AT&T Boosts 3G Laptop Connect Speeds - Now maxes out at 1.7Mbps down and 1.2Mbps up....

Re: cool

Hey, if you don't like paying $59.99 a month for your 5 GB soft cap, then don't. Pay $19.99 a month for it with GoPhone, and pay for your modem outright. A friend is currently borrowing my 881U with its service. EDGE only around here but hey for $20 a month it's not so bad. Neither is a 5GB cap on a mobile service if I can just po in another SIM and go with it.

I mean, with one T1 going to each tower (usually the case, hence the real world speeds) you can't expect AT&T to not cap the service and still have reasonable speeds, at least with a soft cap...T1's are expensive around here unfortunately. Plus AT&T's mobile broadband isn't meant as a landline substitute and everyone else is doing it.

So you can stop ranting about caps now.

What I wanna know is whether, in the same area, AT&T's new 3G can beat out my Sprint EvDO which by the way IS available in my town of ~10,000, along with VZW EvDO. THough AT&T 3G should be coming sooner or later.

I have a feeling that latency will still put EvDO ahead for a lot of stuff, though the fact that nobody uses AT&T Mobile Broadband may help them give me more of the tower T1 feed to use

.

We'll see...I'm taking a mission trip to a 3G enabled area believe it or not and will do a lot of testing of the connection there. Betcha it doesn't reach 1.2/1.2 most of the time.

permalink · 2008-06-04 10:53:22 · Print ·

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

·RoadRunner Cable

·DSL EXTREME

Re: cool

Better yet... if you have service, just make sure that you have a 3G phone, and add on a 'laptop connect' package on top of it. That way you aren't forced to keep it for 2 years, or purchase a card only. Recommend V3xx RAZR (uses mini USB) and has HSDPA 3.6Mbps. I've tethered with my Samsung ZX-20 for a month while my DSL was out to lunch (AT&T gutting the area for Uverse)
--
Canada = Hollywood North

permalink · 2008-06-04 11:11:03 ·

iansltx join:2007-02-19 Golden, CO	Re: cool Meh, I don't use AT&T for voice, like my Sprint line better for that. Hence, AT&T data. Also the 881U, while expensive, allows for 7.2 Mbit HSDPA and HSUPA, something we're waiting on with phones.
	permalink · 2008-06-04 11:51:11 ·

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

·RoadRunner Cable

·DSL EXTREME

Re: cool

I've been spoiled by older AT&T plans (North America package), discounts on home bundle (POTS line w/DSL/wireless) as well as corp discounts through work on wireless (actually I would have similar with Sprint).
I've just never had a 'warm/fuzzy' over Sprint, especially with the recent issues they've had, and many 'fanboys' talking trash). I've had Verizon Wireless, and will never use them again (billing, CS, service issues). While I have no loyalty to any carrier, I currently have a decent deal (corp) on AT&T, and their service appears to work for me.

The 7.2Mbps won't help until the network is cranked up to 7.2Mbps.. which I don't expect to be for a while.
--
Canada = Hollywood North

permalink · 2008-06-04 12:05:27 · Print ·

iansltx

join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO

Re: cool

Good for you

. Glad to hear AT&T is working for you.

Personally I have Sprint SERO and I would be on prepaid service if it wasn't for that plan. I asked for 5 pm nights and weekends and got them. I have "unlimited" data on my phone, which I can use WiFi to tether. I'm a happy camper here though I know that Sprint is losing customers due to poor customer service, which I have come across a time or two. On the other hand, I've also come across great S. Luck of the draw, you might say.

As to my reasoning on the USBConnect, I like stuff that's future proof. I could have probablygotten another lesser card for $30-$50 less but I know this one'll last me a few years...the network has to catch up with me and that will take some time. If I want to talk on the service I have an iPhone (though it usually has my T-Mobile SIM in it) and another AT&T-compatible GSM phone or two. Oh, and my Sprint line.

But anyway glad to hear you like your plan with AT&T. I like mine too: $20 for internet that hsn't reached its full potential yet, and won't until AT&T runs either 5 T1's or a fractional DS3 to the tower I'm getting my signal from. Mmm, 5 T1's

permalink · 2008-06-04 12:15:01 · Print ·

Smith6612 Premium join:2008-02-01 united state	Re: cool The nearby Verizon tower from me actually has a fiber optic line feeding it surprisingly. And it's right near the DSLAM I feed off of as well, which is also fed by fiber.
	permalink · 2008-06-04 17:03:45 ·

iansltx

join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO

Re: cool

Cool. Problem is, AT&T may or may not have U-Verse (FTTN) in a particular area, and if they don't then pricing for backhaul will be high. Thus they won't put enough to each tower to take full advantage of the speeds HSPA can offer.

By the way, even with the current speed rollout on HSPA, AT&T's theoretical speeds are still only slightly higher (download) or the same (upload) as Sprint\VZW's with Rev. A. So basically AT&T has achieved technological parit with CDMA, and that's it.

permalink · 2008-06-04 17:16:53 ·

swarto112 join:2004-02-17 Tampa, FL	You dont have to add the laptop connect package if you use the motorola mobile phone tools software you can back door into the network without paying the extra charge for tethering.
	permalink · 2008-06-05 00:01:39 ·

en102 Canadian, eh? join:2001-01-26 Valencia, CA ·RoadRunner Cable ·DSL EXTREME	Re: cool Yeah - you can pick wap or isp (did that). I've heard of issues where the connection resets every few minutes on wap. This would be a problem for me using a VPN / SSH tunnel. It worked ok for me last year though. -- Canada = Hollywood North
	permalink · 2008-06-05 00:49:14 ·

swarto112 join:2004-02-17 Tampa, FL	Re: cool nope, stays steady for me. On for hours on my vpn to work.
	permalink · 2008-06-12 02:14:37 ·

tapeloop
1959. I try to kick the ball. I miss.
Premium
join:2004-06-27
Airstrip One

said by iansltx

:

Hey, if you don't like paying $59.99 a month for your 5 GB soft cap, then don't. Pay $19.99 a month for it with GoPhone, and pay for your modem outright. A friend is currently borrowing my 881U with its service. EDGE only around here but hey for $20 a month it's not so bad. Neither is a 5GB cap on a mobile service if I can just po in another SIM and go with it.

How exactly does that work? Do you get the basic Pay As You Go Plan or the Pick Your Plan for the GoPhone? Then how do you add on the data plan?

It'd almost be worth it to have cheap and unlimited mobile access to supplement my home line. 3G in my area and most places I travel to make it that much more worthwhile.
--
"I love mankind. It's people I can't stand."

--L. van Pelt

permalink · 2008-06-05 11:03:38 · Print ·

iansltx

join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO

Re: cool

Actually it's pretty easy.

1. Order Sierra 881U from eBay
2. Get GoPhone from wherever (or SIM from the likes of babblebug.com if you already have an ATT capable phone)
3. Activate SIM, add airtime to bring it to at least $20, put it in a phone.
4. Dial 611, go through the prompts, add unlimited data. You'll have to do this every month.
5. Put SIM in the 881U, connect to your computer, make sure the APN is set to wap.cingular and the username to wap@mycingular.com and go.

These directions worked for me on both my Macbook Air, my iMac and a friend's PC. The nice thing about PCs is that the connection software, though it loads very slowly, is built into the aircard

And yes, 5 GB soft cap, $19.99 a month (depending on how much you pay for your airtime...some places will give you a few percent discount). Cheaper than "Lite" cable 'net where I am, though the problem is there's only EDGE here, and slow EDGE at that. Hopefully that will be remedied.

Oh, total cost would be $130 (modem) + $15 (phone + SIM) + $15 (airtime card) to start, and that would give you a month of service and $5 left over for the next month. Decent deal...

permalink · 2008-06-05 11:36:35 · Print ·

iansltx join:2007-02-19 Golden, CO	Re: cool Oh and yes, this can be done with Pay As You Go, so no overhead other than the weird refill denominations.
	permalink · 2008-06-05 11:39:47 ·

tapeloop
1959. I try to kick the ball. I miss.
Premium
join:2004-06-27
Airstrip One

said by iansltx

:

Actually it's pretty easy.

1. Order Sierra 881U from eBay
2. Get GoPhone from wherever (or SIM from the likes of babblebug.com if you already have an ATT capable phone)
3. Activate SIM, add airtime to bring it to at least $20, put it in a phone.
4. Dial 611, go through the prompts, add unlimited data. You'll have to do this every month.
5. Put SIM in the 881U, connect to your computer, make sure the APN is set to wap.cingular and the username to wap@mycingular.com and go.

Heh...found the instructions here right before I came back to DSLR.

They had no details as to dropping the SIM into the AirCard though, so thanks for that info. If you know anything about tethering a phone for data access, I'd also like to hear about that.

And yes, 5 GB soft cap, $19.99 a month (depending on how much you pay for your airtime...some places will give you a few percent discount).

Actually, I'd be fine with the 5GB cap, since I wouldn't be using it that much (mobile backup to my home line).

Oh, total cost would be $130 (modem) + $15 (phone + SIM) + $15 (airtime card) to start, and that would give you a month of service and $5 left over for the next month. Decent deal...

Just from a quick check on eBay, I found the SIM kits available for $5-$10 shipped, including SIM card + $10 airtime. I already have an unlocked GSM lying around. I can also probably pick up an airtime card below cost either from cheapphonecards.com, eBay, Amazon or any of the B&M stores using coupons and discounts.

Nice deal indeed! (Unless you're of the OMG AT&T SUCKS crowd, of course.)

On a side note: one could theoretically have continuous and nearly anonymous internet access for about $40/month. Just get a new GoPhone every 30 days. Crazy...
--
"I love mankind. It's people I can't stand."

--L. van Pelt

permalink · 2008-06-05 12:12:40 · Print ·

iansltx

join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO