Wireless ethernet in airports?

In rec.travel.air Matt <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
: I spend a bit of time in airports with my 802.11b laptop, and would
: love to be able to get more wireless ethernet/internet access at these
: places (eg, Chicago Ohare, Phoenix, LAX, etc).

: Anybody know how I can find out more about if/when any wireless
: ethernet airport endeavors are springing up? LaptopLane seems to be
: exclusively in the wired arena.

Here's another thought: internet access via your cell phone. I just
switched to Verizon and have the America's Choice plan, which gives me
per-minute "free" access to their data network (so data minutes are
the same as voice minutes). My Nokia 3589i has a built-in wireless
modem, and I can plug it into my laptop with a cable. Yes, using your
cell phone for internet can burn minutes quickly, but if you need
to check email in a pinch, it does work well. (I flew Saturday to
Saturday over the holidays: unlimited evening/weekend minutes!).
Verizon's 3G network supposedly connects about 112Kbps with
compression (I get something over 200Kbps displayed, but I don't think
that's the real connect speed).

Andrew
--
----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
************************************************** *****************
----> http://www.bizave.com <---- Photo Albums and Portland Info
----> To Email me remove "MYSHOES" from email address
************************************************** *****************

In rec.travel.air mrraveltay <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
: Andrew wrote:
: > I have T-Mobile Hotspot service and I've been unable to pick it up in
: > Newark, Dulles, Chicago, Detroit, or Portland when I've flown in the
: > last few months. I know it is supposed to be available in at least a
: > few of these airports, but I haven't managed to pick up the SSID. In
: > any case, as of now I wouldn't recommend T-Mobile to people who want
: > to use it at major airports.

: Were you in one of the Hotspot Ares?
: For ORD this would be

: ORD Delta Air Lines Crown Room Club L2
: ORD United Airlines First Class Lounge F3
: ORD United Airlines Red Carpet Club B18
: ORD United Airlines Red Carpet Club B7
: ORD United Airlines Red Carpet Club C16
: ORD United Airlines Red Carpet Club F3
: ORD American Airlines Admirals Club H&K
: ORD American Airlines Flagship Lounge K
: ORD United Airlines Arrivals Lounge C16

Nope. Are all these free to get in, BTW?

I was much more comfortable using my computer at my gate with my cell
phone so that I wouldn't be too far away. When I was connecting in
Chicago recently, they were updating status on-the-fly. WiFi would be
nice in the gate areas, though.

Andrew
--
----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
************************************************** *****************
----> http://www.bizave.com <---- Photo Albums and Portland Info
----> To Email me remove "MYSHOES" from email address
************************************************** *****************

Andrew wrote:
> In rec.travel.air mrraveltay <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> : Andrew wrote:
> : > I have T-Mobile Hotspot service and I've been unable to pick it up in
> : > Newark, Dulles, Chicago, Detroit, or Portland when I've flown in the
> : > last few months. I know it is supposed to be available in at least a
> : > few of these airports, but I haven't managed to pick up the SSID. In
> : > any case, as of now I wouldn't recommend T-Mobile to people who want
> : > to use it at major airports.
>
> : Were you in one of the Hotspot Ares?
> : For ORD this would be
>
> : ORD Delta Air Lines Crown Room Club L2
> : ORD United Airlines First Class Lounge F3
> : ORD United Airlines Red Carpet Club B18
> : ORD United Airlines Red Carpet Club B7
> : ORD United Airlines Red Carpet Club C16
> : ORD United Airlines Red Carpet Club F3
> : ORD American Airlines Admirals Club H&K
> : ORD American Airlines Flagship Lounge K
> : ORD United Airlines Arrivals Lounge C16
>
> Nope. Are all these free to get in, BTW?

No, they aren't free to get in for most people, but it isn't like TM
told you there would be service everywhere at ORD. The website tells you
the locations.
>
> I was much more comfortable using my computer at my gate with my cell
> phone so that I wouldn't be too far away. When I was connecting in
> Chicago recently, they were updating status on-the-fly. WiFi would be
> nice in the gate areas, though.
>

You might be able to get it near the club areas.
I use it at SNA from gate 8 and 9.

I've been using a data connection via cell phone to my home ISP at airports
too. It's slow, but good enough for e-mail.

With T-Mobile cell phone service, for an additional $20 / month, you can get
unlimitted GPRS internet access via cell phone (you can use your cell phone
as a modem for your laptop). The data rate is close to high speed (56KB)
dialup. This works everywhere you have T-Mobile cell phone access
(including in your car).

Mike Schumann

"Andrew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In rec.travel.air Matt <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> : I spend a bit of time in airports with my 802.11b laptop, and would
> : love to be able to get more wireless ethernet/internet access at these
> : places (eg, Chicago Ohare, Phoenix, LAX, etc).
>
> : Anybody know how I can find out more about if/when any wireless
> : ethernet airport endeavors are springing up? LaptopLane seems to be
> : exclusively in the wired arena.
>
> Here's another thought: internet access via your cell phone. I just
> switched to Verizon and have the America's Choice plan, which gives me
> per-minute "free" access to their data network (so data minutes are
> the same as voice minutes). My Nokia 3589i has a built-in wireless
> modem, and I can plug it into my laptop with a cable. Yes, using your
> cell phone for internet can burn minutes quickly, but if you need
> to check email in a pinch, it does work well. (I flew Saturday to
> Saturday over the holidays: unlimited evening/weekend minutes!).
> Verizon's 3G network supposedly connects about 112Kbps with
> compression (I get something over 200Kbps displayed, but I don't think
> that's the real connect speed).
>
> Andrew
> --
> ----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
> ************************************************** *****************
> ----> http://www.bizave.com <---- Photo Albums and Portland Info
> ----> To Email me remove "MYSHOES" from email address
> ************************************************** *****************
>

"Andrew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ...
> In rec.travel.air mrraveltay <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> : Andrew wrote:
> : > I have T-Mobile Hotspot service and I've been unable to pick it up in
> : > Newark, Dulles, Chicago, Detroit, or Portland when I've flown in the
> : > last few months. I know it is supposed to be available in at least a
> : > few of these airports, but I haven't managed to pick up the SSID. In
> : > any case, as of now I wouldn't recommend T-Mobile to people who want
> : > to use it at major airports.
>

If you have T-mobile phone service you can get for an extra $20 a month
unlimited access
with your laptop and an AirCard 750 in the PCMCIA slot. When you use this
type of setup,
you get service anywhere there is T-mobile digital and digital roaming
service. Forget the Wi-Fi
junk, I just got the AirCard off of E-bay for around $150 (new for $300) and
then got the T-mobile
internet service and I don't have to be near a hotspot, I can drive down the
street in my car, which
has a laptop mount, and surf the net where ever I am. My laptop has a
PCMCIA 802.11b card
in the other slot so when I get home, I can surf at faster speeds and then
transfer to the T-mobile
service when I leave.

I recently departed the Ohare UA terminal and find it to be one of the
dullest International terminals I've ever been in. I'd be surprised if
Wireless internet was available there.

There's more do to at Don Muang than UA's international terminal.

On 9 Jan 2004 23:03:00 -0800, (E-Mail Removed) (Robert Nicholson)
wrote:

>I recently departed the Ohare UA terminal and find it to be one of the
>dullest International terminals I've ever been in. I'd be surprised if
>Wireless internet was available there.
>
>There's more do to at Don Muang than UA's international terminal.

It's not an international terminal but a 90%-domestic terminal in an
airport where the vast majority of the passengers spend about 45
minutes between flights. It's in a place which is hard to trade on
it's "differentness" to make the mundane appear interesting to the
bulk of the passengers.

I made it back to elite status with AC and have Maple Leaf lounge
access again.

Just in time; my flight this morning was delayed three hours. Incoming
due to weather, then the fuel truck hit the plane, and they had to
pull another one from the hanger.

Wireless internet access in the lounge allowed me to get work done.

--
Stephen

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin