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I tried to use this for remote access to work via VPN and connect to my PC there via Remote Desktop and I have to confirm it is virtually useless. I used to give the PC5740 Verizon card to my staff when there was a need for weekend remote network administration or possible emergency and we all loved it. Although I had a strong signal (4/5 bars) at every single place, the internet browsing experience seems to be worse than during my long-gone modem years. One good point about T-Mobile is their customer service, which seems very quick and professional, while Verizon's customer service was so poor that I swore the next card I buy won't be Verizon, but I must admit I shot myself in the foot by bying T-Mobile. Various ISP bandwidth tests usually report around 100 kbps and rarely close to 200 kbps, but my subjective experience is so much worse that I'd rather pay $15 per day from my own pocket instead of using this card in a hotel and wasting as much time as I did. I wasted my time and nerves using this slow card/provider at so many different places in Chicago and nationwide that I can now claim with confidence it is practically useless.
I chose this provider because this card supposedly also works in most European countries where T-Mobile is very present.So far I tried to use it at home and at work (Chicago), at my in-laws' house (Chicago suburbs), in Minneapolis suburbs and at a conference in Las Vegas. Last weekend I gave this GC89 card to one of my staff members whose DSL was down while he needed to perform some DBA work from home and to use his words, it was useless. We bought T-Mobile GC89 for Internet access via cellular network. We have several different Verizon PC cards at work and their speed is comparable to DSL service, which is an order of magnitude faster than this one. I'd rather have poor customer service with high speed Internet than vice versa.After researching other providers, I found out that Verizon and Sprint typically have the much faster EV-DO networks with speeds close to DSL access, while EDGE and GPRS protocols used by T-Mobile and AT&T (Cingular) networks are miles behind.This card and/or T-Mobile's internet access speed is so slow it's virtually useless for any remote administration work, remote desktop access via VPN, serious internet downloads or even browsing - avoid by all means. We don't typically use its Wi-Fi functionality because all of our newer laptops already have a built-in WLAN.
I even upgraded the firmware and downloaded the latest software version for the card, but that didn't help.
Now about the service. All tolled, mediocre-outdated equipment, criminal service by vendor (OneStopWirelesshop), and a we don't care we have you under contract attitude by T-Mobile. Bought the Sony Ericsson GC89 wireless card one year ago. First OneStopWirelesshop is totally incompetent. (I deleted the update and reinstalled the original). T-Mobile is my carrier and had all the info necessary. T-Mobile said they had not and were not allowed by law to contact a third party about my account.
When I complained, T-Mobile's solution was to drive around until I found a wi-fi hot spot and login to renew the software. Also, after I updated the software at T-Mobile's insistance, it expires every few months.
They claimed that T-Mobile needed more info to enter a new account. You may be connected but don't expect anything except checking mail and occassionally Yahoo.com.
Total desaster. The speed is slower than old 56K dialup.
(I could have gotten extremely better performance by getting cable broadband at a similar price and free equipment). I started getting inaccurate emails from them the minute I entered the order.
Then, after five and a half months when I sent in the rebate forms, I was denied the rebates (two for[.].total) They(OneStopWirelesshop) claimed that T-Mobile had contacted them and said I had discontinued service.(I still have the service after one year).
- as she made fun of yet another piece of plastic and wires entering the domain. Before I decided to buy the card, I read all the reviews I could find - some going back to 2006 - and still decided to give it a try. As I told the rep, I did not want to pay more, but I did not want a surprise later. I rec'd the card today, called T-mobile to add the $50 sevice to my current Family Plan.
I type this review from the capital of Virginia with only 1-2 bars reaching, stretching, straining toward my distant EDGE/GPRS/T-Mobile tower. As I scoffed at and ignored the do you want to reboot message, I snapped in the sim card from my little used family plan line, slid the card in and waited a technological lifetime - 2 minutes - for the card to find the Cell Tower.As the previous reviewer detailed quite accurately, Edge is much slower than WiFi. I was pleasantly surprised as he confirmed the lower price.So after dinner, I grabbed my wife's laptop from her lap, installed the software and during the long 3 minute process I had to endure snickers and comments like, Is it working yet., How's it going. I've been with T-Mobile when it was Voicestream (in the Year 2k).
When the rep told me it was only $19.99 including HotSpot access, I asked him to make sure it was only $19.99 and not $49.99. While I'm not sure if the speed is fast enough to replace my cable modem, the ability to connect anywhere I receive a signal along with the many T-Mobile hotspots (that I used to drive/walk by) plus the pleasantly surprising price of $19.99 may just be compelling enough to get rid of 2/3 (internet/phone) of those $99 triple play bundles, with a net savings of about $45.00.Now, does anyone know of a signal booster. Before I decided to buy the card I checked the service map for my area and found it to be accurate; I basically get 2 bars on my cell phone, at home. Before I decided to buy the card, I compared it to all the other carriers prices/plans/products and @ $50.00 a month including HotSpot access it was the best value so I ordered the card.
I suppose if your business is paying for it, it's not an issue, but it's definitely not something I would even consider paying for. The downside. Cellular data is generally no faster than Wi-Fi on ANY network. and if the service has cost someone a job, you would think that they'd switch or something and not wait until multiple "jobs" are missed), but at the very least it's amazing that a BUSINESSwoman won't read at least a portion of the CONTRACT she's signing to figure out that it indeed has a contract period JUST LIKE A CELLPHONE. So for what you would pay for other companies to just have data access, you could get both data AND voice. And sometimes they don't even cover all of a city.
the contentious cellular data. IF you stay in large urban areas. So read on.What You're Getting=======First things first: this card is a twofer. What's even worse is the cost. In those spots and outside of large cities, you get dropped down to EDGE speeds.
As I said, speeds are okay and consistent. Again, the card works. It's actually possible to get data access for even less if you have a voice plan - for $6. I don't know how the other reviewer "often lost jobs" because of the connection; I really can't imagine a scenario where it would directly affect her (missed an e-mail.
It's a little slow getting things started, but web browsing is just fine. Legit cost is $60, but you can be sneaky about it and cut it down to about $40/month with a PDA phone. I suppose it's nice to know that if my onboard Wi-Fi ever breaks down I won't have to pay for repairs.Ah. Downloads are okay; just don't wait until the last moment to download a 25MB PowerPoint presentation. With T-Mobile's EDGE network, I am consistently getting around 10% of a DSL connection, or 3-4x the speed of a dial-up connection. Now, that might not be very professional, but getting angry at the staff doesn't help solve the problem.Comparisons=======Not going to compare Wi-Fi service simply because there aren't any other really big players in the Wi-Fi service business.You do have some options with cellular data.
The benefit. So, no getting your money's worth by downloading everything through it. Coverage is also not so hot, but supposedly somewhat better than AT&T. T-Mobile data services are very cheap, and I would recommend it to just about anybody who needs general data access. Not bad for $50 (which is what you can expect to pay for it elsewhere online, or at the T-Mobile store if the manager feels especially generous).I don't bother with the external antenna since the signal strength isn't bad around here. Not much to say here.The T-Mobile EDGE network has pretty good coverage where I travel (San Francisco Bay Area).
If I really need the speed, I know I can go to a HotSpot and get the boost.I also need to clarify: EDGE access has a contract like a cellphone because it uses the same network as cellphones. In many locations, it is slower. The process is a little complicated, and not for everyone, but if you want the cheapest, reliable data access available, this is it.Conclusion=======The Sony GC89 provides reliable connectivity to the T-Mobile EDGE network and HotSpots. others are also possible, but let's not get ahead of oursevles). Even if this were your only connection (no DSL or cable), it'd still be extremely expensive. Like at your home and office, except at Starbucks, Kinko's, airports and other places T-Mobile expect people to want to have net access.
Even if you already have a voice plan with AT&T, then it's not any cheaper if you go the legit route. A data-only plan costs $60/month; include their Wi-Fi service plan and it skyrockets to $100/month. It works just fine for me.Service=======T-Mobile HotSpots are for Wi-Fi access. You definitely can't use this as a dedicated connection: they will cut you off without any prior warning. There are two networking "widgets" in this card. T-Mobile's EDGE network is very reliable and allows data access anywhere on the T-Mobile network. No Wi-Fi service.AT&T: AT&T actually has pretty speedy service (called 3G), comparable to a slow DSL line.
This is where things get tricky. Always read the instructions, even if it's suppoosed to be "Easy as 1-2-3.". But wait. I'm not really the type to review things, but I was looking for updates for the GC89 and I saw this Amazon page; thought I'd take a look at what other people are saying. I don't need it, as my laptop already has Wi-Fi built-in (as should just about all laptops these days) but I figured I should test it out. One lets you access Wi-Fi networks (what I'm guessing many people reading this have at home or at a coffee shop nearby); this may also be referred to 802.11b, 802.11g, or the very new 802.11n. Oh, and the antenna is only for the cellular network; I believe it has no effect on the Wi-Fi.Installation=======Installation went smoothly, took about 5 minutes in all, including READING THE INSTRUCTIONS. No Wi-Fi service.Compare it to T-Mobile.
Yes, it can slow down a little bit if a lot of people are making phone calls or using data, just like if there's a lot of people on your home network things go slower. That's how things work, so keep that in mind.In terms of customer service, I've had T-Mobile for, oh, 3 years now (including phone-only service), and the staff has always been very helpful. So, it's a little suspicious. Remember, this second part is working off of the same network as cellphones. Turns out, not much, and what is being said indicates that there's a lot of confusion. In this case I was; I didn't even need to type in any account info (as I already have an account with T-Mobile; if you don't have service with them yet, you will need to activate your account first; SEE THE INSTRUCTIONS).Usage=======I'll talk about the Wi-Fi first, since it can be summed up in two words: it works. I don't know about their customer service or coverage, but from what I hear (take this with a grain of salt), it's not so hot.
That's what you're buying: a card that allows you to access two different networks. It's available anywhere you can get a cell signal, and not just at libraries or coffee shops. I thought I'd set things straight. That's right, the same kind of network as T-Mobile. Many things aren't, and if it is, then you can be pleasantly surprised. T-Mobile's HotSpot service is very fast and available in a lot of places, not just Starbucks (the software for this bundle includes a directory for locating HotSpots).
Verizon is VERY vigilant about how much you download. In the case of T-Mobile, it really is a case of, if you hear about their customer service staff being unhelpful, you need to consider just how rude the person calling may be. Other electronics allow you to access cellular networks, referred to as GPRS or EDGE (in this case, T-Mobile's cellular networks. It's a light grey, which matches my laptop.
There are better resources to find out more information (google howardforums, for starters), but I might as well give some brief summaries.Sprint: In terms of pricing, they're pretty close to T-Mobile. Customer service is ok.Verizon: Also has a speedy 3G network. It comes down to $50/month if you're sneaky about it, but you'll also need a PDA phone to use as a modem. Data-only access it $40/month, which is EDGE plus Wi-Fi. Anyways. It's fairly compact, only a piece the width of the slot and half an inch length sticking out. In fact, I'm using it for this review right now. If you have a voice plan, both services costs only $20/month.
more than what I get in the same spot with my phone anyways. $$$. Again, I need to stress: it's not as fast as Wi-Fi by any means, but it's good to have data access everywhere I go. This particular card supports 802.11g, which isn't important to most folks except for the fact that it can work with older 802.11b networks as well as getting you faster speeds on 802.11g networks. You can get it while driving around, on a train (sometimes even underground if the company put signal points there) etc.
I had no choice but to cancel my service and pay the $200 + $150 I already paid for the wireless card. I could not afford to go another day without internet service. I often lost jobs due to the service of the internet. The internet wireless card that I paid $150 for will also pick up WI-FI internet. At that time I signed up service with Adelphia cable. Considering I am a business women and I was a full-time student at the time I chose to get wireless internet with T-Mobile.
The internet service was very slow at times and did not work properly. T-mobile customer service did not help me with my service issue and I often had to leave home to use the internet somewhere else. I paid $150 for a wireless internet card that you can purchase for $35 on the internet and I didn't realize that I was in a one-year contract. If the internet service was not so terribly bad I would not have opted to terminate my service. After connecting my new cable internet in my ho I used the internet service for 4-5 months at which time I had several interruptions in my service.
The internet service was so bad that I refused to pay them another $50 a month for service so I paid the $200 early termination fee.
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