Sprint/Verizon EVDO and Cingular HSDPA compared

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2003

^That's unacceptably slow for both carriers. I wouldn't bother subscribing. Perhaps it is your laptop. Do you get those speeds no matter where you travel?

criggs · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 17

horsessmellfunny · Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 11:55 am Post subject:

ahh yes a fellow New Yorker. I am orignally from Hauppauge, out on the island. I will be out end of June through mid July, so I am hoping out there, my Sprint card will be kicking butt. I could understand why it maybe slow in your area, due to large volume. Odd how a mile north and south you received better performance. I am very surprised Verizon did that. Either way, what card are you using on Verizon, and what card were you using when you trialed out Sprint? The two best cards are the Air Crd 580, or the Novatel 620. The card will actually make a difference between 200k and 400k.

criggs · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 17

horsessmellfunny · Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:50 pm Post subject:

Bah sorry for the delayed response, the almighty decided I should get the flu *coughs and hacks on keyboard*, good thing human viruses cant be transmitted over the internet...... yet.... Bah Sprint's compression software would turn it into a nice neat tiny little package and compress the hell out of it so it look grainy...

Anywho, I beleive you should upgrade to the KPC650, Bah on Verizon tech. You would think they would want you to upgrade, more money for them! Along with the KPC650, get a Booster-Antenna from Michael, and plug it into the white port, the right most port. Stupid question, are you indoors when attempting to use the service? Many buildings (as you know, I know your no idiot), will block the signal. Especially those old brownstones, frekain things can withstand a tactical nuclear strike.

Another fairly dumb question, what is your RSSI (dBm), (for those that dont know what I am talking about, how many bars do you have)? If your hovering above -96, I could see the reason for getting the performance you are. A Booster antenna would most certainly help in this case. You may simply be in a 'fringe' area, where your card is freakin out not knowing wich tower to use. Reason I say that, you can go a mile north or south and get perfectly fine coverage. In this case, the KPC650 would help.

I am glad Verizon gave you the hook up. We have had Verizon before they were Verizon, when they were still Bell Atlantic Mobile. I remember crossing the Queensborough and seeing the large BAM building got to Verizon over night. I asked them about getting free TXT'ing, and they said "due to liabaility issues, blah blah, we cant treat others better then the rest blah blah". I am also suprised they DOWNGRADED you to a 5740, Jeez!

Anywho, I just took some Dayquil, so I should be feeling a bit better. Back to getting sick!

criggs · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 17

horsessmellfunny · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:42 pm Post subject:

Alrighty, starters, KPC is about hmmm $100? I dont remember what I paid when I got mine. If you get the 2 year, I beleive its $100. You can get it from the Verizon Wireless store. I would recommend dealing with the store you have been dealing with the entire time,. Just in case you need to cancel or have problems, life is that much easier. In all honesty, you will not be going back to the PC5740. Once you see how versatile, powerful, as well as performance you get out of the 650, you will not go back down. You will need to ask Verizon if they will let you go back down, I dont think they will, they are sticklers about this stuff. Booster antenna is about $70, but well worth it. Contact Michael at www.booster-antenna.com for more information. Well worth it though, and it may even solve your problems. Wehn you exchange the old card for the new card, they transfer all of the information (phone nubmer, account,. etc) over to the new card.

Being inside will actually make enough of a difference beleive it or not. In my house, in my room I would get 2 bars-ish of strength, I would walk outside and get 3-4 ish. But, since you tested in other locations in doors as well, its hard to see how it would make a difference. But each location really does make a difference. The buildings north and south may even have a cell tower on them, or within a few hundred feet. Where as at your location, the nearest tower may be a mile a way. It is very difficult to say in NYC simply because of the buildings and thier structures. As I said I am originally from there, so I know how the buildings are death traps for cell phones.

Your signal strength is more then adequate which makes a huge difference. it also shoots down my above statement lol.

In conclusion, I have a feeling in your in an EVDO fringe area. Your attempting to access two towers, and your card is not liking that. The KPC 650 really shines in this aspect because it has a newer chipset which will lock onto one tower and not freak out. I would really say give the 650 a shot. If you are still having problems, you may try a booster antenna, but based on your RSSI, your getting perfectly fine strength. At this point, trial out Sprint, which I think you said you did. I am really sick with the flu, so my brain is like Shocked

.

criggs · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 17

horsessmellfunny · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 10:51 pm Post subject:

Yea, I wouldnt think buioding height is a factor. I live in CO now, you will go from 6,000 feet to almost 8,000 feet in about a 1,000 foot distance (10% grade? I am not a mathematician, I have failed college algebra two times alredy), and you will still have perfectly fine signal strength, and o yea that is in the Rocky Mountains on I-70. So, I wouldnt think that makes a difference.
Even though the 650 shines in low signal areas, I beleive it will help in the issue of being stuck between two towers, which it seems like you are.
You can definetly get another account and try it with a 650. You will get charged a partial month which is think is like $15-$30? You will also get hit with an activation fee. I would suggest, get the manager, tell him what your doing and what your problems are. If he tries to 'sweet talk you', send him my way Wink

just kidding, just tell him this is very important to your business yadda yadda yadda, and tell him you have no choice but to do this. If he still gives you hell, your in NYC, there are a lot of Verizon stores. Also tell them your a long term customer, you've had them when they were BAM, yadda yadda yadda.
I am surprised Sprint didnt do that well. I have been very impressed with them, as well as their coverage. They just have that annoying compression crap.
Anywho, dont get eaten by lose Coyotees. I am off to bed, as i took some NyQuil and hope to have a better night's sleep then last nights 45 minutes!
Hope I helped!

criggs · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 17

criggs · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 17

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2003

I noticed you said it took hours to compile. It takes me about 15 minutes to do both carriers in Excel.

Key Excel shortcuts...
-Paste Special the list as Unicode Text
-Blank out the second column
-Split down/upload column with Excel's 'Text to Columns' delimited with /

Then it's easy to sort, calculate however you'd like. Unfortunately Open Office does not have this, that I could find.

criggs · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 17

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2003

Bad science....

http://mobilitytoday.com/news/006317/palm_treo_evdo_poor

This is a test someone performed trying to show that Verizon's Treo 700w is much much slower with EVDO than Sprint's 6700. They claim that Verizon is 'clearly' throttling down EVDO. It's plastered all over the net and geek sites like Gizmado picked it up. This is bad pseudo-scientific testing. The test is simplistic and in one location. The Sprint tower may be nearby while the Verizon tower my be distant with more obstructions in between.

If you look at responses below the video, other Treo 700w users report over 800Kbps.

EVDO is very susceptible to location and obstructions and your performance will vary for both providers for varying reasons.