New to Data Cards

[Shamrock]

Over the summer, I'll have to switch from DSL to a Data card from Verizon. It has a 5 GB download limit per month. I had a few questions about it.

One, will I be able to play games on it, or will the connection speed be so slow and random that I'm totally ****ed.

Two, if I am able to play games, will it be laggy as all balls?

Three, how much data will be uploaded and downloaded via the game? The only two games I really play online are TF2 and L4D so lets base it off those games alone.

Four, someone give me the skinny on how terrible of a transition this is going to be!

The reason being for the switch is that I'm moving to Dallas, TX for the summer to live with me sister, and she only has a data card through Verizon and no apartment internet. I asked her if she could get it from her apartment complex, but she would have to sign a contract and she's moving out at the end of August anyway.

Also, if anyone has any experience with the data cards from Verizon or if you read any great reviews on them, please let me know which one is the best. By the way, I failed to mention that me sister works for Verizon so I'll be getting everything extremely cheap and price really isn't a concern here.

 

[Krynn72]

I've never heard of a data card, but it sounds terrible. You should look for a unsecure wireless signal when you get there, probably 100x better than anything verizon provides.

Also, I'd expect TF2 or L4D to use about 20mb/hour. So it probably wont be too bad assuming you dont play 200+ hours per month. Of course that says nothing about speed, which i'm sure will be slow as dick.

 

[Shamrock]

I've never heard of a data card, but it sounds terrible. You should look for a unsecure wireless signal when you get there, probably 100x better than anything verizon provides.

Also, I'd expect TF2 or L4D to use about 20mb/hour. So it probably wont be too bad assuming you dont play 200+ hours per month. Of course that says nothing about speed, which i'm sure will be slow as dick.

Data cards just use the 3G of Verizon's network which is, as you might know from the commercials, the largest network in the USA, and they're usually very fast, but I never tried playing a game on it.

Also, how do you figure they run 20mb/hour? That sounds a little low to me, but if that's true, I think I'll be able to handle it. However, the speed is one of my main concerns. I just hope to god I can play, or else I'll be the saddest panda in all the land. :\

 

[Krynn72]

Well you dont transmit graphical data or anything like that when you play a game online. The only data transmitted afaik is player locations, and times when people trigger something (shooting, hitting a witch, etc) which then your own computer translates with its own resources to display it.

 

[kazsymonds]

Data cards just use the 3G of Verizon's network which is, as you might know from the commercials, the largest network in the USA, and they're usually very fast, but I never tried playing a game on it.

Also, how do you figure they run 20mb/hour? That sounds a little low to me, but if that's true, I think I'll be able to handle it. However, the speed is one of my main concerns. I just hope to god I can play, or else I'll be the saddest panda in all the land. :\

Over here the speeds are definatley not as good as broadband.

I could never advocate playing over 3g, your ping would be measured in decades!