Surely someone has invented...

[ffutures]

...a 3G or 4G modem that plugs into a laptop's network socket, rather than a USB port, and pretends to be a network connection?

My experiences with USB adapters of this type have been dire - they don't support older Macs such as my iBook very well, and Linux support seems to be very poor indeed, requiring more OS tweaking than I'm happy with. But any computer that has a network socket is pretty much bound to have appropriate networking software as part of the OS, and knows how to make a basic connection. It'd also free a USB port!

I know that there are 3G to WiFi hubs, which is of course another way of doing this job, but they need a separate power supply etc. and would be more of a hassle. And there were 3G GSM cards for older laptops that had PC card sockets, which wouldn't be much use to me.

Is this something that used to be around but has gone the way of the dodo, or just never got invented because USB was around?

Comments

[autopope.livejournal.com]

No. Because what they did was go straight to wifi instead -- you need a mifi like the huawei E586. Basically it's a 3G radio with a wifi hotspot built in. Charges over micro-USB and if you plug it into your laptop via USB it'll act as a 3G USB stick (and as a data stick -- has a slot for a micro-SDHC card if you want to carry files around with you).

If you've got working wifi on your iBook or linux box, a mifi should work just fine. Unlocked ones cost around £80-90 inc. VAT and delivery; 3 sell locked but rather nice ones for around £70 on PAYG or free on monthly contract. (And if you bug me, I've got an old, battered locked-to-3 mifi that you can have for free.)

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I'd love to take you up on that if the PAYG rate isn't ludicrously expensive compared to hotel WiFi etc., but I probably wouldn't use it very often, so if you know someone who could make better use of it give them priority.

[dandello.livejournal.com]

If you can find a wifi adapter for a blue-ray player or TV ( Like a Netgear WNCE3001 which is what I use on my non-wifi desktop - it's powered via USB (or goes to a transformer), but connects via Cat5)

Should add that I got this one because once it's set up, Linux thinks it's just an Ethernet connection.) But you still need a WiFi modem that connects to the internet.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

WiFi isn't a problem where it's available - my laptop and netbook both have it - but I'm looking for something to use where it's not available (e.g. on trains) or VERY expensive, which unfortunately is still sometimes a problem in British hotels.

[autopope.livejournal.com]

There's a postal strike coming and I'm off to Estonia on Monday; prod me again in early June via email and remind me of your address. OK?

The trick I use is to buy a PAYG data SIM from 3 pre-loaded with 12Gb of data, which times out if you don't use it within 12 months. No need to activate or give it a credit card, and it costs £70 -- in other words, you break even after the equivalent of 4 days of hotel wifi use in a year.

[dandello.livejournal.com]

Ah, I misunderstood the question. :-[

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

£70?? Last time I used a 3G adaptor I think it cost a tenner for a month's service and up to 1gb or so, which was fine for my needs - or would have been if it hadn't kept giving problems. I really don't travel enough to justify £70, so I'd better pass.

[autopope.livejournal.com]

Oh, that £70 is for a year's worth of cover. You can start with top-ups from a tenner; it's just that they expire after 7 or 30 days or whatever.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

OK, in that case I'll be happy to take it off your hands if it's really surplus to your needs.