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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ OT: Guess what just happened to me?
Posted by: Dave_Darling Apr 20 2005, 01:46 PM
Guess what happened to me yesterday? I accepted a Senior Engineer position with a company up in SF. 
I start on May 16th (by my own request).
I'm going to be picking up a laptop computer, in part so I will have something to do on the long train rides up to the City. I figure that will be my Bird Board and 914club BBS time--so I need some kind of wireless 'net connection that I can use on Cal Train. Does anybody have any suggestions? (Suggestions about laptop systems are also welcome.)
--DD
Posted by: Mueller Apr 20 2005, 01:51 PM
Congrats !!!!!!
Posted by: ArtechnikA Apr 20 2005, 02:01 PM
congratulations !
if you mean wireless for the notebook, don't consider a notebook that doesn't have it built in and integrated. J's HP did, and we had all manner of issues with its handling of the Linksys WEP, but then (Ta Da) one of the Windows Update hardware updates was a new Broadcom driver and it's been flawless since.
if your taste tends toward Apples i'm clueless.
if you mean wireless for the house - i guess nobody's opinons have changed very much from the last time we had this discussion a couple weeks ago ...
Posted by: Aaron Cox Apr 20 2005, 02:03 PM
yup... HP integrated wireless rocks.....
hmm...wifi on a train....
congrats on the new job!
Posted by: markb Apr 20 2005, 02:04 PM
Congrats!! 
Posted by: Dr. Roger Apr 20 2005, 02:10 PM
Dude,
the built-in WiFi is for short distance Access Point kind of connections. Like your local Starbucks or Barnes and Nobel. Different frequency than what you need on a train.
On a train you need something called an "Air Card" or cellular card. Most have an external antennea. Run ya' about $300 plus monthly. My company used ATT and Verizon. Verizon has the best coverage overall. They all have blind spots but if I was going on a trip on a train I'd go Verizon.
RG
Posted by: i love porsche Apr 20 2005, 02:11 PM
congrats on the new job!
as for a computer, i have a dell...and i dont reccomend it 
definetly the hp, and the integrated wireless is a must, i use it all the time at school
Posted by: TonyAKAVW Apr 20 2005, 02:13 PM
Forget wifi, you probably won't have continuous access. Get a Treo 650 from Sprint and do the mod that allows you to use bluetooth from your laptop to the phone for wireless access.
Or, you can do it with a verizon phone and use a cable.
Here's some info on how to do the bluetooth mod: http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000180029659/
-Tony
Posted by: r_towle Apr 20 2005, 02:23 PM
From what I have read, WIFI has been available on Silicon Valley Commuter Trains since Aug 2003 (beta test Silicon Valley to San Jose)
The rest of the commuter trains seemed to deploy this WIFI solution early in 2004....you should be covered on the standard Silicon Valley to SF train system...doubt it would work in SF on the local system, but it might...
This would be the standard WIFI enbaled PC that you will be getting...it should work,, if its and apple, you will need some newer software to find certain networks....its out there..
Rich
Posted by: skline Apr 20 2005, 02:24 PM
| QUOTE (rogergrubb @ Apr 20 2005, 01:10 PM) |
| Dude, the built-in WiFi is for short distance Access Point kind of connections. Like your local Starbucks or Barnes and Nobel. Different frequency than what you need on a train. On a train you need something called an "Air Card" or cellular card. Most have an external antennea. Run ya' about $300 plus monthly. My company used ATT and Verizon. Verizon has the best coverage overall. They all have blind spots but if I was going on a trip on a train I'd go Verizon. RG |
I have to agree with that, the Wifi built in is fine for like Starbucks and such but he is right, they wont work on that train. Check Verizon as I have clients with them and they are all happy with it. Someo fo them even get pretty fast speeds. I think its up to about 256k up and down. I never really got into it much so I am not sure on that.
Posted by: Bruce Allert Apr 20 2005, 02:26 PM
Good Job on landing the JOB Dave
...b 
Posted by: ! Apr 20 2005, 02:27 PM
What's the monthly charge on that?
Posted by: r_towle Apr 20 2005, 02:36 PM
http://bayareafreefi.com/city.php?id=62&city=San%20Jose
Posted by: jonwatts Apr 20 2005, 02:49 PM
Hey congrats Dave! I was afraid from your subject line that you got rear-ended in the Honda again. Glad it's good news.
I thought I heard CalTrain was thinking of offering wireless service on their trains. I'll ask my brother, he's a power commuter from Gilroy to Sunnyvale.
Posted by: cha914 Apr 20 2005, 02:56 PM
I have played with those verizon air cards before, and here in TX I was getting 400K down, and the cost was 80bucks a month for unlimited access...that is the way I would go for sure!
Tony
Posted by: Travis Neff Apr 20 2005, 03:02 PM
I did some GIS/GPS testing of the big three in wireless cards. I spent about a week hitting the city of phoenix in a perfect grid every 2 miles and running tests. Some were great in some areas, some not - they all worked. However, when I tried to to test while driving, the signal was lost very easily - might be tough on a train ride.
Posted by: Dave_Darling Apr 20 2005, 03:05 PM
| QUOTE |
| I was afraid from your subject line that you got rear-ended in the Honda again. |
Actually, the reference was to my last "Guess what" post, which was when I got laid off about a month ago.
| QUOTE |
| I thought I heard CalTrain was thinking of offering wireless service on their trains. I'll ask my brother, he's a power commuter from Gilroy to Sunnyvale. |
That would be schweeeeet. I don't know if I can hack $300 + usage every month...
The $80/month sounds better, but it sounds like the signal may be iffy?
--DD
Posted by: Travis Neff Apr 20 2005, 03:07 PM
You can also use those cards as a cell phone, just plug in your headset and go
Posted by: Jenny Apr 20 2005, 03:30 PM
That's great news Dave!! 
Jen
Posted by: Carl Apr 20 2005, 03:37 PM
Way to go, Dave! Good news on the job.
(As I put on my cardigan and sneakers ..) Does this mean you're still going to be my neighbor or will you move further up the peninsula?
Posted by: Jenny Apr 20 2005, 03:39 PM
sounds like he's commuting/taking the train & staying where he's at.
Jen
Posted by: Jeroen Apr 20 2005, 03:50 PM
Good news on the job!!!
Congrats man!
(sorry, can't help ya on the wireless/laptop)
Posted by: Dave_Darling Apr 20 2005, 04:14 PM
| QUOTE (Carl @ Apr 20 2005, 01:37 PM) |
| (As I put on my cardigan and sneakers ..) Does this mean you're still going to be my neighbor or will you move further up the peninsula? |
I am contractually obligated not to sell or rent my SJ condo for a year. So I'm still your neighbor. ("I always wanted to live in a neighborhood, with you..."
)Hmm, better get the 914 into the "work facility" now while I still have time!!
Oh, and thanks to all for the good wishes.
--DD
Posted by: Gint Apr 20 2005, 04:42 PM
'Grats Dave!
Posted by: Dr. Roger Apr 20 2005, 04:43 PM
Dave,
The other option is to junk your land line phone, (which saves I don't know how much money) get a Treo 650 camera phone like I have. Then get the 1,000 minute plan with unlimited internet for $99 a month. Plug your phone into your laptop.
Then download this software from home. http://www.junefabrics.com/palmnet/index.php
and they ya' got fairly high speed internet and a phone w/camera all in one.
Mine works fantastically.. fanatically? frivolousllly? you know what i mean.
If my Comcast high speed ever goes downat home I just unplug the ethernet cable and plug in the USB. Make a quick internet call and Walla'.
BTW, if anyone is looking for a website maker and hoster. I'm looking to make some side money to fund my V8 kit purchase....
message me for phone #.
Posted by: fiid Apr 20 2005, 06:30 PM
I have a Nokia 6820 from Cingular. I can do bluetooth to the phone and then GPRS to the internet (unlimited) in my ~ $60/mo plan. My Apple Powerbook G4 has 802.11G wireless networking, and bluetooth built in, plus it's a unix box and it can run the MS apps.
Posted by: ArtechnikA Apr 20 2005, 06:49 PM
we got a TDK Bluetooth PCMCIA card for Joy's HP, lets us talk to the GPS for in-car live update Streets & Trips (my Palm T3 already had built-in Bluetooth which is why i bought the GPS unit i did...) her HP has built-in 802.11g but i have an 802.11b SD card for the Palm. we're pretty much covered, although we don't have Bluetooth phones (and i can't see needing them, in our environment.) and we have no wired telephone service...
Bluetooth is only about 1Mbit/sec tho, tops, although that's still probably faster than the available mobile INet connection...
Posted by: Jeff Bowlsby Apr 20 2005, 06:51 PM
Thats good news Dave. Didn't take you long to land a new position.
I hope you will join me once in awhile on Caltrain...I ride the bullet from Diridon to SF and back most days. Leaves 3 times in the am and pm each day. 57 minutes one way on the bullet, about 90 minutes on the other trains. I am always in the front car, 6:45am train usually. You live close enough you could almost ride a bike to Diridon...
Where is your office in the city?
Posted by: Brando Apr 20 2005, 07:08 PM
Awesome news Dave!!!
If you don't like the idea of a Cellular card and monthly cell bills for it... you can always get an Orinoco WiFi card (802.11B/G/A) and build a Cantennae to find WAPs.
Posted by: Dave_Darling Apr 21 2005, 03:15 PM
| QUOTE (bowlsby @ Apr 20 2005, 04:51 PM) |
| I am always in the front car, 6:45am train usually. You live close enough you could almost ride a bike to Diridon... Where is your office in the city? |
6:45 AM? That's a tough one to make... Though with all the light my place gets, it will get easier to wake up earlier.
I can bike to the Diridon (sp?) station from here; I gotta get me a bike!! It's just a little far to walk, sadly.
The office is 2 blocks off of the end of the line in SF. Very easy walk.
...Oh, and I may be hopping onto the train at the Palo Alto station most mornings.
Thanks for the recc's so far. I'll need to see what Cal Train has to say about the WiFi connections on board.
--DD
Posted by: Scott Carlberg Apr 21 2005, 03:22 PM
Congrats on the new job Dave!
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