Internet Connection Without a Phone Line?

martindow

A friend is moving to a new house in Mid Wales and a phone line is unlikely to be connected for a several months. She needs an internet connection for a PC no matter how slow. The local library has internet access but she needs specific programs on the computer to download info.

My first thought was a USB data modem (similar to a data card) but she is not in a 3G area. There is an ordinary mobile phone signal there. Can anyone suggest good ways of using mobile phone systems to achieve this?

woo

Might be able to use GPRS to do this, which is different to 3G

martindow

Thanks woo - can you point me to some information on GPRS please? Will it work with an ordinary mobile signal?

everythingblogcast

If she gets a Orange data card then she can get 1 day access for £1 at GPRS speed but you can download upto 500MB in about 23hrs.59mins.59secs.

woo

Some info on GPRS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPRS, depends on the phone as to whether you use it as a modem and you'll need a bluetooth / IR / cable connection to the PC

hibees1875_2

can she have access to a laptop that is wireless enabled? then she can go to local mcdonalds or borders and other places that have wifi hotspots. not totally ideal i guess, but it is another way round it. unless she lives 25 miles from civilization that is lol which you will probably tell me is the case.

Little_John

I cant quite get my head arround it taking so long for the phone line to be installed, BT usually take about 2 weeks, a further 2 weeks for adsl to be activated after the line is installed adsl setup cant be started untill the phone line is in and a number set. BT do give you a number when they start the process but cant confirm the number untill the line is active.

Buying a data card is expensive, and pretty slow if you dont get 3G. A 3G data card wll drop down to gprs if 3G isnt available so no need to buy another card. the problem is that data cards are pcmcia only which are used in laptops most of the time, it is possible to buy a pcmcia PCI adaptor for desktop pc's so you can use the data card in a pc.

other options, satalite conection, can be very fast but stupidly expensive.
wireless, maybe someone else a neighbour has adsl see if you can share their connection for a few months till the line is installed and running?

wonderfullife_2

Depends on how much she wants to pay and if she can get it in her area, but have a look here, wireless broadband and you don't need a phone line.

http://www.mynow.co.uk/index.php

martindow

Thanks everyone. Unfortunately she is out in the wilds - no internet cafes, McDonalds etc for miles around. I think it's going to be a data card working on GPRS - it's needed so despite the cost it will have to happen. Mynow unfortunately doesn't cover the area - only vodaphone has a reliable signal so it looks like them on 25 pounds/month and a 12 month contract. The do a USB modem which can be used on a PC or a laptop.

BT have done the connection from the pole but then discovered a fault on an underground cable and this might not be attended to for months to come. The BT surveyor is coming out on Tuesday so hopefully they might give a date not too far in the future, but if it is months of delay she now has some good ideas of what to do. Thanks again!