Kyocera KR1 + Kyocera KPC680 + SIIG ExpressCard Adapter

LordFlux · EVDO User Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 46

I've had a KR1 and KPC650 combo for about 6 months that have served me well. I saw download speeds between 600-800kbps. Well I decided to upgrade to the KPC680 to take advantage of the local Rev A.

I purchased an SIIG Active ExpressCard/34 Adapter to mate the KPC680 to the KR1. The KPC680 came in today and I had it activated. I then came home and plugged it in -- the SIIG fit perfectly inside the KR1 and the KPC680 fit perfectly inside the SIIG card. Powered the KR1 on and BAM, it connected without a hitch.

HOWEVER -- I've been browsing, pinging, downloading, and running SpeedTest and have noticed some odd behavior. The unit appears to be connected at EVDO speeds, but the overall throughput is near 1xRTT rates.

There's a clear example. Casual browsing appears very fast... a lot faster than with my KPC650. I pinged google and got 201, 168, 180, 171. Using the KPC650, my ping times were in the 300 range. BUT... my download throughput is slower with the KPC680. I'm downloading at 20kbytes/sec when my downloads with the KPC650 were close to 90kbytes/sec.

Is there some type of bandwith limitation using the ExpressCard adapter? It's just very odd behavior.

Also, I noticed that the power light on the KR1 blinks. I don't remember it doing that before. What does that mean?

Another SpeedTest just to show:

I'm running PRL 40023

LordFlux · EVDO User Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 46

An update:

I installed the software and card in my laptop and noticed that the KPC680 + SIIG ExpressCard combination stays stuck at 1xRTT mode according to the Alltel QuickLink software. It flashed EVDO for a second, then fell down to 1xRTT. I took the laptop outside and walked all around our yard (almost 2 acres) and I never got an EVDO signal.

So I'm guessing that the SIIG card is the problem. I just ordered a Novatel adapter from 3G and hope that it fixes the problem.

I'll post up how the Novatel card works when I get it in.

LordFlux · EVDO User Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 46

The Novatel adapter came in today from 3G. It works great!

The throughput speeds are roughly the same as the KPC650, but the ping times are lower and the connection seems much 'snappier'.

Oh, and also... the light that is blinking is not the power light, it's the phone light. I don't remember that being on with the KPC650, so the KR1 must be detecting the adapter as a dongle cable.