PCMCIA card that takes "sim card" from my digital phone?

[Kwad Guy]

I just got a new Nokia 6590 cell phone, to use with the AT&T GMS network. It uses a sim card, and the guy
at AT&T said there are PCMCIA cards you can buy where you insert the sim and then can use the PCMCIA
card as a wireless modem in your laptop. He didn't have more details, though. Is this correct, and are the cards
cheap or pricey?

The alternative is apparently to use an infrared connection between my laptop and the phone to surf...I guess
that's not too bad (if it works, I've never tried, and I haven't even learned how you're supposed to do it yet),
but not as sleek...

Anyone know more about doing this?

Kwad

 

[Mark R]

Nokia do a PCMCIA card GSM modem - in the UK it costs about £400 ($600) without subsidy. The Nokia D211 also supports Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b) as well as GSM.

It doesn't support the US proprietary GSM band, so won't work there - I don't know if there is an equivalent model for the US.

Using an IR connection to your phone is likely to be much cheaper - and it does work quite well.

I've certainly done it using a Nokia 8310 and a USB-IR cable. I've accessed dial-up internet services, and sent and received faxes with it.

If you are using Win2k you need to install the IRComm (infrared serial port) driver - bizarrely, this is not included with Win2k, and is critical. Then you need to install the drivers for your phone's modem - easily available from nokia's web site. Enable IR on the phone and computer, and let the 2 make friends. Then just select your phone's modem in a dial-up connection - that's it from a configuration point of view.

The next thing you need to do, is to ask your network to enable data functions on your SIM card. Most don't charge for this, but most don't provide it by default.
A conventional GSM dial-up connection is 9600 bps, and is charged according to duration of the connection (like a phone call).

Some providers offer additional GSM features such as HSCSD (allowing an enhanced connection of up to 43.2 kbps - but at an enhanced price).

GPRS is an alternative method of *internet* access - providing an 'always on' connection billed according to the volume of data transmitted/received (data rates on GPRS vary depending on signal quality but can reach 50 kbps). Check with your network as to whether they support these enhancements and more importantly, how much they cost (in the UK, GPRS bandwidth goes for as much as £4/MB! Make sure that windows update is disabled!)

 

[Kwad Guy]

Hi Mark:

Thanks for the info. Well, I won't be going the PCMCIA card route at a price like that, even if such a card is available in the US. I'll go with the IR connectivity. Where do you get the IRcomm driver if it's not included with Win2K?

I am glad to hear that I don't need to use the GPRS feature. I have an unlimited minutes GSR phone, but I have to pay for GPRS. So GSR via IR is definitely a better deal!

THanks again,

Kwad

 

[Mark R]

It's on the MS site - it's in knowledge base article 252795, and it's called security update or something equally confusing.

I think it is included in Service Pack 3 - but I haven't tried SP3 on its own.

 

[Kwad Guy]

Thanks Mark...

It appears, though it's not entirely clear on this point, that the fix is already in Win2K SP3. Since I have SP3 installed, I guess I'll try my luck.

I will be pretty happy if this all works...It will make my life when waiting in airports a lot less dull...

Kwad