So, which aircard is best? This is sort of a trick question. You can compare and contrast the aircards from all the different companies and look at their cons and benefits, but that probably wouldn't give you the answer.
Alright, I'll get to the point already. In my opinion, the best aircard or broadband card ever made is the one that gets the best reception in the specific place where you'll be when you use it most. You could have the most expensive aircard ever made, with a three foot tall antenna on it, and it wouldn't do you any good if you were in a dead spot or out of range for the cell phone network that services it.
The best way to choose an aircard is probably to ask around and find out which cell phone company has the best service in your area. If you know someone that has an aircard, ask them how well it works in your area.
Once you find out which cell phone service is best, go to that company, whether it be AT&T, Alltel, Verizon, Sprint, or whatever. Talk to the customer support people and see what options they can offer you. Ask about their 3G or EVDO aircards or wireless modems. If you already get good cell service from one of these companies, you can probably use them and may be able to roll your data plan into your cell phone bill.
Also, you may be able to use your cell phone as an aircard by tethering it to your computer. Ask the customer support person about this option. You may need to press them about this alternative method, because they might rather sell you an aircard instead of upgrading your data plan and letting you use your phone as an aircard. Often tethering is cheaper, but each method has its advantages.
So, let's come back to our question. Which aircard is best? The truth is the aircard itself probably isn't as important as having the most powerful network in the area.
1/15/09
Videos from YouTube
I put the video player below on my aircard blog because I thought it had information about aircards, but it's actually a video feed with a lot of other computer and how-to related stuff. Oh well. I think I'll leave it up, though, because I watched a few of the videos and some of them are pretty good and others are also very informational.
If you are looking for information about aircards, what they are, and what they are used for, check out these articles:
If you are looking for information about aircards, what they are, and what they are used for, check out these articles:
1/8/09
3G Aircards make Everywhere a Hot Spot
A laptop with wifi makes computing more mobile and flexible. It lets you be online in restaurants, hotels, airports, or anywhere with a hot spot. However, your internet access is limited to locations that have wifi access. This is no longer the case if you've been introduced to 3G, the third generation of wireless computing.
3G aircards have changed the way people use their notebook computers.
Now, with a broadband aircard, you can use the internet nearly anywhere, even in rural locations, and usually at speeds much faster than dial-up.
To get hooked up, all you need to do is visit your local cell phone store and get an aircard that connects to your laptop through a card slot or usb connection. AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and Alltel have wireless aircards. They will usually give you the card for free if you agree to pay about $60 for a service plan. When I bought my aircard, I also paid a $25 installation fee. AT&T even sells a netbook computer with the aircard built inside.
After buying the aircard, I installed a small piece of software that came with the card on a CD, and presto, I was on the internet through the aircard without having to find a hotspot.
How is this possible?
A new generation, or third generation (3G), of wireless products have entered the market that allow customers to use their wireless cell connections to access the internet at broadband speeds. So instead of looking for a wifi hotspot, with an aircard, you just have to be in range of the nearest cell phone tower for your network.
3G aircards have changed the way people use their notebook computers.
Now, with a broadband aircard, you can use the internet nearly anywhere, even in rural locations, and usually at speeds much faster than dial-up.
To get hooked up, all you need to do is visit your local cell phone store and get an aircard that connects to your laptop through a card slot or usb connection. AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and Alltel have wireless aircards. They will usually give you the card for free if you agree to pay about $60 for a service plan. When I bought my aircard, I also paid a $25 installation fee. AT&T even sells a netbook computer with the aircard built inside.
After buying the aircard, I installed a small piece of software that came with the card on a CD, and presto, I was on the internet through the aircard without having to find a hotspot.
How is this possible?
A new generation, or third generation (3G), of wireless products have entered the market that allow customers to use their wireless cell connections to access the internet at broadband speeds. So instead of looking for a wifi hotspot, with an aircard, you just have to be in range of the nearest cell phone tower for your network.
1/7/09
$99 Laptop with Built-In Wireless Aircard
Can you actually get a notebook computer with a built-in aircard for under $100? Yes and No.The Acer Aspire One, a mini-notebook computer, is being sold by Radio Shack for $99. It comes with an AT&T wireless modem aircard built in. Here's the catch. You have to sign up for a wireless service plan through AT&T for 2 years. It'll cost you about $60 per month, just like most other data plans.
By buying this computer with its built-in wireless modem (aircard) and paying for the service plan, you can walk out of Radio Shack with a computer that connects to the internet from nearly anywhere in AT&T's network.
However, there are some disadvantages. You will be committed to a two year Laptop Connect account through AT&T, and if you back out, you'll have to pay more for the laptop. Also, the built in aircard is less flexible than the typical aircard that slides into a card slot, express card slot, or usb port. You can only use it with that one computer because it is actually inside the computer.
The $99 laptop in question is an Acer Aspire One. This is a new genre of notebook called a netbook. It's called that because it is primarily designed for remote web surfing. It has a smaller screen than the average laptop and is lighter and more portable. It has 1 GB of Ram and a 160 GB hard drive.
The 3G aircard that is built inside the computer can connect to the internet at high speed, probably between 500kbs and 7mbs like most current aircards and usb wireless modems.
If I were looking for a small, simple laptop to use for surfing the web, email, and light tasks, and I wanted to connect from anywhere, I would be very interested in this offer, and I'd be on the look out for others. I bet if Radio Shack is doing this, other retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City won't be far behind with their own cheap notebooks with built in aircards.
This post has been updated. Radio Shack lowered their price.
1/6/09
Aircards are One Option for Rural Internet Access
Is a wireless aircard the best choice for rural internet access?
If you live in the country you may have few options for internet access. I live in a rural area where there are no cable or dsl internet services. Even the dial-up access is slow due to poor telephone lines. I was connecting at a typical speed of 24kbs. Ouch, that's slow! It made uploading pictures or viewing video nearly impossible. Any website with a lot of graphics loaded so slowly it wasn't worth trying. So what options did I have? What alternatives to dial-up can rural internet users rely on for high speed internet access?
There are basically three alternatives including a wireless aircard. You can choose between satellite, long distance wifi (if it's available,) or an aircard.
is for you.
If you live in the country you may have few options for internet access. I live in a rural area where there are no cable or dsl internet services. Even the dial-up access is slow due to poor telephone lines. I was connecting at a typical speed of 24kbs. Ouch, that's slow! It made uploading pictures or viewing video nearly impossible. Any website with a lot of graphics loaded so slowly it wasn't worth trying. So what options did I have? What alternatives to dial-up can rural internet users rely on for high speed internet access?
There are basically three alternatives including a wireless aircard. You can choose between satellite, long distance wifi (if it's available,) or an aircard.
- Satellite Internet Access - This works almost anywhere with a view of the southern sky. It is a stable way to connect to the internet at high speeds in a rural location. However, it is more expensive to install than the other options like a wireless aircard. Installation of the satellite reciever is often nearly $700, but sometimes there are deals you can get or the provider may work the installation cost into your monthly service plan. After paying for installation, it usually costs about $60 per month for the basic plan, which is about the same as what it costs for an aircard service plan from a cell phone carrier.
- Long Distance Wifi - In some rural areas you can have an antenna put on your house that recieves a signal from a long distance wifi tower. This works sort of like the wifi signal you connect with at your local coffee shop, but in this case, it works over long distances. There is an installation fee. The fee in my area of Missouri for this wireless service is about $300 for installation. A monthly service fee also applies and these vary from company to company.
- Wireless Aircard (also known as a wireless modem) - An aircard is the method I chose. I bought an aircard, or wireless usb modem, from my local Alltel store. The aircard connects to my laptop computer via a usb connection. It allows my computer to connect with cell phone towers and uses their 3G connection to provide high speed internet. It works anywhere I can get cell service. One advantage of an aircard over long distance wifi or satellite is the fact that I can take it anywhere. With the other options I'm limited to my home. With an aircard you can go almost anywhere. I've even used it while riding down the highway. I no longer have to consider whether or not a hotel has wifi service; if I have my aircard I can connect to the internet at high speed through the nearest Alltel cell phone tower. It only cost $25 dollars to get the aircard installed and Alltel gave me the aircard itself for signing a 2 year service agreement. It costs $60 a month for an unlimited internet data plan. Also, if you buy a Cradlepoint too, an aircard can be used to set up a wifi network in your home or wherever you go.
is for you.
12/9/08
What are Aircards?
An aircard is a small gadget that lets you connect your computer to the internet using a signal sent out from and received by cell phone towers. Basically the aircard is like a small cell phone that attaches to your computer and lets it communicate the way a cell phone does. You can buy one from the big wireless providers like Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T. You will also need to buy a service plan.
If you live in an area where DSL or cable are not available, or if you travel to places where you can't rely on internet access, an aircard makes it possible to get high speed internet access if a cell phone signal is available. However, not all signals are created equally. The 3rd generation, or 3G, signals are the ones you want, because they provide a high speed connection if you have a 3G compatible aircard.
There are several different designs, but most aircards either fit into a card slot on your computer or can be plugged into a USB port. Some come with software on the card and others come with a disk, and you install the software yourself. Also, recently, several companies have come out with laptops that have built in aircards or modems that let the user connect to the cell towers and wide area internet access networks.
So to make a long story short, an aircard is a piece of hardware that lets you connect to the internet through a high speed wireless network.
If you live in an area where DSL or cable are not available, or if you travel to places where you can't rely on internet access, an aircard makes it possible to get high speed internet access if a cell phone signal is available. However, not all signals are created equally. The 3rd generation, or 3G, signals are the ones you want, because they provide a high speed connection if you have a 3G compatible aircard.
There are several different designs, but most aircards either fit into a card slot on your computer or can be plugged into a USB port. Some come with software on the card and others come with a disk, and you install the software yourself. Also, recently, several companies have come out with laptops that have built in aircards or modems that let the user connect to the cell towers and wide area internet access networks.
So to make a long story short, an aircard is a piece of hardware that lets you connect to the internet through a high speed wireless network.
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