Think of WiFi as a cell phone signal.
Posted By: me on 2006-01-05
In Reply to: Use of WiFi versus dial-up for MT work - Lil Ole Me
Have you ever had a call dropped, or the signal go from 5 bars to 1? WiFi speed depends on the amount of traffic, weather, interference from construction, etc. I think it is always wise to have some form of backup available just in case. I have Earthlink cable, but I also get 20 hours of dial-up with that. I have a laptop, so if my power goes out at least I can download and continue to work with a dial-up connection.
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If you don't get your wireless through cell phone signal,
I haven't heard of any other way to get wireless broadband other than through the cell phone companies.
I have a pay as you go cell phone
I got one for emergencies only that I pay as I go. There are several different kinds out there, you just have to keep your eyes open and watch what you get and for what price. I got mine at Radio Shack and re-up my minutes every other month for $30. They have discontinued that particular program for new people though. You can get Trac (sp) phones at places like K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and I think you can buy a year's worth of minutes on that one for about $99. Keep an eye on commercials, too. I saw one on MSNBC yesterday that I had never seen before.
Cell phone
Tracfone. Its on the web, if you want to check the specifics. www.tracfone.com
Unless you only use your cell phone
and internet for work, you cannot take a full deduction, only a percentage.
I don't even own a cell phone..sm
I used one that belonged to a family member and they are pretty fast and reliable. But, when I called to try and get one, because of my "not so good" credit, they wanted like a $700 deposit.
Also, I am afraid if I go over the allowable amount....as I tend do a Lot of movies on my computer.
I will go with the Satellite, people in the area do not have problems with it, I will just have dial up for backup when the clouds do come in. LOL....
I am not going to worry myself over it much longer.....I tend to slowly wean away from MT once I move anyway. :)
A cell phone is not secure, so using it to
listen to dictation is not viable. I have downloaded digital files via cell phone in a pinch, like during storms when I lose land-line. If you got dictation via cell, you would have to re-record because there is no way to start/stop the dictation to transcribe live. The quality of the dictation would not be as good as a land line or digital or whatever. When you have unlimited service, it usually doesn't include unlimited data transfer so would not be feasible for downloading consistently.
Just not a good idea any way you look at it, especially if this is your primary source of obtaining work.
Tracfone cell phone
 This is a place where I value your opinions, so here goes on a non-MT question: I recently bought a Tracfone because I truly only need a cell phone for emergencies and thought prepaid was the way to go. After the first time I reloaded minutes, I got "No service" message; then 1-1/2 hours later with customer service, I was informed they would send a new SIM card. I installed the new SIM card and still no service. Next I tried calling customer service back and found out they are down for maintenance. Ditto for website. Anyone else had a similar experience? Which prepaid should I go with next time if this is not resolved? BTW, I am thinking of forming a militant branch of SHHH--the society for hand-held hushing!!
Cell Phone Laws
Here in NYS there's a law that you can't be on your cell phone unless you have a headset. The police rarely enforce the law. Every day I see someone on their cell phone. I wish they'd catch these people before they kill someone. I'm sorry your son had to go through the accident because of someone's stupidity.
can't you get her number off his cell phone?
I don't blame you for being mad but I wouldn't call the friend's wife and tell her b/c its not good to get involved in marital disputes and it is technically not your business. BUT your husband is another story! First off, why won't he give you her phone number?? And secondly, if it were me, I would most definately call her & tell her NOT to involve your husband in their affair! 
OT: Amp'd Cell Phone Service
I am looking for a new cell phone service, preferably pay-as-you-go or something really cheap because I barely even use 100 minutes a month most months. Has anyone tried this new Amp'd broadband cell service? What'd ya think?
Thanks!
Shelby
you can get a net service through cell phone. sm
i have altel and their plan in the south is $25/mo for unlimited use. it picks up anywhere you would get a cell signal. software was around $99 i think. it isn't as fast as DSL or cable, but would work if desperate. you plug your phone into your laptop via the software/cable and it uses your phone as the modem to dial in and connect. downfall is you can't receive phone calls while using it, calls go to voicemail. do you have to continually download voice files so that you couldn't download before you left? not sure a VPN connection would work with cell if you used that for national.
can also use your cell phone but it's rare
If you have bluetooth technology on your cell phone, you can get a cheap bluetooth plug-in for your laptop and use the cell phone as sort of a modem. Good luck trying to do it, though :*( I have Verizon and have everything I need but they have some double-knot top secret spy access phone number that they don't give out. If you can somehow get that number, you can connect anywhere you can get phone service. (and if you can get it, PUHLEEEEASE let me know it! LOL) I think that most, if not all, of the major cell phone providers have this same capability.
Barring that, you can get a card from your laptop maker (i.e., Dell).
Here's a link to Sprint's mobile broadband card. Through 6/17/07, they have a promotion going and the card itself is free after a $49.99 mail-in rebate. You have to sign up for their service, which is $59.99/month if you have their voice service (i.e., you have a Sprint cell phone and calling service) or $79.99/month if you don't.
http://mobilebusiness.sprint.com/px500/?id12=SHOP_Promo3_UHP_060207_PX500
Verizon has several mobile broadband cards (you want one that is 'Rev A' compatible/capable). Here's a link to a page with all of them and their prices ($9.99-$179.99) which are 2-year contract prices.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneOverviewByDevice&deviceType=Wireless%20PC%20Cards
They have 2 plans: National Access $59.99/month & Broadband Access $79.99/month.
Hope this all helps!
BJ :D
cell phone telemarketers
This is a SCAM. It was originated by internet thieves to get our email addresses. I used to fall for these kinds of emails all the time. Now, I always check www.snopes.com before I ever forward anything to anyone. And probably 99% of them are scams. This particular hoax has been in circulation for years. Also, when I DO forward an email, I send it to everyone as a blind copy (Bcc). Most email programs have this option. If they don't, then I wouldn't forward it.
Turn off that &%*@* Cell Phone...sm
I know docs need to remain available but give us a break! When it rings, please either turn it off or turn off the dictation machine and tend to your call. I dont need their ------g phone blasting high volume in my ear, often while some inconsiderate jerk is trying to dictate over the loud ringing. I had one clown the other day who actually left his cell ringing the entire 5 to 6 minutes during his dictation. I felt almost deaf by the time he finished. 
I was told to have 2 phone lines, one can be cell. But (sm)
The one time I needed to use modem for backup, it was virtually impossible to type, so having the second line is useless. Having a second HSI connection would do the trick in the event some castrophe took place and the HSI co. went out for a day or so.
I am wondering too. I have cell phone for back up
if cable service goes down so that is not a concern any more. Want to discontinue SBC (now AT&T) and get the cheapest possible second phone line I can.
In fact, I am considering just having a cell phone for phone service and that is it. Does anyone do this?
Thanks!
I have her on my quick dial on my cell phone
but I wouldn't share it without permission. She is Editor of one of Elsevier's MT publications so visit their web site and you may be able to find an email address for her. She still frequents another MT web site and you could put out an SOS call for her there. Good luck.
Listening to a cell phone conversation
My doc left his recorder on again. LOL
How did SHE get YOUR husband's cell phone number? nm
nm
I have had cell phone for 2 years, newbie but
yesterday had 2 text messages (I do not do those myself) from my cell carrier. Never before had I gotten the first thing like this.
He also listed his cell phone number. (no msg)
xx
Cell phone & modem reception can be very different sm
I have very iffy cell phone service with Sprint but have been using a USB modem through them for the past month with an external antenna and amplifier. I get up to 1200 kbps download speeds without the antenna being installed outside yet (it's sitting in my window until we get a lightning protector). 3gstore.com is where I bought my equipment, and they can answer any questions you have. In fact, the tech person I spoke with has actually written transcription programs, so he definitely knows what is involved.
Does anyone use a cell phone for their long distance to transcribe? I am just
wondering if this would work since a lot of plans have free long distance now. I'm assuming there must be some kind of adapter out there to connect your cell phone to your PC or laptop. I am wondering if anyone has tried this and how it worked out. Thanks!
is there such a thing as a cell phone with pre-paid minutes,
and no monthly bill? A couple years ago i heard one was being developed, and yet, at least here in the middle of the country, have yet to see such. I would like to have a cell phone for emergencies or very occasional use, but can't go for the monthly bill...
LOL. That's funny. I like the retro cell phone headset. nm
nm
If you have a cell phone, why not use that for your LD calls and CX the LD on the land line?
.
The hospital where I work took down the no cell phone signs
last year. Apparently they aren't as much of a problem as they once were. Also, I was an inpatient last year and was allowed to use my cell phone in my room.
It seems like I was told that they have machines that block the phones from getting a signal in areas of the hospital where they may cause interference with equipment.
I transfer my calls to cell phone during work. nm
nm
Cell phone dictation in the middle of the night
First, they are inaudible, and they are so tired that they forget where they are at and backtrack or forget parts of the surgery. Then you have to figure out what they are saying when yawning and everything else. Also, I hate it when there are screaming kids or a bunch of people in the background that are louder than the dictators, and the dog is barking like crazy. Ambulances: Why do doctors dictate in front of ambulances when the siren is going?
Also got rid of our house phone because we all had cell phones and that saves me about 75.00 a month
or so.
That's an idea -- does it matter that my cell phone won't work from the house??
It rings but then cuts you off as soon as you answer. I think we are too far from a tower.
Does anyone use laptop & cell phone/Internet Card for work?
I am not real computer literate but am wondering if I couldn't get unlimited Internet with a cell phone plan and use that for my on-line job/Internet connection exclusively. I have found plans for around $70/month.
If so, I was thinking too I could possibly give up my land line phone, Callwave, my dial-up ISP (as that is all we have available where live) and actually save a little money by doing so. I don't make/receive a lot of land line calls and I have a TracFone cell phone that I don't use much now. I get excellent reception with that where I live. We have a huge tower within walking distance of where I live but we live out in the "sticks". :D I know my connection would be dependent on the reception where I live and the cell phone service I would use. I am not sure which one truly has the best coverage and/or who may be using the tower by our home but TracFone apparently does. :)
TIA.
not sure about cell phone, but you can sign up for free efax messenger. sm
you can get a free efax messenger as long as you don't care what number they assign you. then you can have them fax to that number and it will come into your email inbox and you can print from there.
c-phone from cell phone
I believe if you check with your cell phone carrier they have an adapter that you can use to plug into your cell phone from the c-phone. Not sure about this but I think I had a friend tell me she had to do this but it was a year or so ago. Hope this helps.
I worked for Signal as well and Signal and MDI-MD
worked for. I believe that's because of the owner.
USB WiFi
My friend has a Freightliner truck that is like a house inside and most of the areas he stops at have WiFi or I would like to maybe get Sprint Unlimited, etc. So you think any USB adapter that has the slot where you plug in the wireless broadband card will work with a desktop computer the same as a laptop? The truck has a built in desk which would hold the monitor, hardrive, keyboard, etc. to transcribe from. I would feel uncomfortable transcribing on a laptop as it feels so portable.
its called WIFI
you need to find an open connection, satelitte..then connect. are you talking about a labtop?
I don't know if you mean WiFi or the air card.
The air card lets you connect to the internet provided there is service available in the area. Just like cell service if there is no service it doesn't work.
WiFi works in the same way, if there is a network available within range you can connect to it, but unless it is an open hotspot you have to have a password to connect to it. Most computers now come WiFi compatible. If you have an older computer you can get a WiFi card that slides into a slot on your laptop. They range in price from about $40 up to $100+ and can be found at any computer store, or a store like Best Buy or Circuit City.
You can get an internal board for WiFi or you can get a
USB WiFi, but you have to have WiFi availability where you are traveling in order to get WiFi. I've never done it, but you can hook an external monitor to your laptop so you wouldn't have to carry a desktop (I can't picture how you connect a monitor and still have your computer work because I picture that your laptop is shut, which makes mine shut down).
Satellite/WiFi/Broadband
I am going to return to working at home soon. My husband has retired and we are going to be spending a portion of our time in Scotland in a private residence with a wireless connection. In looking at the requirements of several of the company websites I have found, they apparently do not allow satellite or WiFi connections. Do any of you travel and use your laptop for work? If so, what sort of connection do you use? When I was working for Medquist I worked from Scotland with a wireless connection, password protected, in two separate private homes, no direct computer to modem connection, and had no problems with this at all. This was a couple years ago. I am currently employed at a local hospital, so I cannot ask my current employer about this. Many thanks to anyone who has an answer.
Use of WiFi versus dial-up for MT work
Hi all,
Posted this on the technical board as well and just wanting to get some imput -- I just moved to an area were the ONLY options for me are dial up or wireless internet. One of the companies that I work for "gave me the go-ahead" to be able to use wireless, but with the advice to have dial-up available as a "back-up". The other company said that it really wasn't that stable. I am in clear view of the wireless tower and about 5 miles away. I have had both cable and DSL in the past, and have had times when my cable would go out for hours, due to "various reasons". What I am trying to find out is why wireless is considered "so unstable" when I feel that some of the other high-speed internet connections are just as unstable and if there ARE medical transcriptionists out there that do use wireless and what their experience has been with it.
TIA
I was wondering the same thing. Can you go into more detail about the Wifi sm
Is this like a credit card thing or what? Where do you get it/cost? I will be doing a lot of camping this year and will need to download files and work while still connected to the internet.
try this if you have no signal.....sm
Open Explorer, type in address box your IPS access number, click go, then click on Wizard setup and follow instructions.
Well that won't happen. I was with Signal.
a public message board bashing the owner. In fact, I posted a post on the company board (which was deleted because I mentioned her name) in support of the owner, the gist of which you copied in your big-printed message above. You just said exactly what I said in my post on the company board. LOL.
You know, if you have a problem with her email - tell HER. Don't come to a public message board anonymously and bash her. And don't say all that crap and then say how much you love the company and how she's a good businesswoman and then copy what I said in my post on the other board.
It depends on how far you are away from the signal.
The signal is only capable of certain distances. If you have plumbing pipes between where your router is and where you are trying to use the laptop that could lessen the signal. I don't know all the whys and hows, but have been networking with a bunch of guys who are computer gurus and they tell me that the water/plumbing deflects the signal. You can get antenna that are stronger that replace your current antenna. They aren't very expensive and you can get them at just about any computer store.
You also might actually be getting the signal on the laptop but you may have a conflict and not be able to see it. I met a man who had just bought a laptop that was WiFi compatible but he couldn't get it to work. I can't remember what steps I went through now, but he was connecting, he just had his internet setup so there was a conflict in being able to receive and see that he was connected.
Go to control panel and then click on network and internet connections and you should be able to see there if your laptop is talking with the router and if it is then you need to play around with your ISP settings
If neighbors have DSL, can pick up signal with that same
zz
The signal cannot be picked up on wireless if you
even if you DON'T, they can only pick up and use your SIGNAL for access - not YOUR actual online activity. How this fallacy began is beyond me. If your activity could be monitored just because you use wireless then satellite internet would not exist and Linksys would be out of business. Many MAJOR corporations, banks and government entities use satellite internet on laptops for salesmen, traveling employees and others who work out of the office in the USA and overseas. Do you think they would risk it if there were an actual problem? Your Keystrokes are more likely be picked up by spyware, adware, viruses and worms which are prevalent on ALL internet connections. If any MTSO had a problem in the past it is because their own site was not properly secure - it had nothing to do with the type of internet connection. The MTSOs are denying employment to a lot of good MTs just because they live where DSL and cable are not available. All based on what is, in my book, an OLD WIVE'S TALE.
Yeah - that would mean you don't get good signal out there. sm
But you might inquire about the future plans for that area. Verizon progresses pretty fast.
Fast busy signal
When trying to dial into the Lanier System, I continuously get a fast busy signal. On Friday I had problems (dialing in and getting the dictator mode) and today all I get is a fast busy signal. Any ideas??
I have wireless too and at first did not get a good signal, sm
What my wireless tech told me was to get a telescoping pole from the hardware store like a pole for an antennae. It was 30 feet tall when extended. So he installed my wireless antennae on this pole and now my signal is awesome. So for those of you not getting luck with wireless signals due to trees, hills, etc. get you a pole.
C-phone used to call in to dictating systems to receive work. A special phone. nm
nm
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