I've had it with HughesNet!!! Need Advice

[bones1]

Eddie that is good news.There are tweaks you can do to increase your speeds, some quite a bit.The rwin settings of your computer can make a big difference in speeds.Verizon just bought Alltel not long ago so check your paperwork as I believe that data usage is now capped at 5G as well as all the other providers but it is unlikely you would need more than 5G. Look at the control panel That comes with your plan(diagnostics screen) and see if your are getting Rev A signals as opposed to RevO or 1x.Near a good tower and with an antenna you can at least double those speeds with a Rev A connection.
Everything you need to know is here EVDO Forums - EV-DO Discussion, Support, Coverage, Compatibility, Tips, Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, UM175, Kyocera KR2, WRT54G3GV2, WRT54G3G-ST, Cradlepoint CTR350, PHS300, MBR1000, CTR500 : EVDOforums.com and here Alltel Axcess forum - dslreports.com broadband community

This is the router you want if you need one Kyocera KR2 Evdo Wireless Broadband Mobile Router EV-DO (KR2) | KR2 [Kyocera] | kr 2 rotuer kr1 TXRTR10000 kr 1 D-Links DIR-450 3G Wireless Router 54Mbps 802.11g 4-Port EV-DO Kyocera Kr1 Evdo Wireless Mobile Router EV-DO dir450 dlink

 

[bake321]

I just recently dumped Hughes and went with Verizon wireless broadband (EVDO) I couldn't be more pleased with the results. CradlePoint makes a good USB router.

Bake

 

[bones1]

Yes they do. Kyocera is made by Cradlepoint but has a 4 port switch built in for cat 5 connections if you don't have wireless cards in some computers.

 

[DougM]

Verizon just bought Alltel ?????????????

News to me

DougM

 

[NuBota]

Glad to hear it Eddie!

Sounds like you're dead on as far as the service and device - basically the same as buying a cell phone

You speeds will be variable depending on so many factors - the speed tests are good to gain an order of magnitude, but I wouldn't sweat it much, unless DSL, Cable, or WISP becomes an option in your area. You'll beat satellite regardless. You already noted a perceptible difference.

$300 bucks does seem high for a router -I would check around, as you said. I haven't talked to my co-worker yet - but I will find out what his set-up is - he is one of the best network engineers I know - and we go way back, so I trust his advice. And he is thrifty - so I know he has done all the research to find the best "value". The Kyocera bones1 suggested looks promising - if your card is compatible.

But - if you want to defer the decision/purchase, you could use a PC as your router as well. If your air card is usb and you have a desktop PC, you could use it as your router. Probably more trouble than you'll want to deal with, but let me know if you want to try. If my cable is out for extended periods, I use this setup.

Other's have posted some good advice here as well (I realized after I posted that others had already provided the EVDO link)

Oh and BTW - that $700 dish you're stuck with - point it straight up - makes a good bird bath........

-Eric

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank you everyone. The link Bones provided for the router seems to be the best price that I've been able to find, so that's where I'm leaning right now. It lists my modem on their chart, so that part is covered too.

We're supposed to get rain today, and I'm excited to see if it works in the rain. I know allot of you must think that's foolish, but if you had HughesNet for as long as I have, you come to expect it to not work when it's raining outside.

Eddie

 

[NuBota]

Bones posted some great info - and just realized he's a neighbor! Worked in his neck of the woods for years....

Eddie - I'm telling ya - bird bath with the dish - rain will be perfect for it then!

And I think you'll be suprised how reliable your connection will be. There may be times when it's slow - competing with other users, etc. But if you have good cell reception, you should be just fine, rain or not -especially if it's stationary in the router. That's when I use mine the most - bad weather causes cable outage - EVDO works just fine

 

[EastTexFrank]

I'm glad it seems to be working out for you Eddie. Lack of a good internet connection is the one drawback of living out in the country. There's absolutely no chance of getting DSL or cable connections where I live and a wireless card is a non-starter either. The only cell phone that I've ever been able to get reception on at the house is a $15 TracPhone from Walmart ... go figure. Since I've heard all the "horror" stories about satellite, WISP was my only answer. When I see the speeds you other guys are getting, I'm jealous but you know what?, it's still so much faster than dial-up that I can live with it. It has made the internet fun again. Happy surfing Eddie.

By the way, I'm using it right now and it's pouring down rain ... wonderful.

 

[NuBota]

Started thinking - Eddie has over 7600 posts - now he has 3 or 4 times the bandwidth - and at least that much more "uptime" - hmm.......

 

[JazzDad]

Eddie, it may be some time before you need the bandwidth, but how are you going to provide service to your RV park? Travelers are used to having their internet and e-mail. If you will have the demand soon, why not get your campground system up and running, with you and Steph as the first "customers".