? regarding 3G iPhone

I personally have no use for smart phones but my wife does and has a 3G iPhone which she really needs as she is a Hospice nurse. My question is: does an iPhone to be used on the net need to have AT%T or Nynex as a carrier. I think when she?s using hers a lot of the time it?s using the DSL modem and wireless in the house as the lights are flashing as if I?m downloading a large file with my desktop. I saw an iPhone for sale for $125, excellent condition and thought I might play with it in the house during these wonderful ?Global Warming? days here in the NE.    TIA

I am not sure about using it via wireless only (connecting at home).  For cell usage, you will need AT&T.  I don't know if Verizon plans to support the 3G or 3GS iPhones when they come onboard, but I don't see why they wouldn't.  Interesting to see how this plays out.

The iPhone 3G has to be enabled for using wifi connections at all, and it should prompt the first time it wants to connect to a particular SSID. But once you OK the first time connection (and supplpy a password if needed), it will automatically reconnect to that same SSID whenever it finds it and there will be no warning or prompt that it has done so..

An iPhone 3G that isn't enabled for AT&T will work on your WiFi network in your home. My daughter uses my old iPhone when in the house and as an iPod with small speakers. iPods don't come with speakers but the iPhone did. You can also load apps on the iPhone if you have WiFi access.

The answer depends on what you mean by "For an I-Phone to be used on the Net"

The I-Phone will connect to any router that is either OPEN or to which it has the access codes (IE: your home router) and use it if it can.. Else it connects via the service's Cellular service.

NOTE: it even runs phone calls over the router if it can (VoIP)

Fact: I was helping a user at one of my parks get on line.. I mentioned that I had upped the max DHCP clients from fifty to 100... And that the full list of 100 was "Sold out" (so I was assigning her an IP manually)

She ask why so many addresses were assigned.. I pointed out that it is not just computers but Game machines, PDA's and Cell phones.. Her name: Stephanie.  One of the clients "Stephine's I-Phone"  Yup, hers.

The service was Charter Cable.

I am not sure about using it via wireless only (connecting at home).  For cell usage, you will need AT&T.  I don't know if Verizon plans to support the 3G or 3GS iPhones when they come onboard, but I don't see why they wouldn't.  Interesting to see how this plays out.

Click to expand...

Verizon will not be able to support any previous iPhone because Verizon uses CDMA, AT&T uses GMS  the two transmitting/receiving systems are not compatible. 

Anther use for an old iPhone (or any Driod phone that can connect to a Wifi) is to use a program like Line2 ( http://www.line2.com/ ) to make VOIP (Voice over IP) calls over the WiFI instead of paying for a contract with a wireless company. We use Line2 on our iPods/iPads for all our texting and calls over our Mifi's. Line2 is free for 30 days, then cost $9.99/mth (discount for longer terms) for unlimited voice and text.

We also have an App called TextFree ( http://www.pinger.com/content/home.html ) which gives you unlimited free text messaging. To get free minutes for voice calls all you have to do is download an App or two and try it out, then delete them. Takes about 5 minutes to "earn" 1.5 hours of voice call time. Or you can purchase voice minutes for $9.99 for 500 minutes.

We also have Skype ( http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home ) accounts which allow VOIP calls for about $3.00/mth.

Of the three Skype is the most reliable and highest quality voice calls, but the Line2 is catching up. Occasionally Line2 or TextFree's servers will be "down" for a few minutes and we switch to Skype. Between the three we have never had a problem making a call. Call quality is acceptable on all three, just a little clearer on Skype.

If you are around a MiFi or Wifi service that is already paid for, these apps and an old used iPhone, Droid, or iPod make for inexpensive cell phones.

If I did not need texting ability I would simply use Skype and not worry about it, but skype does not provide the ability to receive text messages yet.

For a teen (whatever age that teen is - )  that loves to text, TextFree, a used Droid or iPhone and a Virgin Mobile Mifi is the best deal going. Unlimited voice and texting and web browsing all for $40/mth (for the Mifi service) & a max of $10/mth for Line2 (free with TextFree). If you have Wifi at home, then you don't need the MiFi and the service is even less - $10/mth for Line2 or FREE for TextFree.

Frank

Thanks all for the info. Got what I wondered about. I'm not a phone person and wondered about  calls beyond my home free calling area using the router wireless.

You can also use an iPod touch and install an app like "line 2". This will give you a a phone with a reachable number, whenever you have have a wifi connection available.

See:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/line2-unlimited-calling-texting/id319185557?mt=8

Chet,

Line 2 gets some awful reviews  ???

Tom,

Sharon and I both use Line2 and are extremely happy with it on iPod Touchs. It is going through a rapid growth phase (people found out about it do to a review in NY Times) and their servers were having trouble keeping up. That problem is being solved.

Frank

Thanks Frank. What do you use for a microphone?

Tom,

We both use Apple wired headsets (ear buds with microphones inline) even though Sharons iPod is a recent version which has a built in microphone. We have a Bluetooth adapter that we have tried and it does allow the use of a bluetooth headset, but didn't seem to be worth the hassle.

Frank

Thanks Frank. I need to give this a try on my iPod Touch.