Everything Anywhere

cormie

With the availability of 3G PCIMA cards and VOIP services, is it now possible to do everything, anywhere?

For people who may be constantly on the go, what is the best solution for them to have unlimited broadband access as well as a fixed phone number that they can make and receive calls through.

Is it just a matter of having a laptop, paying €49 per month to vodafone for their 3G card and then signing up to a VOIP service who will give you your own number you can take and make calls through?

What's the best choice of the services out there, the best way to get unlimited broadband and cheap calls anywhere?

Stephen

Vodafone have stated on their site that they're going to use traffic shaping to f**k up* VoIP. They want you making calls on your phone, as that is their core business after all.

* - technical term.

cormie

What exactly is traffic shaping? Is there any way to get around it?

NutJob

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_shaping

cormie

Ok, I just read the jist of it there, thanks.

Surely there would be software to help you get around it and to allow you to use VOIP though?

Stephen

Not really. The traffic shaping occurs on Vodafone's network, not on your computer. You could try to use VoIP through a VPN or something but I doubt performance would be great.

cormie

That's pretty annoying. Kind of spoils the plans of not needing landline to make landline calls

Are other companies (broadband companies) going to be offering the PCIMA option in the future perhaps? I know there is wireless such as clearwire etc, but it's not the same.