail store and see if he could tap into the store’s network. </p>
<p>And like many quickly passed laws, the rule of unintended consequences holds sway.</p>