Aircards - which to buy?

Which aircard should I get?

  • Verizon

    Votes: 9 81.8%
  • Sprint PCS

    Votes: 2 18.2%
  • AT&T

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • TMobile

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other? Specify in a post...

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    11

78mitsu

Registered User
it's in b the limit of EVDO is 1mbps, that's as much as the radio can take without increasing the length of the timeslots,and still function. 800kBps would be 6.4Mbps. with EVDO, you also have to remember there is a limit per tower, as the service grows you will have less and less bandwidth available. the "standard" limits the upstream to 128kbps for SNR margin reasons, but depending on the gear that limit is flexible.
 

waynehartwig

www.jeeperman.com
Location
Mead, WA
it's in b the limit of EVDO is 1mbps, that's as much as the radio can take without increasing the length of the timeslots,and still function. 800kBps would be 6.4Mbps. with EVDO, you also have to remember there is a limit per tower, as the service grows you will have less and less bandwidth available. the "standard" limits the upstream to 128kbps for SNR margin reasons, but depending on the gear that limit is flexible.

I understand the limits, just wasn't sure if it was bits or bytes. Agreed, that 800k bytes would be really sweet! But 800k bits is cool, too - especially when your choices are nothing or this.
 

waynehartwig

www.jeeperman.com
Location
Mead, WA
For what you're doing no, but it is better for some other things. Personally I don't like the idea of charging stuff off my USB bus.... from a powered hub fine but I'm paranoid I'll burn out my port.

I have a warranty on my laptop, so if it burns out then I call Dell and they send me a new one next day AM and I replace it. But I definately know what you mean...
 
I have a Sprint card from work. Works well - If you get a good EVDO connection, it can be blazing fast. My only complaint is work just bought me a new D820 and the internal cards only support Verizon or Cingular so I have to use the PCMCIA.
 

cannoncrawler

TWERNT THE MORMONS!!!!!!
Location
Idaho
the free mok (mobile office kit) promo ended back in sept. but again, the software is free from us.

The return policy is only 15 days for the aircard and cannot be pushed out more. If you want to try it, just use your phone first,(if it is capable) then if ya like it come back and get a p c card.

Verizon had an adapter with the express card to fit in the bigger older slots. it was pulled cuz it didn't work, but they are working on another one, and we don't have a release date for that! prolly not worth waiting for. and braden is right, think ahead of your computer needs when you go the aircard route.

78mitzu is right on speed and bandwidth. the recent AWS auction saw Verizon pick up more spectrum in these markets, which will allow for the usage to increase quite a ton.

Braden, I have been at this store since august. before that I spent 5 yrs on the indirect side of Verizon up in Idaho. Its good to be on the corporate side now! lol
 

waynehartwig

www.jeeperman.com
Location
Mead, WA
the free mok (mobile office kit) promo ended back in sept. but again, the software is free from us.

The return policy is only 15 days for the aircard and cannot be pushed out more. If you want to try it, just use your phone first,(if it is capable) then if ya like it come back and get a p c card.

Verizon had an adapter with the express card to fit in the bigger older slots. it was pulled cuz it didn't work, but they are working on another one, and we don't have a release date for that! prolly not worth waiting for. and braden is right, think ahead of your computer needs when you go the aircard route.

78mitzu is right on speed and bandwidth. the recent AWS auction saw Verizon pick up more spectrum in these markets, which will allow for the usage to increase quite a ton.

That almost sounds like a good idea, to just use my phone to try it out, because of no contracts. If I buy the aircard in SLC this weekend, and then say 12 days out decide I don't like it, can I return it to a Verizon store in Sacramento and get my money back/out of contract/etc?

I downloaded the software last night.

I don't hink I will be away from a PCMCIA slot for a couple of years, yet. Even the new laptops are still coming out with them, so I don't think it will be an issue. Even the D620 that I want has one. So I'm cool with the card...
 

waynehartwig

www.jeeperman.com
Location
Mead, WA
yup....as long as its within 15 days, and you call customer service or go into a verizon owned store! have fun!!

..But if I do the phone thing, I pay month to month and if I ever want to cancel, I just call and cancel, with no bad things happening to me?

If you can't extend the 15 day satisfaction thing, then I might just wait until next Thursday when I'm in Sacramento to pick up the air card. Then I'll have it until the 27th and be able to see how it functions in about any type of area I plan on needing one. I'm mostly worried about the Spokane area, which is where I will be using it the most and I don't plan on being up there until about the 20th through the 26th.
 

78mitsu

Registered User
For what you're doing no, but it is better for some other things. Personally I don't like the idea of charging stuff off my USB bus.... from a powered hub fine but I'm paranoid I'll burn out my port.

Blowing a USB port on an older machine was pretty common, built into the usb 2.0 standard, the port must have a thermal overload open switch and a method of notifying the OS that Foreign voltage or a short is present. Newer machines protect themselves from ingress voltage as well as a direct short circuit.
 

Meat_

Banned
Location
Lehi
Blowing a USB port on an older machine was pretty common, built into the usb 2.0 standard, the port must have a thermal overload open switch and a method of notifying the OS that Foreign voltage or a short is present. Newer machines protect themselves from ingress voltage as well as a direct short circuit.

That's the thing about paranoia... it doesn't have to be rooted in reality ;)
 

waynehartwig

www.jeeperman.com
Location
Mead, WA
Blowing a USB port on an older machine was pretty common, built into the usb 2.0 standard, the port must have a thermal overload open switch and a method of notifying the OS that Foreign voltage or a short is present. Newer machines protect themselves from ingress voltage as well as a direct short circuit.

I still see blown USB ports/chipsets. Maybe it's not as common now as it was previously?
 

waynehartwig

www.jeeperman.com
Location
Mead, WA
here's an article about EVDO service. Has some good info in it.

Interesting... I think it solidifies my choice of Verizon... Now I just need to work it so that my 15 day garuntee coinsides to the locations where I want to test it. ...Which means I will probably pick one up on my way through Sacramento on Wednesday....
 

waynehartwig

www.jeeperman.com
Location
Mead, WA
Well, I picked up the aircard last week and I've been using it. Just about everywhere I have cell service, it works. Sometimes my cell doesn't work to make/recieve calls (shows no bars, but the 1x), and I have internet service. The Verizon shop I got it through gave me 20 days on the satisfactoni garuntee.

Where I am at right now, I am getting about 150-175k up/download speeds. At Casa De Fruta (near Hollister) this weekend, I was getting about 700k/200k down/up speeds, but that was with EV access. Here is a Google map to show how out in the middle of BFE I really am...
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...parto,+CA+95627&ie=UTF8&z=15&t=k&om=1&iwloc=A
The silver topped buildings just north of the arrow is actually the address - google was a little off. All of the row crops to the west, south west and just north of the canal, is my dad's farmland. He has some smaller fields out east a few miles, but nothing major - probably another 700 acres or so. This Google picture is about 7 years old, because it was at least 7 years ago that the third field west of the shop was divided.
 

Rusted

Let's Ride!
Supporting Member
Location
Sandy
Very nice, it is cool to be out in the middle of nothing and still get internet. Glad it worked out for you.
 
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