How well do EVDO/Aircards work in the boonies

Paul Redmond

Paul Redmond

EF2
Joined
May 22, 2007
Messages
123
Location
San Antonio
I have been researching various mobile internet options for some time. It seems to me that many of these cards are designed for airports/urban areas. That maybe well and fine for the savy traveller, but will these cards work 50 miles from the nearest interstate in remote/rural areas where analog cellular service is still the rule of the day, despite what the service providers are threatening. Because of such questions, I am hesitant to take the plunge.
 
With a good antenna and a good dual band amplifier they work great . A few members here can testify to that.
Paul Redmond said:
I have been researching various mobile internet options for some time. It seems to me that many of these cards are designed for airports/urban areas. That maybe well and fine for the savy traveller, but will these cards work 50 miles from the nearest interstate in remote/rural areas where analog cellular service is still the rule of the day, despite what the service providers are threatening. Because of such questions, I am hesitant to take the plunge.
Click to expand...
 
Ok, does the same go for AT&T Edge? I ask, because I am still stuck with cingular/AT&T account. Though at this point I am willing to consider other providers, if I can break my contract.
 
Check with your provider - they'll have a map that shows the coverage for EVDO (at least Verizon does.)
 
I have an older Sierra 775 Air Card and it works reasonably well. It's hooked to an external antenna and there's a few spots that tend to give me a little trouble but 98% of the time it works out very well.

More and more, digital signal rules, though you may still find an analog service or two, but they're pretty much a thing of the past.
 
No comparison between edge and EVDO . When you can get out , go straight to one of the EVDO providers ,( Alltel, Verizon or Sprint)
Paul Redmond said:
Ok, does the same go for AT&T Edge? I ask, because I am still stuck with cingular/AT&T account. Though at this point I am willing to consider other providers, if I can break my contract.
Click to expand...
 
I used the Verizon USB720, which is a USB "aircard" that has an external antenna jack. It worked very well once I put the external antenna OUTSIDE of the vehicle. The unit works well, in most areas, even without an antenna, but adding the outside antenna, I was able to stay connected MOST of the time. This was used in OK, NE, KS, SD, ND, CO, TX, MO, IA and NM. Another chaser in the same vehicle had the PCI aircard and was losing connection several times.
Since this year's chase, I purchased a CASCADE amp (from Maximum Signal) and with that amp, I keep a signal in areas that I ALWAYS lose a signal or drop a call.
 
I was able to try Alltell's EVDO network in NE Nebraska (areas S and W of Yankton, SD). Even out there I was getting ~40kb/s which I think is excellent. No external antenna. Obviously there were some areas I wasn't getting signal, but it was adequate to keep the radar feed going.
 
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