Wireless Troubles: A Day with Sprint

[MeJennifer]

What a day.

Just got a new dual core Dell in the house with everything on it so I figured why not add a wireless broadband connection. Is nice, can have my coffee and browse the internet at sub broadband speed right?

Now I am the kind of person who got a month to month, no nonsense, simple arrangement with a local wireless phone provider using the cheapest phone they had available. Dirt cheap and unlimited calling.
So, I had to change all that, what a mistake!

After visiting two competing high pressure "this is a special deal only for today" sales venues I decided to take a Sprint plan. A "family plan".

So two new and free the latest and greatest cell phones, bluetooth enabled, with camera and color screen, plus a EV-DO capable wireless broadband PCMCIA card. And stuck for 2 years with it!

Afterwards went to the coffeeshop and thought I be online in a jiffy. Then the trouble started, I took the card and stuck it in the slot of my new Dell. Ahhh, well that does not work anymore, PCMCIA is old, outdated. Now we have an express slot. Of course completely incompatible with PCMCIA

And neither Verizon or Sprint, the only ones with EV-DO, have this kind of cards as of yet, they will arrive "soon", but we can't give you a timeframe, and have no priceplans.

So, I go home and I try it on an older laptop right. The salesperson had it all setup for me, lockout codes, access numbers, the works, all written down. I just needed to install the software and plug it in... Well at 11 PM I gave it a try, "wrong access code, please call sprint for an access code", and of course they tell you they need serial numbers, drivers license, birth date, social sec number for verification.
Well try to get support at 11 PM

Ok, so now I connect my super cool bluetooth with the Dell right? Wrong! Everything blocked, courtesy of Sprint, except for the headphones!
So if I make pictures I cannot even download them with bluetooth. Oh yes I can download them through the sprint system, 20 cents a picture, or pay more for yet another option.

So, tomorrow, I will re-enable my month to month unlimited plan with the old provider again and find a coffee shop to go online for free.

 

[Evo]

Dell blew it big time, they changed the slot on their new laptops before the card makers had cards available. It has given Dell a huge black eye, they're marketing people blew it. The cards are now avaliable, btw, at least Novatel has them available. If you tell me what model phone you have I can tell you if you can use it as a phone as modem, you have to have a Vision Plus plan with the phone, or it won't work. You can connect via usb if you are having trouble using it wirelessly via bluetooth.

 

[MeJennifer]

Dell blew it big time, they changed the slot on their new laptops before the card makers had cards available. It has given Dell a huge black eye, they're marketing people blew it. The cards are now avaliable, btw, at least Novatel has them available. If you tell me what model phone you have I can tell you if you can use it as a phone as modem, you have to have a Vision Plus plan with the phone, or it won't work. You can connect via usb if you are having trouble using it wirelessly via bluetooth.

Thanks for the help.
But there is no need, I just finished packing the whole thing and am about to return it.

 

[Astronuc]

Thanks for the help.
But there is no need, I just finished packing the whole thing and am about to return it.

Yeah, but this is handy stuff for others to know.

MeJennifer, I hope your network problems are in the past.

I am reluctant to try new technology too soon. :uhh:

 

[Evo]

Yeah, but this is handy stuff for others to know.

MeJennifer, I hope your network problems are in the past.

I am reluctant to try new technology too soon. :uhh:

I just bought Evo child a wireless broadband high speed card for her computer. 2Mbps download for $14.97 per month. I just got it in the mail today.

 

[Astronuc]

I just bought Evo child a wireless broadband high speed card for her computer. 2Mbps download for $14.97 per month. I just got it in the mail today.

Is this a wireless service (WAN) or LAN or both. My home network uses cable and wireless LAN (Wireless G), but the data comes through a fiber-optic cable. My daughter can use the wireless network at school, as well as the one at home.

 

[MeJennifer]

Yeah, but this is handy stuff for others to know.

Good point!

MeJennifer, I hope your network problems are in the past.

Well a few hours ago I signed up for T-Mobile hotspot, so in fact I am writing this message using my wireless card in Starbucks.
Works just fine and even the video conferencing and voip is good!


Now if only if I can connect to my home computer's Microsoft network.
I got a dynamic IP adress, but it is always on so it won't change that often, a router with fixed local adress allocations based on MAC adresses.
I suppose I can forward a particular port in NAT to do remote desktop on a particular machine but I really would like to connect to my Microsoft network. I don't know perhaps too complicated.

 

[Evo]

Is this a wireless service (WAN) or LAN or both. My home network uses cable and wireless LAN (Wireless G), but the data comes through a fiber-optic cable. My daughter can use the wireless network at school, as well as the one at home.

This is a wireless broadband connection card that goes inside the computer and can be used anywhere a cell phone can be used. She can be driving down the road and be online, hopefully as a passenger and not a driver.

It is not limited to WIFI spots and doesn't require to sign up and pay for wifi. Rev A will be out in January, wth Download speeds of 3.1 Mbps and upload speeds of 1.8Mbps, but it will require a new chipset.

 

[Evo]

Good point!


Well a few hours ago I signed up for T-Mobile hotspot, so in fact I am writing this message using my wireless card in Starbucks.
Works just fine and even the video conferencing and voip is good!


Now if only if I can connect to my home computer's Microsoft network.
I got a dynamic IP adress, but it is always on so it won't change that often, a router with fixed local adress allocations based on MAC adresses.
I suppose I can forward a particular port in NAT to do remote desktop on a particular machine but I really would like to connect to my Microsoft network. I don't know perhaps too complicated.

T-mobile hotsot is limited to public places that have the service and isn't as fast as broadband. It won't work at your house.

 

[MeJennifer]

T-mobile hotsot is limited to public places that have the service and isn't as fast as broadband. It won't work at your house.

In fact it is faster, while EV-DO is limited to 400-700 Kb and that is under ideal conditions the hotspot connects to land lines. Unless you have 20 people with ther laptop in Starbuck the speed is very good.
For instance right now (I just did the test) my connection speed is 1000 kbps!

Anyway, I understand that it does not work at my house. But that is not my question, I simply want to connect to my network Microsoft network at home through the internet.

 

[Astronuc]

This is a wireless broadband connection card that goes inside the computer and can be used anywhere a cell phone can be used. She can be driving down the road and be online, hopefully as a passenger and not a driver.

So this is essentially wireless high speed modem over a cellular network. Is this similar to the way Blackberry works.

It is not limited to WIFI spots and doesn't require to sign up and pay for wifi. Rev A will be out in January, wth Download speeds of 3.1 Mbps and upload speeds of 1.8Mbps, but it will require a new chipset.

I'm in no rush.

Thanks for the information.

 

[Evo]

In fact it is faster, while EV-DO is limited to 400-700 Kb

That's only average speeds if you are not in a good reception area, 2.4Mpbs is very common and you don't have to leave the house to get it.

 

[MeJennifer]

I just bought Evo child a wireless broadband high speed card for her computer. 2Mbps download for $14.97 per month. I just got it in the mail today.

Which carrier?

 

[Evo]

Which carrier?

That's a special, normal price is 59.99/mo for unlimited. Same offer Sprint or Verizon.

 

[Anttech]

This is a wireless broadband connection card that goes inside the computer and can be used anywhere a cell phone can be used. She can be driving down the road and be online, hopefully as a passenger and not a driver.

Nokia mobile connect card or something similar? Is that only 15$ / mnth in the states? Here Mobile connect cards physically arent so expensive, but u pay per MB and it costs a fortune, only Exec types use them while traveling all the time.

In fact it is faster, while EV-DO is limited to 400-700 Kb and that is under ideal conditions the hotspot connects to land lines.

Evo is correct it isn't as fast as broadband.

Try clearwire, I know they opperate in the States. http://www.clearwire.com/

This is going to be the future, mccaw is the owner, and is buying up all the frequencies he can, just like he did with Mobile market, and made a fortune (Billions). Although you can't physically 'move' and surf its coming.. Motorola just inject a lot of cash into this firm and also Intel...
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/276569_intelclearwire06.html