Review by keason 
member for 10.9 years, 2477 visits, last login: 1 days ago
updated 1.3 years ago
 Ann Arbor,Washtenaw,MI
 $40 per month- (24 month contract)
 about 30 days "Backup 3G internet connection" "Speed has deteriorated during the last 6 mo" "Works OK sometimes, almost unusable other times"
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Update 12/1/11 : The connection has been horrible over the last 6 months, getting 0.10M down, 0.3-0.4 up. Latency typically exceeded 400ms I dropped the static IP and speeds improved close to 0.5 down and 0.5 up, with latency under 200ms. Other areas in SE Michigan where I travel are horrible - 0.1/0.1 with 1 sec latency. Even with 'unlimited' data , I would not recommend Sprint until they fix the tower backhaul problems.
Update: Speeds are steady on weekdays, about 800/500, but drop to 500/300 on the weekends. Latency has dropped to about 125ms after adding a 14dBM antenna. I'm still waiting for a tower upgrade.
Update: Sprint continues to perform admirably. On a recent road trip along I-90 and I-94 from Detroit to the Dakotas, the unit worked very well from Detroit to Minnesota. Performance in the Dakotas was mixed with good speed (1 Mb+) but variable (200ms- Rapid City, 800ms- Dickinson) as if the towers used satellites instead of T1's. Back in Minneapolis, Sprint outperformed hotel internet with 1/500 speed and 120ms latency)
I've been able to use VoIP fairly well on the Sprint connection with both Skype and SIP working OK.
I purchased a Sprint approved Telular EVDO/phone device as a backup internet & phone connection and for testing. It uses a Sierra wireless EVDO rev A chipset with diversity antennas and has a built-in extended life battery (about 8 hrs). Despite having a green (strong) signal on the Sprint maps, I average around -93dbM with an indoor 5db gain antenna and speed tests ranging from 400-700 down and 200-400 up. Ping times range from about 200-300ms (average is closer to 200ms) with occasional jumps to 500ms. I've ordered a stronger YAGI antenna to try to increase the signal strength, which I hope will correct the jitter issue.
The device also supports phone calls, which work well. SMS is not supported, which would be a nice addition.
I had some initial problems with the device, but a firmware update made it much more usable and reliable. It now passes the public IP to my router via DHCP or with a manual entry. Sprint offers a static IP for only a $3 upcharge, which is a great value.
On several recent trips on the I-94 corridor between Detroit and Chicago performance was flawless. My passengers played WOW and other games with no interruptions. On a trip from Atlanta to Toledo along I-75, we experienced brief drops in coverage through the Smokey mountains.
VoIP works pretty well over the connection with only mild jitter. I've used skype and voicepulse with the G.711 codec which is pretty clear.
So far, the maximum speed is around 1500/400. I have yet to experience a faster tower. A bonus is that Sprint does not block any inbound or outbound ports. Sprint even includes a reverse DNS record (which says Sprint) but is seems to be sufficient for mail servers which require a reverse record.
The connection works as advertised. I wouldn't recommend it for a primary connection vs. DSL or cable because of speed, but it makes a great mobile & backup connection. Sprint, in combination with a cheaper internet connection makes a good alternative to T1 access.
Update: It appears that Sprint broadcasts voice/1X and EVDO signals on (in my area, at least) different frequencies and/or different antennas (based on different signal strengths). I was able to use a Windows mobile phone in debug mode to optimize the antenna placement for EVDO, upgraded to a 9dB omni antenna (still indoor), and along with a Sprint Airrave unit (which took care of the poor voice/1X signal), I now get perfect voice and much, much better (-78 dBM) EVDO signal. Ping times have dropped to 150-200ms and are much more consistent, and speeds average about 950/450. The static IP works perfectly, (I was able to send and receive email with no interruptions after modifying the MX records), and reverse DNS works perfectly too. I had a 2 hour internet outage on my primary ISP where my router automatically failed-over to sprint, and apart from a degradation in streaming video and slow transfer speeds, the Sprint connection was almost indistinguishable from low speed DSL.
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