# Can I create a home network with a wireless card?



## Walt K. in SW PA (May 13, 2002)

We are using a wireless card (Verizon wireless UM175 USB modem) to get the internet here as we are in a really dead dead-zone, with no cell phone service and no cable or land line DSL available either. It works a lot bettter than the dial up used to though even at 1 or 2 bars which is about as good as it gets. I have 2 college going daughters at home and they would like to get internet on their notebooks at home here as well. My question is: can I create a home network with this deal? I have been doing a little looking on the web and I think it can be done but I am kind of in the dark when it comes to getting the internet signal thru the wireless device to the router. I understand that their laptops and my PC would need a wireless adapter as well? Any insights you folks might be able to give me will be appreciated!


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## Thales (Jan 24, 2009)

I'm not sure if this will apply to your Verizon service, I'm speaking from experience doing this with Alltel so take it with a grain of salt. I'll also assume all of the computers involved with be using Windows XP or Vista.

The easiest route, but certainly not the cheapest, would be to purchase a wireless mobile broadband router that supports 1xEVDO service and has a USB WAN port. I'm not sure if Verizon offers one, I know that at Alltel we have the Kyocera KR2 router which should theoretically work with your VzW mobile broadband connection. You would then need to get compatible wireless adapters for each computer you wanted to connect if you intend for them to connect all at once. Be aware that dividing your already skimpy bandwidth between multiple computers simultaneously will seriously degrade any speed advantages you had over dialup.

While I've never tried the following method I have had customers tell me it works. Get yourself a wireless router, doesn't have to be a mobile broadband router, and an Ethernet cable. Whichever computer has the mobile broadband card attached will need to be wired into the WAN port on the router. You'll need to enable Windows internet connection sharing to share your mobile broadband connection with your Ethernet connection. You'll then need to snag wireless adapters for each computer you want connected simultaneously.

As I said I don't know how well this works with a wireless router, I've had customers tell me that it works. I personally know it will work when running the Ethernet connection to another computer directly or to my xBox 360 for xBox Live. 

If all of the above proves impractical or troublesome you could also try the wired route. If you have any questions I'll be happy to answer them as best I can, hopefully one of those will work.

-Thales


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Sure, and it isn't expensive. All you need to do is to buy a wireless adapter for the computer that has the Verizon service. XP & Vista come with the capability to share an Internet connection. There's a wizard for that.

Be sure to set all the the wireless cards to peer networking mode, including the one on the Verizon machine. They are normally shipped in "infrastructure" (router) mode.

If you run into any specific trouble configuring it post back here.


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## Thales (Jan 24, 2009)

Nevada said:


> Sure, and it isn't expensive. All you need to do is to buy a wireless adapter for the computer that has the Verizon service. XP & Vista come with the capability to share an Internet connection. There's a wizard for that.


Except that route would only allow her to share with a single computer. According to my VzW counterparts a recent OTA upgrade to the UTStarcom UM150 and UM175 prevent ICS through a wireless adapter, and when it was available it would only allow the connection of a single additional computer.

I've also confirmed that wiring your host computer a standard wireless router will indeed work.

-Thales


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## Walt K. in SW PA (May 13, 2002)

OK thanks folks, I'm gonna give this a try-we'll see what happens!


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Thales said:


> Except that route would only allow her to share with a single computer. According to my VzW counterparts a recent OTA upgrade to the UTStarcom UM150 and UM175 prevent ICS through a wireless adapter, and when it was available it would only allow the connection of a single additional computer.


Nonsense. The wireless adapter needs to have the mode changed to peer networking mode instead of infrastructure mode to connect to multiple computers, but you can certainly network to multiple computers with a wireless adapter. That's not a guess, since I'm doing it now.


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## Thales (Jan 24, 2009)

Nevada said:


> Nonsense. The wireless adapter needs to have the mode changed to peer networking mode instead of infrastructure mode to connect to multiple computers, but you can certainly network to multiple computers with a wireless adapter. That's not a guess, since I'm doing it now.


You are using the UTStarcom UM175 in this setup?

-Thales


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Thales said:


> You are using the UTStarcom UM175 in this setup?
> 
> -Thales


The source of the Internet connection is not relevant to how many computers your wireless network card can connect to. However, the provider can limit the number of internal users who can route. I'm aware of that technology, since it's a little trick as part of some NAT (network address translation) algorithms. They could be using it, but to be honest I've never seen it used in practice. I've been able to route Internet for every connection I've ever worked with. I'm not saying that they aren't using it, I'm just saying that I've never seen it.

However, if it limited routing to only one computer then the wireless adapter would be moot, since no users on the wireless network would be able to route.


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## Thales (Jan 24, 2009)

Nevada said:


> The source of the Internet connection is not relevant to how many computers your wireless network card can connect to.


I didn't say it was, I said that firmware on the UM175 allowed only a single computer to share the connection, and that an update has/will render that unusable as well.



Nevada said:


> However, the provider can limit the number of internal users who can route. I'm aware of that technology, since it's a little trick as part of some NAT (network address translation) algorithms. They could be using it, but to be honest I've never seen it used in practice. I've been able to route Internet for every connection I've ever worked with.
> 
> However, if it limited routing to only one computer then the wireless adapter would be moot, since no users on the wireless network would be able to route.


According to Vzw's Data Services Technical Support Department an update is being pushed OTA to the UTStarcom UM150 and UM175 that prevents ICS except through a mobile broadband router. I'm specifically talking about the UTStarcom datacard not whatever wireless adapter the OP is using. This comes directly through our soon-to-be Indirect Support Manager's contact with tech. support.

-Thales


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Thales said:


> According to Vzw's Data Services Technical Support Department an update is being pushed OTA to the UTStarcom UM150 and UM175 that prevents ICS except through a mobile broadband router. I'm specifically talking about the UTStarcom datacard not whatever wireless adapter the OP is using. This comes directly through our soon-to-be Indirect Support Manager's contact with tech. support.
> 
> -Thales


Honestly, I would try it anyway just to see if I could get around it. I did it with DirecPC when they said it was impossible, then after I got it working they forbid it in their TOS.


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## Thales (Jan 24, 2009)

Nevada said:


> Honestly, I would try it anyway just to see if I could get around it. I did it with DirecPC when they said it was impossible, then after I got it working they forbid it in their TOS.


You might try, the only downside of that that I've seen is getting nailed with a fee if it explicitly forbids it in your contract/ToS. I know AT&T used to nail you with an extra charge, I handled angry calls about that often. If you violate your contract you may have your service "ToSed" and end up paying an ETF if you are in contract still. I can also confirm a 5GB download cap which can also get you "ToSed", you'll get a nice letter like; http://www.dslreports.com/r0/download/909564~8d9e5deeb9c6182c62ce8ed10aed408f/vzw.jpg .

Good luck whichever route you go. Maybe your DC won't catch that OTA update, I would check your contract paperwork to make sure you don't have any T's or C's stipulating a penalty for sharing the connection.

-Thales


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Thales said:


> You might try, the only downside of that that I've seen is getting nailed with a fee if it explicitly forbids it in your contract/ToS.


So they say it's technically impossible, yet it's against their TOS? Strange bunch...


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## mikellmikell (Nov 9, 2005)

I picked up 2 more Verizon usb modems of EBay for less than 40$ for both. Installed the software on all my computers and just leave the modem plugged in. The modems I bought are all different brands but all were for Verizon and all work fine. Just search for Verizon USB wireless modems on E Bay


mikell


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