[Gllug] Net access everywhere

[John HEARNS]

On Thu, 30 May 2002 tet at accucard.com wrote:

> 
> Does anyone have any experience of portable net access? What I'm
> thinking of is a palmtop type device with some kind of GPRS connectivity. 
> The basic premise being an ability to do support should I get called
> while I'm not at home with access to my DSL line. All I need is a semi
> usable keybaord, and an ssh client.
I would really suggest getting a small sub-notebook sized laptop instead.
e.g. a Libretto or something that size.
Either use it with a data cable to your mobile phone,
or an IR link. Do you really need GPRS? 
A normal mobile-phone modem should be fast enough?
I had my Siemens S35 linked up via IR this way.



Richard Cohen will of course kill me, as I'm an iPaq enthusiast also.
On the iPAQ I have a wireless LAN card running, as do many other
people. But that would depend on a big Consume roll-out :-)
Richard can tell you about a compact flash form-factor modem I think.
Also, you can get an iPAQ working under Linux with the IR link
to a mobile. But that involves holding the phone to the top
of the iPAQ - which is not ideal.
ssh works fine under Linux on iPAQ though.

AFAIK, there are GPRS jackets available for iPAQ,
but these run under Windows CE only - no Linux support.


> 
> Have those of you with an iPAQ or Zaurus been able to do anything like
> this? Are there any pros and cons to partiuclar hardware? Any pitfalls
> I should be looking out for?
Yes, as I say none of the phone jackets are supported under Linux on iPAQ.
I could be wrong here.
I hate to say this, but if you go the iPAQ route consider retaining the
WinCE for this task. 
Also VPN software is there under WinCE on iPAQ - very unsure of the state
of play under Linux.

(Ooops - I see Richard has rpelied now too.
I will let my answer stand - and let Richard correct me)



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