GPRS mobile phone to laptop via USB

We use it from time to time and works well. Use a genuine USB to mobile phone cable, the cheaper ones break somewhere - ours was at trhe phone connector.

Ring Vodafone, get it switched on, ring when you get home, they switch it off same day. You only get chaerged for the days you are connected I believe.

Works at around dialup speed. Some out of the way places, you get disconnected quite frequntly which is anoying but easy and qucik to reconnect if you put the connect icon on your toolbar.

We used about 250Mbps a month when we are on Vodafone, at home we use 1 to 2G a month on ADSL.

Don't try to get smart and connect your mobile to laptop via Bluetooth and use GPRS, I spent days trying to get it relaible on several phones, then bought a cable and it worked first time, every time.

Stevesub

Hi, I tried to use Vodaphone mobile service in the north of WA and NT and found very few places where we could get reception. Broome was marginal till we got down near the wharf.

Shop around because telstra (for example) doesn't charge you for the time you are connected, it charges for megabyte downloaded and for emails that is the best setup.
How much they charge per Meg depends on your choice of plan.
I currently use a pocket PC and checking emails a few times a month (via the web and no laptop needed just the pocket PC) ends up costing me about $2 a month on top of my $40 month plan... but I don't browse the net on that (other than check my hotmail account).
Will

I use my Nokia 6225 CDMA phone on my laptop via the USB port, it works very well for connecting to the internet. But be aware that just because you may have CDMA range, not all base stations can do data calls and I have yet to find a coverage map for CDMA data.

Note that CDMA 1X is noteably faster than a standard telephone dialup line and much quicker than GSM mobiles.

Cheers

Captain