Is it possible? Router question.

[GBuckert]

Sorry guys, I don't normally browse these forums so this could easily be in the wrong spot, just let me know or move it.


Okay so my mom is looking at dropping our landline back home and with it our dial-up connection. What she's wondering is if she gets a cell phone aircard or whatever they're called can we run a router with this aircard to set up wireless internet at our house? We want to be able to have multiple computers connected, MacMini and sisters highschool laptop at home plus my iMac when I go home for the summer.

Any ideas? I would prefer some sort of ethernet but living outside of a small town means our options are limited still.

 

[mkrishnan]

So I take it things like cable internet, FIOS, etc, are not options? But she has verified that some kind of high-speed cellular data network is available? If you're in a rural place, I'm guessing it's Verizon EV-DO that you can get?

There are some routers specifically designed to work with cellular data cards. If you google "cellular router" you'll find numerous ones of them -- you put the PC Card (typically) into the router and then the rest is similar to if you had cable internet or the like. The major downsides are the major downsides with cellular data services -- potentially very high latency, and average throughput much lower than the specified rate, etc.

I haven't personally owned one, though, so I can't recommend a specific one.

 

[GBuckert]

Okay thanks, that's kinda what I was thinking. Personally I'd rather get some sort of cable internet but the one provider wants more than she's willing to pay.