Question

What is the best wireless air card out there?

Asked by: tkthelpdesk

I have a user using a sprint airCard to get internet on his laptop. It works pretty good most of the time but can be very spotty. I have been reading the AT&T has the best coverage and stronger signals. Any truth to this or feedback?

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Asked On
2008-05-30 at 10:13:10ID23445287
Tags

Sprint

,

Aircard

Topics

Wireless Technologies

,

Wireless Local Area Network

Participating Experts
1
Points
50
Comments
7

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Answers

 

by: Darr247Posted on 2008-05-31 at 10:32:23ID: 21684381

Location, location, location. Though some of the cards have connectors for an external antenna, also... plus you can get wireless routers that have slots for them, then mount the router where the card receives the signal best and share to your laptop(s) via wireless or cat5e throughout the house/car (they make lighter-plug adapters for the routers, too).

Check out http://evdoforums.com - it's run by a vendor (3gstore.com if I recall correctly), but no purchase is required to access the forums, and their ads aren't too pushy. Lots of information is available there, for the newbie to the expert.

 

by: tkthelpdeskPosted on 2008-05-31 at 10:35:53ID: 21684394

I am refering to cellular air cards not regular wireless. Sorry if i was not clear on that.

 

by: Darr247Posted on 2008-05-31 at 15:24:01ID: 21685225

Yeah, so am I. Did you not follow the link?

 

by: Darr247Posted on 2008-05-31 at 15:30:29ID: 21685250

The ''best'' card currently available is the BandRich C100 - http://www.expansys-usa.com/d.aspx?i=144554
But if your carrier (or a carrier in your area) doesn't support it that information isn't of much use.

 

by: Darr247Posted on 2008-05-31 at 16:18:14ID: 21685330

AT&T - http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/
Sprint - http://coverage.sprintpcs.com/IMPACT.jsp?covType=sprint
Verizon - http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/CoverageLocatorController?requesttype=NEWREQUEST/

I couldn't find coverage maps for any other carriers.

Sprint's been rolling out WiMAX, but not in rural areas where they'd have a monopoly on coverage - only in urban areas that already have cable and DSL broadband and many wifi hotspots, so I don't see how they expect to make money with it. i.e. I don't expect that offering (as currently planned) to survive 2 years. The shareholders will demand they halt the losses on it. IMHO.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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