PC connectivity

On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 06:23:04 GMT, "O/Siris" <robjvargas@sprîntpcs.côm>
wrote:
>Jane, I'll have to double-check to be sure, but I don't think that dialing
>into your ISP is viable. At least, not as part of the Wireless Web plan. I
>haven't looked in several weeks, but I'm pretty sure you need to basically
>use SPCS as your ISP using "Data Dialer" software, or else you'll get hit
>for 39¢/min charges when you dial into your ISP.

I dial into my ISP regularly with Wireless Web, using the conventional
Windows Dial-up networking (requires modem driver for phone), and have
never received additional charges for doing so.

Joseph Huber
[email protected]

---

› See More: PC connectivity

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Joseph Huber) wrote:

> On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 06:23:04 GMT, "O/Siris" <robjvargas@sprîntpcs.côm>
> wrote:
> >Jane, I'll have to double-check to be sure, but I don't think that dialing
> >into your ISP is viable. At least, not as part of the Wireless Web plan. I
> >haven't looked in several weeks, but I'm pretty sure you need to basically
> >use SPCS as your ISP using "Data Dialer" software, or else you'll get hit
> >for 39¢/min charges when you dial into your ISP.
>
> I dial into my ISP regularly with Wireless Web, using the conventional
> Windows Dial-up networking (requires modem driver for phone), and have
> never received additional charges for doing so.


You may now?

On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 13:34:38 GMT, Jerome Zelinske
<[email protected]> wrote:
> Your best option is to get a Sprint PCS Connection Card for your
>laptop and sign it up with a Connection Card Plan. It would be all data
>based billing, with no time of day/week differential. It would not have
>anything to do with minutes on your phone. You don't even have to have
>a phone.

It's early in the morning, but how about some (hopefully correct)
math...

The cheapest Sprint PCS data plan available to me is 40 MB for $60.
40 MB * 1024 kB/MB * 8 kbits/kB = 327680 kbits. Assume one could
average an 80 kbps data transfer rate with the data card: 326780 / 80
kbits/sec = 4096 seconds, or about 68 minutes of data transfer.
$60/68 minutes = $0.88/min. Ouch!!

For comparison, we all know that a Vision phone could be used as a
modem to get the same data transfer rates, albiet in violation of the
terms of service agreement. The cheapest Vision plan available to me
is 300 minutes for $50, or $0.17/min. If you judiciously used the
1000 night/weekend minutes, you actually get 1300 minutes for $50,
which comes to $0.04.min. Very nice!!

Verizon Wireless has an Express Network plan that offers 400 minutes
for $55, or $0.14/min. They used to have the option to add 1000
night/weekend minutes for $10, but I don't know if that is still
available. The data limitation on this plan is basically that it be
used only for email and Internet browsing (no server or host apps, web
cams, etc.) Fair enough...

It's not that Sprint PCS is charging too much for the data card plans.
the Verizion Express Network Megabyte (data only) plans are priced
about the same as Sprint's plans. However, Verizon does offer a
reasonable alternative to voice users who have occasional data needs
by allowing the phone to be used as a modem on the Express Network
plans. For whatever reason, Sprint PCS won't do this. It's akin to
spitting in the face of laptop users.

Joseph Huber
[email protected]

A PCS Connection Card Plan is not measured in minutes. 40 MB for
$60, can be as low as 15 hundredths of a cent per KB. 300 MB for $100
can be as low as 34 thousandths of a cent per KB.

Joseph Huber wrote:

> On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 13:34:38 GMT, Jerome Zelinske
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Your best option is to get a Sprint PCS Connection Card for your
>>laptop and sign it up with a Connection Card Plan. It would be all data
>>based billing, with no time of day/week differential. It would not have
>>anything to do with minutes on your phone. You don't even have to have
>>a phone.
>
>
> It's early in the morning, but how about some (hopefully correct)
> math...
>
> The cheapest Sprint PCS data plan available to me is 40 MB for $60.
> 40 MB * 1024 kB/MB * 8 kbits/kB = 327680 kbits. Assume one could
> average an 80 kbps data transfer rate with the data card: 326780 / 80
> kbits/sec = 4096 seconds, or about 68 minutes of data transfer.
> $60/68 minutes = $0.88/min. Ouch!!
>
> For comparison, we all know that a Vision phone could be used as a
> modem to get the same data transfer rates, albiet in violation of the
> terms of service agreement. The cheapest Vision plan available to me
> is 300 minutes for $50, or $0.17/min. If you judiciously used the
> 1000 night/weekend minutes, you actually get 1300 minutes for $50,
> which comes to $0.04.min. Very nice!!
>
> Verizon Wireless has an Express Network plan that offers 400 minutes
> for $55, or $0.14/min. They used to have the option to add 1000
> night/weekend minutes for $10, but I don't know if that is still
> available. The data limitation on this plan is basically that it be
> used only for email and Internet browsing (no server or host apps, web
> cams, etc.) Fair enough...
>
> It's not that Sprint PCS is charging too much for the data card plans.
> the Verizion Express Network Megabyte (data only) plans are priced
> about the same as Sprint's plans. However, Verizon does offer a
> reasonable alternative to voice users who have occasional data needs
> by allowing the phone to be used as a modem on the Express Network
> plans. For whatever reason, Sprint PCS won't do this. It's akin to
> spitting in the face of laptop users.
>
> Joseph Huber
> [email protected]

Joseph Huber Thought for a moment, Smiled, and then wrote:


> On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 06:23:04 GMT, "O/Siris" <robjvargas@sprîntpcs.côm>
> wrote:
>
>>Jane, I'll have to double-check to be sure, but I don't think that dialing
>>into your ISP is viable. At least, not as part of the Wireless Web plan. I
>>haven't looked in several weeks, but I'm pretty sure you need to basically
>>use SPCS as your ISP using "Data Dialer" software, or else you'll get hit
>>for 39¢/min charges when you dial into your ISP.
>
>
> I dial into my ISP regularly with Wireless Web, using the conventional
> Windows Dial-up networking (requires modem driver for phone), and have
> never received additional charges for doing so.
>
> Joseph Huber
> [email protected]
Me either, and I Use my 5150 attached to my laptop on the old WW ALL the time.
M

--




~\\|//~
-(o o)-
___________oOOOo--(_)--oOOOo___________
[ Michael Arends ]
| ----------------------- |
| [email protected] |
| .oooO Oooo. |
[_____________( )---( )_____________]
\ ( ) /
\_) (_/

On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 15:15:01 GMT, Jerome Zelinske
<[email protected]> wrote:

> A PCS Connection Card Plan is not measured in minutes. 40 MB for
>$60, can be as low as 15 hundredths of a cent per KB. 300 MB for $100
>can be as low as 34 thousandths of a cent per KB.

I'm aware that the Connection card is priced by amount of data
transferred. The point of my post (which you might have overlooked)
was to find some basis for comparing options for users who need voice
and an occasional laptop data connection. Those options were Vision
(which could be used with laptops if Sprint PCS allowed it), Verizon
Express Network (which can be used for occasional data) and the
Connection Card. Since one plan is priced on minutes, and the other
on kB, I tried to come up with a method to convert one to the other in
order to compare them.

It seems to me that the Connection Card, from an economic standpoint,
is a poor choice for someone who needs both voice and occasional data.
Not only does one have to buy expensive additional hardware, but one
has to maintain two accounts, and pay a "high" rate for data.

Vision would be a good choice, were it allowed to be used with
laptops. Verizion has already figured that out, which is why they
allow laptops to be used with Express Network. If Sprint PCS doesn't
figure that out by the time number portability comes along, they can
expect to see a mass exodus of their business customers to Verizon and
others. Maybe that's what Sprint PCS wants. It would certainly free
up bandwidth for those who are sending around pictures of Little
Richard at the bowling alley...

Joseph Huber
[email protected]

Joseph Huber wrote:

>
> Vision would be a good choice, were it allowed to be used with
> laptops. Verizion has already figured that out, which is why they
> allow laptops to be used with Express Network. If Sprint PCS doesn't
> figure that out by the time number portability comes along, they can
> expect to see a mass exodus of their business customers to Verizon and
> others. Maybe that's what Sprint PCS wants. It would certainly free
> up bandwidth for those who are sending around pictures of Little
> Richard at the bowling alley...

Are you guys sure this laptop connectivity is that big an issue? To be
quite frank about it, there's so many other reasons for customers to bolt
that I have a suspicion that laptop connectivity will be barely a ripple in
the barrel compared to everything else.

I'm sure Philly intends to twist that into saying there's nothing wrong, but
I'm sure all the reasonable people here know what I'm *actually* saying.
--
-+-
RØß
O/Siris
I work for Sprint
I *don't* speak for them

Joseph Huber wrote:
> On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 06:23:04 GMT, "O/Siris" <robjvargas@sprîntpcs.côm>
> wrote:
>> Jane, I'll have to double-check to be sure, but I don't think that
>> dialing into your ISP is viable. At least, not as part of the
>> Wireless Web plan. I haven't looked in several weeks, but I'm
>> pretty sure you need to basically use SPCS as your ISP using "Data
>> Dialer" software, or else you'll get hit for 39¢/min charges when
>> you dial into your ISP.
>
> I dial into my ISP regularly with Wireless Web, using the conventional
> Windows Dial-up networking (requires modem driver for phone), and have
> never received additional charges for doing so.

Thanks, Joseph. Like I said, I haven't looked into this in several weeks,
so you're probably right.
--
-+-
RØß
O/Siris
I work for Sprint
I *don't* speak for them

On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 21:35:31 GMT, "O/Siris" <robjvargas@sprîntpcs.côm>
wrote:
>Are you guys sure this laptop connectivity is that big an issue? To be
>quite frank about it, there's so many other reasons for customers to bolt
>that I have a suspicion that laptop connectivity will be barely a ripple in
>the barrel compared to everything else.

Well, I don't know... I'd stay if Sprint would let me use my laptop
with Vision.

Joseph Huber
[email protected]

On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 21:36:46 GMT, "O/Siris" <robjvargas@sprîntpcs.côm>
wrote:
>Joseph Huber wrote:
>> I dial into my ISP regularly with Wireless Web, using the conventional
>> Windows Dial-up networking (requires modem driver for phone), and have
>> never received additional charges for doing so.
>Thanks, Joseph. Like I said, I haven't looked into this in several weeks,
>so you're probably right.

In addition to dialing my ISP, I also dial into equipment that has
modems for diagnostic and control purposes. WW works quite good for
that, because most of those devices have only 9600 bps serial ports.

Joseph Huber
[email protected]

My company has over 700 people who travel regularly. Sprint PCS is currently
our corporate standard. If there was a cheaper alternate providing both
voice and data connectivity, it would be an easy sell to have most of them
switch to that carrier even if it means that we have to use our Sprint
phones as paperweight.



"O/Siris" <robjvargas@sprîntpcs.côm> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> Joseph Huber wrote:
>
> >
> > Vision would be a good choice, were it allowed to be used with
> > laptops. Verizion has already figured that out, which is why they
> > allow laptops to be used with Express Network. If Sprint PCS doesn't
> > figure that out by the time number portability comes along, they can
> > expect to see a mass exodus of their business customers to Verizon and
> > others. Maybe that's what Sprint PCS wants. It would certainly free
> > up bandwidth for those who are sending around pictures of Little
> > Richard at the bowling alley...
>
> Are you guys sure this laptop connectivity is that big an issue? To be
> quite frank about it, there's so many other reasons for customers to bolt
> that I have a suspicion that laptop connectivity will be barely a ripple
in
> the barrel compared to everything else.
>
> I'm sure Philly intends to twist that into saying there's nothing wrong,
but
> I'm sure all the reasonable people here know what I'm *actually* saying.
> --
> -+-
> RØß
> O/Siris
> I work for Sprint
> I *don't* speak for them
>
>