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| Name: |
LakeRN
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| Subject: |
EVDO internet Service
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Date:
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2/25/2012 8:20:57 PM
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Anyone ever heard of EVdo Internet service? It operates off cell phone signals. There is a Sprint tower nearby and they is no limit on usage. They also only require a 1 year contract vs the usual 2 year contract. After talking to a few people, we think it's like verizon's mifi but with a booster to get you to the 3G coverage area.
For those of you who use verizon (or Sprint) mifi, can you tell me how fast it is? I am working on an additional college degree and have to be able to stream a few videos and take tests (timed tests...that if you lose your signal it GRADES your test immediately!! YIKES!) Anyway, I would prefer to be able to make Lake Martin our permanent home (which is the plan) but otherwise, I will have to find alternate arrangements for the next year (weekends with the Hubs at the lake :/)
If anyone noticed, a "mrnurse2u" posting a similar question to my previous thread...that would be the hubs LOL.
Any insight would be appreciated! We are looking forward to moving in and making some new friends!
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| Name: |
btexpress
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| Subject: |
EVDO internet Service
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Date:
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2/26/2012 9:57:53 AM
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We use verizon MiFi. Initially it was very slow but has greatly improved. Several factors influenced the improvement. Verizon/AllTell joint/priority use of cell towers resolved. Additional towers added after customer
complaints/normal expansion and older equipment had to replaced after the April tornado. Don't have a data speed for you but we have used 5 computers at once with at least 2 streaming video/music. Hope this helps.
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| Name: |
RadioActive
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| Subject: |
EVDO internet Service
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Date:
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3/1/2012 9:53:48 PM
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Good evening, LakeRN;
EVDO Rev A has a theoretical top speed of 3.1 megabits per second from the tower to your computer, and 1.8 megabits per second from your computer back to the tower.
That said, with channel congestion (how many people are trying to use it simultaneously) and how far you are away from the tower and how good an antenna you have on your computer or router, the speeds are generally lower than that. We have used EVDO since 2006 and have found it very acceptable for general internet service. Charter cable wanted ~$7,000 to string cable to our house for cable internet, and AT&T refused to provision expanded DSL service in the 825 central office, so we chose EVDO.
My experience with testing is that the tower to computer seems not to provide more than about 1.7 megabits per second and perhaps 300-700 kilobits per second from the mobile device to the tower. I'm very close to a tower, less than a mile, and can physically see it from the house with no intervening trees, which do cause poorer signals at the frequencies used (1900 MHz, for those techies out there).
So, for most web browsing and email it is fine. It is not really adequate, however, if you want to watch streaming movies from Netflix or Blockbuster or YouTube videos, especially HD ones. You will spend a lot of time waiting for the computer to accumulate video to display, and frequent interruptions in the display.
One positive thing is that if you purchase a wireless router with a EVDO 3G card, you can take it with you on trips to have high speed internet in your car (not for the driver, of course!) and in the hotels you stay in, bypassing the sometimes slow and potentially insecure and sometimes costly, hotel WiFi systems.
If you really want to get up to the streaming video speeds, I would suggest the new offering from Exede (not HughesNet). It is significantly faster than EVDO in download speeds, but it does suffer from 'latentcy' slowness that sometimes makes it unacceptable for interactive operations, such as gaming. Exede has prices that are in line with the older EVDO offerings by the terrestrial carriers.
RadioActive
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| Name: |
LakeRN
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| Subject: |
EVDO internet Service
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Date:
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3/2/2012 5:20:58 PM
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Thanks for the info. We actually just heard about Exede yesterday and we're going to check it out. I am taking courses online which means that I have to stream videos and have tests that require a good internet connection. The only thing we're concerned about is the data limit. (I think the max is 25G) We checked our current carrier and we use a gig or 2 over that (yeah, we stream ALOT!) I do have the option of tethering my laptop or Ipad to my verizon phone (we have unlimited data through my company) so I have other ways to access service if needed. I'll be interested about how exede compares to our current DSL...guess it's better than nothing!
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| Name: |
RadioActive
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| Subject: |
EVDO internet Service
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Date:
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3/2/2012 5:53:56 PM
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Good evening, LakeRN;
I've considered getting Exede in addition to our 3G EVDO service. Just have not chomped down on the bait yet! As of last month, there is a demo set up in Clanton that I have not been over to see and test. One thing to watch out for there is I understand they have it set on the highest and thus most expensive data rate, which may not be what you want to buy. Caveat Emptor.
As I mentioned, there are pros and cons of each service. Satellite is faster than EVDO, but I am somewhat concerned about the latency for interactive activities. 3G I would imagine will become 4G "soon", and the data rate will increase, but probably not the unlimited data contract that I am grandfathered into now. Really heavy rain will knock out the Exede service for short periods, while it will minimally affect 3G EVDO. We have not really gotten into streaming much video. That said, DishNetwork now allows streaming off hours via the internet and recording onto their PVR's, so we may use up some data capacity in that way soon.
I have worked in the telecomm industry all of my career, so I'm pretty familiar with the limitations of each system. Best of luck with your choice. I'd appreciate hearing what you decide.
RadioActive
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| Name: |
LakeRN
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| Subject: |
EVDO internet Service
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Date:
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3/2/2012 8:34:40 PM
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RadioActive,
Where in Clanton do they have the demo? Right now we live in Deatsville (about 20-25 min from Clanton) so it wouldn't be a big deal to run by there really soon.
I'm aware of the latency with satellite...guess we can deal with that since we don't do any gaming. What I'm worried about is going over the plan limit. From what I understand, they just throttle you down to some ridiculously slow speed but don't charge more or cut your service off. Also, I spoke to a rep who said that you can start out with the 15G plan and if you reach 85% of your allowable data, they notify you. There is the option to change between one plan and another without a penalty. Of course, I'm about 95% sure we use more than 15G in a month, but if we can change between plans mid month...it may be worth trying the 15G plan first (cost $79 vs $129). If we go this route, I'll be sure to post about our experience.
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| Name: |
RadioActive
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| Subject: |
EVDO internet Service
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Date:
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3/3/2012 7:55:57 AM
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Hi LakeRN;
Professional Technical Sevices
1710 7th St. North
Clanton, AL 35045
Phone: 205-280-2578
Email: ron.maddox@pro-tech-serv.com
My discussion with Ron was back at the end of January when the service was first launched. I don't know what might have changed in the interim. Best of luck.
RadioActive
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| Name: |
kylemac
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| Subject: |
EVDO internet Service
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Date:
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3/6/2012 9:24:01 PM
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I use to be an ATT user over in Sandy Creek and could not even get calls to go through. I am Verizon now and can get steady data service or internet. However, it should NOT be used for something important that may send your grade in. There is nothing better than Verizon from what I have found. Sprint EVDO is below Verizon service. It is an old technology 4-5 years.
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| Name: |
LakeRN
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| Subject: |
EVDO internet Service
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Date:
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3/6/2012 9:54:47 PM
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I think we're going to give exede satellite service a try...we'll be getting set up week after next. I'll post the outcome for those interested.
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