Wi-Fi with no data plan?

SamSpade

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
Can this be done with a smart phone? I know that pretty much no wireless company will OFFER it.

But I'm almost surrounded by wi-fi, and it's ridiculous to pay for data for each separate device. I pay more for Internet going into my house and my wi-fi network of devices than I do our wireless (because they all have their OWN plan).
 
T

thatguy

New Member
SamSpade said:
Can this be done with a smart phone? I know that pretty much no wireless company will OFFER it.

But I'm almost surrounded by wi-fi, and it's ridiculous to pay for data for each separate device. I pay more for Internet going into my house and my wi-fi network of devices than I do our wireless (because they all have their OWN plan).
Click to expand...

ipod touch?

you may be able to do it with an old phone, cancel data plan but keep cellular, but probably not a new one unless you pay sticker price. The ones you get through the carriers are heavily discounted because they get their money back with the mandatory data packages.
 
Tilted

Tilted

..
SamSpade said:
Can this be done with a smart phone? I know that pretty much no wireless company will OFFER it.

But I'm almost surrounded by wi-fi, and it's ridiculous to pay for data for each separate device. I pay more for Internet going into my house and my wi-fi network of devices than I do our wireless (because they all have their OWN plan).
Click to expand...

Do you mean that you're paying a lot for the data plans (through, e.g., Verizon) on your wireless devices (e.g. smartphones)?

If so, you may benefit from moving to a shared data plan. I'd suggest you carefully consider the details first before moving though, you probably won't be able to go back to the old plan if you find that the new one doesn't work for you (e.g. because now you have a data limit instead of unlimited data).

We moved to a shared plan through Verizon and we're now paying about as much for 3 smartphones as we were previously paying for 2. We're in the same situation, we don't use much 3G or 4G data as we're often within a Wifi network.
 
Ken King

Ken King

A little rusty but not crusty
PREMO Member
SamSpade

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
Ken King said:
Sam is this what you want to do? How to Make a Cell Phone Have WiFi Internet Without a Data Plan | eHow.com
Click to expand...

That article seems to miss the point. All those tell you is how to access Wi-Fi from your smart phone. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to do that.

What I want is what they imply but don't actually say - how do I have a functioning smartphone that has Wi-Fi, but I don't actually have to purchase a data plan in order to use the phone part? And as I understand it, Verizon won't provide service to a smartphone that doesn't have it.

I don't know phones, but as I understand it, they mostly use SIMS to identify the provider, but that Verizon does not. Presumably, you can get your own phone, take out the SIM.

Something like this:

Can you ditch your smartphone data plan for Wi-Fi? | Mobile - CNET News

I was hoping someone had tried it.

A shared plan wouldn't work for us. For one, we use a lot of data. For another, I'm around Wi-Fi a LOT, like work, places I go, home. It just makes little sense to pay 30 bucks for a separate connection for each phone and iPad - JUST so I can use it on the phone. Gotta be a better way.
 
GURPS

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
if you purchase a phone 'outside' of the cell company channel

aka Ebay ... and have a device that uses a 'SIM Card' you could get basic cell phone from T Mob, ATT, or one of the smaller providers


pop the SIM in your smart phone, viola ... cell and no data


be aware if your are using one of the bigger companies like ATT - thay have come up with away to tell if the sim is in a 'smart' phone or not ... and will automatically 'upgrade' you do a data plan in the next billing cycle

there is supposed to be a company partnered with Wal-mart to sell devices on a flat x dollars a month plan
 
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