Wireless / Mobile > Sprint Mobile Broadband > Formerly Unlimited (really) 3G card

reply to ArizonaSteve

Re: Formerly Unlimited (really) 3G card

I have a 2 month old Sprint MiFi 4G for sale...

reply to Jim_in_VA
Jim_in_VA,
>Quite simple. You buy a Sierra 597,598 or a Novatel U727, 760 off of Ebay ...usually for less than $25. Ask the seller to guarantee a clean ESN.

Not that simple. This will never work. How do you get the modem flashed so it will work for Millenicom? I called a couple of cell phone stores around here and they all said they couldn't do that for a USB adapter. Some can flash a Sprint phone to work on Cricket but they don't know how to do a wireless adapter.
If a professional can't do it then I don't see how the average person at home is going to be able to do it!

Millenicom does the device activation on Sprint for you - you don't have to do a thing.
--
... need help? »evdo-tips.com/

Well I emailed them to ask which devices work but they won't tell me. I don't know why it's such a big secret, they should post a list of suitable devices.
Also, even though they say there's no contract, to setup the service you have to give them a credit card that will automatically be billed $69.99 on the first of each month so if you don't like the service cause it's slow as Virgin Mobile and you can't use it then it would be nearly impossible to get them to stop billing you. You'd have to call the bank and have your credit card number changed to make the charges stop.

Any 3G only device originally issued by Sprint with a Clean ESN. Again you get Sprint data device network speeds not the same as a Virgin Mobile assigned device . They use different backhaul . That is how they kept Virgin Mobile cheaper.

reply to ArizonaSteve
I used Millenicom for several years and had no problems stopping the service. All I had to do was send one email to stop the billing on my CC account.
You will be on the regular Sprint or Verizon data networks, the same as if you were a direct customer.
Most of the problems I see posted on forums about Millenicom has to do with a local Sprint or Verizon tower. In other words if you are getting poor speeds on your local cell tower Millenicom can only report the problem to Sprint or Verizon. After the iPhone was available on the Sprint network my local tower was next to unusable for a data connection. On the other hand in different areas people report very fast speeds, the same applies to Verizon.

reply to ArizonaSteve
ArizonaSteve, which modem you choose depends on what router (if any) you plan to use.

The following Sprint compatible modems work with the Cradlepoint MBR1200 router (which comes highly recommended) but is rather pricey. I think it's about $150 on wireless n' wifi and usually retails over $200 or even $300 on some sites.

Franklin U300
Franklin CDU-680
Novatel MiFi 2200
Novatel U720
Novatel U727
Novatel U760
Sierra Wireless 595U
Sierra Wireless Compass 597U
Sierra Wireless Compass 598U
Sierra Wireless 250U
Franklin U301
Franklin CDU-550
ZTE TU-25
Sierra Wireless USB 598
Franklin U600

I recommend looking up reviews on the various modems to see which ones customers say perform the best and then looking for one online. I know the 3G store had some refurbished ones and stuff on clearance. I also recommend checking to make sure that the modem is Sprint enabled rather than Verizon enabled.

I asked about some of the modems on the 3G store and was informed they performed about the same but it was the size of the modems themselves that differs. (from what I understand, the Mifi is actually a router as well as a modem).

If you get the modem before signing up, you can even test your reception using the software found »shop2.sprint.com/en/software_dow···20.shtml

I completely understand your wariness with this. It can be hard to trust companies when you've been burned before (or know people who have been burned). I am trying to be cautious and make sure things will work before I cancel my current ISP. Although mine is so bad that even if the speeds are slower it will still be worth it to have better latency and not lose signal whenever a hummingbird expels waste.

suceress, thanks for the info and link. They also have software for my U760 modem from VM but I don't think that will work since it's probably locked. Sprint wouldn't tell me anything by email and said to try the Chat feature, which I did. The chat person said that about any Sprint labeled modem would work but not ones from VM or Cricket since they are locked so it looks like I'm stuck with a couple of worthless modems I can't use. Also, they said the modem could be reprogrammed with new firmware over the air.
If I buy the modem from them it would cost me $220 just to try it to see if it works or about $120 if I bring my own modem and I'll still just be getting slow 1.2mb 3G speeds since they don't support 4G unless you go for the high priced $80 plan. That's just way too much expense unless I absolutely couldn't get anything but dialup.
I don't understand why it costs $49.99 for a "setup fee". It seems like that is just for reprogramming the modem to work with their service. If they are selling the modems then they should already come setup like they do for other services that don't have such a fee. It seems to me that if I brought my own modem then tried Millenicom they would reprogram it which would make it useless for anything else then I would be stuck with 3 useless modems.
Also I've since found out that some people are using Millenicom on Verizon but oddly there is no mention of that on their website. If I have a choice I'd rather use Verizon since they have better network coverage.

reply to ArizonaSteve
They don't mention it because they can't , They have a non disclosure agreement with the carriers
advanced plan = Verizon
Unlimited Plan = Sprint

Why do they have a setup fee . I don't know maybe they have setup costs involved with the carriers . Bottom line , They are cheaper ( no taxes ) , you get more data and best of all you are locked into a contract if something better does come along. If 3G data is your only option , it is a no brainer.

reply to xrayman

That's good to know but fortunately I don't need it anymore. When the wireless carriers first started coming out with data plans I thought it was going to be the answer because there was never any sort of internet service available at my house but the first 3 I tried didn't work well enough to be acceptable for anything. Actually T-Mobile worked OK but their data plan was insanely expensive at $50 for only 1Gb/mo. Since then however, CenturyLink put in a new fiber network down the street so I can get DSL now.

reply to suceress
suceress, I picked up a Novatel U595 3G device at Goodwill and downloaded the Sprint SmartView connection manager to try it. I don't see how that will show anything since I don't have an account with Sprint and can't login and connect however. There's no way to check what speed I might be able to get. Sometimes it shows Sprint EVDO is available with full bars but other times it says Sprint 1xrtt is available. I think EVDO is only 1.2-1.5mb but 1xrtt is much slower!
That's the same problem I was having with Cricket and Virgin Mobile on Sprint, a 1xrtt connection at 27k or whatever is just way to slow to use for anything at all.
Also, if I were to take the plunge and try Millenicom and they upgrade the firmware of my U595 over the air so it can get their service will it be usable again after that if I don't want Millenicom or is it totally worthless after that since it wouldn't work with anything else again?

reply to ArizonaSteve
Well, we took the plunge and got Millenicom. It required 4 bars of signal to get the software on the computer updated to make it work. Unfortunately it seems that for whatever reason we were only getting 2 bars in the same spot we previously got 5. But we were able to take the laptop outside (the modem has to be plugged directly into the computer) to a good spot and get it loaded. Tech support is in the US and they don't follow scripts, so they were very helpful.

I don't have any amplifiers or antennas and I have a metal roof so it seems my signal gets interrupted for a few minutes every once in awhile, but I am still getting lower latency and faster speeds than Hughesnet.

I admit that I don't even know what 1xrtt is, but I think I saw that somewhere on the Sprint SmartView software thing.

I plan to get an amplifier and antenna to boost my signal and see if it helps to improve signal strength to make things more efficient.

Since Hughesnet is phasing out the modem I use and the Ku band satellite and I'm not eligible for the new modem using their Ka band satellite, this is about the only option I've found for internet out here.

suceress, an amplifier probably isn't needed if you get an acceptable signal outside. I don't get a very strong signal inside either even though all the wireless carriers have towers within a mile of my house so I put an antenna on the roof to use for all my wireless needs. After trying several different styles if antennas with less than acceptable results, I found that a Wilson Electronics Dual Band Trucker Antenna works very well and they only cost about $30 on Amazon. I got one with a threaded base and mounted it on a magnet mount and stuck it on the roof but you can also use a clamp on mount. It comes with about 20' of lead in cable attached but one drawback of the Wilson is they use their own proprietary FME connector on the end of the cable so you have to get a matching pigtail with either a connector on the end to match your device or a flat pad to place on the outside. The pigtails are available on ebay to fit just about any device however. I got an external pad to use on my Blackberry since it doesn't have an antenna jack but it works on the Sprint USB device too just by sticking it on the outside and gives me a full 5 bars.
»www.amazon.com/Wilson-Electronic···06VSHE4/

reply to dib22
dib22, they have to reprogram the USB device with new firmware otherwise how are they going to get it to work with the Millinicom service? If they didn't it would still be able to only get Sprint. My concern is after it's setup for Millinicom will it ever be able to go back to Sprint again or is it now locked to Millinicom the same way the ones for Cricket and Virgin Mobile are locked to Cricket and Virgin Mobile even though that's on Sprint too? Has anyone ever tried to go back?

What dib22 said is correct, no new firmware is put on the device used for Millinicom service. The electronic serial number (ESN) or in the case of Verizon 4G the SIM card is what must be accepted by the Sprint or Verizon system before the device will connect. Your device must be able to work on the Sprint network in the case of the BYOD plan. Other Millinicom plans will require a device provided by Millinicom that will work on the correct cell company network.