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Cellular Phone Forum / Providers / Nextel / April 2004PDA on both Verizon and Nextel or Cingular
I run a business and need to be able to access my company's web admin server when customers call. Unfortunately sometimes they call at times when I'm not anywhere near a computer, so I would like to be able to access my web server on a PDA. I need a full blown web browser that can handle SSL connections, not some cheesy WAP browser. I live out in the boonies in Michigan's Thumb area. The only towers available here that I am aware of are Thumb Cellular (CDMA), Dobson Cellular One (GSM), and Nextel (IDEN). Also, there is Cingular's Mobitex data service out here, but they don't have voice cellular service in the area and refuse to sign me up. (I could use a fake billing address I suppose.) I use Verizon Wireless for my voice calls, which works great because Thumb Cellular is a free "extended network" area on America's Choice. (Where as if I signed up through Thumb Cellular locally I'd be roaming on Verizon and wouldn't get any freebies like nights and weekends or anything when I go anywhere). I don't think that Thumb Cellular has any sort of data service offering beyond just SMS text messaging, and since it's an extended area I imagine you can't use Verizon Express Network here either. I don't know if Dobson Cellular One does anything, but I don't really care either because their service is crap. I commonly go away on weekends and things, so I am interested in trying out this "Express Network Minutes of Use" thing that some of the Verizon people keep talking about. I mean, if it just uses my minutes and I have free weekend minutes when I'm down in the Verizon area on weekends, I might as well use it. Right? Can I get online with a PDA out in the Thumb area with my Verizon phone service while roaming as extended network on Thumb Cellular? I mean, I know you can't use the "express network" here, but can I get online with say a modem call to my ISP or something? If so, I could just use that for now until my usage gets to a point where I'd need to get it on a seperate plan. Eventually I would like to be able to talk on the phone at the same time as surfing the net (so that I can access the customer's account info on my PDA while I'm talking to them on the phone). That would mean a whole seperate rate plan wouldn't it? Obviously in that case, I'd like to get something that would allow me to use it both in the Thumb area as well as outside the Thumb, so I don't think Verizon would be a good choice for that... Unless they offer a good deal on roaming data service, if such a thing is even available. Otherwise, I guess I'll have to get either Cingular's Mobitex service which is a total rip on the prices -- don't they charge by the killobyte? Or, I could get Nextel's packetstream thing but that sounds rather expensive. Is there any other options? What PDA can I use with these things? Is there a device that would work with both Verizon and with Nextel? I'm thinking... Nextel has one of those PCMCIA card jobies to use with their service. Until I get to using it enough to require it's own rate plan, I could maybe plug the PDA into my Verizon phone for now? Would that work? If I get stuck paying per the minute or per killobyte, on either Cingular Mobitex or Nextel PacketStream, could I still use the free weekends on Verizon Express Network Minutes of Use on the same PDA? Thanks, Jeff > I run a business and need to be able to access my company's web admin server > when customers call. Unfortunately sometimes they call at times when I'm not [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > I commonly go away on weekends and things... 1) Move. 2) Get into a new business. 3) Stay home. Those are the only choices I can come up with, sorry.... > Can I get online with a PDA out in the Thumb area with my Verizon > phone service while roaming as extended network on Thumb Cellular? I > mean, I know you can't use the "express network" here, but can I get > online with say a modem call to my ISP or something? If so, I could > just use that for now until my usage gets to a point where I'd need > to get it on a seperate plan. Sort of an old PDA (they have lots of newer ones now), but I used the Audiovox Thera on Verizon and Quick 2 Net when I was in Saginaw, it was slow, but I was able to log on to secures sites (https stuff, like my banks and brokers). I use Earthlink as my ISP and can connect via dialup/cellphone (both low speed and high speed)/802.11/ethernet/cable/dsl/etc. > I commonly go away on weekends and things, so I am interested in > trying out this "Express Network Minutes of Use" thing that some of > the Verizon people keep talking about. I mean, if it just uses my > minutes and I have free weekend minutes when I'm down in the Verizon > area on weekends, I might as well use it. Right? When I go to other areas that are native verizon (not extended) I change the ESN online and use my Kyocera 2235 (an older phone but 1X compatible, and I have all the accessories for it)/Mobile Office/EN-MOU (Now NA-MOU) with my laptop. Works great, and with the free N&W, I can surf/email/etc to my hearts content (is up to 10 times faster than the old qwk2net). When you asked about talking and data at the same time, my partner (we are both consultants, travel and use cellphones extensively), has a share option on his 2 lines/2 phones. He can talk and be online at the same time. (he uses an aircard in his laptop as a second line, but it only works in native verizon areas, not extended) > When I go to other areas that are native verizon (not extended) I change the > ESN online and use my Kyocera 2235 (an older phone but 1X compatible, and I [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > uses an aircard in his laptop as a second line, but it only works in native > verizon areas, not extended) Well, thanks for your advice. I looked at Cingular's Mobitext prices and I can't see myself paying them by the kilobyte when they don't even cover all of the areas I go. I might as well just do dial-up modem calls over my existing cell phone and use the plan minutes if I'm going to go the pay-per-use route. Eventually as I have to do this more and more often, I think I might have to go with the Nextel packetstream unlimited plan, even though it's a bit expensive. At least then I could use a completely seperate device so that I can be on the phone simultaneously, and their coverage is adequate for the areas I would use it most often. I notice that NexTel has a PCMCIA card for their PacketStream service. Are there any PDAs out there that can use their card, as well as an external data cable through verizon? I'd like to get the PDA and start using it with my existing Verizon minutes as a dial-up call, but eventually switch over to the Nextel card at some point down the road if nothing else becomes available. -Jeff >> When I go to other areas that are native verizon (not extended) I >> change the ESN online and use my Kyocera 2235 (an older phone but 1X [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > -Jeff Not sure what you mean on this. The PDA's that I have seen used on verizon, either have a built-in phone, and/or use a cable to tie it to a laptop, or an SDIO card. Fraid I've never seen a PDA that can use a PCMCIA card. Most of the things I've played with on Verizon, are PDA's that use things like USB data cradles, or SDIO cards etc. (SDIO cards are really cool at places that have a wireless network!) Do they make an SD card that works with packetstream? I should be clear that both my partner and I are consultants, we travel around, and absolutely must have something that works in the most places. Verizon has worked in every place we have been, Nextel less than 40%. We went with Verizon. Not to say there is anything wrong with Nextel, if it works for you great, just didn't for us so we discounted it as a possibility. My understanding is that Nextel is IDEN and Verizon CDMA (and Cingular GSM), all incompatible protocols. Sorry I One thing of note, you may find that different phones require different cables./drivers/sometime software. Depending on what you have/need to buy, you may find it rather expensive to experiment (luckily we get to put the costs on our expense account :) There are multiple alternatives for using a PC card with a PDA. Compaq has an add on 'sleeve' for some of their units that accommodate a PC Card. There are also PC card / CF adapters that allow a PC card to be used with a PDA that has a CF slot. I personally use an Airtouch (Sierra Wireless) 555 with a Dell Axim X5 using the latter solution. One caveat. Card bus cards (if you don't know, ask) may not work with PDAs. So far, Sierras' cards aren't card bus, so they work fine, but do burn battery quickly.... > I notice that NexTel has a PCMCIA card for their PacketStream service. Are > there any PDAs out there that can use their card, as well as an external [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > -Jeff > has a share option > on his 2 lines/2 phones. He can talk and be online at the same time. (he > uses an aircard in his laptop as a second line, I have it on good authority that things changed as of April 15th. When you get a data card, you have to get a data plan. You can't just add it to an existing AC plan. The system in the stores enforces this, so even a friendly manager can't do anything for you. The data plans are $80 for unlimited. If that is fine by you then you are all set. If you want to spend less, because of occassional usage, then $35 gets you 150 data minutes (chargeable at all times - no night or weekends free). [This is for Northern California. Other regions may vary] Roger > > has a share option > > on his 2 lines/2 phones. He can talk and be online at the same time. (he [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Roger I assume that only works in Verizon's native coverage areas. What if I try to make a data call from an extended network area? Is it possible? How much would it cost? Thanks, Jeff >>> has a share option >>> on his 2 lines/2 phones. He can talk and be online at the same [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > Thanks, > Jeff If you are talking aircard in extended network areas, no it sometimes (usually when you want it to) doesn't work. Hard to tell if it will or won't. For instance, I was in South Carolina on Alltel and it worked, but when in Saginaw Michigan, it didn't. You may want to look on verizons website at a national access map, it is much smaller area than Americas choice, but should give you some idea of area that it may work in. > If you are talking aircard in extended network areas, no it sometimes > (usually when you want it to) doesn't work. Hard to tell if it will or > won't. For instance, I was in South Carolina on Alltel and it worked, but > when in Saginaw Michigan, it didn't. You may want to look on verizons > website at a national access map, it is much smaller area than Americas > choice, but should give you some idea of area that it may work in. I don't understand. Saginaw, Michigan is and always has been a native Verizon coverage area from the days of Airtouch. It's certainly not extended network. Do you mean there are areas that Verizon owns the towers themselves but does not provide data service? I had thought the difference between America's Choice and National Access was that National Access was just Verizon's native towers, while America's Choice included their roaming partners. -Jeff >> If you are talking aircard in extended network areas, no it sometimes >> (usually when you want it to) doesn't work. Hard to tell if it will [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > -Jeff Yes, at the time I was in Saginaw, I was on Thumb Cellular, not verizon, which at that time (a few years back) was extended network. I have no idea if it is data capable now, just know it wasn't in 1999. The SC was about a year ago (lake Murray area, near Columbia SC). Bottom line for me is that you never actually know until you try it if it shows as extended. With some PRL's, Alltell shows as extended, but with some it doesn't. Jeff, If you are interested in aquiring mobitex service, may I suggest you contact Joe Foley at Cingular Interactive. His number is 732 602 5541. I'm sure he can assist you with any questions, and most probably, will be able to hook you up. CAT > I run a business and need to be able to access my company's web admin server > when customers call. Unfortunately sometimes they call at times when I'm not [quoted text clipped - 56 lines] > Thanks, > Jeff |
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