I have a Wind device, it works great for me inside the city (tested in Hidden Valley, Kincora, beltline, downtown, various parts of the NE like Penbrook). YMMV. The nice thing about Wind is that it is month to month. If you don't like it or it does not work just stop paying for it. You can recover some of the cost of the unit itself on kijiji or something like that.
I have the device that has a wifi AP built in to it. Decent speeds as well. I used to have the data stick but I dropped my laptop and destroyed it. The mobile AP thingy was $120 but has been worth every penny. I have compared it side by side to a Rogers device and did not see any significant difference between the two. They both had similar latencies as well (in the 120 ms range). Hth, On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 3:39 PM, Greg Saunders <[email protected]> wrote: > I work all over the place ... in West Bragg Creek at the moment :-) This is > what I do. It's not cheap but it works. > I have an iPhone 4 on Rogers (Telus would be better ... I think their > footprint is bigger) and a fat data plan. I carry around and Asus > Transformer netbook/tablet running Android honeycomb. It has a killer > battery life. I have a ssh client and VNC on the tablet. I also travel with > an HP ProBook (running Ubuntu 10.04) which is my primary workstation. > The iPhone is my phone and a wireless hot spot. When I don't have wifi, both > machines can connect to the internet over 3G via the phone. I'm sure an > android phone would do the same. > I have an asterisk server with voip.ms, and IVR handling incoming calls and > an extension that points to my cell. Been doing that for about 3 or 4 years > (ish). Works great. Link 2 Voip (out of Edmonton I think) is a decent voip > provider and can offer the same (hosted Asterisk VMs). > At the end of the day I spend $100 to $150 a month on my phone (voice, data, > text, etc). Like I said, it's not cheap but it works. The only thing I would > change is move to Telus just for the bigger footprint. I actually travel > with a Bell (shares Telus' network) prepaid SIM card (with small data) and > pop that in the phone if Rogers doesn't have coverage where I happen to be. > You obviously need a carrier unlocked phone to do that. > Cheers, > Greg > > On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 3:19 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Well that is really good to know. >> >> Does any other company offer a decent data link at a decent price. The >> idea of $50 per month with ++ extra for anything sort of turns me off. I >> think we should have a mesh running. I can buy all the coffee I can drink >> for less than $50 per month. >> >> >> On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 03:06:38PM -0600, Greg Saunders wrote: >> > I'd stay away from Wind ... they have no coverage ... family member uses >> > Wind and coverage is spotty even in the city. >> > >> > >> > On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 3:04 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: >> > >> > > K. >> > > >> > > rethink. >> > > >> > > I'll pick up a spare netbook for the OpenBSD thing. So I can forget >> > > that >> > > issue. >> > > >> > > On the mobile office basically I'll just need a machine which can run >> > > say >> > > Ubuntu then and I need to enable the WiFi so it can function as an AP >> > > and to >> > > back haul the Wind Data Stick offer looks fine. This gives me the >> > > ability >> > > to network into my office when I'm not in the office and with the AP I >> > > should be able to run any cell phone and the link from the phone will >> > > be >> > > 802.11 to the AP which back hauls either through 3G or 4G or a mesh. >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 02:33:29PM -0600, Gustin Johnson wrote: >> > > > Running VMs on netbooks is painful, if it works at all. The Atom >> > > > based netbooks (which is what powers the devices at the price point >> > > > that you listed) do not have virtualization support and they are >> > > > really just under-powered if you went the paravirtualized route or >> > > > vmware 3.x. >> > > > >> > > > You may also have even sketchier support for the wifi device under >> > > > BSD. I was a BSD guy in the 90's, but moved to Linux entirely with >> > > > the release of Debian Slink, have not looked back since. >> > > > >> > > > The wireless device in the cheap netbook might be a Broadcomm Pile >> > > > 'O >> > > > Shite. In that case you probably won't be able to create an AP. >> > > > Intel NICs are for the most part awesome, but not as easy to make >> > > > into >> > > > an AP as something Atheros based. YMMV. I have had mixed success >> > > > with some USB adapters. >> > > > >> > > > TLS/SSL does not really help you with shaping. These days traffic >> > > > is >> > > > simply profiled using a number of metrics, and then shaping is >> > > > applied. The end result is that you can't avoid shaping, though I >> > > > do >> > > > not believe that this has to be a bad thing. >> > > > >> > > > <OT rant>Shaping in and of itself is not a bad thing. I do it to my >> > > > home network for a reason. The discussion should not be about who >> > > > shapes and who doesn't, but it should be about the fairness of that >> > > > shaping. If Shaw shapes Netflix traffic so much that it degrades >> > > > the >> > > > quality of the product, well that is a bad thing. >> > > > >> > > > On the other hand shaping bittorrent traffic so that my connection >> > > > is >> > > > not flooded into uselessness by a neighbor is a good thing. Both >> > > > sides of this so-called net-neutrality debate >> > > > have an abundance of idiots who have no idea what they are talking >> > > > about. This is not a zero sum game and both sides are going to need >> > > > to work together. I am not optimistic. >> > > > </OT rant> >> > > > >> > > > There have been several attempts to get a community based civic mesh >> > > > network off the ground over the past few years. I am interested in >> > > > participating if this gets beyond the wishing stage. >> > > > >> > > > On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 11:40 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: >> > > > > I'm brain storming. >> > > > > >> > > > > I need a mobil office. Here is a plan. Does it work? Does it >> > > > > make >> > > any sense? >> > > > > >> > > > > 1) I pick up a netbook ($169) - install say Ubuntu on it but I'd >> > > > > like >> > > triple boot with say Ubuntu, OpenBSD and (uggh) winders. I'd like a >> > > Lion >> > > on it too! Poss through a VM. >> > > > > >> > > > > 2) I set up a 3G or 4G link via say Wind for $29 / month. This >> > > > > gives >> > > me unlimnited data they say. >> > > > > >> > > > > 3) I enable the netbook as a WiFi AP and set up DHCPD. Thus it is >> > > > > a >> > > router and via the 3G link I should be able to configure it into my >> > > home >> > > network. >> > > > > >> > > > > 4) Thus I now have a mobile office. >> > > > > >> > > > > 5) I need to take my new gr 10 student with me until school starts >> > > > > and >> > > she needs help with geometry and I need to be at a job site. Via the >> > > AP >> > > she's got a mobile office. She can hit her old school in NYC and work >> > > on >> > > her assignments and if she needs help I'm there to help her. >> > > > > >> > > > > (BTW. For her geometry I'm coaching for 100%'s.) >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > 6) I aquire say a Motorola Photon (not urgent). I'm going to need >> > > > > to >> > > open that puppy up. When I do so and as part of this I want to make >> > > an >> > > image of whatever is in there so that if it gets bricked I can reflash >> > > it. >> > > Meanwhile I'm going to be setting up what I need. >> > > > > >> > > > > Moto blur has to die. So does all the other crapola. I don't >> > > > > even >> > > know what it is yet. >> > > > > >> > > > > 7) Perhaps we install Asterisk on the netbook and perhaps we >> > > > > install it >> > > in a server back in my office. I have not thought this through. >> > > > > >> > > > > 8) We put the phone into airplane mode and totally shut it off >> > > > > from the >> > > telcos. >> > > > > >> > > > > 9) Since I will always be reasonably close to the netbook and it >> > > > > has >> > > the 3G data link I should be able to run VoIP back into my office and >> > > the >> > > asterisk server if necessary. >> > > > > >> > > > > 10) By doing this I get unlimited local calls. No roaming. >> > > > > unlimited >> > > North American LD if I want to tie in a land based plan back in my >> > > office. >> > > > > >> > > > > 11) We tunnel back through TLS so they can't shape traffic. If >> > > > > they do >> > > the answer is dump the vendor. >> > > > > >> > > > > 12) I want the multi-boot because I want that mobile netbook to be >> > > available as a hot spare for other things back in the office and to >> > > serve as >> > > a neat demo machine. >> > > > > >> > > > > 13) We then tie the mobile netbook into hot spots and set up a >> > > > > city >> > > wide mesh for all CLUG (and I want to invite CUUG) and sister groups >> > > who >> > > think doing a project like this will be fun. >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > What have I missed? Other than this might be a project that will >> > > > > prove >> > > we are worthy? >> > > > > >> > > > > Terr. >> > > > > >> > > > > I'll buy the netbook and put it on-line on a static IP so all >> > > participants can work with it. Be nice to have conferencing set up. >> > > We >> > > should be able to do this. >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > ------------ >> > > > > >> > > > > Also I've been talking with a nurse from Zimbawe (very serious) >> > > > > and >> > > she's trying to set up something for her village and next her country >> > > which >> > > is very corrupt. If we can pull this off then her team might be very >> > > interested and we might get some funding. >> > > > > >> > > > > I'd like to do something to help corrupt 3rd world countries. >> > > > > OLPC I >> > > think will fit into this. >> > > > > >> > > > > If we can get this running then the genie is out of the bottle as >> > > > > I see >> > > it. >> > > > > >> > > > > One way for CLUG / CUUG is to extend for anyone (the guinea pigs) >> > > > > an >> > > opportunity to open their WiFi and turn it into a club hot spot for >> > > say a >> > > membership in a BOF (birds of a feather) project so that as ppl drive >> > > around >> > > their minuets will be routed to our network and not Ma Bell's. >> > > > > >> > > > > But those thoughts are waayyy down the track. >> > > > > >> > > > > Is this possible? Can we do it? >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > Terr >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > On Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 06:45:05PM -0600, [email protected] >> > > > > wrote: >> > > > >> >> > > > >> I did a google search looking for the next install fest and this >> > > > >> came >> > > up: >> > > > >> >> > > > >> http://www.clug.ca/node/423 >> > > > >> >> > > > >> I presume this is scheduled for 2012/05/13 since there seems to >> > > > >> be no >> > > reference to the year. >> > > > >> >> > > > >> I called Dave Watkins and he advised me he doesn't know about >> > > > >> this >> > > yet. >> > > > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > >> I'd like to make a suggestion that CLUG schedual say 3-4 install >> > > > >> fests >> > > per year (presuming there is enough interest) and that this be posted >> > > prominently on the CLUG website. I think it should be advertized at >> > > SAIT >> > > and the UofC and perhaps CLUG can alternate between these locations. >> > > Other >> > > suggestions are welcome. >> > > > >> >> > > > >> Also depending on my availablilty I will volunteer to help. >> > > > >> >> > > > >> >> > > > >> That being said I'd like some install help. I have a machine >> > > > >> which >> > > lacks a CD and floppy and I think the only way to get an O/S installed >> > > in it >> > > is via a USB boot. I have NEVER set up a USB boot before. >> > > > >> >> > > > >> In fact I have no USB devices other than a memory stick. >> > > > >> >> > > > >> I want to put in Ubuntu Linux - probably with all the bells and >> > > whistles. I also want to get a VM running and a running image of some >> > > of >> > > the (ugg) winders stuff. (like NT 4.0) and maybe even DOS. >> > > > >> >> > > > >> One of the reasons for DOS is that I have quite a lot of >> > > > >> specialized >> > > DOS software that I would like to get running. Some is my own code >> > > which >> > > drives plotters via an RS232 I/F. >> > > > >> >> > > > >> If I can get this running somehow it would be great. I tried >> > > > >> either >> > > DOSEMU or DOSBOX on this machine (Debian Sarge) and it crashed the >> > > system as >> > > I recall. >> > > > >> >> > > > >> I'd probably like to get OS/2 running in a VM as well if possible >> > > because I happen to have some apps which I bought years ago which >> > > might be >> > > nice to run. >> > > > >> >> > > > >> Of course I can do all this myself but just like most others I do >> > > > >> not >> > > find frustrations to be rewarding. Maybe I can help others in return >> > > for >> > > some help setting up some pretty fancy stuff. >> > > > >> >> > > > >> In addition I think CLUG should invite CUUG and any other sister >> > > groups to help share the work and the fun. >> > > > >> >> > > > >> Terr >> > > > >> >> > > > >> _______________________________________________ >> > > > >> clug-talk mailing list >> > > > >> [email protected] >> > > > >> http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca >> > > > >> Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) >> > > > >> **Please remove these lines when replying >> > > > > >> > > > > _______________________________________________ >> > > > > clug-talk mailing list >> > > > > [email protected] >> > > > > http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca >> > > > > Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) >> > > > > **Please remove these lines when replying >> > > > > >> > > > >> > > > _______________________________________________ >> > > > clug-talk mailing list >> > > > [email protected] >> > > > http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca >> > > > Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) >> > > > **Please remove these lines when replying >> > > >> > > _______________________________________________ >> > > clug-talk mailing list >> > > [email protected] >> > > http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca >> > > Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) >> > > **Please remove these lines when replying >> > > >> >> > _______________________________________________ >> > clug-talk mailing list >> > [email protected] >> > http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca >> > Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) >> > **Please remove these lines when replying >> >> _______________________________________________ >> clug-talk mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca >> Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) >> **Please remove these lines when replying > > > _______________________________________________ > clug-talk mailing list > [email protected] > http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca > Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) > **Please remove these lines when replying > _______________________________________________ clug-talk mailing list [email protected] http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) **Please remove these lines when replying
