I use my cell phone at my in-laws. You have to have data service ($10/mo with Sprint -- supposed to be used for pictures, etc., not laptop access to the internet, but I have heard that they don't bother you unless you're essentially using it for your home IP and downloading movies). I got the connector cable at radio shack and with my mac I had all the software I needed; Windows software can be purchased with the cable. My perception of the throughput was similar to dialup. -Doug