Which is faster? Tethered phone or Dedicated Data Device?

Alex · Last edited by Alex on Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:42 am; edited 3 times in total

Here's a topic that will come up more and more as each new phone or PDA is released:
Which is faster? A Tethered Phone / PDA, or a true EVDO data card / USB modem?

First, let me remind potential customers that 3GStore.com does not (yet) sell any phones or PDAs and do not provide any phone or tech support for it (yet).

That said, here are some points we like to make about the subject:

-- Tethering makes sense only for those who need infrequent access to the internet. someone who only has to log in once a day or less, and doesn't live online for 2-12 hours a day.

-- You can only tether for as long as your phone/pda's battery lasts. Of course, you can always plug your phone in - but the point of broadband wireless is that you can use it without being plugged in, right?

-- While you are tethered, your phone/pda battery will die faster. In fact many phone forums are spreading the word that just turning off the EVDO part of a phone saves a lot of battery life. Imagine how short battery life is when you are actually using your phone to move data over EVDO!

-- You cannot talk on your phone/pda, and be tethered for internet access at the same time. This is the main deal-breaker for the tech/consultant/executive who is on the go and needs to be talking with a client at the same time researching an answer on the web.

-- As of 06/14/07, there are no EVDO Rev-A phones out yet. EVDO Rev-A is the fastest available networks from Sprint and Verizon and many people with their new Rev-A compatible devices experience in excess of 2000kbps/sec downloads. (See for yourself: Fastest Downloads submitted on EVDOMaps.com)

-- If you tether via wireless BlueTooth and only have BT1.x you are never even going to see EVDO speeds. BT1.x has max throughput of about 200-400kbps which is slower than EVDO speeds. If you are lucky enough to have one of the rare phones / PDAs with BT2.x or tether via USB cable, then at least your tethering method is not a bottleneck.

-- Lastly, a phone or PDA's infrastructure is designed for phone use FIRST, and data transmission second. (sometimes 3rd, 4th etc) This means that phones and PDAs are NOT good at being a data device. Their internal processor focuses its effort on other things like actually being a phone, or being a media player, etc. The internal data bus of a phone is not 'tuned' for maximum data throughput.

All this adds up to the fact that the fastest tethered phone or PDA is only about one third as fast as a dedicated EVDO data device, given the same exact EVDO signal.

Think about this for a minute: Do you really want to pay for a Data Option on your phone, only to end up getting one third of the potential speeds that EVDO can provide?

Doesn't it make sense that if you are going to pay for High Speed EVDO Rev-A service, that you can actually get it where its available to you?

For those who want proof of my speed claims, I'll offer these links to the archived speedtests on one of the oldest and more respected online sites that provide speedtests: BroadBandReports.com

Here is their archive link showing most recent and fastest mobile device tests:
http://www.dslreports.com/mspeed?domains=1

(for the purpose of discussion on this thread, I'm adding this static image of archive results that were live when I wrote this post.)

Note that after thousands of samples on Sprint, the average top speed of a phone is just 580kbps. After thousands of tests on Cingular, top speed is only 433kbps, and after thousands of tests by Verizon phone customers, their average top speed is just 363kbps. TMobile? after thousands of tests, the average top speed is 530kbs.

For your convenience, here are archived speed test results for Sprint and Verizon EVDO, done using dedicated data devices.

Sprint -> http://www.dslreports.com/archive/spcsdns.net
Verizon -> http://www.dslreports.com/archive/myvzw.com

Both reports show that average top speed is well above 2000kbps

OK, the forum is open. lets discuss this, shall we? Wink

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2004

The biggest drawback is that you can't talk on the phone while tethering data. This is one advantage ATT HSDPA phones have, but the HSDPA network is not very large yet.

When WiMAX phones come next year or so on Sprint, you'd think simultaneous voice/data would be possible, but there would still be other limitations you mentioned. Eventually, VoIP phones should allow simultaneous usage as well.

There was talk of dual ESN chipsets in development a few years ago to allow voice on one and data on another. The carriers weren't interested.

Alex · Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:53 am Post subject:

xchpstang · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:46 pm Post subject:

In a way with AT&T's UMTS/HSDPA simultaneous data and voice is kind of a moot point since there are two channels dedicated to a data only session but when on a call and using data it drops down to one channel for the data session. So the realworld throughput when on a call is much lower than when not on a call.

Bigdave · EVDO Addict Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 1069

Well, I happen to have Sprint EVDO using a U720 & KR1, Alltel EVDO using the PC5740 card & KR1, and an Alltel Motorola Q using PDANet. So I decided to try them all back to back this afternoon. For what it's worth here are the results. I used speedtest.net for all tests. Tests done around 6pm on a Monday evening using a Dell desktop - Dimension 8400 with XP Pro. Also, noting the apparently different HA's for the Q and PC5740, I used the test site that the speedtest site chooses as best one to test by. For Sprint I have the HA set to Kansas City.

Moto Q via PDANet (Using USB cable/active sync)

Here’s the Alltel PC5740 card with the KR1 router. Note that I haven’t updated anything about this card in well over a year since I no longer have a laptop with a PCMCIA type 2 slot. This may be the reason speeds are so slow. I don’t know as I rarely use this card any more but am under contract a bit longer still. Normally this one averages around 1000kbps DL’s. Could just be slow due to busy time of day.

Sprint U720 plugged into the KR1. Rev A baby!! Of course this is the one I normally use.

urrl78 · EVDO User Joined: 26 Sep 2005 Posts: 81

Not entirely correct concerning phone battery.
Some phones have powered USB cables like my A900 phone, so the phone lasts as long as the laptop battery does. Plus there is no way my laptop battery will last half as long as my phone battery when both are fully charged. In this respect I consider tethering a non issue.

As far as speed is concerned when I purchased my Sprint EX720 card I compared both units. the card got about 100 KBPS more then the tethered phone. Both were Sprint products, and I would presume both used the same cell tower (s) but I don't know much about how that works. So I am sticking with the card now and terminated the tethered thing; only is it as a regular phone now.
_________________
Sony T250 1.2 Ghz & 17" Powerbook 1.5 Ghz

deparson · EVDO Junkie Joined: 30 Aug 2006 Posts: 249

Yes, the BB 8703e is USB powered so when tethered the battery is charged and the phone powered.

As for being a data device 2nd or 3rd or 4th I would say the 8703e ties as a 50/50 balance between a data device and phone. It does both with amazing form and function. Of course, it is only EVDO Rev 0 so it will never be as fast as my data card.

-D

vonnieglen · Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:10 pm Post subject: Sprint PPC-6700

Some of what has been stated in this sticky has not really rang true for me from my personal experience.

I have had a Sprint PPC-6700 for two years and must say that I have been very happy with it. There is no NAI to disable, so no hack is neccessary to tether without a phone as modem plan. Sprint customer support walked me through hooking it up to my laptop the first time using the driver and USB cable included with the phone.

If someone calls me while the phone is tethered to the laptop through USB the phone rings and I answer it. Afterwards I have to redial using my dial-up network Sprint shortcut to get back on the internet. This has never been much of an issue for me.

As far as speed goes... I use a Merlin S620 pcmcia card on a laptop at work. I have run numerous tests using the Speakeasy speed test web page to compare the performance of the two devices. I have never found any appreciable difference between the two devices.

The phone charges while it is tethered to the laptop, so battery life has never been an issue.

I have only used the PPC-6700 for internet access on the laptop while at work or on the road. I often watch streaming video and listen to streaming audio using orb or internet media sites using the PPC-6700. Since I have never had anything but a powervision plan I don't like to push my luck. We have a cable modem at home. When I bought the phone there were no Phone as Modem plans available.

The device is not rev. A so it is not as fast as the very latest devices.

ChrisM · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:45 pm Post subject:

As I mentioned in another thread here, you could use a Vonage USB V-Phone with unlimited minutes while tethered.

dima · EVDO User Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 98

I'm tethering with my VZW Moto Q just fine. Been doing it for about a year. Been getting 350-985 kbs down, 70-125 kbs up, ping 135 ms to server 150 mi away. Tried a Rev A card (5750) but didn't notice hardly any increase in dl speed, upl speed around 350 kbs, no decrease in latency. So I said screw it and took it back after 1 week.

techorb · EVDO Newbie Joined: 08 Aug 2008 Posts: 1

just wanted to put in a couple points to this aging post:

* some of the newer smartphones will charge now when tethered. I'm using a SMT5800 from Verizon (HTC Libra) and it's great. It does not discharge while being tethered as a modem; simply plugging it into the USB port automatically begins charging the phone ... I'm rarely using the wall charger.

* speeds on Rev-0 firmware are about 700kb/down and ~185kb/up in the NYC metro. not bad! works just fine for jumping onto gmail or general surfing. streaming does pretty well; i was surprised.

The biggest issue I can see now is getting some kind of firmware update for my 5800 to support Rev-a. I have a feeling that may not come quickly, but with the push-to-talk phones from Motorola being marketed as Rev-a phones, maybe there's light yet at the end of the tunnel! Smile

frostedflakes · EVDO User Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 43

FWIW, I've seen some pretty insane speeds through my RAZR v3m, it tested at 2.1Mbps down one night (although 1.2-1.5Mbps seems to be more common). This is on the second story of the house with good LoS with the tower, tops of trees are probably the only obstruction, and I think the tower is about 2-3mi away.

Maureen · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:52 pm Post subject:

Some of the info in this thread might be a little outdated now that there are so many great tether-capable Rev-A phones available, so I thought I'd jump in and remind everyone that you can find out all the basics of tethering here:

Tethering (AKA Phone-as-Modem): Get the Facts!

This article breaks down the pro's, con's, pricing, compatible devices currently available from Verizon and Sprint, and other FAQs.

The bottom line IMHO (and I have considerable experience with both tethering and dedicated devices, obviously), is that tethering can be the perfect solution for occasional EVDO (vacations, etc) but I wouldn't recommend it for everyday use. I also strongly recommend going with a Rev-A phone if you plan to use tethering fairly often - it makes a big difference!!