Joe_in_GA
join:2009-10-20 | reply to caribconsult
Re: Where oh where is my modem?
Carib,
They were selling the Simple Mobility-3GWR Gateway Router but now there's no mention of that just the MBR900 |
|
xrayman
join:2008-12-09
Kansas City, MO | MBR900
I did a Google search for the MBR900 and found places that are selling it for less then Millenicom. Good to check around. |
|
Timinator
join:2009-10-14
Germantown, OH | reply to Joe_in_GA
Re: Where oh where is my modem?
I don't know how the MC760 determines which service you're using. I have not received it yet from Millenicom. I'll let you know when it arrives. |
|
Joe_in_GA
join:2009-10-20 | reply to caribconsult
Got my modem Friday. To my surprise it was the Sierra 598U. Working well so far but need the grid antenna bad. I only have 2 bars and dbm in the 90's and sometimes 100's. |
|
caribconsult
Premium
join:2003-03-19
Mayaguez, PR
 ·HughesNet Satellit..
 ·Millenicom
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
1 edit | You got lucky, Joe. The 598U is an excellent device, and it uses SPRINT, so your unlimited account will work fine.
My suggestion for a router would be the Cradlepoint CTR500. Have you made a decision on antennas? The grid I have is the Andrews 1900Mhz unit and it works very nicely with the 598U. You can get it, the pigtail and coax all from »criterioncellular.com
Another trick you might try before buying an antenna is get a USB extension cable (not a data cable) and put the 598 near or on a window (masking tape) and see what sort of sig you get. Even moving it around the room you're in should change the sig somewhat.
My grid gives a boost of 18dbm, so if you used one like it, and use the minimum number of connections to minimize losses, your sig would increase to about the mid 70's to low 80's, which should give you a good connection. If you need more sig, then an amp like the Cyfre (mentioned all over this forum) would be good. Check with MaxSignal for this. Max knows his stuff and will send you the right gear.
Continued good luck.
--
Sierra 598U/Cradlepoint CTR500, grid antenna, Millenicom unlimited, 2 LinkSys WiFi a/p, 4 XPPro and 1 Ubuntu units, FireFox everywhere. |
|
macgod79
join:2009-10-26
South Mills, NC | How did you get the sierra card.They are sending me a franklin or that is what is it says on my new package they mafe me.I wanted a sierra too. |
|
Joe_in_GA
join:2009-10-20
| Well they said they were all out of the Franklins when mine failed and on the package it said an MC760 was coming but when it arrived I saw it was the Sierra.
said by macgod79  :How did you get the sierra card.They are sending me a franklin or that is what is it says on my new package they mafe me.I wanted a sierra too. |
|
Joe_in_GA
join:2009-10-20
| reply to caribconsult
Thanks carib,
Going to try the USB extention and maybe the cantenna with it after that. Then I'll go for the antenna and possibly the amp. Although the downlowd with the sierra is about the same as the franklin right now the upload went from .02 to .16 so an 8 times improvement is good.
said by caribconsult :You got lucky, Joe. The 598U is an excellent device, and it uses SPRINT, so your unlimited account will work fine. My suggestion for a router would be the Cradlepoint CTR500. Have you made a decision on antennas? The grid I have is the Andrews 1900Mhz unit and it works very nicely with the 598U. You can get it, the pigtail and coax all from » criterioncellular.comAnother trick you might try before buying an antenna is get a USB extension cable (not a data cable) and put the 598 near or on a window (masking tape) and see what sort of sig you get. Even moving it around the room you're in should change the sig somewhat. My grid gives a boost of 18dbm, so if you used one like it, and use the minimum number of connections to minimize losses, your sig would increase to about the mid 70's to low 80's, which should give you a good connection. If you need more sig, then an amp like the Cyfre (mentioned all over this forum) would be good. Check with MaxSignal for this. Max knows his stuff and will send you the right gear. Continued good luck. |
|
caribconsult
Premium
join:2003-03-19
Mayaguez, PR
·HughesNet Satellit..
·Millenicom
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
1 edit | I think the biggest improvement you'll see with the Sierra vs. Franklin is the Sierra STAYS connected, especially if it's in a router. Many Franklin users here, including myself, had frequent disconnects and crashes (requiring a power-off reset of the modem and router) all of which ceased when the Franklin was dumped in favor of the Sierra. There are those who would disagree, but they are the ones who have had good experiences with the Franklin.
No one I've seen here at DSLR definitively knows why this is. It could be that Franklin's quality control is lacking, resulting in badly performing devices 'escaping' the factory, or obsolete circuit design, firmware that has not had an update in a while, etc. IMHO, the satisfied Franklin users live in great signal areas or are using amps and antennas to achieve that. Once you start getting into the fringes, the Franklin seems to suffer. I've used them both and I wouldn't go back to the Franklin for all the tea at Franklin.
--
Sierra 598U/Cradlepoint CTR500, grid antenna, Millenicom unlimited, 2 LinkSys WiFi a/p, 4 XPPro and 1 Ubuntu units, FireFox everywhere. |
|
macgod79
join:2009-10-26
South Mills, NC
| I guess i'll have too buy my sierra card.The weird thing was yesterday the tech said the Franklin's were still back ordered yet 45 mins later i was sent a notice that i would be receiving one.I would have liked to have gotten another modem.If i buy a sierra would i have to pay 49.00 for the byod plan being im already a unlimited customer? |
|
Jack_in_VA
Premium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
| reply to caribconsult
caribconsult I respectively have to disagree with you. I stay connected 24 hrs per day with the 680 in a cradlepoint router. As pointed out by others, the chipset in the Franklin is the same. I do not live in a "great signal area", do not use an amp just a tombstone window stick on antenna from 3G store looking at the tower through more than 2-1/2 miles of forest. I'm about as much in the fringe as you can get.
I started out with a Sierra. It was a piece of junk compared to the performance I've had with the Franklin. Like automobiles to each his own I guess. |
|
caribconsult
Premium
join:2003-03-19
Mayaguez, PR
·HughesNet Satellit..
·Millenicom
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
1 edit | Jack, I think if you've read my posts carefully, you'll see your name as one of those who have had good results with the Franklin, and far be it from me to dispute your word about this. If you are getting sig in the high 60's with no amp you are in a very good reception area, far from the fringe. Signal levels don't lie. The Cradlepoint router may have something to do with your staying connected, as I saw the same setup on another happy CDU poster's post.
As for the chipset, you could read some of my other posts on this topic, but for now I'll just say that the chipset doesn't tell the whole story, in the same way you could have two cars with the same engine but very different performance stats.
Regarding your prior experience with Sierra, I believe you stated somewhere that you had the 595, which had the battery problem, and is no longer in use for that reason. Current Sierra devices don't have batteries.
And again, while I'm not disputing your results, or those of several others I've seen here who likewise have had good results with the CDU, the preponderance of posts (and this is truly IMHO) seems to weigh in favor those who have had issues of various sorts with the CDU and have abandoned use of it, as have I, and have experienced way better performance with different hardware.
I think it would be really illuminating if we could have a poll of who has had the CDU, who still has it, and who moved to another device and which one. I even put in an inquiry to the forum moderator about this so we'll see. If I do get some feedback on this, I'll IM you since you'll probably want to have some input on this, I'd guess.
--
Sierra 598U/Cradlepoint CTR500, grid antenna, Millenicom unlimited, 2 LinkSys WiFi a/p, 4 XPPro and 1 Ubuntu units, FireFox everywhere. |
|
Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA
·Verizon Wireless B..
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Millenicom
| My current and activated devices:
Pantech UM175 - Verizon
Sierra Wireless Compass 597U - Sprint
Novatel Ovation U727 - Sprint
What I have and are not activated:
Franklin CDU680
Novatel U760
Novatel U720
What I like about Sierra Wireless and Novatel devices:
When using a Cradlepoint router you can get real-time signal strength data from the cell tower via the router configuration page. This is NOT supported for Franklin or Pantech devices.
--
... need help? »evdo-tips.com/ |
|
caribconsult
Premium
join:2003-03-19
Mayaguez, PR
·HughesNet Satellit..
·Millenicom
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to Joe_in_GA
I just found out that you can make a multiple choice poll here at DSLR. I'm waiting to find out if I have enough 'level' to do this, but I'd welcome suggestions as to what questions to ask.
I had in mind stuff like (a) I have a CDU and I use it and like it, (b) I have a CDU and use it and DON'T like it. (c) I had a CDU and switched to a Sierra, or (d) I had a CDU and switched to another brand, and (e) I never used the CDU. Check all that apply.
Suggestions?
--
Sierra 598U/Cradlepoint CTR500, grid antenna, Millenicom unlimited, 2 LinkSys WiFi a/p, 4 XPPro and 1 Ubuntu units, FireFox everywhere. |
|
