Chapter 9. Cellular Networking
The widest of the wide area wireless networks are the cellular networks.
They're also among the slowest, unless
you're in one of the markets where third-generation
(3G) cellular networks are available. At the time of this writing,
San Diego and Washington, D.C. users could receive between 300 and
500 kbps from Verizon for $80 a month. The rest of the United States,
and much of the world, is still plodding along at between 30 and 130
kbps, depending on several variables: the type of network,
capabilities of their terminal (a phone or PC Card), and quality of
coverage. This chapter explains these variables to help you make the
best choice in cellular data service, and also talks about
configuring a cellular phone or PC Card with Linux (although this is
usually just a small matter of PPP chat scripting). |