The Cricket data solution!

External Since: Jul 30, 2005 Posts: 1632

If you're like me and think the 5GB limit before we go into 25c/MEGABYTE
for only $60/month (Verizon) is simply ABSURD and a total ripoff, you
might not want to flip off this message and read on......

I live in Charleston, SC, which happens to be one of the communities
served by Cricket Cellular. I'm, until the Verizon takeover on Jan 9th,
a very happy Alltel customer with my 800min/mo regional 2-state
sellphone plan and truly unlimited data plan bluetooth tethered from my
MotoROKR Z6m to my Nokia N800 Linux Internet Tablets, two of them now.

Now, I've been informed by Verizon that my data service is NOT part of
my plan and will NOT be grandfathered into the "New Verizon" as it is
now, no more than My Circle will be. "Those are addon features.", the
told me flatly and are NOT going to be grandfathered. I'm faced with
Verizon's really shitty $60/mo for 5GB + 25c/MEGABYTE! charges up to
$300/month if I want internet connectivity. They hung up over the
expletives I was using to inform them I would NOT be paying like
that....(c;]

NOW I DON'T HAVE TO AND NEITHER DO YOU!

Cricket Communications has all UNLIMITED plans in their every-month-
extending coverage areas, including mine. UNLIMITED, no Verizon
bullshit, EVDO data service is $40/month with no contract, currently no
GB limit enforcement and no funny business, $35 if you buy phone
service, too:

http://www.mycricket.com/cricketplans/
Currently, the threat of the 5GB limit causing some kind of "slowdown"
in data delivery is NOT being enforced. "Noone is watching how much you
use.", she told me on the chat window. They did that in case us data
hogs caused the system to bog, which isn't an issue on Cricket, here.

Now, my problem was Cricket ONLY has ONE brand of USB EVDO modem and NO
TETHERING so I could connect my Nokia Linux tablets to them for service
I'm doing over Bluetooth to the Z6m, now. They simply don't support
Tethering.
That has just become a non-issue....(c;]

The answer is a nice EVDO ROUTER!
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/index.php?x=reviews&id=783
I think I'll try this one, rated as one of the best....Online prices are
under $200, now.

"How in hell are you going to use that thing?", some may ask.

Simple. Just leave it in my vehicle, creating a wifi hotspot with
plenty of range to the tablets inside a building. The vehicle will
power it, indefinately. Plug the Cricket modem into its USB port,
configure it with locked up security to keep everyone else from using it
at a burger joint that has no wifi....and let the tablets connect to it
from anywhere in a wifi-sized radius from the car.....including inside
the car, of course. If this works out as I plan, I'll mount EXTERNAL
antennas from the router to the roof to make even more range.

I own a Wifi "range extender" that Linksys builds. It's a kind of data
repeater and I have no trouble connecting to it sitting on the dash from
inside a steel-shielded restaurant halfway across the parking lot
through the windows on wifi. I do think I'll change the new router's
main channel to a non-standard away from 6 or 11 to reduce channel
traffic noise and potential jamming.

We'll see. I can always take the Cricket modem back and return the
router if it doesn't work out in a few days......(c;]

External Since: Dec 05, 2007 Posts: 124

Cricket uses the Sprint network, so you're at 1900 MHz rather than the
850 Verizon uses; with the attendant lack of coverage and lack of
building penetration.

Check to see what Verizon was made to promise the FCC in order to be
allowed to buy Alltell, they may be violating the agreement.
Apparently the Republican controlled FCC gave Verizon a blank check.
Luckily the Democrats are coming.

On Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:34:54 +0000, Larry <noone.RemoveThis@home.com> wrote:

>If you're like me and think the 5GB limit before we go into 25c/MEGABYTE
>for only $60/month (Verizon) is simply ABSURD and a total ripoff, you
>might not want to flip off this message and read on......
>
>I live in Charleston, SC, which happens to be one of the communities
>served by Cricket Cellular. I'm, until the Verizon takeover on Jan 9th,
>a very happy Alltel customer with my 800min/mo regional 2-state
>sellphone plan and truly unlimited data plan bluetooth tethered from my
>MotoROKR Z6m to my Nokia N800 Linux Internet Tablets, two of them now.
>
>Now, I've been informed by Verizon that my data service is NOT part of
>my plan and will NOT be grandfathered into the "New Verizon" as it is
>now, no more than My Circle will be. "Those are addon features.", the
>told me flatly and are NOT going to be grandfathered. I'm faced with
>Verizon's really shitty $60/mo for 5GB + 25c/MEGABYTE! charges up to
>$300/month if I want internet connectivity. They hung up over the
>expletives I was using to inform them I would NOT be paying like
>that....(c;]
>
>NOW I DON'T HAVE TO AND NEITHER DO YOU!
>
>Cricket Communications has all UNLIMITED plans in their every-month-
>extending coverage areas, including mine. UNLIMITED, no Verizon
>bullshit, EVDO data service is $40/month with no contract, currently no
>GB limit enforcement and no funny business, $35 if you buy phone
>service, too:
>
>http://www.mycricket.com/cricketplans/
>Currently, the threat of the 5GB limit causing some kind of "slowdown"
>in data delivery is NOT being enforced. "Noone is watching how much you
>use.", she told me on the chat window. They did that in case us data
>hogs caused the system to bog, which isn't an issue on Cricket, here.
>
>
>Now, my problem was Cricket ONLY has ONE brand of USB EVDO modem and NO
>TETHERING so I could connect my Nokia Linux tablets to them for service
>I'm doing over Bluetooth to the Z6m, now. They simply don't support
>Tethering.
>That has just become a non-issue....(c;]
>
>The answer is a nice EVDO ROUTER!
>http://www.thinkcomputers.org/index.php?x=reviews&id=783
>I think I'll try this one, rated as one of the best....Online prices are
>under $200, now.
>
>"How in hell are you going to use that thing?", some may ask.
>
>Simple. Just leave it in my vehicle, creating a wifi hotspot with
>plenty of range to the tablets inside a building. The vehicle will
>power it, indefinately. Plug the Cricket modem into its USB port,
>configure it with locked up security to keep everyone else from using it
>at a burger joint that has no wifi....and let the tablets connect to it
>from anywhere in a wifi-sized radius from the car.....including inside
>the car, of course. If this works out as I plan, I'll mount EXTERNAL
>antennas from the router to the roof to make even more range.
>
>I own a Wifi "range extender" that Linksys builds. It's a kind of data
>repeater and I have no trouble connecting to it sitting on the dash from
>inside a steel-shielded restaurant halfway across the parking lot
>through the windows on wifi. I do think I'll change the new router's
>main channel to a non-standard away from 6 or 11 to reduce channel
>traffic noise and potential jamming.
>
>We'll see. I can always take the Cricket modem back and return the
>router if it doesn't work out in a few days......(c;]