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city
Joined: 15 Aug 2005
Posts: 3373
Location: Larnaca area
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| Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:16 pm Post subject: using an UMTS card in a Laptop |
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Hi, I need some advise:
We got an offer for a UMTS card to be used to access the internet from a Laptop when you have no other connection (like WLAN) available.
It shall cost EUR 10 for 30MB. I think 30MB is not much as when you have a phone/video conversation with someone the traffic generated will count as well, not only the normal downloads like email and the like. Correct?
But on the other hand a time related contract doesn't make sense imo as UMTS is still quite slow.
Any advise welcome! |
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Crash Test Dummy
Joined: 25 Sep 2005
Posts: 4911
Location: London(ish)
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| Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:13 am Post subject: |
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| i would say keep bugging Respi :D :D |
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city
Joined: 15 Aug 2005
Posts: 3373
Location: Larnaca area
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| Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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| no experts on the subject????? :( |
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erolz
Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 4195
Location: Kyrenia / Girne
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| Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:16 pm Post subject: Re: using an UMTS card in a Laptop |
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city wrote: I think 30MB is not much as when you have a phone/video conversation with someone the traffic generated will count as well, not only the normal downloads like email and the like. Correct?
It will be on all data recieved and possibly a combination of all data received and sent.
Using mobile phone networks for data /internet access is always horribly exspensive in my experience. :( |
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thebrix
Joined: 19 Aug 2005
Posts: 526
Location: London, United Kingdom
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| Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:21 pm Post subject: Re: using an UMTS card in a Laptop |
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city wrote: Hi, I need some advise:
We got an offer for a UMTS card to be used to access the internet from a Laptop when you have no other connection (like WLAN) available.
It shall cost EUR 10 for 30MB. I think 30MB is not much as when you have a phone/video conversation with someone the traffic generated will count as well, not only the normal downloads like email and the like. Correct?
But on the other hand a time related contract doesn't make sense imo as UMTS is still quite slow.
Any advise welcome!
The maximum theoretical bandwidth for UMTS is 384Kb/sec downstream, although it is unlikely you would get anything near that (say 1/3 or 1/4 in normal use).
It is hard to find out what the actual bandwidth used is (I wonder why!) but, making some horribly crude calculations, I estimate that a voice conversation would take up about 10Kb/sec and a video one rather more, say 60Kb/sec.
That would be charged on top of normal downloads. So, if you did nothing else, you would get about 24,000 seconds (400 minutes) of voice or 67 minutes of video for 10 euros.
Mobile Web use at the same time, in particular, would eat into that very quickly as you point out ...
(For what it's worth I refuse to use mobile data of any sort; the costs are extortionate)
Alastair |
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thebrix
Joined: 19 Aug 2005
Posts: 526
Location: London, United Kingdom
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| Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:22 pm Post subject: Re: using an UMTS card in a Laptop |
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thebrix wrote: city wrote: Hi, I need some advise:
We got an offer for a UMTS card to be used to access the internet from a Laptop when you have no other connection (like WLAN) available.
It shall cost EUR 10 for 30MB. I think 30MB is not much as when you have a phone/video conversation with someone the traffic generated will count as well, not only the normal downloads like email and the like. Correct?
But on the other hand a time related contract doesn't make sense imo as UMTS is still quite slow.
Any advise welcome!
The maximum theoretical bandwidth for UMTS is 384Kb/sec downstream, although it is unlikely you would get anything near that (say 1/3 or 1/4 in normal use).
It is hard to find out what the actual downstream bandwidth used is (I wonder why!) but, making some horribly crude calculations, I estimate that a voice conversation would take up about 10Kb/sec and a video one rather more, say 60Kb/sec.
That would be charged on top of normal downloads. So, if you did nothing else, you would get about 24,000 seconds (400 minutes) of voice or 67 minutes of video for 10 euros.
Mobile Web use at the same time, in particular, would eat into that very quickly as you point out, and it may be that upstream bandwidth usage also has to be paid for.
(For what it's worth I refuse to use mobile data of any sort; the costs are extortionate)
Alastair |
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respiridus
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
Posts: 1965
Location: Pera Orinis, Nicosia, Cyprus
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| Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:30 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: i would say keep bugging Respi
I'm not into mobile phones. In fact, I only own a Siemens ME 45 (circa 2000).
How do they charge for this? Is it with the same horrible rates (2-7 pounds per MB) as they charge for GPRS?
Anyway, in Cyprus, only Areeba has 3G as far as I know. CytaGSM have the network set up, but haven't began selling the services yet (for some weird reason). |
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city
Joined: 15 Aug 2005
Posts: 3373
Location: Larnaca area
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| Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you Alastair!!
Respi, I'm not talking about mobile phones :-) I'm talking about mobile Internet access via an UMTScard in a Laptop...... |
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respiridus
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
Posts: 1965
Location: Pera Orinis, Nicosia, Cyprus
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| Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: Respi, I'm not talking about mobile phones Smile I'm talking about mobile Internet access via an UMTScard in a Laptop......
It's the same thing, kori. A UMTS/GPRS card is just a glorified GSM modem. I bet you can use it to send SMS messages. ;-) |
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city
Joined: 15 Aug 2005
Posts: 3373
Location: Larnaca area
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| Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:44 pm Post subject: Re: using an UMTS card in a Laptop |
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thebrix wrote:
That would be charged on top of normal downloads.
What do you mean by that?? Additionally to the 10 Euros, or the traffic will count on top of normal web using traffic?
thebrix wrote: So, if you did nothing else, you would get about 24,000 seconds (400 minutes) of voice or 67 minutes of video for 10 euros.
So, that means if I don't do anything else via that connection, just use, lets say Skype, the 10 Euros/30MB would be good for 400 min talking or 67 min video?? Thats not to bad.....
thebrix wrote: Mobile Web use at the same time, in particular, would eat into that very quickly as you point out ...
You mean normal surfing/email etc?? |
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thebrix
Joined: 19 Aug 2005
Posts: 526
Location: London, United Kingdom
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| Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:02 pm Post subject: Re: using an UMTS card in a Laptop |
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city wrote: thebrix wrote:
That would be charged on top of normal downloads.
What do you mean by that?? Additionally to the 10 Euros, or the traffic will count on top of normal web using traffic?
The traffic would count on top of normal traffic.
city wrote: thebrix wrote: So, if you did nothing else, you would get about 24,000 seconds (400 minutes) of voice or 67 minutes of video for 10 euros.
So, that means if I don't do anything else via that connection, just use, lets say Skype, the 10 Euros/30MB would be good for 400 min talking or 67 min video?? Thats not to bad.....
Yes. I realised, after making the first post, that that is roughly the same as mobile phone (GSM) rates ...
city wrote: thebrix wrote: Mobile Web use at the same time, in particular, would eat into that very quickly as you point out ...
You mean normal surfing/email etc??
Yes. Even an email of a few words is 2KB-3KB, because of all the information in the header which you don't (normally) see.
Alastair |
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city
Joined: 15 Aug 2005
Posts: 3373
Location: Larnaca area
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| Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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ah, ok, thank you! I think I understand now.
So there is not much difference between using a mobile phone with GPRS or the Laptop with the UMTS card. Apart from how comfotable the access is. Plus the additional goody of the camera.
The main concern for me actually was whether it makes sense to communicate with someone rather via Skype then via a normal call on a mobile phone. |
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