4G experiences?

[xune]

Amen brother! Green is good

I will be terminating my AT&T 3G plan as well. After spending a good amount of time with it traveling down the freeways (me not being the driver while using it of course!), taking it to and from work, I've found that it has connectivity over 95% of the places I go.. So about the same or better than AT&T's coverage in my area.

I'm curious.. Were there any posts from those using Sprint's 4G overdrive? I'm wondering what the performance is like compared to the iSpot.

Btw: for those who missed out getting an iSpot, Clear still offers the Spot. Similar name, but costs $45/mo instead of the iSpot's $25, but officially connects to devices other than iOS (although there are a couple well known jailbreaks that apparently allow the iSpot to d the same). In any case, even at $45/mo, it's unlimited mobile 4G with no contract. Not a bad deal still compared to anything else on the U.S. market.

 

[SeaRat]

Need to be Sure

Still happy with the Spot, still watching movies and chortling about (apparently) getting one of the last unlimited $25 plans and iSpots, but I
think I will hang on to the AT&T plan for another month or so, just to be
sure things go as at present. Howsomesoever, I would like to thank ZUNE
for pointing out the Clear option to me on this Forum. This is pretty much
what I had in mind when I purchased my ipad several months ago.

 

[epb]

If it works, fiddle with it until it breaks: I decided to change from the default wi-fi settings. I changed the SSID to "outdamnedispot" and the password to "macbeth1607" (Shakespearean humor - I kill me ). Couldn't get it to work for the life of me, wound up having to re-set the iSpot to the default. Any ideas why it didn't work?

 

[grandma_jojo]

iPad wifi + 3G (AT&T) vs. Verizon 4G

opinions welcomed. This wifi, mifi, 3G /4G all very new to me (I am use to PC's...Home/Office. Desktops hardwired with optimum/cable service and wireless for laptops, (and recently added hardware connections around my office for the laptops) and then there is my Droid/verizon.

Have not yet received the iPad I ordered (iPad wifi + 3G), and was beginning to feel a little buyers remorse yesterday when I saw that Verizon had 4G.

However, based on comments...maybe this is good as I travel about 6x a year. (so if the area doesnt' have 4G service, I can use the 3G).

My questions:
is it wise to sign up for a 4G service on the iPad wifi +3G?
Do I have to sign up for any additional services or can I start with say, going to starbucks ?
Thanks

 

[grandma_jojo]

found info.. For Absolute Beginners forum

Thanks!

 

[ipadded]

OK, if I can find an iSpot, I'm assuming I can use it without having 3G on my ipad. Is this a correct assumption? If true, then can I use my 4G smartphone in a similar way (as a router)? Just wondering what alternatives to the iSpot are in case I can't find one. Thanks.

 

[xune]

Yes. You can either use your 4G enabled smartphone to tether the iPad and act as a personal router, or you can purchase the "Spot" which looks just like the iSpot, only it's black, and runs $45/mo, also from Clear. The Spot officially tethers iOS devices and non-iOS devices, which is why it costs $20 more/mo than the iSpot, though there have been numerous articles on hacks allowing the iSpot to do the same, which is why Clear pulled the iSpot off the market. Still a good deal, considering it's unlimited 4G, as opposed to capped data from most wireless providers.

Check with your carrier to see if they offer any tethering with unlimited data plans. If you find you use a lot of data while outside wifi hotspots, and you don't have an unlimited data option through your phone's service provider, consider the Spot from Clear. If your home is covered by Clear's 4G signal, your could literally replace your home internet with it for $45/mo, and have the option of taking your internet with you.

 

[epb]

OK, if I can find an iSpot, I'm assuming I can use it without having 3G on my ipad. Is this a correct assumption? If true, then can I use my 4G smartphone in a similar way (as a router)? Just wondering what alternatives to the iSpot are in case I can't find one. Thanks.

As Xune said, you can, but finding an iSpot should be easy if you have a Clear corporate retail store near you; the location I went to had 20 sitting around. The advantage is you save $20/month on the service as well as $40 on the purchase ($99 vs $139 for the Spot) and, if you want, you can hack it to work with non-Apple devices and still keep the cheaper rate.

 

[hookbill]

opinions welcomed. This wifi, mifi, 3G /4G all very new to me (I am use to PC's...Home/Office. Desktops hardwired with optimum/cable service and wireless for laptops, (and recently added hardware connections around my office for the laptops) and then there is my Droid/verizon.

Have not yet received the iPad I ordered (iPad wifi + 3G), and was beginning to feel a little buyers remorse yesterday when I saw that Verizon had 4G.

However, based on comments...maybe this is good as I travel about 6x a year. (so if the area doesnt' have 4G service, I can use the 3G).

My questions:
is it wise to sign up for a 4G service on the iPad wifi +3G?
Do I have to sign up for any additional services or can I start with say, going to starbucks ?
Thanks

Verizon still does not have 4G going yet. However Verizon is a much better company for delivering 3G then AT&T. That might be a regret there, the fact that their coverage is not so good.

Verizon will have 4G very soon but there still isn't a start date. And when it does happen it will be in 35 cities. Coverage for all we know may be limited to city areas and may not be available in the suburbs. 4G coverage for Verizon won't be completed until approximately 2013.

 

[epb]

Verizon still does not have 4G going yet...
Verizon will have 4G very soon but there still isn't a start date.

Verizon launched their 4GLTE service on December 5 2010 in 38 markets. Verizon VZ4G LTE Markets

 

[SeaRat]

When I bought the iSpot I knew it's intended and coded for Apple products solely, and as
such I would still have to lug my Sony Vaio down to the Starbucks or the like to use their wifi. I considered hacking the iSpot and actually checked a few websites to see if it
was viable, as people have said it's an 'easy' modification. Unfortunately my tech savvy
is woefully inadequate to the task. Imagine my surprise when I fired up the Sony yesterday for something and saw that it was asking to be connected to the iSpot. I did,
it was, and i'm now enjoying my laptop having really good speed and performance on the
iSpot's dime. Not smart enough to be satisfied with that, I checked it with my Playstation
3, and the same thing happened (immediate connectivity). Is this a fluke or am I just
lucky, or perhaps both. Happy Camper here, fer shure.

 

[epb]

Is this a fluke or am I just
lucky, or perhaps both. Happy Camper here, fer shure.

Huh, I've never even tried it with my laptop. I'll give it a shot and let you know!

 

[xune]

^ sweet!! I'm gonna try it on the other devices I own; Xbox, Wii, iMac, ect. And post my results (crossing fingers!)

If this works w/o any tinkering, I'll be doubly happy with my iSpot!

 

[epb]

Is this a fluke or am I just
lucky, or perhaps both. Happy Camper here, fer shure.

Huh, I've never even tried it with my laptop. I'll give it a shot and let you know!

Well I'll be! My ASUS laptop hooked right up and started streaming Netflix, as did my old Thinkpad.

 

[SeaRat]

Pretty nice, hey? I would hope these posts don't cause a ruckus down at Clear and cost
us our newly found boons. Are we even Zune? lol