Posted by Joan Bergstrom on 1/26/09 12:37am
Msg #275569

AT&T Wireless Internet Card

I really stepped into with my AT&T wireless air card when I was charged over $200 for the card in Jan 2009. I thought it was unlimited time and didn't realize it was for a very short period of Internet access.

The only reason the charges were dropped is because I have had a cell phone with Cingular/AT&T for over 10 years.

Are Sprint or Verizon unlimited access?

Reply by Lee/AR on 1/26/09 1:09am
Msg #275570

Sure sounds like it makes e-signing cost-prohibitive. Does AT&T have a more expensive, but unlimited plan available?

Reply by OR on 1/26/09 1:43am
Msg #275571

Re: Verizon

I love my Verizon card and service. It is unlimited usage. Depending on your computer the are card is free. I have a dell and it is not free. My monthly fee is $65.00 a month. The reception is great. I find that very few place that I can't get reception. I would say I have gotten service 98% of the time. The Down load is great also. I have had my card and service for 2 years now. I have an extra air card for a dell lap top for sale for $$ if any one is looking for one.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 1/26/09 5:41am
Msg #275574

I have an AT&T aircard. When I first got it in April 2007 it was $60 (plus taxes and fees) for unlimited service. I found I was never using it for loan signings, so in Dec 2007 I downgraded to 10 MB per month for $30 (which is not much usage - I did go over once and was charged accordingly). Shortly after that, I noticed that the $30 plan was no longer available, and the $60 plan was no longer unlimited, but was limited to 5GB.

I will be canceling my aircard in April 2009 once the 2-year contract is up. It has NOT paid for itself as far as generating e-sign business and such. That's nice that AT&T dropped the additional charges for you, Joan.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 1/26/09 5:54am
Msg #275577

Clarification - I still have the $30 plan and that's what I've had since I made the plan switch. But it's just not offered on the AT&T website anymore.

Reply by Ilene C. Seidel on 1/26/09 5:49am
Msg #275576

Verizon is unlimited.

Reply by jba/fl on 1/26/09 7:20am
Msg #275582

AT&T is excellent at giving customer service. Even if you had not been a customer for 10+ years, they would have been kinder than most other services. They know how easy it is to move your busienss elsewhere.
Sprint: no customer service at all. You are lucky to have them is their attitude.

Reply by MW/VA on 1/26/09 7:36am
Msg #275584

I had gone with a Sprint aircard @ $60/mo (unlimited). There wasn't enough e-sign business & I just took the early termination fee hit. You can get the 30 day free trial on any of the cards. I had first tried AT&T, but didn't get a very good connection. I had great connection & speed with Sprint.

Reply by Dave_CA on 1/26/09 8:20am
Msg #275587

Verizon no longer unlimited

Now it is "MOBILE BROADBAND 5GB/$0.25 $59.99 0308"

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 1/26/09 11:03am
Msg #275594

Sprint is the same - $59.99/mo for 5GB transfer...

but I've heard conflicting stories from reps if it is included in the "everything data plans" or not.

Reply by MW/VA on 1/26/09 11:23am
Msg #275595

Re: Sprint is the same - $59.99/mo for 5GB transfer...

The aircard is not included in the "everything" plan--it is a separate item & requires a separate no. There are also phones out there, including blackberries, that can be used as a modem. It requires some research, but I know a couple of people that have phones that they do use as modems.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 1/26/09 12:01pm
Msg #275601

Re: Sprint is the same - $59.99/mo for 5GB transfer...

Some have said that you can use Mobile Broadband via a "family" plan, with 2 or more phones sharing the same bucket of minute. That's what I have. I've called Sprint a few times and get conflicting stories, so I just get a bit frustrated with them. If it weren't for the great coverage and the nice discount I get, I'd have switched long ago.

I also have a Blackberry and have looked at the phone-as-modem option but have never been able to get it to work correctly. I'm fairly lucky in that I have open access to another wi-fi/broadband account right now with my FT job, so I don't really need this yet, but I'm looking because I'm leaving this job soon and may or may not still be able to use the service once I'm no longer FT.

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 1/26/09 1:29pm
Msg #275613

Marilynn...

...you just may be a $ lifesaver for me. Your comment about using a BlackBerry as a modem peaked my interest & I did an Internet search. The first search result listing took me to this URL:

http://blackberryfaq.com/index.php/Using_BlackBerry_As_Modem

I've a BlackBerry 8310 Curve & after following these instructions to the letter I'm now able to use my cell phone as a modem. From start to finish it took me about an hour to download/install the software to my laptop, tweak the necessary settings, & connect to the Internet. My current AT&T wireless plan contains an unlimited data package (including Internet usage) for $30.00 per month. Unless I'm missing something with AT&T concerning my plan, I've just avoided paying for an air card PLUS the additional $60.00 per month AT&T normally charges for air time with 5Gig download limit. I'll be checking my next statement VERY closely for any additional charges. THANK YOU for the tip!

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 1/26/09 2:14pm
Msg #275614

Re: Marilynn...

Sweet! Dennis, thanks for posting that. I have a Curve 8330 and if I can use it as a modem, life will be wonderful! I mean, I already pay for unlimited data transfer with the BIS service through Sprint, so why pay double?

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 1/26/09 2:17pm
Msg #275616

Just Follow the Directions to a "T"...

...& you should be fine. As I said, within an hour of discovering this "gem" I was using my 8310 as a modem to surf the net.

Reply by MW/VA on 1/26/09 2:19pm
Msg #275617

Re: Just Follow the Directions to a "T"...

Wow--glad I could be of help.

Reply by John_NorCal on 1/26/09 4:54pm
Msg #275625

Re: Marilynn... re: Phone as modem

Marilynn, I believe that if you check Sprint's fine print you'll see that the modem tethering (as they call it) is not included in their data plan. What they consider data plans are what you receive on your pda, modem useage is limited. They really want people to buy their air cards and sign up for that. Bummer I know, that's why I've not used my MotoQ as a modem.

Reply by MW/VA on 1/26/09 2:38pm
Msg #275618

Re: Marilynn...

If you're already paying for a "data services" plan there should be no additional cost.

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 1/26/09 2:39pm
Msg #275619

That's My Thought...

...as well. However the "proof will be in the pudding"!

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 1/26/09 4:28pm
Msg #275624

Re: That's My Thought...

Exactly! I can't put anything past these guys. Blackberry's service, BIS generally comes with unlimited data. I mean, it has to given the nature of the thing. And I figure if I can surf the net on my BB, send and receive docs, etc on it (even massive edocs), then I should be able to use it with my laptop, too.

I'll look at it closer when I get home from a refi signing tonight.

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 1/27/09 7:49am
Msg #275681

I Had Breakfast This AM...

...with a good friend of mine who's a regional manager for AT&T & he says as long as I have their unlimited data package plan on my cell phone I won't incur any additional charges by "teathering" it to my laptop. I'll still scrutinize my next billing statement!

Reply by NCLisa on 1/26/09 10:20am
Msg #275591

I have unlimited with AT&T

But I purchased my aircard in 2007 with Cingular. The plan is $49 per month. Some months I don't use it all, but then it is a business expense that I can write off on my taxes. It has come in handier for me when I'm in a rural area where there is no wifi, and I need to use my laptop. Lets me get title searches done on weekends at horseshows, etc. My aircard works many times in places that my cell phone doesn't.

Reply by janCA on 1/26/09 12:04pm
Msg #275603

Verizon Broadband

Right now I dish out $80/month for Verizon Broadband wireless, unlimited.. My two-year lease is up in March and I will try to renegotiate something much better. I've never had a problem getting service anywhere that I have gone but I've also never taken my laptop to the mountain areas, which I cannot get reception on my cell phone from there, and that service is Sprint/Nextel.

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 1/27/09 12:56am
Msg #275673

Thank you for all your response, but I have 1 more question?

Does the 5GB/ have enough Internet access for a loan signer to do 4-6 e-signings per month without going over this 5GB limit for the usuall loan signing without being charged an additonal charge?

Reply by Dave_CA on 1/27/09 9:43am
Msg #275686

Re: Thank you for all your response, but I have 1 more question?

Joan, I've only been using my Verizon card for a couple of months and have been doing 4-6 per month.
So far no additional charge but I can't see how much data has been sent.