Experience with Wireless Broadband?
 

In July I'll start a new job in DC...I'll live in DC during the week and come home on the weekends. There is also travel involved.

Rather than get cable internet access at the apartment I'm renting, I'm thinking of doing mobile wireless broadband, like Verizon. 5GB a month is 59.99. I'd use it during the week and when I travel.

So, two questions. 1) Anyone use this type of service and, 2) I know a GB is approximately 1024 MB: is that enough?

Thanks.

I use Sprint wireless - I believe it is $59.99 per month unlimited - if you are already a customer.

In large cities it works great - near DSL speeds. Outside of town it slows down to a little better than dial up speeds but it does work.

If you want to surf the net and hang out on Pelican you better get unlimited.

I use Sprint (and I have used Verizon before that) as a 'secondary/fail-safe' internet connectivity at home and while on the road and Wi-Fi is not available. While it may seem slow at around 3Mb (Mega BITS not Mega BYTES) is better than nothing and in a couple of minutes you 'get used to' the slower speed. BUT I will not rely on that speed for massive downloads, etc. Also the speed varies from place to place.

Sprint looks like a good choice....I also like the Sierra Wireless Compass 597U for the USB port. :cool:

Thanks...any other recommendations or experiences?

What is this "new job" you speak of? Inquiring (nosy) minds want to know.

I have decided not to seek the next level and retire from the Navy after almost 25 years:)

The reason is that the Army offered me a position representing them in DC on all matters concerning UAV's (policy, acquisition, etc.)...which is exactly what I want to do. :cool:

I am very much looking forward to the challenge.

Some places they work great, other places not so great.

We have Verizon, unlimited, about $80/month.

Initially we had problems with dropped connections -- they'd never admit it, but we suspect they would disconnect a data line before dropping a call if their "circuits" become over-crowded. (Our suspicions were based on the times when disconnections would occur.)

For the last year though, it's been great. (Though with my wife out of school now, we may decide to drop it if we find we're not using it enough.)

My brother has Sprint (unlimited too); he has no complaints about it. Over the Christmas holidays, we were comparing the Sprint and Verizon side-by-side -- including swapping cards between the laptops to compensate for differences in the computers; we really couldn't determine that there was much difference between the two systems in the location we were (Tampa, Fl).

I've considered dropping the cable internet and just keeping the wireless card, but that would create problems with access if the laptop and card weren't at home when someone wanted internet access.

If we replaced one of our mobile phones with one that let us use the phone for internet access for the computer, we might go completely wireless for all internet.

If you do decide to try wireless, I'd have the apartment/locations of use before getting the card. That way, if you find one of the locations you want to use it has a poor signal, you can return it immediately and (check your contract) most likely not be stuck with any cancellation fees.

Congrats, sounds like a fun gig! But isn't Navy --> Army some sort of sacriledge?:p

Nah, my Dad graduated from West Point in 1952:cool:

Very good suggestions all, thanks!

You know the agency has jobs in that field also.

Seahawk, got the Franklin CDU-680, USB, includes GPS and has sw for Windows, Linux an Mac.

Check this site for some good info, prices and offers --> http://www.evdoinfo.com

Sounds like the Army got your goat. Har-har.

Try obtaining an embedded aircard for your laptop. They work much better, use less power and far better signal strength because they use the LCD frame as an antenna. This means better reception and higher throughput speeds. Also far better reliability (and one less thing to lose/damage/forget).

Interesting. In my previous company, I worked with Aerovironment on the first use of Li-ion batteries in micro-UAVs, funded by DARPA. We broke a world record of endurance at
that time. Here, I found the old link (I was the guy who made those wing batteries):

http://mae.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=Articles&Subsection=Di splay&ARTICLE_ID=163707

Aurel

I've used Verizon EVDO for years. Currently, you want EVDO-A.

It usually works quite well. Not even close to cable modem or FiOS in speed, but about as good as a DSL line, which works okay for just surfing.

You will want unlimited GB. Even with that, there is rumoured to be a limit above which VZ will terminate your account - but it is a lot, more than a normal web surfer will use.

In areas where EVDO is used heavily, you may find slow connections or difficulty connecting. I've experienced this in SF and NYC sometimes, also at techie conferences (e.g. CES) or financial conferences where everyone is on wireless. I'd guess it happens until VZ's local capacity catches up with demand.

I have heard that Sprint has become better than VZ, so say our IT guys. So consider them both. ATT is coming out with a similar service too.

I suggest you use a PC Card modem, rather than a USB modem or a built-in modem. THe former reportedly don't work that well. The latter is hard to upgrade and may lock you into one carrier.

And I agree, make sure you can test it at your apartment and usual workplaces before the return period is up.

I would ask here http://www.evdoforums.com/ There are all kids of additional antennas and gadgets available. There are even WiFi access points that sit on your desk, you plug the PC card modem into it, and it gives you a WiFi/LAN network in your house from the EVDO connection. This could be handy if you have other devices that want an Internet connection.

I know Aerovironment well...as the Navy Program Manager for UAS' the past four years, I've purchased a bunch of Wasps for the EOD folks and the Spec-ops guys.

Great product:cool:

Thanks again for all the great advice...

'Hawk, the service you want is the one with the best service where you will spend a majority of the time. That means which carrier has the closest tower. And the tower needs to be on the right side of your apartment, as an example. If you stay in major metropolitan areas you should be fine with good signal . It is when you go "rural" when you could have significant issues. Depending where you will be located, my guess is Verizon with EVDO-Rev A or AT&T with 3G will perform the best. Alltel also has Rev A. I think Sprint is delaying Rev A in favor of the next technology. . . And that is assuming they don't get bought by T-Mobile or can divest Nextel before that product bankrupts them.

See if the carriers will let you take a Smartphone / iPhone, something with Internet connection, home for a few hours and check the signal strength. That is really the only way to know what to expect.

We HATE, HATE, HATE, at&t/cingular and will NOT renew with them when the time comes. Here is my information, fwiw:

OLD, did I say OLD!!!, Compaq with 196K Ram, slow motherboard, slow chip set, XP Pro, an old sierra wireless aircard 860 (not supported for years), we get about twice as fast as dial up, with REALLY reliable service.

Toshiba (does not have a PC Card Slot for the old large style) 2GB RAM, high speed processor, XP Pro, sierra wireless aircard 870U (one year old, no longer supported) USB, about 1/2 dial up speed. Even sitting next to the other computer!!! Also the fun of multiple random disconnects. Oh, and ZERO service in such backwater regions as Houston, Dallas, New York, Chicago. Able to sign on in places like Waco, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Austin... The company says everything is fine and starts giving a sidestep about how great the service is and how we are getting faster response time than they advertise.

READ THE SMALL PRINT!!!!