New incar wi-fi setup

David Drummond said:
Having had both Novatell and Sierra Wireless cards, get a Sierra card. And yes, all the Sprint datacards are "always on" autoconnecting if you set that option in the software. As long as it has signal it will make, or attempt to make a connection, and usually seemlessly jumps from network to roaming and tower to tower.

I just recently got the Sierra 597E which is the top of the line current card. Requires an express card port. Has a solid external antenna port.
Click to expand...

You know what? Now it seems like we have all the makings of Autonet. It's really just a Sprint wireless device with Sprint service and a wireless router combined. There really are no roaming agreements for them to negotiate because Sprint has already done this.

I'm thinking I could probably put a similar hardware system together in a few days. Why would it take a year or more to release? That's funny when you think about it. Any of us could rig one of these up, and some of us likely already have a rig doing this possibly along with a power booster combo. I guess the question is does the cost of the equipment and the monthly plan beat what we would pay by getting them from Sprint in the first place? Also is Autonet Rev 0 or Rev A?
 
I don't see why you couldn't use it in one of those datacard routers. I haven't investigated that. On the southern plains, unless your in the vicinity of DFW or OKC, your going to be on the slower speeds and not EVDO. I don't know that I would WANT to share that slower connection. It gets the job done with wx data, but I can see it bogging down quickly with more than one user. I have found a few random roaming EVDO towers. There is one on the north side of Abilene, TX, alltel has EVDO turned on around the Lubbock area. Few other random EVDO roaming spots.

If the availability of EVDO keeps expanding like the availabity of the data itself did, I will be VERY happy. As it is, I have a non hassle connection that 99% of the time takes care of itself with no fiddling and a decent rate to get the data I get from darn near anywhere. Wasn't very long ago I dreamed of such a thing, so I am darn happy with it. I haven't had to fart around with tethering headaches for 4 years now. AND I can still use my phone. That alone is worth the price of admission. It's worked so well with GRL3 I got rid of my wxworks because I wasn't using it any more.

I know the Sprint cards (at least the newer ones) will connect at the highest speed available to it at the time.

I was going to use an amp, but I have had acceptable results with the external antenna. That makes ALL the difference in the world, getting that signal up and out of the vehicle. Would the amp give me that other 10% void I missed this year? Who knows. Some of the plains is pretty far from anywhere.

I do know I have run with other chasers running Cingular/ATT and there were many times when I had data, and their cards didn't. That's be best real chasing world comparison I can come up with.
 
Alex Sian said:
First, there are no Rev-A phones. Nada. Zip.
The closest to being Rev-A is the xv6800, which is "Rev-A Capable" but does not have firmware to allow actual Rev-A use yet. And folks have been waiting for the firmware on Sprint side, since the phone was released for Sprint users last summer. Don't hold your breath for a Rev-A phone as I have been.
Click to expand...

Update: the Sprint Treo 800w might be a Rev-A phone and might come out in April.

http://www.google.com/search?q=800w+rev-a
 
For Verizon, what do you guys recommend for an aircard and a tethered phone? What about for Sprint?

I'm currently on Verizon, but I could switch. Sounds like Sprint may have an advantage. What are the rest of you thinking?
 
If you have the budget the best results always come from an aircard. with either carrier.

Bill Tabor said:
For Verizon, what do you guys recommend for an aircard and a tethered phone? What about for Sprint?

I'm currently on Verizon, but I could switch. Sounds like Sprint may have an advantage. What are the rest of you thinking?
Click to expand...
 
Some of you mentioned inexpensive (like $25/mo) flat rate data plans with Verizon, Sprint, or Alltel. However I just looked them all up and they are all $59.99 currently. I also don't see any daily data options for Alltel as mentioned by Mike. What am I missing here?
 
Bill Tabor said:
Some of you mentioned inexpensive (like $25/mo) flat rate data plans with Verizon, Sprint, or Alltel. However I just looked them all up and they are all $59.99 currently. I also don't see any daily data options for Alltel as mentioned by Mike. What am I missing here?
Click to expand...

For Alltel, they never have advertised it, I had to call them up and tell them I wanted it. It's $25/ month unlimited, and there is no limit on the unlimited as far as I can tell (which some carriers will cut you off at a certain point).

Just call them up, tell them you want whatever plan they advertise, and tell them you want to tether your phone to your laptop for their "unlimited internet" plan for $25.00 a month. It's been so long, I can't remember exactly what I did.
 
Bill Tabor said:
Some of you mentioned inexpensive (like $25/mo) flat rate data plans with Verizon, Sprint, or Alltel. However I just looked them all up and they are all $59.99 currently. I also don't see any daily data options for Alltel as mentioned by Mike. What am I missing here?
Click to expand...

The $25/mo plan is with alltel but they don't advertise it. You have to have a voice plan with them and you have to use your phone to access the data.

FWIW I purchased a Sprint card and a signal amplifier from maximumsignal.com today. Since the Sprint data cards have an auto-reconnect feature and Sprints coverage/roaming agreements appear to be as good as autonet I see no reason to wait for them to get their product on the market.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Bill Tabor said:
For Verizon, what do you guys recommend for an aircard and a tethered phone? What about for Sprint?
I'm currently on Verizon, but I could switch. Sounds like Sprint may have an advantage. What are the rest of you thinking?
Click to expand...

If I were a roadwarrior of any kind, my setup would be the Franklin CDU680 USB modem as my 'primary' internet, backed up by a Verizon RAZR EVDO cell phone, and of course a Cradlepoint PHS300 EVDO Router.

With this gear, I primarily count on Sprint for connectivity, and can call Verizon to activate data 'feature' on my phone if I'm in an area where Sprint sucks and Verizon is superior.

Both the CDU680 and the Verizon RAZR would be able to work with PHS300.
 
Autonet sent this out earlier today...:) (I know...I know - we have all heard it before from them)

Hello,Thank you for contacting Autonet Mobile. We will be announcing pricing andavailability next month.
Stay tuned...Autonet Mobile
END

I like the stay tuned part...
 
I tried that last night and it connected only for a few seconds, then disconnected. This morning I talked to Tech support and they told me that the one day pass was only for browsing with the phone, to tether, I needed the $25/month tethering plan. He signed me up for it and I stayed connected.

If anybody was able to tether using the day pass, good for them. I just couldn't figure it out.
 
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