Lock to EVDO?

bradstocks · Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 4:53 pm Post subject: Lock to EVDO?

Hi all. New to the forums. Been lurking for a few months, but just joined today. Very nice forum by the way Very Happy

...

I got an Alltel pc5750 card yesterday. I currently have it running on IPCOP. It functions almost perfectly. (I am posting from the EVDO connection now). My question is, how can I set my card to EVDO only? I am wanting to go EVDO or nothing!!

Thanks

Brad

Bigdave · EVDO Addict Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 1068

That's a question that's been asked many times but as far as I know Alltel connection software, unlike the Sprint Connection Manager, doesn't allow for this that anyone has found. So sorry! Be sure to let us know if you find a way though.

bradstocks · Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:32 pm Post subject:

Thanks dave. I was afraid that was the answer. I had googled until I was sick of it last night looking for the answer. Guess I'm against a brick wall then.

Brad

ansar · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:24 pm Post subject: HDR Only

It can be done. I am at work right now, so hopefully I remember the right combination. Basically, you want to set your card to HDR only, at least I think that was the wording. I am guessing HDR means HighDataRate... at least that is what I took it to mean. Smile

1. Open up AccessLink, but don't connect.
2. Press Control-D
3. In the dialogue box that appears, type "diagsmsi" without the quotes
4. There will be several buttons appear, I can't recall the names exactly. One of the buttons will display a few toggle selections with "HDR Only" as one of them.
5. Select HDR Only and exit.

I think the card restarts at this point. I can't recall though.

I will try to double check when I get home... but the wife sometimes has other stuff for me to do and I might forget. Smile

Bigdave · EVDO Addict Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 1068

That's cool. Thanks ansar! Never knew that. Of course I haven't been able to use AccessLink in so long I don't think I even have it installed anymore. I use my card in the KR1 since it's an older pc5740 type 2 pcmcia card and I no longer have a laptop with that type of card slot. I'd really like to find a way to update my pc5740 to the latest firmware and PRL but, alas, there is not much of a chance since I don't even know anyone with an older laptop so . . . . . . and presently the best I get with the Alltel card is about 500kbps down on a good day. I also have a Sprint U720 so I rarely use the S L O W Alltel card anymore except in emergencies.

(I always wanted to find a sentence I could use "alas" in so this is a really big day for me!!!) Rolling Eyes

karlyn · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:58 pm Post subject: Re: HDR Only

Very cool, ansar!

Last time I had my card in my old laptop I'd figured out that you had to do the Ctrl-D/diagsmsi *without* being connected, but decided to not play around with the settings since I didn't know what the various HDR settings meant.

bradstocks · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:39 pm Post subject:

Cool. I knew about the diagnostic screen and I had seen that option and wondered if that is what it meant. (HDR) I will change this and see if it works! Thanks for the tip!!

I am also looking into getting an external antenna. I am located in the center of two alltel towers, but the towers have different SID's. One tower (sid 1538) is in my home county, the other (578) is just across the county line. I prefer to be on my home tower. It seems to have less traffic, or more bandwidth on average...however you want to look at it. My RSSI is almost equal on either tower. I average -87 to -91 the majority of the time with an EVDO signal. Would one of the nice omni's the 3gstore sells help me remain on one tower? Or should I look into hacking my card to lock into one SID?

Thanks for all the help. This forum rocks!

Bigdave · EVDO Addict Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 1068

The real antenna experts may well miss your question since we Alltel folks are relegated to obscurity so I thought I'd offer up some of what I've observed around here. Since you are in between the 2 towers an omni antenna will do the same as what you have now just with a stronger signal. In other words I seriously doubt there's any way you can lock onto a specific tower with an omni. BUT, a more viable option might be a Yagi, a directional antenna. From what I understand these can be more difficult and complicated to tune but they are definitely the way to go to zero in on a specific tower. Just get in touch with the folks here at 3GStore and I'm sure they will help you. They really do know what they're talking about. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

bradstocks · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:01 pm Post subject:

I understand. I have experience with alot of antennas and installations..mostly CB, HAM, TV and WIFI. I was rambling for the most part, really wanting to get around to asking about locking the card to a specific SID as you can with so many cellular phones.

Bigdave · EVDO Addict Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 1068

Cool. And with the access ansar described through AccessLink who knows? Maybe there is a way to lock to a certain SID. That would indeed be very cool. Too bad the technology wouldn't just simply connect to the antenna/tower with the least amount of traffic. I guess that would make too much sense? Or is that actually what it does? When we're within "site" of multiple towers how does it decide which to connect to? Strongest signal I would think. Anyway . . . . speaking of rambling. . . . . . .

bradstocks · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:21 pm Post subject:

Yep. I was using that utility to watch my connection. That's when I noticed I was jumping between the two SID's. I did not see anyway to force thou.

Generally, your phone/device will connect to the tower with the strongest signal. Depending on what side of the house I am on dictates which one I am connected to. My current solution involves sharing my EVDO on the "good side" of the house thru IPCOP to my local network/wifi. I am posting off my couch from my macbook pro right now....I am loving this newfound speed at home. I am a network admin at a local k12. We have a 50mbit fiber connection to the internet and I had a 6 mbit cable connection at my old home. Until this week, I've been on dialup for almost a year here in my new home. Compared to that...EVDO is a godsend!

Brad

Bigdave · EVDO Addict Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 1068

That must have been physically painful going home to dial-up from those speeds. Been there and done that myself. I'm constantly amazed that I am in SE Ga. in a county with a pop of less than 48k - a county now - and we were one of the first to get EVDO and then also got Rev A very early in the process. Having a nuclear sub base in the neighborhood can't help though I suppose. I have a sister in Ackworth who, among all the bazillions of people up there, has to go to a certain part of her house as well in order to connect at all. But she is using AT&T so . . . . . Anyway, good luck on your adventure.

Don't know if you're a Braves fan or not but it would sure be nice to see them get a couple of runs here!!

karlyn · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:43 am Post subject:

karlyn · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 9:13 am Post subject: Re: HDR Only

Bigdave · EVDO Addict Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 1068

Interesting. Wonder what HDR stands for? I suppose CDMA is Alltel for 1xrtt?