Just a FYI (trucker without smartphone)

 

As an OTR trucker that doesn't have a smart phone...yet, I don't always have internet access.

Rath *sorry for not posting more sad *

--
Garmin 1390T X1 & 50LM

For you to ponder

Instead of going the "smartphone" route - think about a Mifi type device, and get yourself a Wifi iPad, netbook, or laptop computer and just use a regular cell phone to talk on... and use your choice of other device for mobile data needs.

By the way, the iPad (either a 3G or Wifi with an external bluetooth GPS or BadElf gps dongle) with the latest version of Navigon's app is a good alternative to a Nuvi... the only thing it doesn't do a Nuvi does not is custom POIs and routes.

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*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*

Pondered

I have looked into those options. I do have a laptop with built in WIFI, but it's hard to park an 80' long vehicle at Starbucks...LOL

The reason I want a smart phone is so that I can tether the laptop to it and don't have to pay the $30/month charge for it being a wifi hot spot.

Thanks for the info though smile

Rath *pondering, pondered and...phew*

--
Garmin 1390T X1 & 50LM

I use an iPhone4

I use a jailbroken iPhone4 with MyWi on it and tether my WiFi only iPad through to the internet without any problems.

http://intelliborn.com/mywi.html

--
If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. - Yogi Berra

tethering iPhone

Last Mrk wrote:

I use a jailbroken iPhone4 with MyWi on it and tether my WiFi only iPad through to the internet without any problems.

http://intelliborn.com/mywi.html

You must have unlimited data plan, because when I went that route, I noticed it didn't take long to reach my 2 GB limit. I find mywi to be useful in a pinch but not really economical.

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-Garmin Nuvi 760 & 765T-

I found that most truck

I found that most truck stops had free wifi available to truckers. If not, most truck stops have a McDonalds nearby and so you can usually get it from an adjacent parking lot. I would get a large wifi antenna for your truck, look for omnidirectional antennas, etc. Hope this helps

With a Mifi

You got your own wifi, anywhere you want it.

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*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*

Careful with tethering

AT&T is starting to get smart about tethering. If you do not pay for tethering and you are doing this regularly they are starting to "force" the plan on you. Even with a "Jail broken" phone. They will get their money.

The mobile wifi hot hot spot with a pre pay plan could work well. The AT&T branded Ipad with the built in 3G has the option of pay as you go. It may even be with any Ipad with 3G on it. It has two options built in so that with 3G you can get the internet everywhere.

What is a BadElf gps dongle?

kch50428 wrote:

Instead of going the "smartphone" route - think about a Mifi type device, and get yourself a Wifi iPad, netbook, or laptop computer and just use a regular cell phone to talk on... and use your choice of other device for mobile data needs.

By the way, the iPad (either a 3G or Wifi with an external bluetooth GPS or BadElf gps dongle) with the latest version of Navigon's app is a good alternative to a Nuvi... the only thing it doesn't do a Nuvi does not is custom POIs and routes.

If I get a BadElf gps dongle for my laptop do you have to pay for gps service or is that like having a nuvi?

NEVER Mind: I looked it up and it is for IPad or stuff like that (what ever that is) I am not up with anything like that. Just a Nuvi, laptop, pc and pay as you go cell. I must be in the dark agas!!

--
Mary, Nuvi 2450, Garmin Viago, Honda Navigation, Nuvi 750 (gave to son)

}

mgarledge wrote:

If I get a BadElf gps dongle for my laptop do you have to pay for gps service or is that like having a nuvi?

NEVER Mind: I looked it up and it is for IPad or stuff like that (what ever that is) I am not up with anything like that. Just a Nuvi, laptop, pc and pay as you go cell. I must be in the dark agas!!

BadElf makes a Wifi iPad, iPodTouch (newer versions) fully functional a GPS with the right app. And also will provide supplemental GPS capabilities to iPhones and 3G iPads.

For laptops, one can get a bluetooth device that has GPSr capabilities that will work with various applications on the laptop for mapping.

--
*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*

Using Router

wknight40 wrote:

AT&T is starting to get smart about tethering. If you do not pay for tethering and you are doing this regularly they are starting to "force" the plan on you. Even with a "Jail broken" phone. They will get their money.

The mobile wifi hot hot spot with a pre pay plan could work well. The AT&T branded Ipad with the built in 3G has the option of pay as you go. It may even be with any Ipad with 3G on it. It has two options built in so that with 3G you can get the internet everywhere.

I had a friend the swore up and down that if he connected his Telus (Canadian) MyFi stick into the USB port on his router that Telus couldn't track his usage. He was convinced, to the point that he went to a much lower cost plan.

I could not find anyone that could give a reason why this could happen, but rumour has it thaty he has now been hit with a major internet bill from Telus. If so, I presume that Telus figured this out.

Has anyone hear heard of anything like this? This sounds something like what wknight40 is saying about AT&T.

--
DriveSmart 65, NUVI2555LMT, (NUVI350 is Now Retired)

It's very easy to figure out

Every device on the Internet has an unique address to differentiate itself from other devices. As long as the carriers inspect the data, they will know if the final destination of that data is going to the device you signed up with them, or just flow through to something else (tethering). Then, they can decide whether you have paid up or charge you an arm and a leg.

Typically, Users who tether have much higher data usage than average users, that is the first sign to alert the carriers to investigate.

Of course, if you are "networking" savvy enough, you may get away with it.

It's a service that can be tracked

As long as you are using the service it is best to plan that it is being tracked.

With AT&T, from what I understand, they send you a message stating to voluntarily upgrade your service or they will do it for you. In the case of the Iphone, even jail broken, AT&T still sees all of the traffic and whether it comes from the phone or a tethered device.

I have been told the Blackberry/Rim is starting to do the samething. Currently Verizon charges extra for tethering and GPS. I have seen tethering plans from T-Mobile for the Blackberry. Though I do tether my Blackberry I have not yet been hindered by this. The day will come though.

CameoTabby said it better then I did but I leave mine here also.

]

wknight40 wrote:

Currently Verizon charges extra for tethering and GPS.

Verizon does NOT charge for GPS use - only use of their data network, and their Branded navigation application. If you purchase a 3rd party navigation app in the app store that has a full map set on the device, your only cost is the app, or any additional subscriptions like traffic, etc. you purchase within the application - there will be no additional charges from Verizon for using the GPS on a device.

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*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*