Detailed Verizon coverage map

[Dave Lewison]

Using the state coverage maps from Verizon's website, I was able to stitch together a pretty detailed coverage map for most of the Great Plains. Hopefully some will find it useful:
http://www.facethewind.com/temp/verizon-coverage.jpg

I use their National Access unlimited data plan (red areas on map), to connect to the internet using my LG VX8300 phone and USB tether. It works great in the northeast, but while I was chasing in KS last week, it would connect to the local 3G network, but kept saying my username & password were not valid on that "domain". (I normally don't need any username or password when connecting to their service).

The tech support people told me it only works when I'm in a National Access areas on the map. But I know several people who use the Verizon AirCard outside of these areas....does anyone know how this works, and if I can use the service with my phone outside the red areas?

 

[Johnathan Brouwer]

Make sure you update the roaming capabilities on your phone. I use the same set-up and most of the time have no problems. Most verizon phones will use the *228 function to do this...as the network coverage isnstantly changing, you should do this at least every couple of weeks.

 

[Dave Lewison]

The tech support people suggested this also, but when I tried, I got a recorded message from Alltel Wireless, saying that my handset could not be updated. Perhaps this only works when I'm in a Verizon-owned access area (red map area)?

But now that I'm back home in NY, I'll do it right now.

 

[Johnathan Brouwer]

that is correct! Wait till it's not roaming and go for it! Doing this solved a lot of my problems.

When I chase I use verizon and my partner Clay Stahlka uses cingular...that way ( hopefully) we will never be without coverage. we have been very lucky in this respect as when we do lose cellular we have wifi too!

 

[HAltschule]

The tech support people suggested this also, but when I tried, I got a recorded message from Alltel Wireless, saying that my handset could not be updated. Perhaps this only works when I'm in a Verizon-owned access area (red map area)?

But now that I'm back home in NY, I'll do it right now.

Hey Dave...nice to see another New York chaser. I have Verizon and am going to purchase the EVDO capability today. How's the coverage down along the NYS Thruway between Harriman tolls and say, Cairo? Also, do you get data reception in the Taconics in interior Dutchess and Columbia counties? Those are the areas that are dead spots and in the boonies but if you find a good clear spot, the storms coming through the Hudson Valley can make for some beautiful photos.

 

[Dave Lewison]

The Verizon EVDO data is pretty amazing in the northeast, and from what I've heard, it works great all the way down I-95 to FL. It's only $60 a month and I can cancel penalty-free at any time, so I may ditch WXWorx for the summer and use Verizon when I chase locally, or for hurricanes (although relying on cell towers during hurricanes is probably not a great idea).

Their NY coverage is really good. Anything within 3 counties of NYC is solidly covered. They've got all the major interstates & most of upstate NY too, especially the Albany-Rochester route. Only some rural areas of Orange County & other mountainous areas aren't covered. You can pull up their detailed maps here:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/CoverageLocatorController?requesttype=NEWREQUEST

 

[Tony Perkins]

I also tether with a VX8300 and originally could not connect to any network except the high speed EVDO one. I called Verizon, and they said that the data roaming capability wasn't enabled on my account for some reason. They turned it on, and it's been great ever since. I used in all over Kansas a few weekends ago and was rarely without coverage.

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

Make sure you update the roaming capabilities on your phone. I use the same set-up and most of the time have no problems. Most verizon phones will use the *228 function to do this...as the network coverage isnstantly changing, you should do this at least every couple of weeks.

True, though most newer handsets support "pushes" of the new PRLs. (PRLs are lists the phone uses to decide what towers to use when not in the home area.) Dialing *228 (the PRL update number) won't hurt, but your phone will probably get the new PRLs automagically sooner or later, even if you never dial the PRL update number.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Using the state coverage maps from Verizon's website, I was able to stitch together a pretty detailed coverage map for most of the Great Plains. Hopefully some will find it useful:
http://www.facethewind.com/temp/verizon-coverage.jpg

I use their National Access unlimited data plan (red areas on map), to connect to the internet using my LG VX8300 phone and USB tether. It works great in the northeast, but while I was chasing in KS last week, it would connect to the local 3G network, but kept saying my username & password were not valid on that "domain". (I normally don't need any username or password when connecting to their service).

The tech support people told me it only works when I'm in a National Access areas on the map. But I know several people who use the Verizon AirCard outside of these areas....does anyone know how this works, and if I can use the service with my phone outside the red areas?

Interesting you have that problem. I get this same exact message via my Alltel plan in sw Iowa. 3 seperate chases I tried to connect between Nebraska City and Council Bluffs and the entire route it said the same thing. I then toured some of the flooding and this continued everywhere I went in sw IA. This was happening in areas it shows coverage on their maps. But to relate this to verizon, here is the thing. I tried to call a chaser from this area and I got a error message that mentioned verizon in it(I'm with alltel calling another chaser that uses alltel). So I assumed this was a verizon issue with their towers in that whole area.

 

[Mike Umscheid]

Interesting you have that problem. I get this same exact message via my Alltel plan in sw Iowa. 3 seperate chases I tried to connect between Nebraska City and Council Bluffs and the entire route it said the same thing. I then toured some of the flooding and this continued everywhere I went in sw IA. This was happening in areas it shows coverage on their maps. But to relate this to verizon, here is the thing. I tried to call a chaser from this area and I got a error message that mentioned verizon in it(I'm with alltel calling another chaser that uses alltel). So I assumed this was a verizon issue with their towers in that whole area.

I'm with Alltel as well... and this area in SW IA that Mike H mentions has been my only real "WTF?" of the season so far with regards to connection when I expected to get one. This was back in late March, so I'm glad to see I wasn't the only with Alltel data connection problems in SW IA. I was able to connect along I-80 though from Avoca to Adair.

 

[Dave Lewison]

I would get the "invalid username" error pretty much everywhere in western KS/OK/TX, which I'm assuming is Alltel territory. I wasn't able to "push" the PRL by dialing *228...kept getting error messages from Alltel saying the operation couldn't be completed. Can someone point me to an AllTel coverage map? Maybe I can make a big one of those too.

The good thing was that I was able to make voice calls just fine pretty much everywhere. And as soon as I hit I-70 near Topeka on the way home, I got back my Verizon EVDO data signal, and kept it all the way back to NY.

But my main question is for those who have the Verizon AirCard... I know a couple of people who have this, and it works for them in the Alltel areas. Maybe they're using that #777 dialup number, which supposedly works everywhere, but the tech supt people told me they charge $0.25 a minute for that number! (it's called Quick2Net dialup)

 

[John Diel]

Alltel Coverage Map:

http://www.alltel.com/personal/wireless/plans/nf_coverage_map.html

Alltel Broadband Coverage:
See Mike's link belowhttp://www.alltel.com/business/images/legend.gif

 

[Willoughby Owen]

Hey, I gotta question for those with altell.. we've been using it for the last two days on the KPC650 and the connection is really good, apart from the odd drop out when you change carrier. But i've never yet had 'EVDO' speeds? On QuickLink mobile we've only had the '1XRTT' coverage' in places which should have EVDO speeds like Kansas City. 128kb dl speeds normal?

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Alltel Coverage Map:

http://www.alltel.com/personal/wireless/plans/nf_coverage_map.html

Alltel Broadband Coverage:
http://www.alltel.com/business/images/legend.gif

Hmmm I don't see much info when I click on those. You can see the alltel converage maps here by clicking see map then clicking the state you want:

http://www.alltel.com/business/enhanced/data_access.html

You'll notice on their map that KC is not evdo.


But back to the issues. I thought verizon and alltel were sharing all their stuff, but by the sounds of it, they aren't since Dave gets alltel error messages where it shows coverage and I was getting verizon error messages where it also showed coverage. I've found Alltel's maps to be very good so far, with the exception of sw IA and ne CO. Northeast CO wasn't as good as it showed either. Also you'll notice ne CO looks like it's not covered while looking at the Nebraska map, but when you look at the CO map it shows ne CO covered(which it's not that covered). There are several mixed examples like that from map to map.

http://www.alltel.com/business/enhanced/mobilelink_coverage.jsp There that's the link to see their maps.

 

[Willoughby Owen]

Ahh you're right Mike. I'm pretty sure Alltel and Verizon are sharing... my ip address locations were...

9. 16 May 14:12 Cellco Partnership DBA Verizon Wireless, Omaha, Nebraska, United States  
10. 16 May 14:50 Cellco Partnership DBA Verizon Wireless, Horse Creek, Wyoming, United States

...thru KC.. and now it's back to the Alltel servers in Little Rock as we pass by Wichita, KS.