Prepaid and Internet use

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Scott Ehrlich - 22 Nov 2006 12:22 GMT

With a prepaid card, would I be able to put the SIM into my ipaq with a
SIM-accepting Enfora Compact Flash card and dial into a commercial ISP for
non-port-restricted Internet use? Thus, the prepaid time would be used
to dial into an ISP?

Thanks for insights.

Scott

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Todd Allcock - 23 Nov 2006 12:39 GMT

> With a prepaid card, would I be able to put the SIM into my ipaq with a
> SIM-accepting Enfora Compact Flash card and dial into a commercial ISP for
> non-port-restricted Internet use? Thus, the prepaid time would be used
> to dial into an ISP?

No. Again, T-Mo doesn't support CSD (Circuit Switched Data) on prepaid.

There is no actual "modem" in any cellphone or data card- in a (digital)
cellular "modem" call the phone/card sends/receives data packets to/from
the cell carrier who uses a "real" modem at their HQ to connect you to
your ISP.

They have a limited number of modems to make these connections, and the
limit use to "postpaid" customers. Prepaid accounts don't get access to
them.

The delays and compression codecs in digital cellphones make connecting
with a "real" analog modem impossible, which is why you don't see any
type of "connect a PC's modem phone cord to your cell phone" adapters
available. (Although I had one for two different ancient analog
cellphones. Best connection speed I ever got with one was 7200bps!)'s

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Anthony Marsh - 31 Mar 2007 01:32 GMT

>> With a prepaid card, would I be able to put the SIM into my ipaq with a
>> SIM-accepting Enfora Compact Flash card and dial into a commercial ISP
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
>

Could I put a prepaid SIM into a Wifi enabled T-Mobile phone like the
HTC DMA and then surf the Web for a $1 a day? Is that $1 only on the
days when I actually go onto the Web?

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Todd Allcock - 31 Mar 2007 09:57 GMT

> Could I put a prepaid SIM into a Wifi enabled T-Mobile phone like the
>HTC DMA and then surf the Web for a $1 a day?

You wouldn't need a SIM to surf via Wi-Fi, only for surfing via cellular
data.

> Is that $1 only on the days when I actually go onto the Web?

I assume you're talking about the "Sidekick" prepaid plan.

The answer is a) you get charged $1 everyday, whether you use it or not,
but b) it won't work in an MDA (or any phone except a Sidekick.)

The Sidekick doesn't connect directly to the internet, but through a
special proxy server setup by Danger, the company that makes the Sidekick
(called the Danger Hiptop outside the USA) for all net functions- e-mail,
browsing, IM, etc. all go through the Danger server.

Danger restricts access to just their Sidekicks/Hiptops, so even if you
blundered into the correct settings, a non-Danger device couldn't connect
with them.

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Frater Mus - 01 Apr 2007 15:17 GMT

>> Could I put a prepaid SIM into a Wifi enabled T-Mobile phone like the
>>HTC DMA and then surf the Web for a $1 a day?
>
> You wouldn't need a SIM to surf via Wi-Fi, only for surfing via cellular
> data.

I have Tmo2Go and bought a SDA so I could use freebie Wifi whereever
it is found. Works great for me.

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