Which card should i buy?

HardD99 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 8

so since verizon disconnected my service and i now hate them i am switching to sprint. Im looking for the best card to choose out of the 3 that they currently offer and i was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction, i did a search but didnt come back with much. thx guyz

AirFlow · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 20

This was the response I got when i asked that question.

http://www.evdoforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2612

5.) As far as aircards, that has been answered above. For Verizon, you want the KPC650, or the Novatel Merlin V620. If you are on Sprint, you want the Merlin S620.
KPC650 & Merlin 620: Both carry the newest Qualcomm chipset. They tend to authenticate on the network faster, and overall, perform significanlty better. They also have a better chance at picking up a weak signal in a weak signal area. They also both have a significantly more robust external antenna port.
AirCard 580 (Sprint only): This is the mid-entry model. It has an older chipset. However, it has a flip up antenna, which does help in low-signal areas. It does have a poorly designed external antenna port, so it tends to break easier (I already broke mine ). This card also works with a lot more laptops. Especially older models. I would also suggest this card if you get an AMD processor. If you look around, there is a thread relating to users having issues with the KPC650 or Merlin 620 and compatibility issues on their laptops.
Audiovox5740: Both providers carry this card. This is the lowest level card. It has no external antenna port, a much older chipset, no flip-up antenna, and doesnt get the greatest reception. It is the cheapest card though.

5Bars · EVDO User Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 29

It seems to be a stroke of luck that I chose the Merlin S620 with my Sprint plan. Working on a large military LAN, I was familiar with Sierra and Novatel, but I chose the Novatel card because the Sierra Air Card with it's flip up antenna looked like it would be easy to break. I have been very happy with the overall performance of the Merlin S620, and the opinion seems to be shared by many users on this forum as well. I think the Novatel card might be a little more customizable and flexible for tweaking, but that's just my unsubstantiated opinion.