Answer
Suppose you want to have a tracking device for your PC which only comes alive when the PC is stolen. If you want to locate the PC when it is turned on by the thief, the device might be able to communicate via an Internet connection over Ethernet or WiFi. If the device can get a good GPS location fix it can tell you where it is. That approach can have world-wide range.
If the tracking device needs to communicate when the PC is not connected to the Internet, then the problem gets more complex. If you have a device that communicates over cellular data, and if there is cell coverage, then it can send an alert. In most countries cellular requires a subscription for each device.
If there is no cellular coverage, the best remaining option is via satellite. There are devices, like SPOT, that work via low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. They can communicate from inside some but not all buildings. You need a subscription to use the service. SPOT also relies upon GPS for most of its accuracy.
You could also send the location directly to your receiver using a radio transmitter. The problem there is limited range because it is hard to build a wireless system that will transmit from inside a PC with more than a very few kilometers range, and often a few hundred meters range is the most you can expect.
Friday, November 26, 2010
QUESTION: Thanks for a quick reply, sorry for not being clear, a desktop PC is in question. I mean, i do not need to provide the communication(internet or gsm provider), a device asks a satellite for a location, a satellite returns the coordinates to device and then device sends the data to a server and then the server returns the info to my desired device(pc or a mobile..). That's how I see it :). So I do not need to provide connection, right? And I suppose I should be paying for that service ?
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