Anyone using a 3G card in their laptop?

[Twoplanker]

Is anyone using a 3G card in their laptop? What kind of speeds are you getting with "mobile broadband"?

I'd be interested in your speedtest results: http://www.speedtest.net/

[altagirl]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/306277592.png (http://www.speedtest.net)]

re-tested it and got:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/306279139.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

[Twoplanker]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/306277592.png (http://www.speedtest.net)]

re-tested it and got:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/306279139.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

Thanks. Very interesting.

What service are you using?
How much per month?
Is there a data transfer cap?

[Twoplanker]

D'oh. I see it's Verizon now.

[The Dad]

I'll test my Sprint/Sierra card later.

[altagirl]

D'oh. I see it's Verizon now.

Yeah - Verizon, it's a UM175 USB card (I had an old PCMCIA slot thing that they upgraded for free to this one after a couple years). The new card is definitely faster, though I never tested it before. It's $60/month including taxes/fees/whatever. I haven't had any issues with data caps or anything - unlimited service. I did notice they have a cheaper option that has data limits last time I was in the VZW store though.

[Summit]

Go above 5GB/mo and you'll get on Verizon's bad side.

I used my MotoQ as a tethered 3G modem and it worked OK but not super fast. High latency but it did everything *I* needed.

[djc]

My verizon card (actually it's one of the USB connections) passes my porn speed test nightly.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/306319249.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

[Twoplanker]

I'm considering using Verizon's 3G card in conjunction with this device. However, it's sending 500 MB of data per hour and probably 20 hours per week. That's 40 GB per month. If Verizon's not actually unlimited, then what is it?

Does anyone know the hard data on the download limits?

[peacedivision]

I'm using a Verizon V740 3G card. Speed seems very dependent on location, and latency tends to be pretty bad.

At home in the SF bay area it tops out around 750kps. This week in Hickory North Carolina it could barely muster 15kps. Thats real-world download speed, not speedtest or dslreports, ect.

[Twoplanker]

I'm using a Verizon V740 3G card. Speed seems very dependent on location, and latency tends to be pretty bad.

At home in the SF bay area it tops out around 750kps. This week in Hickory North Carolina it could barely muster 15kps. Thats real-world download speed, not speedtest or dslreports, ect.

That's more like what I was expecting. Ah well, it's good to be ahead of the curve. Looks like we're wired for now...

[peacedivision]

glad to help, for fun I compared the marriott free wifi to my verizon card on speedtest. the hotel wifi hit 300k up and down, verizon card showed 1400k/600k but when I actually try to use the 3G card to surf or download its almost unusable.

Depending on your location it may be fine, I've had good results in Boston, Washington D.C, even up in Waterloo. The south seems particularly bad, Atlanta and North Carolina suck for 3G I guess.

[altagirl]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/306277592.png (http://www.speedtest.net)]

re-tested it and got:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/306279139.png (http://www.speedtest.net)


Heh - and look at my Verizon card compared to Qwest DSL at home:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/306366942.png (http://www.speedtest.net)


I use my 3G card all day at work sometimes because our office network gets crappy sometimes and the card is faster. Or when I'm traveling. Oddly enough, one of the fastest internet connections I've ever had is out camping in Moab. Likely because so few people are using it... but still. It's nice to be able to jump on the internet whereever you have phone signal. Obviously - how fast it is depends on where you're at.

[fez]

the verizon cards depend so much on where you are. sometimes spectacular service, sometimes horrible. and it doesnt even seem to matter how many bars are showing on your phone. i use one for travel because i usually cant get any internet service for onsite software installs and often need to talk to the home office.

though one of my coworkers was installing software in a verizon data center and he said the performance was outstanding there.

i've speed tested them before but dont have any data at hand.

[The Dad]

first try, automatic select LA
http://www.speedtest.net/result/306384918.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

second try, automatic select LA
http://www.speedtest.net/result/306385068.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

manual select SF
http://www.speedtest.net/result/306385595.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

[Twoplanker]

first try, automatic select LA
http://www.speedtest.net/result/306384918.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

second try, automatic select LA
http://www.speedtest.net/result/306385068.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

manual select SF
http://www.speedtest.net/result/306385595.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

This is very helpful guys. I'm compiling a pile of all these speedtest image reports to get an idea of what's what. Thanks.

[The Dad]

No problem.

I'm on the road this weekend and early next week; I'll try to get some more readings.

[The Dad]

18 miles south of Red Bluff, CA, heading north on I-5 at 73mph.

For some reason, it thinks I'm close to Kansas City:
http://www.speedtest.net/result/306786795.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

From the SF server:
http://www.speedtest.net/result/306787271.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

And from Portland:
http://www.speedtest.net/result/306787771.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

[peacedivision]

Another example of location affecting performance. Hickory North Carolina, card was unusable even though speedtest.net showed 1400/600.

40 miles away in Charlotte North Carolina sitting in the airport, I'm now getting real world download speeds around 95kps.

[Buzzworthy]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/307029114.png

Felt like testing Comcast

[peacedivision]

For fun I decided to test the connection at work, I promise this has not been tampered with in any way.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/307841333.png

Beat that! :)

[BSS]

I have been using the AT&T, cingular, whatever Sierra 775 card for about a year now. Not sure of the exact speeds, but when it's actually got 3G connectivity it's great. When it doesn't, it's absolutely worthless. I'll test the speed tomorrow (it's at the office right now.)

On another note - how secure are these things? I recently began doing some online banking transactions on the laptop and after noticing (and reporting) some strange activity on Friday, one of my accounts was was hacked to the tune of $4K this morning. I'm the only user and nobody else has (had) the PIN, so I can only assume it was because of the cell modem. :confused:

[BSS]

First try:
http://www.speedtest.net/result/308253088.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

Second:
http://www.speedtest.net/result/308254163.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

[Skidog]

I have been using the AT&T, cingular, whatever Sierra 775 card for about a year now. Not sure of the exact speeds, but when it's actually got 3G connectivity it's great. When it doesn't, it's absolutely worthless. I'll test the speed tomorrow (it's at the office right now.)

On another note - how secure are these things? I recently began doing some online banking transactions on the laptop and after noticing (and reporting) some strange activity on Friday, one of my accounts was was hacked to the tune of $4K this morning. I'm the only user and nobody else has (had) the PIN, so I can only assume it was because of the cell modem. :confused:


This site you hit should have the security...where the transaction is happening.

You could very easily be one of the millions those russians they just popped got a hold of...

Im betting the only data that MIGHT go unencrypted back to the cell provider is the authentication information.

Good luck with the bank, that sounds like it might be a drag.

thank you FDIC

[Buzzworthy]

OMG, this is why work is so painful:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/311565245.png

[Twoplanker]

OMG, this is why work is so painful:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/311565245.png

Is this a 3G card speedtest?

[altagirl]

Is this a 3G card speedtest?

Looks about the same as my pathetic Qwest DSL that I posted earlier, so I'm going to say no.

[Buzzworthy]

Is this a 3G card speedtest?


No, this is what we actually work on apparently, hardwired.

However, my dad got one and asked him to test and his test is about the same in Dallas area as AG's Verizon, as pops gots VZ too.

So least post this did pertain to the question. :redface: