Temporary internet connection 3G?

I need to provide a temporary internet connection for an event and am
thinking of providing this with a couple of 3G wireless routers combined
with 3G dongle modems.

Main usage will be laptops and it will be all upload. I'm thinking of
using a couple of different 3G providers to spread the load and all main
providers describe the signal strength as excellent.

What I can't have is the need for any of the laptop users to install any
drivers or connection software, it must be a transparent wireless
connection.

Hardware wise, the Edimax 3G-2600 range and the Zoom 3G Wireless-N
Desktop Router are jumping out as a cost effective solution.

Has anyone done something similar? Anything I've missed? Should I be
worried about setting different default Wifi channel numbers with 2
routers operating close together?

It's a charity event so budget is tight.
--
fred
FIVE TV's superbright logo - not the DOG's, it's bollocks

fred <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I need to provide a temporary internet connection for an event and am
> thinking of providing this with a couple of 3G wireless routers combined
> with 3G dongle modems.

We've successfully used Fortigate devices for events like this.
Chris

In article <qvQDo.123092$(E-Mail Removed)2>, 807 <(E-Mail Removed)>
writes
>On 14/11/2010 11:28, fred wrote:
>
>>
>> What I can't have is the need for any of the laptop users to install any
>> drivers or connection software, it must be a transparent wireless
>> connection.
>>
>
>What about something like the 3 "Mi-Fi", most providers have their own
>versions, also available unlocked from amazon or ebay.
>
>Up to 5 PCs can connect uning Wi-Fi and share a 3G connection.
>
>Mine is far better than the equiv USB dongle.
>
A difficult choice, it looks like I could gain on upload speed but I
would certainly lose on versatility. A mifi PAYG starter pack seems to
be about a hundred quid but that will tie me to a single provider. With
the 3G router option, if I find that one provider is no good at the
location then I can just swap low cost dongles to another provider (we
already have 2 to try, "3" and Voda). Also, if there are any screening
issues in the building then I can remote mount the dongle and use a usb
extension with or without additional active extenders.

Cost is an issue and for 40 odd quid I could have a trial 3G router
system to test at the venue. I could have 2 of those for less than the
cost of the mifi setup and it could have the advantage of spreading load
between 2 different 3G providers by using different dongles.
--
fred
FIVE TV's superbright logo - not the DOG's, it's bollocks

fred <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I need to provide a temporary internet connection for an event and am
> thinking of providing this with a couple of 3G wireless routers combined
> with 3G dongle modems.
>
> Main usage will be laptops and it will be all upload. I'm thinking of
> using a couple of different 3G providers to spread the load and all main
> providers describe the signal strength as excellent.
>
> What I can't have is the need for any of the laptop users to install any
> drivers or connection software, it must be a transparent wireless
> connection.
>
> Hardware wise, the Edimax 3G-2600 range and the Zoom 3G Wireless-N
> Desktop Router are jumping out as a cost effective solution.
>
> Has anyone done something similar? Anything I've missed? Should I be
> worried about setting different default Wifi channel numbers with 2
> routers operating close together?
>
> It's a charity event so budget is tight.

I'm looking at getting a 3G router for our boat, the one I'm leaning
towards is the Solwise NET-3G-431R (or the very similar NET-3G-434T).
These are about the cheapest I can find which you can just plug the
SIM into rather than requiring a USB dongle.

They are a bit more expensive than the ones you are looking at but I'm
never really very happy with 3G USB dongles.

If you want even cheaper then there are models in the Solwise range
(which use a USB dongle) at little more than £30.

--
Chris Green

807 <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> On 14/11/2010 11:28, fred wrote:
>
> >
> > What I can't have is the need for any of the laptop users to install any
> > drivers or connection software, it must be a transparent wireless
> > connection.
> >
>
> What about something like the 3 "Mi-Fi", most providers have their own
> versions, also available unlocked from amazon or ebay.
>
> Up to 5 PCs can connect uning Wi-Fi and share a 3G connection.
>
> Mine if far better than the equiv USB dongle.
>
Still quite expensive though aren't they. Though I agree they avoid the USB
dongle which is a 'good thing' IMHO.

--
Chris Green

In article <dmd5r7-(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed) writes
>
>I'm looking at getting a 3G router for our boat, the one I'm leaning
>towards is the Solwise NET-3G-431R (or the very similar NET-3G-434T).
>These are about the cheapest I can find which you can just plug the
>SIM into rather than requiring a USB dongle.
>
>They are a bit more expensive than the ones you are looking at but I'm
>never really very happy with 3G USB dongles.
>
>If you want even cheaper then there are models in the Solwise range
>(which use a USB dongle) at little more than £30.
>
Thanks, I checked out the Solwise site today and they seem to have
plenty to offer but the published dongle compatibility list is quite
patchy. Despite a few reported gripes on forums, the Endimax ones seem
to have the widest dongle support on their compatibility list and I
have a supplier nearby so I could be having a play as early as tomorrow.

The Fortigate stuff suggested by Chris seems to be a bit pricey for our
(likely) one off app.
--
fred
FIVE TV's superbright logo - not the DOG's, it's bollocks

"fred" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I need to provide a temporary internet connection for an event and am thinking of providing this with a couple of 3G wireless
>routers combined with 3G dongle modems.
>
> Main usage will be laptops and it will be all upload. I'm thinking of using a couple of different 3G providers to spread the load
> and all main providers describe the signal strength as excellent.
>
> What I can't have is the need for any of the laptop users to install any drivers or connection software, it must be a transparent
> wireless connection.
>
> Hardware wise, the Edimax 3G-2600 range and the Zoom 3G Wireless-N Desktop Router are jumping out as a cost effective solution.
>
> Has anyone done something similar? Anything I've missed? Should I be worried about setting different default Wifi channel numbers
> with 2 routers operating close together?
>
> It's a charity event so budget is tight.
> --
> fred
> FIVE TV's superbright logo - not the DOG's, it's bollocks

Are you asking for a minimalist solution, one that won't need any hardware that you don't already
have?

Assuming you are using Windows on you own laptop, associate the dongle connection with the
NIC using Internet Connection Sharing.
Then all you need to do is plug the access point into the LAN port of the laptop.
Traditionally, you would have needed a crossover cable to do this, but modern equipment will cope with a normal patch.

By default ICS will provide DHCP, so if your access point is also a router, you will need to turn off DHCP on this.

ICS invariably causes screams of disapproval when mentioned on this newsgroup, nevertheless it's the way I would go if
in your position.



--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

In article <ibpivq$mmu$(E-Mail Removed)>, Graham.
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>
>"fred" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...

>>I need to provide a temporary internet connection for an event and am thinking of
>providing this with a couple of 3G wireless
>>routers combined with 3G dongle modems.
>>
>
>Are you asking for a minimalist solution, one that won't need any hardware that you
>don't already
>have?
>
Cost effective rather than minimalist, I was really looking for a sanity
check on what I was considering and the Mifi option did give cause for
thought.

>Assuming you are using Windows on you own laptop, associate the dongle
>connection with the
>NIC using Internet Connection Sharing.
>Then all you need to do is plug the access point into the LAN port of the laptop.
>Traditionally, you would have needed a crossover cable to do this, but modern
>equipment will cope with a normal patch.
>
I would still need to get an access point for that so there would be
some hardware purchase but that is no problem as there is some, if
limited, budget.

For simplicity I went out today and got an Edimax 3G-6200n 3G dongle
compatible router for 40quid and will have a play with it this evening.

The option of connecting in one way or another through a laptop was one
I considered but there are fewer security worries if it's just 50 or 60
quids worth of hardware that is providing the solution, I probably wont
bolt anything down.
--
fred
FIVE TV's superbright logo - not the DOG's, it's bollocks