question about using phones and tablets on 3 & 4 g

[dewmik]

Recently I bought a tablet from my x wife's company for a great price. I am loving it. However I have not weened myself off my laptop and probably won't. I am able to watch movies and stuff on my TV from it so it has kinda been demoted to a desk top sorta. The issue I am having is the place I live offers free LAN internet. Works great for my laptop but I am having to use my phone for the tablet. As a result I went online and looked at broadband and found because of the unlimited use at the same price as my phone company who throtels down at 8gb will probably go with Clear. Clear is also 4g and my phone company is still 3g.
I am also thinking that with a unlimited use wireless system I could also connect my old Android phone to it and use it kinda like mini tablet for listening to radio and the fire/police scanner.
Now that you know the details here's the questions.
If I have a 4g broadband connection will my old 3g phone be able to connect to it the wifi router OK?
Next has anyone used Clear as there provider and if so what did /do you think.
Last. Should I get their wireless router or get a USB router and buy my own wireless router. and of course any other sugustions you may have I would love to hear.

 

[sizzle7]

Definitely steer away from Clear Internet. It's definitely not worth it. I felt the throttle after consistently burning through 4gb on a daily basis. The speeds slowed to that of a dial up connection. I currently have blast Internet from Comcast with 30mb/s and pay only $50. If I were you I would look into other services

 

[dewmik]

Thanks for letting me know that. I believe that Clear is partner'd with SPCS. I have friend there so I will be real sure to talk to them. I don't want to get something and have it be bogus.

 

[Devinator]

I never rent equipment from a company. I got my modem for Comcast for 25 bucks refurbished off Newegg and it has lasted me probably 18 months so far. That'd be 90 bucks if I rented it. I just see it as being a rip off.

You can also try tethering your tablet to your phone (depending on how much you really want to use your tablet online). I do this with my Prime to my X2. Sometimes it's spotty, but, for the most part it works great, until it craps out.

I'm unclear as to why you can't use your tablet with the LAN? Is it not WiFi?

 

[dewmik]

I plan on buying what ever equipment I would need. I am debt free 7 years nowand plan on keeping it that way. I would never even consider any company that wants 3 to 4 times what a product is worth in exchange for a payment plan.
That is in part why I am not looking at the cell company I have. I use cricket because there is no agreement. How ever as a result their broadband package is less then ideal.
I have looked at virgin and a couple other non contract providers.
The reason I looked at clear is no contract, 4g and it is who serves Sprint with there broadband. However they told me on the phone that they don't throttle down and offer unlimited use on 4g. If in fact that is not the case I will look elsewhere for a service that may only offer limited usage but is honest about it. I do know that SPCS dose not throttle however they do on there no contract phones, virgin and boost.
I will educate myself well (such as asking here) before any purchase.
I must say that for now I am using my cell for internet to the tablet and am really enjoying the tablet, the phone connection is good but is used up quickly if i don't watch it.

 

[dewmik]

As to the LAN Dev. No Wi-Fi here and to be honest I don't want a cable following me around the house. Plus I use my laptop for other things including hula (TV also sucks here a d I have no control over the channels). I also use the laptop to monitor radio referance scanners

 

[Devinator]

Look into Comcast, they are no contract, and, despite all the negative experiences people have with them, I have had them for probably five years and not had any problems. I have the slowest package and it's still really fast.

Yea, tethering is alright in a pinch, but, I'd rather hook my tablet up to WiFi whenever possible.

Yea, I gotcha, no cables for me either thanks. My PC is cabled, but, other than that, WiFi all the way. Sounds like you need internet and a wireless router. When you call up a company, like Comcast, ask if they have an specials. And, if you live in an apartment complex, sometimes you get a discount rate because they supply the complex in bulk. Both complexes I have lived at got at least a 25% discount because they were supplying to the complex in bulk.

 

[dewmik]

Posted twice. Not sure why

 

[dewmik]

Comcast is not an option. This place is only cabled for direct TV. We get it as part of the rentel package. The down side is the same as the internet issue. Yea its free but as a result there are limitations for the residents.
That is why I am looking at wireless options for internet.
I had Comcast when I lived in Denver and loved it. I keep the account open when I came up here but closed it when I learned that it is not available on this property.

 

[Devinator]

Well, you could always just stick with BT tethering then. It'd be free since you are already paying for service on your phone. And, depending on how much you use your tablet, it would do the trick.

Also, didn't you originally say there was a WiFi option available? Can't you just hook your tablet up through that?

 

[Rukbat]

I also use the laptop to monitor radio referance scanners

There are also a couple of nice Android apps for that.

 

[dewmik]

Dec yea we have internet here at the property but it is only on a LAN cable and when the place is full its a slow as my mother I law to my wedding. I did however find out that one of the residents is using a wireless router in who's room so it is possible I am just not smart enough to know how.
Ru bat yea there are good apps for RR but the apps only allow for one agency at a time.you can fund two different apps but that has a tenancy to cancel each other out. On the laptop I can open multiple windows and use my remote to mute one if i need. The other problem with the apps is for some reason if i am on my ham it causes static on the radio, I'm not sure why

 

[dewmik]

I am loving the tablet though.

 

[Devinator]

Do you have a router? If so, just hook it up and see if it'll work. I'm not sure what the internet situation is there, but, I don't see why it wouldn't work.