Tethering and Modern Times

It used to be that one could use their GSM chip in a nice pcmcia style device to connect to anything, for free.
Someplace that broke in the world.
So I called AT&T and asked what gives and they said I had to sign up for tethering.
Because we don't pay them enough now to give us data and calls and sms?

So my poor Tilt-2 still wouldn't work until I changed a registry entry that is hard coded by At&T incorrectly.

Changed HKLM\Comm\InternetSharing\Settings\ForceCellConnection to "MEdia Net" and it worked.

And so now I am posting from my tethered laptop via EDGE or 3G or nothing.

It seems Amtrak's auto train does not have WiFi. Shame on them.

But what's 18 hours among friends right?