SprintPCS
and Verizon Wreless offer the largest 3g data networks in the US
with their EVDO Rev A service. For world travelers, SprintPCS also
offers a double card solution. Their Sierra Wireless 875U GSM UMTS/HSDPA
international USB card is their overseas solution. I personally
use a SprintPCS USB card and a CradlePoint 3G router to create my
own network anywhere I go. AT&T and T-Mobile offer international
solutions but are not as good domestically in rural areas as SprintPCS
and Verizon.
Unlimited
Data Plans... Initially SprintPCS exclusively offered truly
unlimited plans while other carriers like Verizon advertised "unlimited"
but actually capped theirs at 5GB per month. Unfortunately, because
the gamers, movie downloaders and otheer network bandwidth abusers
all jumped on the Sprint network, they too were forced to do the
same thing. Still 5GB is quite a bit of data and I have never personally
gone above it. While I have heard reports of Verizon users being
charged for data overage, I have not yet had any Sprint users report
experiencing this.
Beating
the System...
With data speeds rapidly approaching wireline capabilities, there
are many ways to take advantage of the latest 3G technologies. The
new Nexaira router (pictured below), convert 3G air cards into a
WiFi APN. This means one air card could provide broadband internet
service for a home, small office, store or command center with instant
deployment capability.
CradlePoint CTR500 3G Router is only $179.99
How
a router works...
Your router has a dual personality; it acts one way to
everything outside your home network, and another way to everything
inside your home network. Outside your home network, to your Internet
Service Provider (ISP), a router appears to be a single computer
... just as if you'd connected your computer directly to your DSL/cable
modem. You can have many computers/devices connected to your router,
but to your ISP, you're only using one computer. Your router does
that by gathering the individual data streams from each of your
computers/devices, then presenting them to your ISP as a single
data stream. With a router, you can connect multiple computers to
the Internet ... while only paying for one Internet connection.
Inside
your home network, the router keeps track of which data goes to
which computer/device. Just as it collects outgoing data into a
single data stream, it also sorts out incoming data and determines
which computer/device the incoming data is intended for. In this
way, it makes it seem to each computer/device like it has its own
connection to the Internet. The router also connects each computer/device
within your network, so they can communicate with each other.
Choosing
the right 3G Wireless Router
These days, everyone seems to be offering wireless routers.
Currently, the only two manufacturers we endorse are CradlePoint
and NexAira. Both of these companies specialize in 3G wireless routers,
make innovative products, and support their customers. NexAira is
our go-to brand when working with the older, PCMCIA Type II air
cards. They also support the USB style and offer an optional $40
adapter which converts the PCMCIA slot to handle the newer and faster
Express air cards.
CradlePoint offers routers that are designed for consumers,
small-to-medium businesses, and enterprise accounts as well. Their
CTR500 is our most popular consumer model and supports USB and Express
type cards. It's similar to the NexAira but a fraction of the size,
and substitutes the PCMCIA slot for an Express slot. For Disaster
Preparedness/Business Continuity applications, their MBR 1000 model
is outstanding. It exclusively features 802-11
"N" for superior WLAN distance and bandwidth. It also
incorporates Cellular Failover. That is, the ability to automatically
switch to cellular if the primary IP connection is interrupted.
This model automatically switches back when the primary
IP service is restored. The MBR 1000 also offers
load balancing which combines the speeds of the active connections.
Add 3 antennas with 802.11 N and the wireless range is remarkable.
We also offer several other models that feature IP Pass-Through
which is very important for retail POS/Kiosk applications. Also
popular with retail sales kiosks are our 3G cellular routers that
do not offer wifi, but ethernet outputs instead. Ask us which 3G
router is right for your needs.
CradlePoint's MBR 1000
Don't have a PCMCIA Type ll Slot on your Laptop?
Dr
Wireless now has USB DATA Connectivity Cards from SprintPCS and
Verizon Wireless for FREE with 2 year activation/subscription
service. We also have data cables for most phones as well as modem
scripts. Our CTR-350 creates a Secure WiFi Hotspot from broadband-enabled
cellular phones and modems. Enjoy the simplicity and convenience
of WiFi without having to search around for a hotspot and without
risking a non-secure connection. If your data needs are infrequent,
this router will eaily work with your current 3G phone via USB cable.
We even
have BlueTooth phones and EV-DO handsets that feature wireless dial-up
modem connectivity. Dr Wireless also specializes in Interational
Connectivity.
Great
News For Apple Mac users from SprintPCS
For
the last several years, we have specialized in activating air cards
for Mac users. Until now, the proceess had to be done manually and
there was no Desktop Connection Manager to show speeds and other
network information. SprintPCS has finally come to the rescue. Their
new desktop manager (pictured below) works with MacOS. It is also
now possible to activate Air cards directly on a Mac. Previously
this had to be done on a PC or Intel Mac running BootCamp or Parallels.
Once the software is successfully downloaded, it installs a small
Sprint logo in your desktop applications dock.
Sprint's
new Mac Connection Manager for Novatel & Sierra Air Cards
Another cool benefit is many of the new cards support GPS
To Download the new SprintPCS/Mac Connection Manager
For
older models...
The Apple WWAN Support Update v1.0 provides SW
drivers and support for the following Mac OS WWAN products:
Available on the Cingular network:
•Novatel Merlin XU870 ExpressCard (HSDPA)
Available on the Sprint network:
•Novatel Wireless Merlin EX720 Express Card (EVDO Rev. A)
•Novatel Wireless Ovation U720 USB Modem (USB Adapter, EVDO
Rev. A)
Available on the Verizon network:
•Novatel XV620 ExpressCard (EVDO Rev. 0)
•Novatel V740 ExpressCard (EVDO Rev. A)
•Novatel Wireless Ovation U720 (USB Adapter, EVDO Rev. A)
Click here
to download drivers for the Cards above
Excerpt from David Pogue's (New York Times) review on Sprint's 597U...
"Last July, I reviewed what
was billed as the world’s smallest U.S.B. cell modem, the
Novatel/Verizon USB727. It’s great for two reasons: first,
it uses Verizon’s network, meaning that you will have fast
Internet signal almost anywhere you go; second, it doubles as a
flash drive for carrying around files. You can slip a tiny microSD
memory card into the thing (up to 4 gigabytes) to expand its storage.
Sprint Sierra
Now there’s something better: The Sierra/Sprint Wireless Compass
597, the new reigning champion in the competition for the smallest
cellular modem in the country. It’s really, really small (1.2
x 2.4 x 0.4 inches), and costs $50 (with rebate and two-year contract),
which is a great deal. Better yet, it doesn’t require you
to flip up a little antenna, as the Novatel does. Yet the Sierra,
too, doubles as a flash drive, thanks to a microSD memory-card slot
(up to 32 gigs). As I was walking out the door for a trip last week,
I grabbed the Sierra and threw it in my bag. “Dang,”
I thought, noticing that it didn’t come with an installation
CD. “They’re gonna make me download the software from
the Internet. I’ll have to pay for Wi-Fi just to get my cellular
modem going!”
Imagine my surprise, then, when I sat down at the airport and slipped
the thing into my laptop’s U.S.B. jack: the software installer
is right on the modem! It shows up on your screen as a disk (it’s
a flash drive, remember?), whether you’re using a Mac or a
Windows machine. What’s cool about that is that you’ll
be able to use this modem on somebody else’s computer in a
pinch, since the software is all self-contained.
Not only that, but this connection software is gorgeous. It’s
simple, clean and, best of all, fast. Click Connect, and you’re
ready to start downloading e-mail or surfing the Web in about five
seconds. (The Novatel/Verizon modem takes a lot longer.) Disconnecting
takes only about three seconds. As a result, you wind up feeling
comfortable enough to duck onto the Internet and off again for quick
checks, without a lot of hassle or waiting. It’s a joy.
There’s also an intriguing control panel in the software labeled
G.P.S., with digital readouts showing your speed and heading, along
with buttons like Find Nearest Bank, Find Nearest Gas, and so on.
My review modem easily displayed numbers for Heading, Speed, Latitude,
and so on, but I never could get those buttons to work. And you
can’t see your position on a map without installing separate
street-finder software.
The Internet access is complete heaven, and I can’t recommend
it highly enough to people who’ve been dropping $7 here, $13
there for Wi-Fi access on the road. But I’m deeply conflicted
about the service price."
*After $50 Mail-in rebate.
