Cell Phone Wireless

Cell Phone Wireless

By Daniel Swensen

Many modern cell phones can be used for wireless Internet access when tethered to a laptop or used in conjunction with a wireless card or broadband access card - even when you're nowhere near any conventional broadband access.

Enabling Broadband Access on Your Cell Phone

There are two basic routes to getting connected via your cell phone: tethering your cell phone directly to your PC, or using a broadband access card.

To get Internet access with your cell phone, you will need a laptop computer (of course) and a dual-mode cell phone. Most modern digital cell phones are dual-mode; check with your cell phone carrier or do some research on the Web if you're not certain about yours. You will also need a USB cable or special connection kit (such as the Verizon Wireless Mobile Office Kit). If you have a Blue tooth-enabled cell phone and laptop, or a laptop with infrared capability, you may be able to do away with the cable entirely; if you have a broadband access card, you may not even need your cell phone.

Your mileage will vary, of course, according to your cell phone carrier and cell phone model, so some homework will probably be necessary. The LG Vx6100 cell phone, for example, can connect to a laptop via USB cable and VZ Manager software (this process is called "tethering") and can connect to the Internet anywhere there is a Verizon Wireless signal.

Playing Your Wireless Card

On the other hand, if your model of cell phone doesn't come with Internet capability, you might be able to use an broadband access card from your cell phone carrier to give your laptop WWAN (wireless wide area network) capability. Sony's Vaio notebook series, for example, offers wireless cards using Singular’s EDGE technology, such as the Sony Ericsson GC83 and the Sierra Wireless Air Card 775, which both offer Internet access on Singular’s wireless network? The wireless card fits into the laptop's PC card slot and allows connection to the Internet via the cell phone carrier's data network. The wireless card option, unfortunately, can be a tad more expensive; broadband access cards range in price from $192 for a GC83 to $265 for a Sierra Wireless Air Card).

Broadband Access That Goes Where You Go

In most cases, using your cell phone is definitely the shrewder option, as it generally requires no extra equipment, and you may be able to avoid any extra charges for Internet use, depending on which cell phone carrier you have. A wireless card, however, can be a great boon if you're a business traveler or take frequent road trips. The biggest advantage to using your cell phone for broadband access is the freedom - no more paying outrageous fees for a hotel's dialup connection, no more driving around searching for a proper hot-spot. If your current cell phone isn't Internet-capable – or if you're in the market for a broadband access card - this might be just the excuse you need to upgrade.