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ti
EVDO Newbie
Joined: 11 Mar 2008
Posts: 9
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 Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:48 pm Post subject: Best solution for "edge" coverage |
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I currently have a USB727 on a trial basis and I am returning it Thursday because it isn't working good for me. According to the coverage map I am in the purple (good) but I get either no bars or 1 bar with the external antenna that has a magnetic base (Minimagnet is on the label.)
Verizon is wanting me to trade it for the UM150 on Thursday. I just found this site and I think this is a better place to go for help.
I have a home business and I am looking to replace Wild Blue Satellite with a USB modem so that I can work at home or from my laptop away from home. I know I will not get the speed I get from Wild Blue, but I at least need better than dial-up for $80 a month.
What would be some recommendations for my situation. I am willing to spend a chunk of money for something that will really work.
I am concerned about purchasing online only because I have had such a hard time finding something that works out in my area and it is easier to return to a store without shipping. But if it seems certain there is a solution I will probably go for it.
Thank you very much to anyone who is able to give some suggestions. |
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ti
EVDO Newbie
Joined: 11 Mar 2008
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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I thought I should add some more information...
The USB727 works better on my Laptop that runs on Vista and sits only 5 feet from my desktop computer.
I am constantly getting disconnected with a message that my USB is not plugged in, so I have to plug it in again and again all day.
I live in zip 76705 and get full bars a couple of miles away on the freeway.
While at home, I go from roaming to National Access and roaming gets 1 bar and National Access never gets any bars.
I have faster speeds at night.
Since we own the Wild Blue dish, can we utilize it somehow?
We have an antenna attached to the house that the previous owners used for TV, can we utilize that?
Sorry for all the info and questions, I am desperate here.  |
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Alex
Site Admin
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
Posts: 1754
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| Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:53 pm Post subject: |
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"Bars" are really not useful info.
before you return the usb727, read this article: http://www.EVDOinfo.com/RSSI
tell us what you get for RSSI reading while doing speedtests in and around your home. (use speedtest.net as a reference)
tell us how far from house you have to go to find -80 EVDO signal, and what speeds you get at that signal.
3gstore has helped thousands like you, make the right EVDO gear choices.
we're ready to help you do the same for you.
also suggest you send full street address and zipcode to sales@3gstore. com and let us research coverage, too. |
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JoeCHecht
EVDO Junkie
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Posts: 241
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:34 am Post subject: Re: Best solution for "edge" coverage |
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I was recently in 76705, and at the time, got fantastic coverage all around the area with a bare boned U727 plugged into my laptop from inside the car.
I was using Sprint though.
Pointing a yagi antenna in the right direction might help by as much as 15db, and if you can get a clean signal, an amp can do wonders.
Listen to Alex. He will not "steer" you wrong.
Joe [A Native Texan] |
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JoeCHecht
EVDO Junkie
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Posts: 241
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:50 am Post subject: Re: Best solution for "edge" coverage |
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| ti wrote: | | I am concerned about purchasing online only because I have had such a hard time finding something that works out in my area and it is easier to return to a store without shipping. But if it seems certain there is a solution I will probably go for it. |
Oh, I forgot to mention that the 3G store is absolutely second to none when it comes to service, support, shipping, returns, and the lord only know what else.
I have placed many orders with these guys, often on the road, and the stuff ships out like magic, and arrives every time, right on time, at our next stop. Seriously, I often get a tracking number within minutes of an order, and not just some "billing info received" notification, but a real "we got it in our hands" Fed-Ex notification.
The shipping rates are fantastic.
I buy almost everything online, and the 3GStore is nothing short of amazing. Seriously. I have over a hundred pounds of cardboard boxes just from all the stuff I have ordered online since January. I deal with a lot of online retailers. You don't have to believe me when i say the 3GStore is #1, just look around these forums for all the others who post the same reports.
I have even received support emails replies within minutes, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!
The return process is perfectly flawless.
Seriously, you are not going to be able to better than 3GStore, no way, no how, not even if your "local guy" is your mother.
These folks know EVDO, and they will do you right.
I stake my name on that fact.
Joe |
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Capt Ron
EVDO Heavy User
Joined: 01 Feb 2007
Posts: 139
Location: Central Florida Connected Using Razr & CTR350
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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Joe, I can't believe that you made such a warm a fuzzy post. 
_________________
Ron |
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JoeCHecht
EVDO Junkie
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Posts: 241
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Capt Ron wrote: | | Joe, I can't believe that you made such a warm a fuzzy post. |
Good or bad, I call um like I see um.
While I am very quick to spout off about a problem I might encounter, I am even quicker to write about a positive experience.
It is all a matter of fairness. I feel one should strive for some balance, so if you are gonna gripe, you also have to take the time to praise.
So, while I do spend a pretty good amount on postage for gripe letters, I also write a fairly equal amount of praise letters (where earned or deserved).
I do take major exception at confusing the two (sidestepping the issue and during the distraction, attempting to sweep the issue under the rug, or attempting to mitigate an issue by throwing unrelated warm and fuzzies).
Issues should always be directly addressed in a straight forward manner.
For example, the response to someone inquiring about a major flaw in a product that should have caught using basic, industry standard quality assurance tests should not be along the lines of:
"but the company is the warmest we have ever worked with and is second to none in fuzzyness".
In my opinion, good business dictates that you directly address the issue, and not side step.
So, there ya go. A good explanation for my warm and fuzzy post about my fantastic experiences with the 3Gstore. They earned the praise, and in all fairness, I gave the praise, left nothing out, and staked my name on it (and that is very rare event).
Joe [a.k.a. EVDOforum's #1 loose cannon] |
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ti
EVDO Newbie
Joined: 11 Mar 2008
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 1:15 pm Post subject: |
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I wanted to give an update.
I switched to the Sprint USB727 and it wasn't much better, maybe worse. Then on a lark, I decided to download the connection manager off of the website on my other computer to see if it worked better there. (The CD player is not working so the website is the only way for that computer.)
Wow! Don't ask me why, but the Sprint connection manager works much better. It did have an option to check for some accelerator or something and I checked that. I decided to download it on my laptop, that I had already loaded the CD it came with on, and it worked better there too. 
Most of the time I have 0 to 1 bars and sometimes 2 bars. But when I drive to the end of my driveway I have 60 - 80%, so I am thinking with an antenna a router(I think it has a amplifier?) I will get really good speed.
Any thoughts? |
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ti
EVDO Newbie
Joined: 11 Mar 2008
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:04 pm Post subject: |
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I have another update.
We got the trucker antenna in and because we are waiting on my sister to get her adapter before installing, we went on the roof with the antenna and my laptop with the USB727 on it.
It didn't make too much difference. I just gained a bar. We think we are going to purchase the amplifier, but we thought we would get opinions first.
What increase have some of you gotten with an amplifier? Also, what amp did you purchase? We noticed there are a few.
Thanks in advance! And the 3Gstore.com is the best!! |
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JoeCHecht
EVDO Junkie
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Posts: 241
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| Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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| ti wrote: | I have another update.
We got the trucker antenna in and because we are waiting on my sister to get her adapter before installing, we went on the roof with the antenna and my laptop with the USB727 on it.
It didn't make too much difference. I just gained a bar. We think we are going to purchase the amplifier, but we thought we would get opinions first.
What increase have some of you gotten with an amplifier? Also, what amp did you purchase? We noticed there are a few.
Thanks in advance! And the 3Gstore.com is the best!! |
I got the Wilson 3 watt direct connect with a omni trucker on my PT Cruiser, and get as much as a 40db gain at times from my driveway. I think most of the 40db gain it is simply placement of the antenna (the way I parked, and the way the neighbors parked).
FWIW, I often get approx the same DB around the house,(straight from the card). In one spot inside, I have one of the 6 inch "booster" antennas they sell at 3G, and often get about 10db from it when pointed in the right direction. The Yagi does a little better than the omni when pointed.
Seeing how these db gains I get far exceed the ratings, I believe for the most part, placement must be the key point.
It is worth mentioning that experiments with cantenna's, pie pans, and the like have also worked with similar results.
What I really want is a little cubicle quad antenna, but have not found the time to build it.
While mobile, I have also seen times where the amp/antenna did worse than just using the U727 by itself (more gain can equal more noise), and I have seen times where I was unable to get a signal without the amp/antenna.
There has been times I could get a signal, way, way, way out there where there is no way that I should get one, and there have been times I could not get a good signal when I was only a mile from the "edge" of EVDO coverage, with a clear line of sight, and a yagi in hand.
Also, I am not always sure I always believe this "line of sight" stuff. In theory, sure, but in practice, it does not always seem to work out that way. I do a lot of computing from "out in the middle of nowhere" with a omni, yagi and an amp, and I am constantly suprised at what I can and cannot connect to.
Sounds to me like you might benefit greatly from a directional antenna. The Yagi is really small. I have seen reports that the panel type antennas have produced good results, and I believe there is a grid antenna with a whopping 24db gain (I want to try that one).
Before buying all those antennas, I wish I had visited a sight similar to:
http://www.antennasearch.com/
I have checked many of these sites, some seem to work better than others for differing locations.
Anyway, I found the towers I use at the house, and now know the direction to point to. At the house, I am now getting -50 to -60 db (down from over 100) (and without an amp) and doubt I can do any better.
The tower search really helped. I found out that the Sprint tower is a mile or so directly behind the Alltel tower from where I am at. I was suprised to find I get about the same signal from both towers.
In short, knowing where the towers where located helped in not only knowing what direction to point, but also helped to locate obstructions.
Hope this helps, but most likely, I just added more confusion.
BTW, If you mount the antenna to your roof, don't forget to ground the unit! Lighting arrestors are sold at 3G, however, they may not sell the connectors you need.
Joe |
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