Air card in desktop?

gumby · Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 10:45 am Post subject: Air card in desktop?

I've seen some posts mentioning EDVO cards installed in desktops. How does that work?

The guy at the Alltel store told me they can provide an adapter, but it is very pricey. He said Best Buy has a desktop card for about $20 you can plug the PC II card into. When I asked at Best Buy, they didnt know what I was talking about. One guy suggested looking on their web site to order it online but I cant find anything there either.

Also, if I install it in my desktop and cant get a good signal without moving my PC, will the Kyocera Passport card support an external antenna? My PC is in an armiore type desk in an inside room, so if the card hangs out of the back of the PC inside the desk thats a possibility. I'm only a quarter mile from the tower I think carries Alltels voice signal, but I sometimes get dropped calls inside my house.

If I get the Kyocera router, will it work with Alltel? Does it replace the Passport card or does Alltels card plug in to the router?

Scott · Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 10:57 am Post subject:

What some are using are PCI to PC Card slot adapters. You end up with a PC Card slot on the back of your tower. Not the best place for an EVDO card but it can work. See this thread for more: http://www.evdoforums.com/thread67.html

The Kyocera KR1 works with AllTel and their Kyocera 'Passport', we have a number of customers using them this very moment. The KR1 is often an easier setup then PCI to PC Card adapters, though if you have VPN demands you should look at the Top Global MB6000 or MB8000.

We normally recommend that you have some kind of access to a computer with PC Card slot to do maintenance and troubleshooting on your EVDO card. Some get by without this though.

Your Kyocera Passport has two small RF connectors behind the narrow trap door on the end of the gray plastic housing (pull outwoard on the edge next to the raised molded triangle/arrow). All of our antennas and the signal amplifier work with your card.

ludyboodie · EVDO Newbie Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Texas

A sales person at our local Alltel store told me that same thing about purchasing a "slot" to plug my PC5740 card into my PC at home, but when I went to Radio Shack, the OWNER acted like I was an idiot!! He INSISTED that EVCO cards would ONLY work in laptops! HELLO!!! "HERE'S YOUR SIGN" Anyway, I didn't argue with him, I just went home and started looking on the net for one. To my surprise, you can purchase one from Radio Shack online (which that IDIOT didn't know and I surely didn't bother to call and tell him) or you could get one inexpensively from TigerDirect.com. I went through Amazon.com and typed in PCMCIA CARD or you can contact them directly by calling 1-800-888-6111 or on the internet at TigerDirect.com. The item # is C250-3746. It is called Cables Unlimited PCI to PCMCIA Adapter Card, and I paid $26.99 plus s&h for a total of $34.98
. This was the price that I paid for the SECOND one that I purchased for my husband's computer. I had purchased one three weeks earlier for my computer and it was about $8.00 cheaper, but I guess the "supply and demand" thing caused an increase in price. As people are learning about this, they are buying more of them. Hope this helps you.

illiterate · EVDO User Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 97

The fact of the matter is that aircards don't work 100% with those adapters.
Often I have to create manual connections within windows because the dialing software doesn't find the card in that condition, which means that many troubleshooting avenues are closed to you. If you call in for tech support, be prepared to be told "Sorry, we can/will only troubleshoot with the card in a laptop PC."

The other issue is signal. Do you get good signal on your cellphone if it is stuck behind your PC case? What if there is RF interference right there? Are you ready to move your desk around? Or get an adapter cable?

As far as the radio shack guy saying "Sorry, it won't work.", that seems an odd thing for him to say. Could be he's just had bad feedback from customers on it.

ludyboodie · EVDO Newbie Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Texas

No, the Radio Shack guy was dead serious that there was NO SUCH THING. He REALLY believed that the EVDO card was only compatable with a laptop. Oh well...yes, I get GREAT reception. It is surely worth a try for anyone who lives in a remote area where they don't have good phone lines or can't get DSL over the phone line. If they can get good reception with their cell phones, they can get good reception with the EVDO card. Mine is in the back of my computer, but it doesn't seem to create any problems. I am purchasing one for my husband's computer as well. I have two different connections with the card. One says QNC (what ever that means), so if for some reason I can't get a good connection with the other connection, I just switch to the QNC connection. You have to be careful though because, if you are traveling, it could incur charges for air time on other networks using the QNC. I'm really happy with my connection. As I say, I was on dial up and we have OLD phone lines both in our house AND coming to our house which will probably NEVER be updated, so it is WONDERFUL to me. Couldn't be happier.

illiterate · EVDO User Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 97

Something you should know about QNC (note: my knowledge is primarily verizon, but this part should be the same. i'd contact Alltel tech support to verify.)

1. It's only 14.4 kb/s
2. It uses MINUTES. If you have an aircard, you probably don't have any on your plan.

DharKhon · EVDO Newbie Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Posts: 5

I use my KPC650 in both my laptop and my desktop (using a PCMCIA adapter I bought online) and have had little or no trouble from the adapter ... oddly enough though, Alltel techs adamantly claim that such adapters are unreliable and die quickly. I have had said adapter since April. My desktop sits on the floor, under my desk, with the card in the back, and my sigal only drops marginally (from 100% in the laptop to maybe 89% in the desktop)