I'm 60 and a tech idiot! I presently have two phones on a family share plan and a wireless pc (175) card. I retired recently and would like to reduce monthly expenses. I use a pc at home (Indiana) and at my home in Phoenix. Although I am grandfathered into an unlimited usage plan, I simply don't need that much data. I'm seeing a plan on the Verizon site which to me implies that if I have a smart phone such as a Droid X, that I can use it as a modem for my computers. I need to know if anyone out there has attempted to use a smart phone in this manner and if the cost for 2 gigs of data per month is in fact only $20. I'm presently paying $59 for an unlimited data usage pc card and simply don't need that much. Please help this "old man". I've called customer support twice and can't seem to convey to them what I want.
docc wrote:I'm 60 and a tech idiot! I presently have two phones on a family share plan and a wireless pc (175) card. I retired recently and would like to reduce monthly expenses. I use a pc at home (Indiana) and at my home in Phoenix. Although I am grandfathered into an unlimited usage plan, I simply don't need that much data. I'm seeing a plan on the Verizon site which to me implies that if I have a smart phone such as a Droid X, that I can use it as a modem for my computers. I need to know if anyone out there has attempted to use a smart phone in this manner and if the cost for 2 gigs of data per month is in fact only $20. I'm presently paying $59 for an unlimited data usage pc card and simply don't need that much. Please help this "old man". I've called customer support twice and can't seem to convey to them what I want.
You can change your wireless plan online. You need to register to setup your user ID and password on verizonwireless.com.
If you get a Droid X, and want to use the mobile hotspot, you will have to sign up for the $29.99 data plan. Then, you can add on the $20 hotspot for 2GB/month. So this will give you a total of $49.99 on top of the calling plan for your phone. Still a bit cheaper than the $59 that you are currently paying.
Aside from all this discussion on reduced cost, you probably need to be aware that it probably won't live up to performance expectations like a true Internet connection provides. I have not personally tried this, and others that have will probably pipe in here. But I would expect it to be significantly slower as a "modem to PC" connection than a real DSL-like internet connection. Whether you can live with that would be something you need to decide. At least TRY it for a month before disconnecting your other Internet service ... IMHO ...
Anyone else actually do this as a replacement for your internet service and happy with the results??
Not everyone has access to DSL or cable modem.
Current DSL isn't much faster than 3G / EVDO rev.A.
You should count yourself lucky if you have access to cable modem... those are really fast.
Fios is a rare beast, slightly more visible than Elvis/Bigfoot/Lochness sightings combined. I don't know if it's any faster than cable though.
docc wrote:I'm 60 and a tech idiot! I presently have two phones on a family share plan and a wireless pc (175) card. I retired recently and would like to reduce monthly expenses. I use a pc at home (Indiana) and at my home in Phoenix. Although I am grandfathered into an unlimited usage plan, I simply don't need that much data. I'm seeing a plan on the Verizon site which to me implies that if I have a smart phone such as a Droid X, that I can use it as a modem for my computers. I need to know if anyone out there has attempted to use a smart phone in this manner and if the cost for 2 gigs of data per month is in fact only $20. I'm presently paying $59 for an unlimited data usage pc card and simply don't need that much. Please help this "old man". I've called customer support twice and can't seem to convey to them what I want.
Don't get the WIFI HotSpot, instead get a tether app like PDAnet for Droid X.
Start a new topic or ask questions in the open forum.
