Nokia Data Cable for Nokia 6100 and 7100 Series Phones

Rating:
Summary: Works with both Notebook and Pocket PC.
Review: Not only does this cable connector allow seamless notebook dial up capabilities, the phone cable can also be used with an HP Jornada 548 by using the serial port cable, which comes with the Jornada. This allows the compact flash socket to remain free. This leaves room for a memory card to handle any large downloads. Lets see a Palm Device handle a multi-meg download. This cable makes it all possible. With the greater amount of airtime included with most cell phone plans this cable makes a lot more $ sense than a mobile service like ricochet

Rating:
Summary: Downsides and Alternatives
Review: The cable works well, but WAP is limited to digital areas only. The Nokia phones have no capability to transfer data in analog networks. We have worked with both Nokia Corporate as well as several carriers with no success to convert the phone to work in analog.

The other down side is that you cannot use the data cable while the phone is in the hands free cradle (mobile). This is a real disadvantage for field work.

We still use 3-watt analog cellular phones for low speed data (14.4) transfer (180 units and harder to find, although the "On Star Network" uses the old Motorola 3-watt systems) as well as satellite systems (16 units) for high speed data (near T-1). The new "flat rate" satellite programs have replaced the "per minute" plans, but the equipment costs are still high, around [a lot of money] per unit for an auto-deploy / auto tracking dish system.

Overall Nokia is a very good phone and has been for years. Better signal lock than Motorola, although we still use Motorola two-way radios. We still all wish the 3-watt phone would come back, but with all the new technology. We use commercial / MILSPEC 3-watt analog phones from a vendor, and special arrangements for carrier services.