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-- Thinmodem Plus (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=16975)

Thinmodem Plus

I've really wanted to get a modem for a while now and I've pretty much settled on the Thinmodem Plus. I would love to have a wireless modem but I can't afford any contracts (are there any really cheap ones with limited access?). I have some questions about how the Thinmodem Plus connects. Do I just have it dial the phone number for my internet provider and that is it? Also, I'm assuming you could just walk up to any phone line and connect to the internet from there. I'm hoping on also getting the Stowaway keyboard to speed up writing e-mails and using AIM. Any help would be appreciated.

Re: Thinmodem Plus

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Originally posted by rmorlino
I have some questions about how the Thinmodem Plus connects. Do I just have it dial the phone number for my internet provider and that is it?

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Also, I'm assuming you could just walk up to any phone line and connect to the internet from there.

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I'm hoping on also getting the Stowaway keyboard to speed up writing e-mails and using AIM.

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Thanks for your help... greatly appreciated.

I have been very happy with my thinmodem plus. If you travel a lot you might think about signing up with mindspring, they have nation wide 800 numbers so you can get email anywhere.

Please be aware that selection of ISP is VERY IMPORTANT. Plenty of VisorCentral forum members can give you advice on this. Best said is that you should avoid free ISP's. Also, you should avoid AOL if you want to web browse.

This is a basic requirement due to the fact that many free ISP's will not support the Palm OS.

-Card Access

A tag onto jke's post - yes, most big national ISPs have toll-free numbers so you can get email anywhere. But, almost all of them (in fact, I don't know any that don't) will CHARGE YOU EXTRA for using the 800 number. In fact, some make you read and sign a separate thing online making sure you know that this will happen before they give the 800 number to you. They're best used only in a pinch. Once you pick an ISP, go to their customer support page and see if they have a utility to get a local dial-up number from the place you'll be staying.

For example: I'm on Earthlink. I knew I was going to Boston on a business trip, so I went to Earthlink's support page and put in my customer's phone number. Earthlink returned a local phone number that I used with my laptop to connect. (Didn't yet have my Visor.)

Happy travels!

Ah and theres the rub with the person who travels alot, do you map out your cross country trip and get your isp access number for every city your going to be at. If you go to smaller cities or areas don't coun't on them all be listed. Spend the extra money for an 800 number to save yourself the headache or do you see if the hotel has a computer that use with internet connection? I think we are at least a year away from the "perfect" answer.

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Originally posted by davecombs Once you pick an ISP, go to their customer support page and see if they have a utility to get a local dial-up number from the place you'll be staying.

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__________________
www.jphillips66.org

Just one more thing about the Thinmodem plus...
Don't forget that in order to connect, you also have to have the special dongle cord that goes with it. The modem uses a different port than the a regular telephone.

Maybe I'm pointing out the obvious and maybe I'm even wrong, but I suspect you cannot plug it into just any phone line. I'm pretty sure modems require an analog line. I know that many offices, and I suspect many hotels too, have digital phone lines. Can anyone confirm this?

__________________
Mike
I'd rather be upside down in my kayak than rightside up at my desk.

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Originally posted by Jupe
Maybe I'm pointing out the obvious and maybe I'm even wrong, but I suspect you cannot plug it into just any phone line. I'm pretty sure modems require an analog line. I know that many offices, and I suspect many hotels too, have digital phone lines. Can anyone confirm this?

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__________________
www.jphillips66.org

So while the ThinModem is great and will get the job done over 90 percent of the time, all ways have a back up plan and keep in mind that in the world of telecommunications-what works today may not tomorrow.