What is mobile broadband?
Mobile broadband technology, also called wireless
wide area network (WWAN) technology, provides wireless high-speed Internet
access through portable devices. This technology is supported in this version of
Windows. With mobile broadband, you can
connect to the Internet from any location where there is GSM
or CDMA-based
cellular service available for mobile Internet connectivity. With mobile
connectivity, you can maintain your Internet connection even as you move from
place to place.
Mobile broadband is available with most 2G, 2.5G, and 3G-4G cellular
and mobile networks.
Mobile broadband terminology
Mobile broadband technology has its own special terminology:
-
A data card is a small card or device
that provides mobile broadband Internet access. Removable data cards can be in
the format of PC cards, USB cards or dongles, or ExpressCards. Data cards can
also be embedded laptop modules.
-
A subscriber identity module (SIM) is a
small, removable card that contains subscriber identity and security information
for mobile broadband services. Some data cards might not have physically
identifiable or removable SIMs.
-
An access point name (APN) or access string is a combination of letters and numbers
provided by your mobile operator to identify the type of network access you
have. A mobile operator might have different APNs that offer different types of
services.
-
Autoconnect refers to the mobile
broadband connection manager that automatically establishes a connection to a
mobile broadband network.
-
Autoselect refers to the mobile
broadband connection manager that automatically selects a mobile operator to
connect to when the home network provider isn't available.
-
Just as with a mobile phone, roaming
refers to moving outside your usual area of usage, such as a state, country, or
region. When roaming, you connect to your mobile operator through a partner
network, and you're usually charged more for data service.
-
2G and 3G networks are cellular
networks that support different connection speeds and
technologies.
What you need to use mobile
broadband
To connect to the Internet using mobile broadband, you need a
mobile broadband data card (either a PC card, USB card, ExpressCard, or embedded
laptop module), the correct drivers
installed, and a mobile broadband subscription.
To learn how to connect to the Internet using mobile broadband
technology, see Use mobile
broadband to connect to the Internet.
Recommended data plans
Mobile operators often offer many different types of data plans.
For a full-featured Internet experience, we recommend that you select a
high-speed, unlimited data usage plan with no restrictions on the types of
programs you can use to connect to the Internet.
Recommended settings for other
programs
For the best Internet experience, consider getting an unlimited
data plan and a high-speed link, if one is available in your area.
The following settings are recommended if you aren't on an
unlimited data plan or aren't connecting to a high-speed 3G network.
-
You should set your e‑mail program to download headers only. Headers include the subject line and who the
e‑mail is to and from. In this mode, you first download e‑mail headers, and then
you can decide whether to download the entire e‑mail. This minimizes the amount
of data that you need to transfer over the mobile broadband link.
-
To avoid additional charges and slower network performance, change
your browser settings so that images aren't automatically downloaded and
displayed.
-
To further minimize the amount of data that you need to transfer
over the mobile broadband link, change your Windows Update settings so that you don't
automatically download updates. To do so, follow these steps:
-
Click to open Windows
Update.
-
In the left pane, click Change settings.
-
Under Important updates, select Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install
them from the list, and then click OK.
Note
0 Comments