modem

I'm a big believer in the old Boy Scout motto: be prepared.

That's why I always pack a prepaid modem in my travel bag, just in case there's no Wi-Fi available wherever I end up. This happens more often than you might think.

Through tomorrow, and while supplies last, you can get the T-Mobile Jet 2.0 prepaid 4G laptop stick for $19.99 shipped. Props to reader Harvey for sharing this deal.

Like the aircards of old, the Jet 2.0 plugs into your Mac or PC, endowing it with high-speed Internet access -- in this … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Fat fingers to blame for upping mobile ad clicks.

- Andreessen Horowitz invests $15 million in Web site Rap Genius.

- San Francisco's Weiner tries to ban exposed genitals.

- How New Yorkers can beat Time Warner's bullish modem rental fee.

Look who showed up at the Justin Bieber concert! (courtesy of The 404 SubReddit)… Read more

A few months back I wrote about a dirt-cheap T-Mobile USB aircard that sold out in mere minutes. I know a lot of readers were frustrated that they didn't get a chance to get one.

Thus I'm happy to offer a Cheapskate exclusive: the refurbished TruConnect USB Card 3G modem for $29.99, plus $5.99 for shipping. It sells new for $79.

Not to be confused with TruConnect's MiFi, which I've written about before, the USB Card is designed to plug into a laptop for on-the-go mobile broadband. You can share that broadband with other … Read more

It's bad enough you have to pay such exorbitant rates for broadband Internet access, but a modem rental fee on top of that? Horrors!

In fact, if you're a Comcast subscriber, you may have noticed that the monthly tab for modem rental is now $7. That's $84 per year.

Luckily, there's no law that says you have to lease Comcast's modem (thank goodness, as some other ISPs have started making it mandatory). If you bring your own, you can save that cash instead.

And here's one of the best deals I've seen: Cisco … Read more

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which we answer questions e-mailed in by our readers.

This week people wrote in with questions on external hard drives appearing as read-only, Apple's USB modem not working after upgrading to OS X Lion, whether triple-booting OS X and Windows will work properly, and Safari's menu bar disappearing after zooming the window. We welcome alternative approaches and views from readers, so if you have any suggestions, post them in the comments!

Question: External hard drive appearing as read-only MacFixIt reader Orlando asks:

Offering this USB modem stick for free--if you factor out the 2-year contract and $50 mail-in-rebate--Sprint must be really trying to purge the 3G/4G Plug-in-Connect from its inventory. Perhaps it's because the modem likely only connects to the carrier's original WiMax 4G network and not its fancy LTE infrastructure in the works to enable 4G surfing. … Read more

Mobile USB modems are not new, and all of them generally require some software to start the cellular connection. But not the one Clear announced today.

The wireless carrier, known mostly for its unlimited 4G data plans, introduced the Stick Atlas, the first USB cellular modem on the market that doesn't require software at all.

The company says that the moment the device is plugged into a USB port, the computer will gain access to the Internet, much like when the computer is plugged into a network port.… Read more

Looking for cheap 3G service for your laptop? It doesn't get much cheaper than this: Walmart has the Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go Ovation MC760 for $59.88 shipped (plus sales tax).

As recently as a year ago, this USB modem sold for $149.99.

What I like, and have always liked, about Virgin's 3G options is the lack of contracts and monthly minimums. You pay for airtime as you need it.

That's a huge plus over modems from the likes of Sprint and Verizon, which typically lock you into two-year contracts. (As it happens, Virgin Mobile is actually … Read more

With the introduction of 3G, and especially 4G, mobile Internet access is no longer considered inferior to home broadband. In fact, in certain locations, it can actually be much faster than many residential DSL plans.

That said, as you roam around, even within one city like the case of the iPhone 4S, you'll experience changes in connection speed and coverage. That's just the nature of any cellular data connection.

Generally, it's best to use a 4G connection. However, since, for now, none of the wireless providers can guarantee the availability of 4G coverage throughout the U.S., … Read more