A couple questions.

Luka · EVDO Junkie Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 168

Ok, I am getting impatient. LOL

I am about to see if I can borrow the money to get started with EVDO.

But I have a couple questions first.

1. Where I intend to set the antenna, I get a pretty constant 3 to 4 bars of service on the cell phone. Not even a sprint cell phone. It is a Sprint tower, and the tower is less than 4 miles from me. And EVDO revA IS active on that tower, according to their records.

I THINK this is a pretty good indication that I should get a fairly solid EVDO signal, right ?

2. With 4 bars, I am assuming ahead of time that I will probably have to have an antenna. Is this a good assumption ?

3. The distance from the point where I will mount the antenna on a tall post, to where the computer is, is about 60 feet. Please tell me if the following sounds ok...

* Put the antenna up about ten feet. Raise or lower to find the best signal strength.

* Cable from the antenna down to the u720 from Sprint.

* Using an adaptor, plug the u720 into a router.

* Run cat5 from the router, into the RV trailer, and to the computer.

So, the questions on that last lot are, first, as I already asked, does that sound ok ?

Second, can the u720 be "adaptered" to a Linksys model BEFSR41 ver 4.1 router ???

If not, is there another card that can be adapted to that router ? A comparable card ???

Being able to use the router I already have is pretty much central to whether I am going to be able to afford to do this at all.

It IS possible to move this setup, to get 5,6, and sometimes even 7 bars of cell service. But that is going to mean that much more cat5 cable from the router to the computer. Maybe as much as 100 to 150 feet of cat5... I am hoping that a steady 3 or 4 bars of service are plenty if I use the antenna.

Am I playing with all my marbles here ? Or am I going to be taking a chance on this, and possibly end up in debt, and without broadband service to show for it ? Which chance is greater ?

(The ONLY problem I can really forsee for the future, aside from the above, is possible problems in mid summer from too much foliage between me and the antenna. But if I can eke out even dialup speeds when it is at it's worst, I can live with a couple of months of slowdown each year until I find a better solution.)

Thoughts ? Opinions ? Ham sammiches ?

Luka · EVDO Junkie Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 168

Just thinking some more here.

So far, I have been unable to find a female usb to male cat5 adaptor. So I don't know if I am going to be able to get the u720 plugged into the router.

Edited here:

I found a dongle that will plug into an ethernet socket, and let the u720 plug into the other side.

USB type A Female to RJ45 Male

http://www.connecttech.net/product_info.php?products_id=1448

And less than 5 bucks.

That takes care of the one connection I was not sure of.

Edit ends:

Addendum to that, if I buy the antenna, cable and u720 all from here... can I return all of them for a refund if it doesn't work ?

(If the usb to router connection is going to work, then all I will need is the antenna, and the u720.)

Does anyone know if the u20 will work, if plugged in that way ?

Walter · EVDO Junkie Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 307

No, the U720 is NOT going to work that way. You need a router (or a PC) that works with the U720 directly. Right now, the only router I'm aware of that works at all with the U720 is the Kyocera KR1 and that only unofficially and not at full speed. There may be a firmware update later that will make the KR1 work correctly with the U720. Also, according to our hosts here, the new MB6800 should support the U720 when it comes out: See this thread:

http://www.evdoforums.com/thread4406.html

HTH. Good luck.
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Luka · EVDO Junkie Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 168

First, thank you for the reply.

It seems I have been written off as a waste of time by the owners here. (They have not answered the last couple of emails, attached to my original "ticket", at all. And subsequent posts here in the forum have been pretty much ignored as well.)

And probably justifiably so. Since I don't have a wad of discretionary cash that I can plonk down idiscriminately for any geegaw I have an urge to try out.

They have a limited amount of time, and it is understandable that they would want to answer questions from those who are more likely to buy something right away.

Smile

I DO totally understand.

I am kind of stuck in a no-man's land here.

Even if I swing the bucks for the u720 and an antenna, and possibly some cable, I certainly am not going to be able to afford a couple hundred for a router.

And now that the price of the amplifier has gone up to near 300, there is just no way I'll be able to afford that for quite a while. (Half a month's income for me.)

So, look. I could end up playing a sort of juggling game.

I could get the antenna/cable/u720 and find I get a sgnal, but not good enough. Since I can't afford the amp, I'd have to return the card and antenna, (That is IF they even take the antenna back, which they haven't answered yet...) And wait until I can afford the amp as well.

It is understandable that I would be seen as a waste of time.

I am dragging my feet, asking a ton of questions, postulating scenarios, hookups, etc... (I have to. While the money involved may have otherwise been spent on candy bars, coffee, or pizza by most others.... it is a MAJOR portion of my monthly income.)(And that 60 bucks a month I'll be paying to Sprint if it works, will cut so far into the budget that it will be next to impossible after that, to save up any money to pay for what I have...)

And all for what ? A POSSIBLE small sale. Probably for less than other sales they do all day, every day ???

Anyway, back to it...

I suspected the u720 wouldn't work in a setup like that. The router doesn't have the right workings inside, to utilize the u720.

So I am looking at the simplest setup.

The antenna. Then enough cable to get from that, to the computer. Then the usb dongle at the computer.

Ok, so the potential juggling act, it is. LOL

My lasting concern is, if the setup doesn't work, am I going to be able to return EVERYTHING I buy, for a refund, or only the u720 ?

Walter · EVDO Junkie Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 307

Give our hosts a bit more time. They're usually pretty good about responding. You only posted last night after all. Smile

With what you describe, I'd say you have at least a decent chance of getting a useable signal with just an external antenna and cable. Our hosts may be able to give you a more definitely estimate based on your address and a look at the maps. They have done this for some others. Many things factor into reception though: including terrain and foliage.

Oh, don't forget to budget a couple of extra bucks for a USB extension cable as well so you can get the U720 a little further away from your computer. It'll help reception a bit more.
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Reach, Connect, Celebrate, Grow, Serve.

Luka · EVDO Junkie Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 168

Yup.

Well, for this thread, anyway.

Smile

I would erase all that, if I didn't think it would be dishonest of me to do so. IMO you own your warts when you post them, just as much as you own your diamonds.

I DO think it would be ridiculous for them to continue answering my stupid questions. LOL

Personally, I do think I have a decent chance at a signal, as well.

But as I said, for me it is a lot of money. I would have liked to have been told the exact latitude and longitude for the tower that is nearest to me. With that info, I would be able to pinpoint the signal, and compare to the topography here.

To be fair, probably only Sprint themselves is aware of the exact lat and long of that tower. How Michael and the others here would get that info, I have NO idea.

But, this being such an investment for me, I had to ask my stupid questions, and hope that somehow they'd know.

Smile

I am very familiar with the topography here.

If I knew the lat and long, I could get a much better idea of whether I'd have a good signal... Whether I'd have a good signal continuously... And whether I would likely have to worry much about foliage.

While I don't HAVE to have any of the answers I've asked for, having those answers would make me feel better about taking the chance.

But no one here is responsible for whether I feel ok about it or not.

Rolling Eyes

They have already gone above and beyond, by providing this great resource of a site.

Smile

Oh... I already have a usb extension cable.

And thanks again for the responses.

magicjimmy · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:26 pm Post subject:

This is just too easy Luka. Sprint gives you 30 days to try the service with no risk. Call them and order the card and service. Once you have it installed, if you get a weak signal, an amp and external antenna may help. If you have no signal without them, they're not gonna help. My guess is you can get a usable signal with just the card itself.
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Nevermind...

3Gstore · EVDO Addict Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 3171

3Gstore · EVDO Addict Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 3171

Luka · EVDO Junkie Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 168