Netbook Experience

In this article I wrote about the direction that Mobile Internet is taking, and T-Mobile has launched a different option.

The T-Mobile Web and Walk Router provides access to the T-Mobile high speed Mobile Network to any WIFI enabled device by routing the Mobile data through a Wifi access point.

This brings a number of advantages over a traditional USB Mobile Broadband Dongle, in that a number of devices can share the same mobile signal, so that, for example a netbook could be used to browse the Internet whilst an IPod Touch could be downloading a song.

The maximum data speed available will vary depending on your location and the strength of the signal in that area, but as I sit typing this the speed of data seems pretty good, even fast enough to watch BBC Iplayer without buffering the video.

There is one limitation of the T-Mobile Web and Walk Router, it doesn’t have any built in battery and needs a power source, this reduces how portable the device is and if there was only a way to power the unit in a car then this would be a great unit to provide internet access in a car.

However if work in various locations with your Netbook that don’t have Wifi access then this unit would provide a great way to Internet Access, but if you need access without a fixed power supply then 3’s Mifi unit mat be a better option.
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/netbookjohn

Mobile Broadband has had massive impact on Laptops and Netbooks of all types, no longer are their users limited to being able to access the Internet through Wifi access points in cafe’s and meeting area’s (often at high cost) but now access is possible from anywhere there is a mobile Phone network. In addition as the Data Speeds of networks have improved, it has been possible to do more and more bandwidth intensive functions on our trusty Netbooks, even watch Iplayer whilst out of the move.

In this article I described how to configure the Linux version of the Acer Aspire One to work with the 3 Broad Band Dongle.

So what next for Mobile Broadband, at the moment each user needs a USB Dongle to connect to the Mobile Broadband Network which can be quite limiting, However 3 have recently launched a new device called the MiFi, ( a rebadged version of the Huawei E5830) which takes a Mobile Data Network and turns it into a Wifi signal. This means that a number of your WIFI Enable devices can share the Mobile Data Network with out being physically linked to a cable.For Example whilst you are blogging on your Netbook, a friend could be surfing the Internet on their Laptop and you could also be downloading an album on your Ipod Touch all at the same time sharing the same mobile broadband connection.

The MiFi has a battery installed which means that it’s completely portable, this means that you could install it into a car and turn your car into a secure WIFI Hotspot, or store it in your rucksack to always have the Internet handy. This sounds like a great leap forward.

I’ll be experimenting with the MiFi in the near future to see how well it works it practice.
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/netbookjohn

Mobile Internet is becoming ever more popular now that all the major mobile phone providers are offering good value deals on 3G Dongles and data packages.
USB 3G Dongles allow connection to the Internet over the Public Mobile Phone Networks at reasonable speeds, whilst the speed won’t compare to your home broadband – it’s certainly fast enough for Web browser access and email, and the Mobile Internet and Netbooks go hand in hand.

It’s quite straight forward to install a Mobile Internet 3G Dongle on the Linux version of the Acer Aspire One, I installed a 3G Dongle (Huawei E156G)  from ‘3 uk‘ without any problem.

The procedure I followed is listed below.  (click on the pictures to enlarge).

1) First check that you have the green Mobile Partner icon in your ‘Connect’ section, it was missing on mine (shown below).

2) If the Mobile Partner icon is missing the do a Live Update from the ‘Settings’ section. This will install the necessary files to support your 3G Dongle.

3) After the install has finished perform a system re-start and when the computer has rebooted, you will have the Mobile Partner icon displayed in the Connect section.

4) Put your dongle in to the Computer and it will open as a disk in Explorer. Navigate to the Disk1 folder and click on setup.inx

5) Launch the Mobile Partners application and go to the options section.

This is where you configure the application for your Network:

Enter a suitible Profile name (eg 3 Network)

For the 3 Network:

• In the Profile Management section change the APN to Static
• Enter a APN of 3Internet.

Click on Ok

6) Click on Connect.

This will now connect you to the Mobile Broadband Network, and you will be able to use the Internet as Normal.

Please be aware that some Mobile Internet providers may charge you a signifcan rate of use if you exceed your data allowance.
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/netbookjohn