Modem?

[abqhudson]

Excuse the questions from the newbie - please. Considering the purchase of an iPad 2: what do I need in terms of a modem for home use? What brand/model will give me the best/fastest performance? Or, is there little difference? Thanks for any help.

 

[DLCrouch]

You have two options for Internet connectivity - wifi through your home network and other locations (like Starbucks, hotels, libraries, etc) or cellular service through ATT or Verizon. All models come with wifi; cellular is optional for $ 130 extra. If you get the cellular option, you pick one or the other and are stuck with it - the cell modems are carrier specific. And, of course, cell service is not free.

Browse the forums - lots of threads pro and con about getting cell service and which provider to select. Me - I carry my IPAD everywhere, so I went with the ATT option. Again, lots of spirited debate out there about cell carriers.

BTW - if don't have Internet service at your home, you really need to get it along with a wireless router.

Hope this helps

 

[iPadCharlie]

For home use, you need a wireless router (and a high speed Internet connection). There is no reason to spend a lot of money on one. I spent a whopping $20 (on sale at BestBuy) for an 802.11n D-Link router and it works great!

 

[MattIM]

Excuse the questions from the newbie - please. Considering the purchase of an iPad 2: what do I need in terms of a modem for home use? What brand/model will give me the best/fastest performance? Or, is there little difference? Thanks for any help.

Hello abqhudson! Welcome to the forum. I think you should consult your telephone provider or cable company provider and see what kind of service they can provide you at your residence. For example, here in Fort Wayne, I have telephone service via Verizon. Verizon also provides me with internet access. When I first enrolled in their FIOS service they not only installed my service but they also provided me with a modem router which allowed me to connect up to four computers with a wire (4 ports) and 2 computers wirelessly. This is not cheap, it is $94.00 a month, internet access plus local telephone service.

Comcast Cable can provide me with cable plus telephone plus internet as well, but their offering is a little bit more expensive and their internet speed is a little bit lower than Verizon's FIOS.

I hope this helps you?