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psk20

155 posts

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#54874 22-Dec-2009 09:26
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Hi peeps. I was just wondering if anyone would be nice enough to give me some advice regarding switching to XT. First I'll list what I'm currently doing, and then I'll list what I'm hoping to do. Can anyone tell me if this is actually feasible? I've just got off the phone to telecom and got some really conflicting messages.

OK, here's what my current set-up is.

At home, I've got an ADSL connection (the 20GB telecom one), with a wireless router, and therefore am also paying for a home phone line. I've got one desktop PC (our lounge HTPC and gaming system). I also have a laptop that I take around with me most of the time (I'm planning on getting  a second laptop, this one a mac, within the next few months). My monthly bill is just shy of $100, not including our two cells. Note: we haven't actually gone anywhere near the 20GB cap since I stopped playing World of Warcraft so 10GB would probably be more than enough.

My fiancee and I both have cellphones. Hers is a Nokia 6120c connected to XT. Mine is a crappy old Nokia connected to the old telecom network (I'm thinking of buying an iphone soon). We both use prepay currently, so our monthly costs for each phone are around the $10-15 mark.

It occurred to me... why not just ditch my wired connection entirely? Here's what I was thinking of doing:

* get 2 new mobile broadband plans - one 4gb (8gb with special offer), one 2gb.
* get a t-stick for the 2gb plan. Use the t-stick for my own laptop (as I tend to cart that around for me) and the free SIM card in my fiancee's nokia 6120c.
* get a t-stick and a wireless router for the 8gb plan. Set up the wireless router at home so that our desktop and any laptops will have access to the net through the LAN. Put the free SIM in my iphone.
*install skype on both our phones (Skype Symbian is in beta so it seems I can install it on a 6120c, although I haven't gotten it working yet - it seems to reject all incoming calls). This way, we could call and text each other free through skype to skype calling.
*total cost $80+60 = $140 per month, plus hardware costs (t-sticks and router). (I might also consider getting a calling plan, but I could perhaps just do it through skype instead as they seem to have pretty cheap landline call pricing).

Does this sound at all feasible? Are there any potential problems with it? It looks like it wouldn't actually be a hell of a lot more expensive that my current setup, but of course I'd have the added advantage of as much mobile broadband as I could use through my iphone (which would be rad!)

Can you use the SIM that comes with a mobile broadband connection to connect to the internet with the phone, at the same time as you use the t-stick to connect to the internet through your PC? Or can you only use one at a time for each broadband connection?

Is the connection reliable enough to be a total replacement for landline/ADSL? Is it unsuitable for gaming, for instance?

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psk20

155 posts

Master Geek


  #284537 22-Dec-2009 09:27
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Oh, one more question. What modem (e.g. which t-stick, or should I get the expresscard??) and what wireless router is best for this kind of thing?



muncher12
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  #284614 22-Dec-2009 13:53
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wow that is such a long ramble : but the router you want to use with the t sticks is a NetComm N3G005w retail at $269 - and yes the data sim card can be used in an i-phone . Skype is against telecoms Mbb T's and C's but yes it should work.

tomgeeknz
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  #284620 22-Dec-2009 14:10
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You need the sims in the t-stick







NealR
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  #284627 22-Dec-2009 14:27
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"Can you use the SIM that comes with a mobile broadband connection to connect to the internet with the phone, at the same time as you use the t-stick to connect to the internet through your PC? Or can you only use one at a time for each broadband connection?"

To reiterate @thefatmould

For each device connected to the XT network you need a SIM card. This means the scenario above is not possible. Each phone, iPhone (mmmmmm iPhone), or TStick needs it's own SIM.

The other option is that a number of the phones are able to be used as modems for your laptops.

Neal




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sbiddle
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  #284629 22-Dec-2009 14:37
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The downside of using Skype is that a fulltime data connection really sucks your battery dry. A device with greater battery capacity such as an E71 will give you a day of usage with a permanent 3G data connection. A lot of handsets would struggle to make it through the day.

wazzageek
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  #284640 22-Dec-2009 15:27
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Skype is against telecoms Mbb T's and C's but yes it should work.



Can you post a link to the section of the T&C stating this?  I saw the statement about no support for VoIP, but that's different from it being against the T's & C's.

Behodar
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  #284646 22-Dec-2009 16:00
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sbiddle: The downside of using Skype is that a fulltime data connection really sucks your battery dry. A device with greater battery capacity such as an E71 will give you a day of usage with a permanent 3G data connection. A lot of handsets would struggle to make it through the day.

I'd suggest a T-Stick or a phone that can charge via USB (my SE W705a can do this, and I assume that many others do too).

muncher12
90 posts

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  #284653 22-Dec-2009 16:19
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Excluded Service
The use of Telecom Mobile Broadband for Voice over IP (VoIP) is excluded.


http://www.telecom.co.nz/content/0,8748,205221-204524,00.html


if i have got it wrong please correct me :)

psk20

155 posts

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  #284662 22-Dec-2009 16:57
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Cheers for the info!

I guess I might have to keep the landline for a while longer then. Maybe a 512MB plan for her and a 2GB plan for me.

Kyanar
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  #284756 23-Dec-2009 07:19
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No, not really. For $12 or something like that (exact price evades me right now) you just set each other as Favourites for each other, and then can call as much as you like between you.

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