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  1. #1
    My wife and I recently purchased our first laptop. We also got the
    cable from Radio Shack to connect my Vision-enabled phone to the laptop
    so that while we are at our cabin and elsewhere on the road we can get
    internet access.

    I did consider getting a "legit" plan from Sprint, but the cost was way
    to high.

    My question is this: Have you ever been cautioned/charged by Sprint for
    doing this, or have you ever heard of anyone actually get
    booted/charged? I've read around on the internet and it seems that
    most people say something along the lines of "Don't abuse it and it
    will be okay", but I am looking for something a little firmer than
    that.

    Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

    ~Joe




    See More: #777 / Laptop / Booted from SprinPCS?




  2. #2
    Bob Smith
    Guest

    Re: #777 / Laptop / Booted from SprinPCS?


    <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > My wife and I recently purchased our first laptop. We also got the
    > cable from Radio Shack to connect my Vision-enabled phone to the laptop
    > so that while we are at our cabin and elsewhere on the road we can get
    > internet access.
    >
    > I did consider getting a "legit" plan from Sprint, but the cost was way
    > to high.
    >
    > My question is this: Have you ever been cautioned/charged by Sprint for
    > doing this, or have you ever heard of anyone actually get
    > booted/charged? I've read around on the internet and it seems that
    > most people say something along the lines of "Don't abuse it and it
    > will be okay", but I am looking for something a little firmer than
    > that.
    >
    > Any insights would be greatly appreciated.
    >
    > ~Joe


    That is as firm and timely as we can get around here. Nothing is etched in
    stone, save that SPCS doesn't allow it, and we folks have been keeping under
    the radar. There were one or two individuals here who say they got hit with
    charges months, maybe even a year ago and that's about it.

    Best advice is to keep your usage down to an hour or less each day.

    Bob





  3. #3
    Mij Adyaw
    Guest

    Sprint Laptop Card

    How well does the Sprint laptop card and service function? I currently have
    a Verizon laptop card that does not work at my home, I recently ported my
    cell phone from Verizon to Sprint and am very satisfied. I am thinking about
    switching to the Sprint laptop card. What are the opinions on the card and
    the service?

    Thanks,

    -mij





  4. #4
    Central
    Guest

    Re: Sprint Laptop Card

    On Sun, 06 Mar 2005 21:38:38 -0800, Mij Adyaw wrote:

    > How well does the Sprint laptop card and service function? I currently have
    > a Verizon laptop card that does not work at my home, I recently ported my
    > cell phone from Verizon to Sprint and am very satisfied. I am thinking about
    > switching to the Sprint laptop card. What are the opinions on the card and
    > the service?
    >
    > Thanks,
    >
    > -mij


    Well the cards from sprintpcs and verizon are the same quality wise, they
    do use same manufactures for some and the same network design. The major
    issue I have had with verizon is spotty coverage. They recently(a year?)
    rolled out ev-do connectivity which I tested when they were doing trials
    in Washington DC. When verizon rolls out services they tend to do it
    slowly region by region unlike sprintpcs who tend to do most upgrades up
    front then flip the switch. I travel a lot and as long as I have a digital
    sprintpcs signal I can get on with vision/tethered laptop. I can not say
    the same thing with verizon. This is not to say sprintpcs' coverage is
    great but usually when I have it, it works.

    When comparing their pc connection cards they are really equal and sadly
    the cards do not have as great a reception as the phones, correct me if
    I'm wrong I haven't used the latest and greatest from sprintpcs. The
    Biggest issues I had with the cards were with soft hand-off, I would get
    disconnected on the train while it was moving between towers. While
    tethered to my sprintpcs phone I would remain connected most of the way,
    except for dead spots that had no signal. Same can be said about verizon's
    tethered usage. Where I was staying the cards had poor signal indoors
    compared to the sprintpcs/verizon phones I had.

    Personally I love the cards and have been thinking about re-signing up for
    either the CF or SDIO card(which ever they sell now) so I can use it with
    my pda instead of tethering the pda to my phone(clunky). Even tho the
    cards reception quality can be poor they did work when they had good
    signal. Some might wonder why I do not get a smartphone and the reason is
    I want to keep the two separate and with a CF/SD card I can always change
    the pda(I like keeping my pda choices separate from what sprintpcs chooses
    to sell me) and even use it in the laptop with a cardbus adaptor. Usually
    I would need it when I have to fix a server problem via ssh which usually
    requires me to be sitting still(use a portable keyboard) so finding a spot
    I can get good signal at wouldn't be a major issue esp since I won't be
    moving for a while.




  5. #5
    O/Siris
    Guest

    Re: #777 / Laptop / Booted from SprinPCS?

    In article <[email protected]>,
    [email protected] says...
    > The short answer is I have yet to see a post from someone who got nailed.
    > However, there are several recent posts in that forum from people who say
    > they either are or recently were working for Sprint who speak about this.
    >
    > What they say is that Sprint is keeping an eye out on for users that seem
    > to use excessive band width and they regularly nail people. One person
    > reported that in one case that they would send out notices to apparent
    > violaters to stop or else their vision service would be terminated. Other
    > such reputed Sprint employees said they had sent out bills to people for $$
    > for excess data use. Such posters also seem to say that Sprints enforcement
    > is kind of hit or miss, some they catch, some they don't.
    >
    > I have yet to see a post from someone who said they got nailed and for how
    > much. (Which doesn't mean no one has been nailed) I continue to see posts
    > from people who say "we done it hunerts of times an' 'taint nuthin happen
    > atoll"
    >


    I worked for Sprint PCS for about 18 months, up until July of last year.
    In that time, I dealt with a grand total of three users hit for charges
    for online usage.

    One user doesn't quite apply here. He tried to use his phone to dial
    AOL. As if it were an actual modem. That drops the Vision phone into
    Circuit-switched data mode, and Sprint charges $0.39/min. while you do
    that. Plus a top connection speed (and that only under ideal
    conditions) of 14.4kbps.

    The other two used their phones as modems, and tried to convince me that
    they'd never read any prohibition against it. One was hit for $750 in
    online usage, the other for almost $1400. At $10/MB, it hadn't taken
    either of them long to get shut off. And this does *not* count the
    amount of usage it took to "trigger" the charge.

    --
    RØß
    O/Siris
    -+-
    A thing moderately good
    is not so good as it ought to be.
    Moderation in temper is always a virtue,
    but moderation in principle is always a vice.
    +Thomas Paine, "The Rights of Man", 1792+



  6. #6
    Frank Thomas
    Guest

    Re: Sprint Laptop Card


    "Mij Adyaw" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:yNRWd.96799$bu.38381@fed1read06...
    > How well does the Sprint laptop card and service function?


    I am very pleased with the card and service. Any place my sprint phone
    works in CDMA mode on the Sprint network, my card works. Conersely where
    your phone goes into analog mode or shows digtial roam, it does not work.
    However, locally coverage is excellent. Except in my home, neither my phone
    nor my cell modem card works. I have good coverage out of state too, but,
    check coverage maps first.

    It holds the connection even with weak signals, transfer rates are generally
    pretty fast for cell connections, as measured by FTP transfer, I usually
    get about 9-11 kbytes sec (say 90 kbs) . Connections are usually stable,
    and rarely drop. In some parts of the country like Vermont I have gotten
    slower speeds, but 90 kbs is the norm.

    Web pages images are compressed, meaning, they are not as sharp and clear as
    they would be on a normal connection. They are quite viewable, but you will
    notice a difference. But my use of the service is not for fun, its
    business, and this aspect of the service is of little importance to me.






  7. #7
    Frank Thomas
    Guest

    Re: #777 / Laptop / Booted from SprinPCS?


    "O/Siris" <rØbjvargas@comcâst.nêt> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    In article <[email protected]>,
    [email protected] says...
    > The short answer is I have yet to see a post from someone who got nailed.
    > However, there are several recent posts in that forum from people who say
    > they either are or recently were working for Sprint who speak about this.
    >
    > What they say is that Sprint is keeping an eye out on for users that

    seem
    > to use excessive band width and they regularly nail people. One person
    > reported that in one case that they would send out notices to apparent
    > violaters to stop or else their vision service would be terminated. Other
    > such reputed Sprint employees said they had sent out bills to people for

    $$
    > for excess data use. Such posters also seem to say that Sprints

    enforcement
    > is kind of hit or miss, some they catch, some they don't.
    >
    > I have yet to see a post from someone who said they got nailed and for how
    > much. (Which doesn't mean no one has been nailed) I continue to see posts
    > from people who say "we done it hunerts of times an' 'taint nuthin happen
    > atoll"
    >


    I worked for Sprint PCS for about 18 months, up until July of last year.
    In that time, I dealt with a grand total of three users hit for charges
    for online usage.

    One user doesn't quite apply here. He tried to use his phone to dial
    AOL. As if it were an actual modem. That drops the Vision phone into
    Circuit-switched data mode, and Sprint charges $0.39/min. while you do
    that. Plus a top connection speed (and that only under ideal
    conditions) of 14.4kbps.

    The other two used their phones as modems, and tried to convince me that
    they'd never read any prohibition against it. One was hit for $750 in
    online usage, the other for almost $1400. At $10/MB, it hadn't taken
    either of them long to get shut off. And this does *not* count the
    amount of usage it took to "trigger" the charge.
    **
    Thanks for your comments on this, I don't know about you, but I get the
    impression too many people think light usage and you will never get caught.
    However, there is ample evidence a certain percentage of the people do get
    caught, I am not sure its a big percentage, but testimony, if I may use the
    term, like yours show that it happens, and its no picnic when one gets
    caught. $750 buys quite a few months at $80 a month.





  8. #8
    Steph
    Guest

    Re: #777 / Laptop / Booted from SprinPCS?

    O/Siris <rØbjvargas@comcâst.nêt> wrote in
    news:[email protected]:

    > In article <[email protected]>,
    > [email protected] says...
    >> The short answer is I have yet to see a post from someone who got
    >> nailed. However, there are several recent posts in that forum from
    >> people who say they either are or recently were working for Sprint
    >> who speak about this.
    >>
    >> What they say is that Sprint is keeping an eye out on for users
    >> that se

    > em
    >> to use excessive band width and they regularly nail people. One
    >> person reported that in one case that they would send out notices to
    >> apparent violaters to stop or else their vision service would be
    >> terminated. Other such reputed Sprint employees said they had sent
    >> out bills to people for

    > $$
    >> for excess data use. Such posters also seem to say that Sprints
    >> enforcem

    > ent
    >> is kind of hit or miss, some they catch, some they don't.
    >>
    >> I have yet to see a post from someone who said they got nailed and
    >> for ho

    > w
    >> much. (Which doesn't mean no one has been nailed) I continue to see
    >> post

    > s
    >> from people who say "we done it hunerts of times an' 'taint nuthin
    >> happe

    > n
    >> atoll"
    >>

    >
    > I worked for Sprint PCS for about 18 months, up until July of last
    > year. In that time, I dealt with a grand total of three users hit for
    > charges for online usage.
    >
    > One user doesn't quite apply here. He tried to use his phone to dial
    > AOL. As if it were an actual modem. That drops the Vision phone into
    > Circuit-switched data mode, and Sprint charges $0.39/min. while you do
    > that. Plus a top connection speed (and that only under ideal
    > conditions) of 14.4kbps.
    >
    > The other two used their phones as modems, and tried to convince me
    > that they'd never read any prohibition against it. One was hit for
    > $750 in online usage, the other for almost $1400. At $10/MB, it
    > hadn't taken either of them long to get shut off. And this does *not*
    > count the amount of usage it took to "trigger" the charge.
    >



    Hmm.. I *know* I posted my experience on this.
    My wife and I used our new vision phones for very little for about 6
    months with no effects, then we got nailed for virtually every minute.
    SPCS took off the charges the first month without much hassle, but we
    had already used close to an hour's worth in the next month.

    I had more trouble dealing with those charges and have since not used
    the tethered mode. Luckily I have either had Wi-Fi or wired ethernet
    available to me when travelling -- and it not free it was covered by my
    room rate or whatever.

    I hve now switched phones and cannot get the A680 to work as a tethered
    modem under OS X. So I probably won't have any trouble, though my older
    N400 is still active, so I could use it in a pinch, and while travelling
    to florida next week I might do that. I have since switched plans as
    well, so it would be interesting to see if I get chraged for tetherred
    access again.



  9. #9
    Frank Thomas
    Guest

    Re: #777 / Laptop / Booted from SprinPCS?


    "Steph" <[email protected]_CUT> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...

    > Hmm.. I *know* I posted my experience on this.
    > My wife and I used our new vision phones for very little for about 6
    > months with no effects, then we got nailed for virtually every minute.
    > SPCS took off the charges the first month without much hassle, but we
    > had already used close to an hour's worth in the next month.
    >
    > I had more trouble dealing with those charges and have since not used
    > the tethered mode. Luckily I have either had Wi-Fi or wired ethernet
    > available to me when travelling -- and it not free it was covered by my
    > room rate or whatever.
    >
    > I hve now switched phones and cannot get the A680 to work as a tethered
    > modem under OS X. So I probably won't have any trouble, though my older
    > N400 is still active, so I could use it in a pinch, and while travelling
    > to florida next week I might do that. I have since switched plans as
    > well, so it would be interesting to see if I get chraged for tetherred
    > access again.


    Very informative post. I note you refer to your charges in minutes rather
    than in kilobytes.
    May I ask what they charged you and was it per minute of use or was it per
    kilobyte?





  10. #10

    Re: #777 / Laptop / Booted from SprinPCS?

    thanks all so much for your reponses... (esp from Frank with the
    sprintusers.com link).

    It sounds like the number floating around is 150-200MB max per month.

    Thanks!
    Joe


    [email protected] wrote:
    > My wife and I recently purchased our first laptop. We also got the
    > cable from Radio Shack to connect my Vision-enabled phone to the

    laptop
    > so that while we are at our cabin and elsewhere on the road we can

    get
    > internet access.
    >
    > I did consider getting a "legit" plan from Sprint, but the cost was

    way
    > to high.
    >
    > My question is this: Have you ever been cautioned/charged by Sprint

    for
    > doing this, or have you ever heard of anyone actually get
    > booted/charged? I've read around on the internet and it seems that
    > most people say something along the lines of "Don't abuse it and it
    > will be okay", but I am looking for something a little firmer than
    > that.
    >
    > Any insights would be greatly appreciated.
    >
    > ~Joe





  11. #11
    John Richards
    Guest

    Re: #777 / Laptop / Booted from SprinPCS?

    "Frank Thomas" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
    >
    > "O/Siris" <rØbjvargas@comcâst.nêt> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > I worked for Sprint PCS for about 18 months, up until July of last year.
    > In that time, I dealt with a grand total of three users hit for charges
    > for online usage.
    >
    > One user doesn't quite apply here. He tried to use his phone to dial
    > AOL. As if it were an actual modem. That drops the Vision phone into
    > Circuit-switched data mode, and Sprint charges $0.39/min. while you do
    > that. Plus a top connection speed (and that only under ideal
    > conditions) of 14.4kbps.
    >
    > The other two used their phones as modems, and tried to convince me that
    > they'd never read any prohibition against it. One was hit for $750 in
    > online usage, the other for almost $1400. At $10/MB, it hadn't taken
    > either of them long to get shut off. And this does *not* count the
    > amount of usage it took to "trigger" the charge.
    > **
    > Thanks for your comments on this, I don't know about you, but I get the
    > impression too many people think light usage and you will never get caught.
    > However, there is ample evidence a certain percentage of the people do get
    > caught, I am not sure its a big percentage, but testimony, if I may use the
    > term, like yours show that it happens, and its no picnic when one gets
    > caught. $750 buys quite a few months at $80 a month.


    O/Siris didn't mention any hard numbers, but I seem to recall that in
    the past it was mentioned that the trigger usage is on the order of one
    Gigabyte to perhaps several Gigabytes per month. Quite a few of us (myself
    included) routinely use tethered laptops (but not to download large files),
    without any consequences from Sprint.

    --
    John Richards




  12. #12
    Joseph Huber
    Guest

    Re: Sprint Laptop Card

    On Sun, 6 Mar 2005 21:38:38 -0800, "Mij Adyaw"
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    >How well does the Sprint laptop card and service function? I currently have
    >a Verizon laptop card that does not work at my home, I recently ported my
    >cell phone from Verizon to Sprint and am very satisfied. I am thinking about
    >switching to the Sprint laptop card. What are the opinions on the card and
    >the service?


    Before you fork over the money for the laptop card, call Sprint and
    see if you can add a data plan to your Vision phone. A sprint CSR
    stated to me via email that Sprint started selling data plan add-ons
    for users with Visions phones last December.

    Joe Huber
    [email protected]



  13. #13
    Stud Muffin
    Guest

    Re: #777 / Laptop / Booted from SprinPCS?

    I used the same connection cord in January while in Hawaii. The Hotel
    wanted $9.95 / day for internet; I used about an hour sometimes two hours /
    day each day for 9 days. Sprint said nothing. No "extra" charges on my
    account(s).


    >> My question is this: Have you ever been cautioned/charged by Sprint for
    >> doing this, or have you ever heard of anyone actually get
    >> booted/charged? I've read around on the internet and it seems that
    >> most people say something along the lines of "Don't abuse it and it
    >> will be okay", but I am looking for something a little firmer than
    >> that.
    >>
    >> Any insights would be greatly appreciated.
    >>
    >> ~Joe






  14. #14
    O/Siris
    Guest

    Re: #777 / Laptop / Booted from SprinPCS?

    In article <[email protected]>, jr70
    @blackhole.invalid says...
    > O/Siris didn't mention any hard numbers, but I seem to recall that in
    > the past it was mentioned that the trigger usage is on the order of one
    > Gigabyte to perhaps several Gigabytes per month. Quite a few of us (myself
    > included) routinely use tethered laptops (but not to download large files),
    > without any consequences from Sprint.
    >


    I was a call center drone. I admit that. Call center drones aren't
    given hard numbers. The rumor mill within that call center drummed up
    numbers as low as 20MB and as high as 3GB.

    Personally? I think the number is somewhere below a gig, but below that
    I couldn't begin to say.

    --
    RØß
    O/Siris
    -+-
    A thing moderately good
    is not so good as it ought to be.
    Moderation in temper is always a virtue,
    but moderation in principle is always a vice.
    +Thomas Paine, "The Rights of Man", 1792+



  15. #15
    Isaiah Beard
    Guest

    Re: #777 / Laptop / Booted from SprinPCS?

    Stud Muffin wrote:
    > I used the same connection cord in January while in Hawaii. The Hotel
    > wanted $9.95 / day for internet; I used about an hour sometimes two hours /
    > day each day for 9 days. Sprint said nothing. No "extra" charges on my
    > account(s).


    Well, keep in mind that 1xRTT data is packetized and not
    circuit-switched, so how long you're connected has absolutely no bearing
    on usage (even Verizon is trying to get away from billing on "MOU" terms
    because of this, although they did popularize the myth that connection
    time = usage). It's how much actual data that's transferred that makes
    a difference.


    --
    E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
    Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.



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