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Review by xljk6 
UPDATED: 311 days ago
member for 311 days, 0 visits, last login: 311 days ago
 Englewood,Arapahoe,CO
 Business customer
 $60 per month
 "better than nothing"
 "slow, unreliable"
 "get something else"
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Chosen by my employer - large company
Sometimes OK connection in the center of the city.
Often says "connected" but does not work - must retry connection multiple times.
Drops connection randomly.
Speed is fair when connection is good (rare), otherwise is like dial-up with bad copper.
Connection quality varies wildly from minute to minute even when sitting still in "good signal" areas.
Have had this service for two years, used two different "modem" cards in three different laptops. Now have a different wireless service that actually works.
Bottom line: sending bits by smoke signal would be more reliable, and usually faster. If you have any other choice, take it.
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Review by toddnc4300
UPDATED: 315 days ago
member for 6.9 years, 74 visits, last login: 315 days ago
Bakersville,Mitchell,NC
$60 per month (24 month contract)
 about 5 days
"Much much faster than my dial-up! Easier then satellite! Mobility!"
"price, usage limits*"
"Great option for those whose only choices are slow dial-up or complicated sometime unreliable two way satellite"
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First of all my only two choices were dial-up which ran at max 28.8k and satellite. I had a one way satellite system for a while but they sold out then shut down service. One way was fine except if you needed to reset the dish it could be a pain. I followed two way satellite for two years and the problems people had plus the fact that I was hours away from an installer were enough to keep me from even trying. So I went from years of dial-up to one way satellite for a few years then back to dial-up again for several years till I found Verizon had a signal in my area.
I checked and rechecked the coverage maps for a week before ordering from 3gstore. The 30 day trial is what made me pull the trigger and I ordered on a Friday and the modem was here the following Tuesday. I loaded the software, plugged in the modem when instructed and got a signal! A weak signal but there signal! From opening the box to connecting to the internet it was probably under 10 minutes. After that I started to work on getting a better signal by using a 10 foot usb cord and placing the modem and the booster antenna in different locations. I finally got a good signal and have a spot where they sit when using this computer. I can easily unplug and use it in my laptop or any other computer.
Most of the time the speeds are great ! I have posted a few speed tests in the Verizon Wireless forums. Every once in a while it downgrades to a slower speed but usually you can fix that by shutting down the modem and powering it back up. I haven't used it too often mobile but the few times I used it in my laptop it connected quickly and ran great.
Usually see 800Kb/s to 1500Kb/s Down and 400 Kb/s UP latency can jump around from 80's to upper 200's but usually in the mid to upper 100's.
$59.00 a month plus some taxes and other junk brings it to $60.07.
I gave the Value for money a 4 because I got in before the ridiculous overage charges so I'm not effected. I would probably still use the service if I got in after but would watch my usage and would give the value a 2 or 3.
Other options I considered were Wildblue or Hughsnet satellite.
Ordering from 3GStore was easy and installation was a breeze so I didn't need and contact or help from them.
I ordered the USB720 which was the newer modem at the time. Still works fine and don't think I will upgrade since I think upgrading resets my contract.
My good and bad experiences. Hmmm.
Good , SPEED ! Ease of use and being mobile plug and surf! Try that with a satellite dish!! Has been very reliable.
Bad. Well I guess the price and It can drop a signal once in a while or slow down. They really don't want you to play games, watch videos, streaming etc.
It's not really a replacement for an ISP so you will need to use hotmail, gmail or another ISP. In my case I just kept my Earthlink dial-up service so I could continue to use my email addresses.
Bottom line is I think it's a great service for me. With dial-up if family sent me photos through email I would sit there for over 20 minutes watching and waiting for them download so I would usually go do something else then come back. With Verizon Wireless I hardly notice it downloaded pictures. When buying a MP3 from Amazon. Dial-up 20 minutes , Verizon 1min 20sec or so.
Pre Sales. -- Well I read the fine print and other peoples comments on these and other forums so I knew what I was getting so 5 stars.
Install was easy for me.-- 5 stars
Connection reliability.-- 4 stars. every once in a while it will switch to a slower signal but not too often.
Tech Support.-- never had to use. should be a N/A option but I gave it 4 stars
Services -- 4 stars because no email or any other services but it connects to the internet! That is what's important!
Value -- Once again I give it 4 stars because I got in before the ridiculous overage charges or I would give it a 2 or 3 stars.
I bypassed Verizon and got mine from 3Gstore.com Lots of good information there also.
* Watch the new usage limits in the contract! They can really nail you for going over 5gb. I'm lucky that I got in before that !
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Review by WVBill
Posted: 317 days ago
member for 1.4 years, 389 visits, last login: a few minutes ago
Summit Point,Jefferson,WV
$59 per month (48 month contract)
about 3 days
"Very reliable connection"
"none"
"If you can pull in a signal, it's MUCH better than Hughesnet in a rural area."
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I had Hughesnet satellite for three years before I switched. After one week-long outage when the satellite I was on went down, I started looking hard for a broadband alternative. Looked at WISP but they wanted $125 just to come do a site survey to see if I could get their signal. Looked at all the EVDO providers coverage maps and the only one that was close was Verizon - their map showed coverage up to the state line, about 1/2 mile from my house. Read up on fringe coverage at EVDOforums.com and decided to give it a try. Ordered my Verizon service and a booster antenna from 3Gstore.com. 3 Days later, I got a fully functional Verizon U727 modem in the mail. Plugged it into the computer, plugged the booster antenna into it and I was on line. Connection was a little intermittent so I returned the booster antenna and got a directional yagi antenna and the signal has been rock solid since. I get 1,000Kb down and 450Kb up on average with a 300ms latency.
3Gstore.com has awsome sales and tech support and I highly recommend them.
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Review by (hidden by request)
Posted: 319 days ago
(review was emailed from domain bak.rr.com)
Bakersfield,Kern,CA
Contract price not specified.
"I like having the ability to connect no matter where I am ( of course within the coverage area)"
"So I don't have much in the way of negative feedback to give. It works, not fast but, it works"
"I think the \"
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I use Verizon Wireless for working remotely with my laptop while on the road. I haven't done it extensively but the few times I've needed access when there wasn't WIFI available, man has it saved the day. I recently bought a Samsung Omnia and installed the ICS program which makes using the phone as my broadband connection very easy.
Don't try to stream video through it though. But it's good for VPN'ing to work and taking care of business.
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Review by kingfisher
UPDATED: 339 days ago
member for 2.3 years, 1204 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Webster,Monroe,NY
$60 per month
"Has never failed to work acceptably when I needed it"
"I am usually hard wired to the internet so don't use it much"
"Good when traveling and as a backup to my cable internet service"
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I use the service by tethering my BlackBerry to my laptop. Serves the purpose for which I obtained it. Performance is acceptable in every geographic location where I have tried it.
January 2009 - Replaced my BlackBerry 7130e with a BlackBerry Storm during the latter part of November 2008. The Storm is Ev-DO Rev. A capable and I have seen download speeds above 2Mbps in testing. My satisfaction with the level of service remains high based on my usage.
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Review by BAAD ANDY
Posted: 359 days ago
member for 5.8 years, 70 visits, last login: 45 days ago
Cynthiana,Harrison,KY
$99 per month (12 month contract)
about 1 days
"I am able to use my PDA without the xtra $15 a month, Portable and zippy"
"Cost if you pay the full price, the 5 GIG cap is a bummer"
"I started out with Hughs Sat., I also have DSL at home so it is a great back up, or quick mobile option"
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I have a PDA with the unlimited plan, I did not get the tether option, I use it light or when I am traveling as a back up. I works well and is zippy, I do not care for the Verizon money bilking I go through every month. Best plan I can say is do your phone homework before picking up your next phone to see if you can make the phone perform like the manufacture planned it to not like the Verizon company cripples it.
Verizon XV6800 great phone
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Review by evansg
Posted: 363 days ago
member for 8.5 years, 13 visits, last login: 363 days ago
Hague,Westmoreland,VA
$50 per month (12 month contract)
"wide availability & mobile access"
"poor real time signal strength meter, just 1-4 bars"
"overall great service"
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$50/month for 50 GB data transfer.
UM175 USB Modem
I have had the service for a month now and have been very pleased. I even tried it in the car on a trip from Hague to Woodbridge, VA (no I wasn't driving) and had service the entire time although speed varied. I use it with my Packet8 VOIP although conversation sometimes is broken up a bit if the signal strength is not strong. I did have one issue with it disconnecting which was quickly resolved by the excellent customer support and was my laptop wireless competing with the Verizon wireless. I disabled the laptop wireless and the problem was resolved. I do wish there were a real time signal strength meter to optimize position. How you point the modem significantly impacts reception. The VZaccess Manager software displays strength in 1 to 4 bars which I find difficult. Customer service said I can get a numeric reading by clicking Help>About then page down to see signal strength in dBm. It shows both analog (1xRTT) and digital (1xEVDO)strength. The modem comes with a cable that is handy for extending the modem away from the computer. This makes it easier to try pointing the modem diffent direction to optimize reception. It also has a Y with 2 USB plus so you can use to USB ports on your computer in case your port is not providing sufficient power to the modem. Overall, I have been very pleased with the service. It is great being able to get internet connectivity anywhere I go and intend to use it on my boat when I go out cruising.
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 Review by S k i p p y
Posted: 1 year ago
member for 6.1 years, 2239 visits, last login: 1 days ago
Lurking
Business customer
$59 per month (24 month contract)
about 3 days
"Portable, good speeds"
"A little pricey, not too bad"
"I needed it for taveling with my laptop. So far i'm happy."
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I've been with Verizon Wireless since they came to be. I have DSL at home but I'm always on the road and I needed a solution for my laptop. Wifi wouldn't cut it so I decided to add wireless broadband to my wireless phone account. I called them up and as usual they were very helpful and everything went well. I ordered the service and a USB727 modem. I had it in 3 days. I had a little trouble getting it to work. 1 person said there should be an activation form in the shipping box but there wasn't. The paperwork said it automatically activated online. So as I was a bit confused I called upon tech support for an answer. They walked me through some ordeal that wasn't in the instructions and had me up and running in about 10 minutes total. So far it has worked very well and my speeds are beyond what my DSL at home can do. The only real concern I have is paying attention to the 5Gb limit. I hate having to think about that all the time but at least the Access manager let's you know how much you've used. I'll post an update if I have any problems in the future but so far so good.
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 Review by swhitney2003
UPDATED: 1 year ago
member for 6.4 years, 1091 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Weare,Hillsborough,NH
Contract price not specified.
"Signal everywhere I go"
"Customer support not always helpful"
"best coverage in the area"
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I moved from US Cellular to Verizon due to the need for a REAL national plan. USC said they would boot me off if 50%+ of my phone calls were from outside their area, even if I was on the national plan. I made the switch and couldn't be happier. Great to have the unlimited in, since most my friends have VZW. I am currently on a family plan, 5 people total and 500 mins of talk time. With the people we call and the times, we rarely go over the limit.
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Review by chilibball
UPDATED: 1 year ago
member for 1 year, 303 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Albany
Contract price not specified.
"Great Coverage"
"5 GB cap..."
"Great service for mobile/on the go people"
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Have used a Motorola Q smartphone connected by USB to connect to the Internet while in a car going at 60 mph with speeds upwards of 900 Kbps with 3 out of 5 bars of signal. I use the VZW Access Manager to connect. At my house I get full singal with about 1.2 Mbps. I do no use this as my main connection and probably would not ever consider it as a replacement. I get service almost everywhere I travel. can not rate on sales info because I get the service through a separate business.
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Verizon Wireless Broadband
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verizon & slingbox