Droid as a WiFi Hotspot

[Switchblade_327]

Hello, I'm new to this forum, just found it tonight. Looks like there is a lot of useful information here.

I am not yet a Droid owner, but hope to be soon. I'm considering a Droid Incredible.

I'm currently paying Comcast way too much for my home cable internet service. I'm considering canceling it, buying the Incredible with a Verizon data plan, and just using it in place of my Comcast service.

My question is, how will with the Incredible work for this purpose? I currently run a Linksys wireless router and my home computer runs pretty fast. I'm happy with the service, just not the cost and the lack of portability. Will the Incredible's wireless hot spot work well enough for me to cancel my Comcast service?

Any input on this would be appreciated. I must admit I did not search for this info before posting. I wanted to post my own question.

Thanks!

cls

 

[erikfig]

I cancelled my Cox internet services an use wi-fi tethering on my computers at home now. Once's you get the phone you need to root it(unlocked) and download a free application from the market called Wi-Fi Tether. That will give you the ability to use your phone as a hotspot.

 

[kodiak799]

Two things to be aware of:
1) You can't send/receive calls on your phone when used as a mobile hotspot.

2) 3G averages about 1.2mbps or so. That's fairly poor for broadband replacement. Depending on your signal, you might get only half that speed. If you happen to be close to a tower, you might get speeds up to 2.2mbps, and then you might be in business. But if you intend to have more than 1 user on this at a time, I'd say it's a horrible plan. I get @ 700mbps, and for general browsing I found it a bit sluggish but tolerable, so maybe the avg 1.2 mbps could work for you.

Most low-tier broadband plans are at least 3mbps. The mid-tier run @15mbps, but in my experience most sites don't seem to transmit much above 3mbps. If you hope to stream hi-def movies (Netflix, for example), the recommended min. requirement is a 5mbps connection.

Now, LTE might be a viable option as it is supposed to run 5-12mbps, with an average of 7-8. 3G is good in a pinch, but I just don't think it's up to replacing home broadband.