PC5750 aircard with Kyocera KR1 router, KPC650 broke?

ECFoecking · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Posts: 16

Dave, I COMPLETELY understand uruiamme's issues. I live in a rural area in west central Florida and am pretty much in the same boat. I have had Alltel cell service for over 10 years and have always had good sucecss with the phones. When we moved "from the light", we were faced with satelite as our only broadband option initially and that was a very expensive venture at the time. I was tickled when Alltel offered the EVDO service and moreso when the Kyocera products were available. I am currently running a KPC650 through the KR1 and it is frustrating at best. It is a rare instance I can come into my office and do anything on the internet without at least software rebooting the router. My wife has told me the only way she can ever get the router to come up active is to do hardware reboots (air gap in the plug). I would estimate I am connected for a grand sum of less than 3 hours a day, at best, if I don't do anything to specifically "activate" the router. I do not know if I am an "early ship" issue as I know I was one of the first to get a KR1 back when. I am running the RK1010 firmware. I do not have mountains or any other significant physical impedaments to deal with in getting my signal so I too am at a loss.

My daughter recently moved back in with us and decided to get her own card (as my "network" was not stable enough for her to do consulting work on) and has ended up with the PC5750. She only got the card late yesterday so I am not sure how the dedicated connection has been for her. In conversations with Alltel, they suggest my KPC650 was not a reliable card and suggest I get a newer card. I need to find a way to get them to commit to some level of service committment as I cannot afford to chase technology when I am still dealing with a 2 year contract on this card.

By the way, if I "moved back to the light", broadband wireless would be the VERY LAST option I would consider as the service is way to sketchy, slow and expensive when compared to pretty much any other broadband option.
_________________
Eric

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

I totally agree with your last statement. I don't live in the light but I can see it from here so I have a really stable set-up. Although DSL/cable are obviously MUCH faster in most areas (We have 6MB service available here) and definitely more stable I chose to drop them after a few months of trying out EVDO. I'm one of the lucky ones in that I NEVER have any real problems with wireless and it's plenty fast enough. Most importantly, it's mobile. I travel a lot and it actually saves me money not having to pay for the wireless internet at a lot of hotels we stay at as well as being able to use it while in the car. I currently have both Sprint and Alltel simply because I had Alltel first (PC5740 card) but was looking for the faster upload speeds of Rev A so I got a U720 from Sprint with no contract. Now, with the Sprint/Alltel EVDO roaming agreement and Alltel catching up by releasing Rev A in some areas I thought I was about ready to drop Sprint and just go with Alltel. BUT . . . . . . Alltel, although they actually SELL the KR1 themselves, aren't selling any new cards that are compatible with the KR1. Just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I know there's an adapter coming down the pike for the new KPC680 but when? Kyocera's track record for timeliness in releasing ANYTHING (KR1 firmware updates,etc.) aren't real impressive.

That all said, I will probably drop the Alltel data service when my contract is up in a couple of months since the roaming agreement goes both ways and Sprint pretty much stays ahead of Alltel in this area. Enough rambling . . . . . . . . Very Happy

uruiamme · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:02 am Post subject: Send me the PC5740

Dave, Send me the PC5740! $$? That's what I could use here to see if the KPC650 was my problem. Alltel can't get me one, as it is EOL. How much?! Very Happy

I could use it fast, before I get billed for I don't know what with the cards I keep trying from Alltel.

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

I wish I could help you but then I'd be stuck without a card and still under contract. If you weren't so far from the light I could loan it to you long enough for you to find out if it's the problem.

I usually have it loaned out to my daughter and her husband anyway. Sorry . . . . . . Sad

uruiamme · Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:56 pm Post subject: Update: eBay is smart

Okay, so looky what I found: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220123702391

(That's an eBay item which I just bought. The PC5740 for under $30.)

So we will see how things go. Maybe I will call my BSR and get her to activate it for me. It was free the last time I did. Smile

Meanwhile, the PC5750 is working better than the KPC650 in that it is FASTER and stays connected longer. It does need air-gap-to-the-power-cord reboots, however, at LEAST one TIME per day, but sometimes it takes a few of these manual reboots to do the job. We will see how the ancient PC5740 does. I wonder if the newer software will work or if I have to install the original? I intend to install the update from Alltel, too.

I also found a PCI to PCMCIA adapter I can use on a desktop system. Worth a shot so I don;t have to keep borrowing a laptop.

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

Well cool! Looks to be boxed just like the originals too. I don't have access to an old laptop so I don't have any way to update mine. It's still running on the original software and firmware as well as the PRL that was on it when I activated it. You might want to think about totally uninstalling everything you have and starting with a fresh install using the CD that comes with it and then letting it do it's own updating. Of course, unless you get the adapter, once it's activated you won't have any further use for the Alltel mobile link software using it in a KR1.

Anyway . . . . . . . . good find and good luck! Keep us posted. Laughing

uruiamme · Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 3:44 pm Post subject: PC5740

Woohoo, I have the PC5740 now. You know what I forgot to do when I had the PC5750 is to try the Alltel firmware update program http://www.alltel.com/personal/cs/announcements_wireless_13.html http://www.alltel.com/personal/cs/announcements.html but oh well.

So while I was typing the above paragraph, the router needed to be reset. So I called Kyocera KR1 router support to tell them that the router is bad because I had tried the KC650 and PC5740 and both do the same thing. I kind of assumed they might tell me to downgrade my firmware, but they insisted I use the latest version. (I already had RK1010)

Well, being a typical no-brain support line, the D-Link people had me REFLASH my router to 1.010. What a stupidity! The lady on the phone did not insist I redownload it, just to reflash the one I had.
Dumb. But anyway, 25 minutes later I am given the same case number and told to call again if it happens again. I expect that this will be within the next few hours of writing this on a Friday afternoon.

As an aside, the KR1 thinks my card is a "Sprint-PC5740" and of all things when I did a download speed test once, the speed test thought I was using Verizon. I think the cell companies share IP address space somehow. And the aircard companies definitely use arbitrary names -- this card is made AudioVox in some literature, and the box and card says UTStarcom.

I may try downgrading to 1008 which is what the router came with, just to see. That's what is printed on the bottom.