Replacing home DSL with mobile internet ?

[Cd]

I'd like to know what hidden costs to look out for when using mobile internet.
After seeing what the guys at work can do with their "phones", I thought " Why the hell can't I just ditch my phone line and DSL and get one of these little buggers ?

From what I gather, you are charged a fee for being on-line,( even with so called "unlimited data usage" plans ?? ) and limited to a certain amout of data per month.
I assume this means that I can only be on-line for only a few hours a month.
( There are days when I am on-line for six hours straight on this PC that I use now . )

You can't download anything without a charge - right ?
( And you can't download things such as a program right ? ) ( If you could, at what charge ? )
What about Google maps ? If I use the phone for that is there an extra charge ? What about if I do a search - is there a charge for that ?

I have also been told that mobile internet and normal internet are not the same. Does this mean that I might not be able to post anymore on this site ?
( Is there a charge for typing out something on a forum too ?? )
What about sites like Hulu ? iPhones won't play the site, but other phones will. How does streaming video work in regards to charges ?

I know you guys are probably asking why that I am asking all of this here, versus just talking to a salesperson . Well ... I don't TRUST salespeople, and I thought some of you might be savvy with this sort of thing.

If it were really a possibility to use a cell phone for my internet, I could cancel my home phone and DSL charge ( $ 65 a month ) as well as have the GPS and camera feature on me when I need it.

As far as having to watch on a tiny little screen, there are phones that have monitor hookups, as well as hookups for keyboards.

As a side benefit, think of the energy savings from using a set up like this .

[Cd]

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[bhazard]

Im on alltel and I can bluetooth to my computer and use the phone to dial in. I have unlimited data usage and dont get charged for anything. However that dialup connection is for when your desperate at best. Most of the time it is around a 100kbit connection but if youre lucky you will get an EVDO connection which is like 500kbit. Its laggy and drops the connection a LOT.

Also alltels gps navigation SUCKS.

[NiHaoMike]

Are there cheaper providers in your area?

[Christ]

M'net is not I'net... M'net is optimized for phones, not computers...

This analogy, hopefully, will give you some useful information:

You don't take a bike to a drag race.
You don't take a knife to a gun fight.
There are more.

Basically, if you're on the internet, doing internet things, you won't like doing those things on a phone. It's different. The phones aren't optimized for 'net use, and most websites don't have M' versions. If it doesn't have an M version, you can still view it, but it will be out of place, completely. (in most cases.)

I have this problem when checking my Gmail on my phone.. until Gmail enabled the Gmobile service, now it's fine. It still sucks, but not as bad.

Use a computer for computer stuff. If you're really freaking about your DSL service, find yourself a McD's and move in next to it. Free wireless Hi-Speed. Most libraries also have a wireless connection that's free to use. Several bars and pubs have them, to name a few. Most are not secured.

[Snax]

Some services also allow tethering a computer to your mobile phone data connection. It allows you to use your computer just like anywhere else.

I'd personally be reluctant to go off of DSL because even my 3G service is spotty at best, and compared to 7Mbps over the DSL, simply doesn't compare.

[dremd]

Bhazard has a sweet setup; wish it was still available. . . . .

Every provider I can find now has a 5 gb/ month FAP.

That said; I'm tethered to an Iphone right now and it works GREAT (same as every other phone I've tethered).

http://www.speedtest.net/result/542080134.png (tethered iphone)

It is not M'Net (never heard of that anyways); as with all tethered phones it is the internet; everything works just fine no issues

I have satellite internet (huge power draw; limited monthly usage and crappy)

Oh; and for my up and coming home internet connection My New Tower

[dremd]

Bhazard has a sweet setup; wish it was still available. . . . .

Every provider I can find now has a 5 gb/ month FAP.

That said; I'm tethered to an Iphone right now and it works GREAT (same as every other phone I've tethered).

It is not M'Net (never heard of that anyways); as with all tethered phones it is the internet; everything works just fine no issues

I have satellite internet (huge power draw; limited monthly usage and crappy)

[Snax]

One of the dirty little secrets behind 3G service and similar offerings is that the backbone feeding many of the sites doesn't even support the maximum wireless speed with a good signal. Just two people using it at once can easily max out a single T1.

[Albino Raven]

If you don't want to pay for the land line ask about dry loop DSL, it's DSL over copper without the voice services, instead of it being tied to a phone number, it's tied to the circuit directly (remember the phone service is just a big copper CAT-5 network in most cases because it's cheap to build it that way) .

If the telco handles that type of request then they should tell you what they will need to get you patched up for DSL. It should cost more to get setup, but around half the cost of a phone/dsl package.