the web on the water!

Like so many other's I subscribe to a cell phone service,
But what I want to do is wire the laptop to the cell phone for broadband on the lake.
(do not want a air card for the laptop)
So what I need is what kind of cord to get between the cell and the laptop, and as well is there a 12vdc cord from the ciggy lighter to the laptop???
thanks
rob

Re: the web on the water!

Good question..

I just use my air card. (unlimited usage) WOrks fine for me...

But then again... I use mine for work. Work on a Boat = nonsense...

Let us know how it all works out...

Re: the web on the water!

While just about any cell phone that has internet (a data plan) is capable of being "tethered", I've seen cellular providers charge exorbitant rates for doing so. Weigh out the costs of any additional charges vs. the cost of an air-card.

As for powering the laptop, it depends on quite a bit. I've got one of those $40 power inverters that works like a champ (I use it for the pump to blow up the tube), but you can easily get away with the $20 version as most laptop power supplies consume less than 100W.

One more thing to keep in mind (depending on where you plan to boat) is the coverage you'll get out on the water. The weaker the signal, the slower your internet experience will be, and therefore the more time you'll spend online. Data connectivity is generally the first to suffer, as the focus is on voice quality, not download speeds.

Re: the web on the water!

First thing you need to find out is if your cell provider allows tethering and at what price. AT&T charges I believe $30 or $60 to tether to a blackberry.
As far as what cable to use, there is no way I can tell you since I dont know what cellphone you have.
I tether to my backberry using the cable that come with it to connect to the pc usb port. I can also tether using my bluetooth in both the pc and blackberry. I seldom use tethering for fun. I generally use it for working and the speeds are better than dialup but not as good as light adsl. Most sites with a lots of photos and graphics will give you a bit of a problem.
Good luck.

Re: the web on the water!

Get a new droid and use it as a wifi hotspot, won't cost anything more.

Re: the web on the water!

i say tether away i do and haven't seen any issues with my provider.