Since Cronus seems to be coming early, I went to the Apple Store this afternoon and grabbed a USB modem for it. Didn’t think I would need that since it was due to arrive in March, so I hadn’t ordered it bundled. But while I was there I also grabbed a Bluetooth Dongle from Zeus. I figured I could get the bluetooth thing all figured out, cause that will be faster that dialup on Cronus. Now, Cronus will have bluetooth build in and thus will not need a dongle. But with Zeus I need it. Now, I can’t get incoming calls while I am connected with Bluetooth, so I would still need the old dialup for other times… OK, so I could have just bought nothing and used Cronus’s bluetooth only (just not stay online all the time) or just bought the USB modem… but…
Anyway, I have the Bluetooth set up now on Zeus. So I am connected to the internet via my Treo on the Sprint network. It is averaging 3 to 4 times faster than the dialup did. And that is a huge difference! It is not fast… but it is no longer PAINFUL like the dialup was. Plus, the dialup would randomly hang up occationally or just stay connected but slow to almost zero speed, both of which were very very annoying. This is MUCH better. I suddenly feel like the computer is usable. I can surf the web and get other things done without going away for ten minutes between each click.
This is very nice.
Of course, Cronus will arrive in a few days. And then I’ll move to an apartment within the next two weeks. And shortly after that I’ll have real broadband back. But this is a huge improvement over yesterday!
So for now… bluetooth on Zeus after about 5 UTC when Brandy goes to sleep back in Florida. Dial up between 12 UTC and 5 UTC if I really need it. Then once Cronus arrives same thing for as long as I am here. Then once I move to an apartment all Bluetooth (just not all the time so I can still get calls) since I won’t have a landline there. Then soon after that I’ll have broadband again and all will be right with the world.
Anyway… long and boring… but I was quite excited about it. The internet suddenly works again! (I can’t believe I can remember when 56k was fast… urgh!)
I take some of it back. Tried connecting this morning and it was a dog. Guess it is spotty. Also had to reset the connection a few times. Guess it is still better than 56k though, at least at the times you can use it.
Speed is heavily dependent on signal quality on thesethings.
I was typically 5 bars. Anyway, I used it off and on for a bit more than a week. But it just wasn’t reliable. I’m back to using the regular dialup full time at this point.
Only a few days until I have broadband again though. It will be a very very good thing.