About
Much like what we have done with Prepaid Plans and Prepaid iPhone, Gone Wireless provides a detailed comparison of the latest wireless internet and mobile phone data products made available to you by Australia’s leading Internet Service Providers as well as mobile phone carriers.
Visit Gone Wireless to find out about the last products, compare prices, bandwidths, and technology. Read the latest articles from the leading technology publications. Link direct to the product providers and buy online.
Gone Wireless will be your one stop shop to compare and save on the latest wireless internet and mobile data plans.
About Wireless Internet
Wireless internet is broadband internet access that doesn’t use a telephone line or cable network. You connect to the internet using radio frequency signals. A wireless service lets you access the internet from home or when you’re out of the office.
It may also be an option if:
* You live too far from the telephone exchange (but within a wireless network coverage area).
* The exchange doesn’t support ADSL.
* You don’t want to pay phone line rental fee or
* You don’t have access to a cable network. Portable wireless internet
You can access the internet wirelessly at home using a special desktop modem. This type of wireless internet access is usually portable. The portability may appeal to renters who move frequently – you’ll be able to connect to the internet using the same account and equipment at a different address, provided it’s within the coverage area.
To use wireless internet access that’s portable, you need:
* A special modem (with antenna), supplied by the ISP.
* To be located within the ISP’s network coverage.
Roaming wireless internet
If you move around cities or metropolitan areas and need internet access on-the-go, you may prefer roaming internet through your laptop. Roaming wireless services let you connect to the internet when you’re away from home without the need for a bulky modem.
Most access speeds are listed as the theoretical maximum, rather than the practical speed. For example, a theoretical maximum speed of 54 mbps is more likely to be 1000 kbps in reality.
In most cases, you need:
* To buy a card for your laptop to access the wireless network;
* To be located within a coverage area.
As long as you’re within the network coverage area and you have your laptop connected, you should be able to get online wherever you are – be it your home, a cafe or a park. But connection speed can vary depending on your location. Some conventional ISPs, including Telstra, Optus and iPrimus, offer wireless internet access from public places such as cafes, airports and hotels. These designated access points are advertised as ‘wireless hotspots’ and most use Wi-Fi technology (also called IEEE 802.11) to connect you to the internet. Wi-Fi operates in the 2.4GHz radio spectrum that’s also used for cordless phones and microwave ovens.
Hotspots are fixed and have a limited range – you need to be within about 100 metres of a location.
To use a Wi-Fi hotspot, you need:
* A Wi-Fi-enabled laptop or PDA.
* To set up and pay for a wireless account with the ISP supplying the access.
Laptops with Intel’s Centrino mobile technology already have Wi-Fi built-in. If your laptop isn’t wireless-enabled when you buy it, you need to install a special wireless card, available from computer stores for around $150-$250. This plugs into the card slot on your laptop.
When you turn on your computer in a hotspot location, the Wi-Fi card should automatically detect the wireless network.
You can usually sign monthly contracts or buy a period of wireless access using a credit card or prepaid card, depending on the provider. Wireless hotspot services are generally charged based on the amount of time spent online, rather than the amount of data you use. Prices vary, so check with your provider.
