EVDO, Anyone Having Good Experience?

jyl · jyl's Garage

I have Verizon EVDO rev A service with AirCard 595. I am heartily disappointed.

I used to have Verizon 1xRTT service, a couple years ago, and got roughly 50-70kbps download speed. This EVDO rev A is supposed to be blistering, and it is not. Most places, I get only 1-2 bars and 200-300kbps down. Best I've ever done was 4 bars and 600kpbs down. Gee, not even 1Mbps. Also the connection is prone to random disconnection, about once or twice per session.

OK, I get it free through work, but still . . .

Anyone else using one of the cellular broadband services? Getting better reception or speed?

competentone · 03-28-2007, 07:02 PM

We got the Verizon broadband (edit: I think we have the same 595 card you're using) after they were supposed to have the system up-and-running in the Charleston, SC area. It feels fast, but seems to handle data in "bursts" so overall it's not real fast. (My wife uses it on the laptop, I'm not sure what she's said her actual speeds are.)

We get disconnected so often we are probably going to cancel the contract. The signal is there (according to what the computer shows), but I suspect they just don't have enough bandwidth so they use some sort of "rolling blackout" technique to disconnect some users in an attempt to "share" a system that can't handle all the traffic.

My brother (trucking) uses Sprint, he doesn't have the problems we've had with Verizon.

slakjaw · 03-29-2007, 04:17 AM

I get 400 to 800 kb/s on my Sprint card and REV-A is not even out yet in Minneapolis / St Paul. If you do really do have REV-A in your area, you should be going much faster then that.

fingpilot · 03-29-2007, 08:31 AM

I have been a beta Sprint since the first days of cellular (I flew their CEO). I am now on their EVDO, and travel extensively. Have been VERY happy with access and thruput. They called me recently and wanted to send me their rev A card, but the cities available was pretty pitiful. I said I'd wait until it is really up and running nationwide (supposedly mid summer.

YMMV, but I have been really happy.

jriera · 03-29-2007, 08:41 AM

I have been with Verizon for about 3 years now, even with an old card (PC5220) but very happy camper (also I am in a high-speed zone, Las Vegas). Trying to get the newer card!!

jyl · jyl's Garage

The Verizon app doesn't show if you're on rev A, but I tried it in areas where Verizon defintely has rev A going - e.g. Anaheim Convention Center area on a recent trip.

I will do some more experiments. My setup really should be working better.

Halm · 03-29-2007, 03:07 PM

A little know secret about EVDO is that it will always seek the strongest signal. So if you are with Verizon but they have a roaming agreement with Alltel and Alltel has a better signal, you will actually be on their network.

And Rev A implementations will be different among carriers. I know of one carrier that is going to go symmetric so that their uploads will be as fast as downloads. The bad news here is that they are not going to change download speeds.

This kind of / sort of answers why Apple will put their multimedia iPhone on Cingular's HSDPA network, doesn't it???

PcarPhil · 03-29-2007, 04:20 PM

Here are my results of a speedtest around 8:10pm est:

This is with evdo Rev. 0 tied into my home wireless network.

If anyone's interested I've got some extra equipment available that I don't need anymore - an amp/repeater, an omni antenna, a trucker antenna, and some LMR-400 cable. Send me a PM if you're interested.

Also, here's a good evdo forum:
http://www.evdoforums.com/

slakjaw · 04-01-2007, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Halm
This kind of / sort of answers why Apple will put their multimedia iPhone on Cingular's HSDPA network, doesn't it???

What?

NO! in fact it makes no freaking sence at all.

Halm · 04-01-2007, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by slakjaw
What?
NO! in fact it makes no freaking sense at all.

Why? In today's market and for the foreseeable future, HSDPA kicks EVDO, Rev A @ss.

And 4G is starting to look a bit like ISA versus Micro Channel. Who knows who or what will win there.

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

I'm having a very good experience with EVDO. I've been set up for a couple months with Sprint's 595 card on my PowerBook and have yet to fail to get a signal -- even on the freeway. Performance is about equal to my slice of the office T1 setup, but more consistent.

slakjaw · 04-01-2007, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Halm
Why? In today's market and for the foreseeable future, HSDPA kicks EVDO, Rev A @ss.

And 4G is starting to look a bit like ISA versus Micro Channel. Who knows who or what will win there.

On paper thats true but in the real world HSDPA seldom lives up to its full potential. Plus it is not available in alot of places. By the time HSDPA is working right, wimax will have rolled nationwide.

Halm · 04-02-2007, 03:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by slakjaw
On paper thats true but in the real world HSDPA seldom lives up to its full potential. Plus it is not available in alot of places. By the time HSDPA is working right, wimax will have rolled nationwide.

HSPDA rocks here in Charlotte. But you are right that Cingular is too slow rolling it out to all tier 1 markets.

WiMax (4G) would be great but once again, a break through product is stuck in "Standards." Even Intel can't decide on which chip set to recommend and support.