Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

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

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

<joehatesspam@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1109965934.905588.55290@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> 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

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

<joehatesspam@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1109965934.905588.55290@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> 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.
>

You may want to go have a look through the posts at sprintusers.com, under
the computer/pda connectivity forum, there has been some good discussion on
this recently.

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"

Myself, I have tried doing the tether a few times on both of our phones and
have not gotten billed. The excess data usage rate charge from Sprint is
unknown, they don't seem to publish this. But I also have an AT&T gsm
phone, and they tell you up front tethered laptop usage is a nickel a
kilobyte. The cost of 50 megs tethered usage with those guys would be
$2,560 (50 x 1024 x 0.05)

Myself, I quit doing the tether, bought the card, and pay the $80 a month
unlimited usage plan. That may not be practical for everyone, but, I use
mine on the road ALOT now, all business. File uploads, downloads, even
simple web browsing, uses alot of bandwidth. Don't need no surprises in my
bill.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

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

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

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.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

"Mij Adyaw" <mijadyaw@nospamforme.com> 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.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

"Steph" <CUT_skipatrol@hotmail.com_CUT> wrote in message
news:Xns961263B674C5Fskipatroluunet@66.75.43.157...

> 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?

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

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


joehatesspam@gmail.com 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

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

On Sun, 6 Mar 2005 21:38:38 -0800, "Mij Adyaw"
<mijadyaw@nospamforme.com> 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
huber.joseph@comcast.net

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

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

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

In article <gO4Xd.10568$9u6.10515@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com>, 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+

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

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.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

"Frank Thomas" <nospam@yahoo.com> wrote in
news:1e44a$422caded$943fa940$9727@STARBAND.NET:

>
> "Steph" <CUT_skipatrol@hotmail.com_CUT> wrote in message
> news:Xns961263B674C5Fskipatroluunet@66.75.43.157...
>
>> 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?
>
>
>


I don't recall the bill mentioning either minutes or kilobytes. I think
there is a web page indicating the charge is something like $0.02 /Kb -
but don't quote me.

The bill showed "additional charges" as I recall with no breakdown,
which was primarily why i phoned SPCS support. I was then told it was
for Vision/data usage. We went through the gyrations of discussing the
unlimited Vision accounts and I stupidly mentioned the tethered usage.

Like I said, I have a new plan and am just waiting for the billing to
stabilize before trying again.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 11:52:14 -0800, joehatesspa 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

Oh, yeah! After about 4 months I received a letter saying if I did not
stop my account would be terminated, but I was moving a LOT of data (uh,
downloading MP3s all day long...)

If you're using it to browse web pages here and there where you don't have
any other connection I don't think it will be a problem, but don't be
doing it for hours at a time. Even in my case, it was about 4 months
before I received the letter from the tech dept.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

In article <r3dp21hac0g24c32iamb3c8s7h5oj4tiiv@4ax.com>,
pminer@elrancho.invalid says...
> This example really puzzles me. Was it a "High-Speed RAS" connection
> or something else? I suppose it couldn't have been HSR because that
> isn't CSD, it's standard packet mode. So how do you put a Vision phone
> into CSD mode? I've been told in the past that CSD calls are only
> possible on the older 2G phones, but apparently that's not correct?
> I'd hate to be in CSD mode and not realize it.
>

It's not easy. Remember, I haven't worked there since last July, but if
I recall correctly, it takes getting the drivers that allow your phone
to get detected, and THEN tweaking the AT commands so that the phone
actually dials a POP (in the example I gave, I'm talking like one of the
AOL access numbers you would choose for AOL's dial-up service).

Let's use an example: Let's say you belong to PeoplePC's dial-up
service. And you're in Atlanta, and you want to dial in. I can't
recall Area Codes, so let's just pretend that one Atlanta access number
is 459-126-7862 (boy, I'm in trouble if that's a real number). So you
"convince" your computer that your Sprint Cell phone is actually a
modem, tell it NOT to look for a dial tone, and have the PC dial that
number through your cell phone. The moment that access site starts
handshaking with your "modem", the sprint phone (and the network)
realize you're doing circuit-switched data.

Ch-ching. $0.39/min from the moment handshaking occured (because,
really, the call is complete as soon as those noises start up). If you
disconnect an hour later, your absolute best speed would have been
14.4kbps, and you've just spent $23.40.

So, in short, if you dial an actual phone number, you get the per-minute
charge and the slow speed. If you use #777 or software programs that
are out there to do it for you, then it's Vision usage and whatever
charge applies under that.

--
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+

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

O/Siris wrote:
> In article <r3dp21hac0g24c32iamb3c8s7h5oj4tiiv@4ax.com>,
> pminer@elrancho.invalid says...
>> This example really puzzles me. Was it a "High-Speed RAS" connection
>> or something else? I suppose it couldn't have been HSR because that
>> isn't CSD, it's standard packet mode. So how do you put a Vision
>> phone into CSD mode? I've been told in the past that CSD calls are
>> only possible on the older 2G phones, but apparently that's not
>> correct? I'd hate to be in CSD mode and not realize it.
>>
>
> It's not easy. Remember, I haven't worked there since last July, but
> if I recall correctly, it takes getting the drivers that allow your
> phone to get detected, and THEN tweaking the AT commands so that the
> phone actually dials a POP (in the example I gave, I'm talking like
> one of the AOL access numbers you would choose for AOL's dial-up
> service).
>

I doubt an AOL user is gonna be playin' around with AT codes.


> Let's use an example: Let's say you belong to PeoplePC's dial-up
> service. And you're in Atlanta, and you want to dial in.

Unless you're on some kind of regional plan it doesn't really matter
where you are, no? Since LD has always been included with my SPCS plans,
I never felt the need to ever change my dial-out number (back when I
used CSD). I only dialed into my ISP for the few things I couldn't
easily do via #WEB (like using my ISP's Usenet server).


> I can't
> recall Area Codes, so let's just pretend that one Atlanta access
> number is 459-555-7862 (boy, I'm in trouble if that's a real number).
> So you "convince" your computer that your Sprint Cell phone is
> actually a modem, tell it NOT to look for a dial tone, and have the
> PC dial that number through your cell phone. The moment that access
> site starts handshaking with your "modem", the sprint phone (and the
> network) realize you're doing circuit-switched data.
>

That doesn't sound any different than setting up a typical 2G SPCS
connection.

I think what Paul Miner was asking if you can use a Vision phone with
CSD, and then how. It looks like it is nothing more than using an old 2G
phone. However, I heard one person state it does not work like that, and
you had to use the SPCS Connection Manager (which I don't use) in order
to do it. For clarity, are you saying it's as simple as plugging in the
phone number and disabling the tone check?


--
Mike

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs (More info?)

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 09:12:38 -0700, "Tinman"
<mlynch@REMOVEMEcitlink.net> wrote:

>O/Siris wrote:
>> In article <r3dp21hac0g24c32iamb3c8s7h5oj4tiiv@4ax.com>,
>> pminer@elrancho.invalid says...
>>> This example really puzzles me. Was it a "High-Speed RAS" connection
>>> or something else? I suppose it couldn't have been HSR because that
>>> isn't CSD, it's standard packet mode. So how do you put a Vision
>>> phone into CSD mode? I've been told in the past that CSD calls are
>>> only possible on the older 2G phones, but apparently that's not
>>> correct? I'd hate to be in CSD mode and not realize it.
>>>
>>
>> It's not easy. Remember, I haven't worked there since last July, but
>> if I recall correctly, it takes getting the drivers that allow your
>> phone to get detected, and THEN tweaking the AT commands so that the
>> phone actually dials a POP (in the example I gave, I'm talking like
>> one of the AOL access numbers you would choose for AOL's dial-up
>> service).
>>