Verizon Wireless Internet

Yeah, I remember last year when we could not get online wireless without it being a butt-load of cash or very slow. One way we did implement wireless internet from a laptop was by hooking up a cell phone to it. Then it would work like a dial-up access, only with no wires. It was cool, but expensive and slow, 14.4KB.

Now, for about $60.00 a month, you can have a device called "Verizon Wireless PC 5740". There are a few variations of them, they all do the same though. Anyway, it offers Broadband access to the internet, wow! Just one year later and it is kick-ass now! We have two of these now, mainly for our VPN users that work remotely or that travel a lot with a laptop. We love it, its fast and cheap. I will admit, I did not like the idea at first, but now I see how it has given us benifets in a few areas, pretty much, lowering costs and ease of use. It is not DSL, but its way better than Dial-UP. This really helps for those admins that are looking for a solution that will keep their users connected at acceptable speeds. Where as before I used to worry about users being able to open up an Excel document because of slow internet speeds now that has been remedied because of the fast connection this device provides. Also, wi-fi came out where it allowed users to find a "hot-spot" where they were at and it would allow them to connect to the internet from there, though there are a few draw backs I see with that solution:

1. First you have to find a hot-spot
2. Using one, either means you are using someone else's internet or a public internet, which can lead to catching a virus or getting hacked. Note, I said "could."
3. It is hard to find them at times

The Verizon wireless PC card though allows you to connect anywhere with your own connection, no more searching for "hot-spots." There is one drawback though. It will pretty much work in areas it is currently supported in. Since it is a new network, it is still expanding, meaning in some locations you may not be able to connect to the network because of range. That should be cured in time though, making this device a must have for remote workers.