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It would probably be less cumbersome to have either a USB internet stick or a mifi device (assuming the laptop has wireless).
 
xlbee said:
It would probably be less cumbersome to have either a USB internet stick or a mifi device (assuming the laptop has wireless).
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Thanks for the suggestions, that is the direction we may be going. The laptop does have wireless. His former hospital had wireless but the rehab hospital evidently doesn't.

Once I can speak with Mark I'll be able to determine what he wants to do but I understand at least one major company offers a mifi device on a pay as you go basis. Mark has doesn't have a cell.
 
If I haven't thanked you personally, it's either I missed you (please forgive me) or there was no way to correlate a PayPal transaction to an AK screenname.

If anyone from this point forward makes a PayPal donation please include your AK screenname.

Thanks.
 
Hey, I don't want to pry into his personal stuff, but I am wondering if is he getting better? Let us kow if you can and wish him my best again please.
Thanks,
Mark
 
It's been hard to reach Mark and the information I'm getting is coming through his dad. I had heard he was doing better last report. I plan on calling him again after work today.

More later.

Anyone with well wishes, please post them here as I'm sure I can't relay all that have been attached to PayPal gifts and PMs to me. Sorry.
 
Donation sent.

Anything other suggestions for any help we can give, please ask!:thmbsp:

BTW, I just realized this is my very first foray into the Pioneer Forum. Hello all!

(sorry Robie, I just read your earlier post stating you wanted screen names with the PP donations. I didn't, my bad. My PP is BernerGarden@msn.com if that helps)
 
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UPDATE:

Again, thanks for all your support, donations and comments.

I just got off the phone with Mark's dad who was visiting Mark at the time. Big improvement today and although I didn't speak with Mark, he's had a great day. He's very interested in the efforts to provide internet so that will be my focus on my next days off on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I told him that many of you passed on well wishes to me but that you would all continue to post your comments here as there are too many for me to convey.

Now that he has a nice wireless computer, I think the best solution to get him on the internet is a prepaid mifi device since it appears the new hospital has no WiFi. Should someone have any expertise in the area, please weigh in as the fund will permit a number of options. Mark does not have a cell phone and I'm reluctant to commit him to a contract.

By the way, when I last looked at 7PM, Mark's "computer fund" on PayPal was over $2,300 (prior to any snail mail contributions) which leaves about $1,600 (assuming about $700 for the computer) for use for Mark. Mark is indeed interested in getting on the net so that's where I recommend we focus efforts to provide him some options. Ultimately, he will make the decision unless it's expedient for us to do so in the next couple of days in the interest of providing it sooner rather than later.

Again, thanks for your help.
 
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If Mark has health issues, he should really have a cell phone. Lifesaver.

If he's gonna get a phone, get one the laptop can tether to.

Make sure the prepaid phone plan covers tethering.

Knowing what tower is closest to his home would help in deciding on the carrier. It would take me a couple days, but I could help on this one.

$1600 towards the above = Mark could maybe cancel his home internet/phone for a long time :thmbsp:



Thanks again for your effort, Robie.


EDIT: What hospital doesn't have wifi? I would think doctors and nurses would insist on it...
 
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The cellular solution is pretty slow compared to a broadband connection, I doubt he would favor it when he returns home. If you could get a cellular hotspot at a reasonable price and no contract, it might be an option. As I mentioned earlier many smart phones have a tethering option that might be an alternative.
I'd check with the facility in advance regarding any wireless device as some forbid them as they can interfere withe their medical telemetry.
 
Robie said:
UPDATE:
Now that he has a nice wireless computer, I think the best solution to get him on the internet is a prepaid mifi device since it appears the new hospital has no WiFi. Should someone have any expertise in the area, please weigh in as the fund will permit a number of options. Mark does not have a cell phone and I'm reluctant to commit him to a contract.

By the way, when I last looked at 7PM, Mark's "computer fund" on PayPal was over $2,300 (prior to any snail mail contributions) which leaves about $1,600 (assuming about $700 for the computer) for use for Mark. Mark is indeed interested in getting on the net so that's where I recommend we focus efforts to provide him some options. Ultimately, he will make the decision unless it's expedient for us to do so in the next couple of days in the interest of providing it sooner rather than later.
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Great update!

Does he have the computer now, or does it still have to be bought? $2300 is a nice chunk of change to buy any computer with, even something like an Apple. I mention this only because someone gave me an ANCIENT G4 PowerMac a couple of years ago. I plugged in a PC keyboard, mouse and monitor, and it just booted up, knew what these things were, and off it went, albeit slowly. I would like my next computer to be an Apple, but they're expensive new.

Is Mark going to make the decision as to what he wants? I've always had good results with Dell products, both laptops and desktops. The extra money could go towards a nice printer/scanner/copier, maybe whatever version of Office Microsoft are on now, perhaps a big screen, keyboard and mouse for when he gets home.

Lee.
 
drknstrmyknight said:
The cellular solution is pretty slow compared to a broadband connection, I doubt he would favor it when he returns home. If you could get a cellular hotspot at a reasonable price and no contract, it might be an option. As I mentioned earlier many smart phones have a tethering option that might be an alternative.
I'd check with the facility in advance regarding any wireless device as some forbid them as they can interfere withe their medical telemetry.
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A lot of truth in this as well as having sometimes difficulty in getting any signal if you're dealing with a larger building or if he's way inside.

Another options that I used in the past when my daughter and wife had to stay in the hospital long term was to use the built in laptop phone modem on the existing hospital phone line. (assuming there is still a phone modem in the laptops these days).

For example, I still have an AOL account (free). AOL still has a fleet of dial up modem connections out there in most cities and some rural areas. Most run at 26-32Kbps, and occasionally can get to 56K. Surprisingly, some simplified webpages and email clients can run reasonably well, AK on a dial-up I don't remember well but probably isn't too bad. Anything would be better than nothing. Getting an AOL account is easy and free.

I also have ATT DSL and they allow you to use ATT modem's as well as wifi.
http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB400213&cv=801#fbid=P44RCBgXaVH


http://access.web.aol.com/accessnum/?country=US&state=IL&city=Chicago
AOL Access Numbers
Last updated: Wed Apr 27 11:58:48 EDT 2011
Country code: US
Country code prefix: 1
Area code: 312

City State Number Network Modem Type
Chicago IL 312-252-0271 AOLnet V90/K56+V92
Chicago IL 312-546-4265 AOLnet V90/K56+V92
Franklin IL 312-984-1581 AOLnet V90/K56

It does tie up the line but at the same time, if he's not expecting much in the way of calls, the line's not being used much anyway. Once you program the modem to get an outside line, and then dial a hopefully local call modem, hookup is usually easy. Be sure to get him a very long phone cord so he could use the laptop at some distance from the phone outlet. At one point, I actually taped down a phone line in our hospital room so nurses wouldn't trip on it as it crossed the walkway.

NB: some digital phone systems used in organizations may not work well with an analog modem, so testing is important to see if it will work.

Now on the other hand, a month to month smartphone (like with T-mobile or MetroPCS might make a lot of sense since it would allow direct internet access via cell and if AK is the primary, it really isn't using a lot of data. Downside is the small screen. But he could end it when he gets out and sell the phone if he doesn't want to keep it.

If he had an iPad with cell/wifi, that would probably work best, but the carriers supporting iPad phone service want long commitments.

Maybe someone could lend him an existing smartphone for a few weeks or months? Or add him onto an existing plan for what, $10/line plus the data package? AT&T will literally give him an Apple iPhone 3GS (what I use now) for .99 and there are plenty of other free smartphones too.

Just a few other ideas.
 
I seem to remember Verizon has a wireless card setup you can try for a 30 day window. After that I don't recall whether you need to do a contract or if it is monthly, but I do know that you can cancel within 30 days if you do a one or two year contract for the wireless laptop setup. So although there is a cost for the card, I also believe that if returned they credit or refund the cost, except for the monthly usage fee.

Has nothing to do with a phone contract!
 
Thanks for the comments.

Mark's hospital bills are largely covered by Medicare (I think) but it will be up to him whether to apply any surplus to those bills.

After over 3 weeks in the hospital, Mark is very interested in internet. The former acute care (and ICU) hospital he was in had WiFi and that's where he was when I visited him and started this effort. He has since been moved to a "Rehab Hospital" to recover and regain strength. I have no idea how long he will be there but it was described as "weeks and perhaps months".

I bought a reasonably priced computer for him back when it appeared we would have sufficient dollars to cover it. As described previously the computer was $669 or so for a 15.6" Dell with wireless, I5, 8GB and 640GB HD. Sales tax here in Cook County is 9%. (Mark lives here too.) I agonized over the decision and know it is overkill for what I think he does with a computer but it was the first choice of two of my coworkers and me as the best value for the money. Had I known we would have collected so much money I probably still would have gone that way and made the surplus available to Mark.

I thought about a tablet but he has lots of data storage on his old computers so the laptop seemed to be what he preferred. He does have an old Dell hand me down laptop given to him by his neighbor and that is what contains the now broken HD.

He was given the computer on Friday by his dad and it evidently didn't leave his lap all afternoon. I take that as a good sign that a laptop was what he wanted.

The Rehab Hospital has no WiFi and when I call, as I understand it from his dad, the nurses have to walk in a cordless phone. I'm off tomorrow and may be able to visit to verify but it doesn't sound like he even has a phone line in his room.

CT Jim said:
I seem to remember Verizon has a wireless card setup you can try for a 30 day window. After that I don't recall whether you need to do a contract or if it is monthly, but I do know that you can cancel within 30 days if you do a one or two year contract for the wireless laptop setup. So although there is a cost for the card, I also believe that if returned they credit or refund the cost, except for the monthly usage fee.*

Has nothing to do with a phone contract!
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I'm thinking the pay as you go smart phone (with tethering/portable hot spot) or MiFi device. I believe Verizon has a pay as you go portable tethering device. I am happy to sign what ever contracts but don't want to commit Mark to any long term deal he may not want/need. He's pretty much a homebody and has existed with only a land line for years.

I also want to check what his home internet service is to see if that plays into the decision. It may still be dial up.
 
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Thanks for the update. I doubt that anyone is questioning the decisions. You've been the point man on this and we all owe you a tip of the hat for that.
 
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