Online Only?

Community Support
1

Is the Glowforge only able to function with consistent internet access?

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2

Depends on what you mean by consistent.

The Glowforge requires an internet connection but is reported to be very tolerant of slow and unstable connections. But if you have absolutely no internet it likely will not be of use to you.

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3

Hi Katy!
The short answer is: Yes it needs internet to function.
But there are more answers in this thread:

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4

Answers as far as the eye can see.

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5

Yes. In fact I had a Glowless evening on Sunday because my router gave up the ghost. Almost cobbled together one from a raspberry pi, but by the time I isolated the issue to the router, it was a bit late and I didn’t have a spare USB wifi dongle to add the wifi access point.

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6

Now that could be the beginning of serious withdrawal … Doctor Doctor we need an emergency routeretomy!

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7

I’d be making a hot spot with my cellphone!

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8

I’m still in the process of getting my hotspot figured out for Maker Faire. I don’t want to lose my unlimited data plan with AT&T for my phone and I’d have to give that up to tether my iPhone. At least that’s how I read it.

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9

What the smurf?! WHY?!

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10

TETHERING PLAN REQUIREMENTS
Keep your current plan
To keep your current data plan, you’ll need to stop using mobile hotspot tethering by the end of the month. Please remove any tethering apps and make sure anyone who uses your device understands that your current plan doesn’t include mobile hotspot creation.

If you continue tethering on your current plan and we don’t hear from you, your data plan will automatically update to the DataPro 5GB for Smartphones in an upcoming billing cycle.

Unlimited data plan users: If your plan automatically updates to accommodate mobile hotspot usage, you will not be able to move back to an unlimited plan since these plans are no longer offered.

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11

WOW. Anything to make a buck, huh. Sprint has no such restriction.

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For the few days, just rent a MiFi. I’ve done it, it’s cheap and easy. I’ve even done it internationally and it was also cheap and easy (although I’m grandfathered for unlimited data for my iPhone INCLUDING INTERNATIONAL DATA - BWAHAHAHAHA!!! Stupidest plan they ever offered $360/year! BWHAHAHAHAHA!!! Never changing that puppy - Hell I give directions all the time to tourists when I am visiting london via Google Maps just because I can! But of course they don’t let me tether that… :cry:)

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13

Tether it to your phone, how much data can a GF use? :stuck_out_tongue:

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Not much but any cellular data tethering drops me out of my unlimited data plan from AT&T that I have had for about fifteen years, starting with my Treo.

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15

I sometimes miss my good ol’ Treo. Had a 500, then a 650 as I recall. Full color display, great keyboard… Truly a smartphone. Kicked Blackberry’s butt.

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16

Last time I booted my last one was running a ported version of Linux. Worked fine but would no longer charge. Contact eaten away. I would charge the battery on an old 500 whose screen didn’t work.

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17

So while making a hotspot with the phone is one workaround that also has it’s own issues when it comes to stability and data useage. If I wanted to use a Glowforge at a decent sized convention it would be difficult or impossible to use the provided wifi or go the phone route. It can be difficult just getting texts through at cons.

My main concern with the cloud requirement, is reliability.

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18

Thanks Hansena!

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Thanks Newbies_234.

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Set up next to Dan’s booth and steal the signal :sunglasses: LOL j/k. Wish I could mke it out there to the MF…

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