[11:33] <m_fulder> hello
[11:34] <m_fulder> is it possible (while haveing a server on a ubuntu machine) to connect a mobile phone to my server (so I can use the internet from the server instead of paying for it...to connect to 3G server etc. ?)
[11:39] <persia> I *think* so, but I'm not 100% sure.
[11:39] <persia> But you'd need basestation hardware to do it, which gets expensive quickly.
[11:40] <persia> Most people looking at that use case seem to select handhelds with 802.11* and do something that way.
[11:44] <m_fulder> hm ok..but how does it work with mobiles and network actually? Doesn't just a mobile connect to a server through 3G ? What does a user pay for? To download the files/webpages to the server or to be connected to the "network" ?
[11:45] <persia> Depends on the arrangement.  "3G" is jsut a marketing term that covers a number of networking technologies.
[11:45] <m_fulder> right
[11:46] <m_fulder> and what's this handhelds with 802.11 ?
[11:46] <m_fulder> isn't 802.11 just a IEEE cable?
[11:46] <persia> In most cases, the base stations are owned by some provider, who may charge in various ways, depending on the local regulatory and competitive environments.
[11:46] <persia> For some defintion of "cable" :)
[11:46] <persia> 802.3 is the more common wired ethernet standard.
[11:46] <m_fulder> wired?
[11:46] <persia> 802.11 is a set of common wireless ethernet standards.
[11:47] <m_fulder> but I want to connect to my server (internet) wireless from my mobile isn't this possible?
[11:47] <m_fulder> aha wireless ok
[11:47] <persia> Sure.
[11:48] <m_fulder> so what would I need except the server? .. the base station? what exactly does it do? 
[11:48] <persia> But you want to do it without using any external carrier, which means you need a base station that supports some wireless technology also supported by your handheld.
[11:48] <persia> A base station usually converts some wireless signal into some wired signal.  There are a few devices that convert between two different wireless signals.
[11:49] <m_fulder> aha..but then say I'm some km from my base station..will it still catch my mobile signal? :S
[11:50] <persia> Depends on your signal strength and other signals on the same band, etc.
[11:50] <m_fulder> aha
[11:50] <m_fulder> but wait isn't "3G" (f.ex.) a wireless mobile netwrok that makes it possible to connect from anywhere to anywhere? can't I use this network to connect? 
[11:50] <persia> multi-km wireless links (usually called "Microwave Relay") are a common solution where undersea cables are expensive or troublesome.
[11:51] <m_fulder> but don't I then need a large antenna in my house?
[11:51] <persia> As I said before, "3G" is just a marketing term for a variety of wireless networking standards.  If you're looking for ubiquitous networking, you'd do better to use some existing provider, as the cost of a distributed set of base stations over all places you are likely to go is typically expensive enough to require a large userbase, rather than a single person.
[11:52] <m_fulder> aha ok then I get it
[11:52] <persia> Depending on your provider and your handheld, you may or may not be able to send any number of protocols over the network.  Depending on your server connectivity, and network security policies, you may or may not be able to access your server using one of these protocols.
[11:53] <persia> So, the answer is "Sure, you can do it", but it depends on enough factors than a detailed explanation is complicated.
[11:53] <m_fulder> aha ok