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Review by MagicVuedoo 
UPDATED: 1.2 years ago
member for 4.4 years, 15 visits, last login: 1.2 years ago
 Hatley,Marathon,WI
 $15 per month
 "Better then dial-up"
 "Connection is not consistant"
 "Better then dial-up... what else matter?"
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Well, I live in a area that have no broadband service. None, zip, nada, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Of course, I could have gone with satelite internet service but get real, who the *bleep* wants to pay $60-$100 a month for 256-512k? Not to consider also paying upward of $200-$300 for the equiptment and installation. Thats with a 2yr contract!
Well, long story short, I figure $15-$30 for dial-up or add another $15 for the PaM plan. Considering that I must also pay another $30-$40 for phone service, no comparision. I already pay about $170 for two phone with unlimited roaming, data, long distance, navigation, blah, blah (the PowerVision Pro plan), sprintPCS to sprintPCS, 7pm nights and weekend with 2200min. Whats another $15?
Now when I say no broadband service, THAT includes Sprint Broadband too. I am on 1x. Know what though? Lets see... 40-52k on dial-up or 60-120k for SprintPCS that also allow me to take it anywhere I wanna go? I'll let you decide. (And yes, those are tested speed. It varies widely on where and when I am.)
Tough choice, right?
Sprint tells me that EVDO will be here some time within the next 90 days... we'll see.
The only issue that I have so far with the service is that I use a Red RAZR. And it is a VERY poor choice. It doesn't always stay logged in. I will still have internet connection and it does register as 'Connected' but it wont send nor recieve data. Go figure. Sprints technical service tells me that it is because I am not in a EVDO area, it might be due to bandwidth limitation on the network. Yeah, right. Why can't they just say, "I dunno?" I mean, I can use the wife Upstage II to connect and it will stay on and connect 24/7. Why not the RAZR? Duh, I dunno. Another thing is that if I am in an area that has EVDO, it will connect at that speed instead of the 3G speed.
As far as the cap goes... I dunno. I read a lot about it but from all the representative of sprint that I've talk with, customer care, technical service, and sprint store personnel, they all tell me that it is unlimited data usage with unlimited roaming data usage too. And yes, SprintPCS customer care personnel tells me that EVDO is availible in this area. It's not but they say it is. So it isn't because I am on 1x. They are telling me unlimited data usage with EVDO. Eh, maybe I should go and read my contract again?
Overall, I got to say that there are bigger and better things out there. But for me, the cost and infrastructure is well worth it even if I am on "dial-up" speed. I mean, how many times can you take *your* DSL or ADSL connection with you?
Update: YAY! EVDO here now. Of course not yet where I live but it is in the Wausau area... YAY!!!
Update: Whooopie!!! As of today, it is in my area!!! 500k only of course but that is better then even 60k!!!
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Review by pcx99
UPDATED: 1.2 years ago
member for 1.2 years, 7 visits, last login: 1.1 years ago
Spring,Montgomery,TX
$45 per month
 about 1 days
"Fairly reliable and affordable."
"Performance, connection stability."
"When you absolutely positively need the internet no matter what, this might be the plan for you."
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I initially tried using a dedicated broadband modem in my computer but the expense was almost double a phone as modem plan PLUS I got hit with all the 911 and other fees of having another line even though I couldn't use it for voice. So I switched to the $40.00 phone as modem plan (be REALLY careful you get a phone that can do EVDO, I shelled out for a mogul). Overall I'm much happier with the phone as modem plan than the broadband, the cost is much more bearable. But even then it's still a very expensive way to connect to the internet.
When using the phone as a modem, I get performance equal to a low-mid range DSL connection (1 megabit down and 150kbps up) on average although the connection can quickly drop to isdn (100kbps down, 50kbps up) if the phone loses the evdo connection and reverts to the 1x data connection, something it does frequently. Like all wireless plans, the latency of the connection is just high enough to make the connection unsuitable for gaming. I typically get a ping of 100ms, and for WoW the client usually reports around 350ms. Playable, but not rock solid and will probably cost you a few pvp matches.
So the key is not to buy this (or any wireless) plan as a primary internet connection but as a backup for those times when you're not able to otherwise connect through your cable or dsl service and there's no wifi laying around (or there is wifi but you really need a secure connection).
I did research all the providers before purchasing from sprint. If you live in a service area the Sprint plan was obviously the best when I purchased it (Unlimited data) however sprint has now gone to the same 5gig limit as all of the other providers and the 3g service used by verizon and at&t pretty much runs rings around evdo although sprint usually comes in a bit cheaper (10-20/mo) than the other carriers. If I were buying the plan today I'd probably go with at&t for the higher bandwidth and performance.
The bottom line is that I've not been disappointed in sprint, it's done exactly what I expected it to do, serve as a good backup to ensure that I always have Internet connectivity no matter where I am. If I had purchased it as a primary means to connect to the internet I would have been sorely dissapointed. I believe that sprint, like all wireless carriers, over-price the service and the bandwidth caps really don't lead me to believe that our wimax and 4g futures are going to be all that bright.
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 Review by bobjohnson
Posted: 1.2 years ago
member for 2.8 years, 262 visits, last login: 341 days ago
Titusville,Brevard,FL
 Business customer
$59 per month (24 month contract)
about 1 days
"As good and reliable as you can get... 2 years so far"
"Fla thunderstorms slow it down"
"Good value for mobile broadband"
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I almost went with Cingular Wireless until the store rep couldn't get it to work in the store... I originally had the phone as a modem plan and used bluetooth to my laptop but Sprint sent me an advertisement that they would give me a wireless card for free and a router for 39.99 so I took it... I ordered the service throught B2B sales with the offer number from the ad. They billed everything to me (no upfront cost) and guaranteed me next day shipping which they held up, i got it the next day at like 11 a.m. They sent me a Novatel Merlin EX720, the Sprint Portable Router and the expresscard adapter for a grand total of about $55. Everything has been good so far and everything functions as advertised and I have no problem with coverage in this area.. So it's all good...
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Review by Alennx
Posted: 1.3 years ago
member for 6.2 years, 50 visits, last login: 12 days ago
Redding,Shasta,CA
$50 per month (24 month contract)
about 3 days
"Better coverage than T-mobile or Nextel!!!! Nice and Fast"
"None yet..."
"recent convert from T.mobile so probably biased :)"
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I had T-mobile because they were cheaper to get into to begin with. You get what you pay for. I was seeing 250K and less in the best places. Sprint is consistently above 500K up to the edges of coverage. I drive all over CA, OR and WA so coverage is key. Sprint, can you smell me yet?
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Review by eidalac
UPDATED: 1.3 years ago
member for 1.3 years, 1 visits, last login: 1.3 years ago
Neosho,Newton,MO
$59 per month (24 month contract)
"Solid connection in my location, same price as satilite"
"Troublesome to setup with a home network"
"Way better than dial-up without the $300 setup for sat."
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We've been on dial-up for for 15 odd years in this location and are too far out for any wired option and satilite just cost too much for the setup (plus I've never heard anything all that good about that option).
However, while reading reviews on this site I got the idea to check on the pricing of mobile broadband service and realized it was virtually the same per month as it would have been for a dish but without the huge install cost.
I wanted to go with Millenicom, but they are only doing BYOD sign ups right now, and the only way I could get a modem was via a 2 year agreement with sprint, so I went and signed up at best buy and was running inside of an hour.
Installing the software took an hour, which I found to be very odd, but no real issues other than that. I had a heck of a time setting up my home network to share the connection, but I finally got a proxy setup to work around the issue. The main problem is that the USB modem I got won't plug into a standard router, and the routers that do take USB seem to run in the $150+ range, which is just too much for me ATM.
The signal is ok in my house, but there is a spot in my room that gets 100%, which is where my desktop is, so that works out perfectly without any kind of tweaking.
Only been 2 days so far, but no issues to speak of.
The 5 Gig cap is a slight concern, but even with moderating myself to keep under that will be way better than I ever had before, so I can live with it, but I plan on switching to Millenicom after my 2 year contract is up.
Minor Update:
While the main Sprint site states about the usage cap, the My Sprint webpage, which you can use to track your usage, lists the plan as "Unlimited KB", which is a bit confusing. Customer Service confirmed that there is a Cap, so the info on the My Sprint page on the data plan is incorrect. Pretty minor, and it might have to do with me being a brand new customer, but I can defiantly see people taking that info and assuming there was no cap, which would make for an unhappy discovery.
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Review by urcordova
Posted: 1.3 years ago
(review was emailed from domain yahoo.com)
Bayamon,Bayamon,PR
$68 per month (24 month contract)
"1"
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bad experiences,because the speed in internet is slow
Followup comments:  ydoucare
join:2003-03-12
Rensselaer, IN | ... ...probably another one that ordered service before checking coverage maps and can only get 1xRTT. | |
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Review by mikeyharm
Posted: 1.3 years ago
member for 1.3 years, 0 visits, last login: 1.3 years ago
Cincinnati,Hamilton,OH
$59 per month (24 month contract)
about 1 days
"Steady, workable speed, coverage seems good everywhere in metro areas"
"speed tests report low EVDO speeds, especially for RevA coverage."
"Great for business, but with slightly higher speeds, could replace some DSL lines at home!"
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I am testing both AT&T LaptopConnect and Sprint Mobile Broadband for my company, and coming from personal use of the AT&T service, I can say that the Sprint service seems more reliable, and the places it seems to work are limitless - I've yet to find a place in the Cincinnati, OH area where I open my laptop to anything less than RevA - also seems to handle more consistent speeds, although not as high as other providers. Reliability is key in business however and Sprint seems to be our top contender, not to mention seems to offer the best devices for the service (currently using a Sierra Compass 597 Modem - One of the smallest I've seen, but a real performer with extra features like Location Based Services with GPS, and a MicroSD slot to use the modem as a USB thumb drive as well!
No comparable devices have been seen from AT&T or Verizon, but their USB options from Sierra performed comparably well in bandwidth tests performed. It was refreshing to find from Sprint something other than the Sierra 581 (CDMA) or 881 (GSM) USB cards that are cheap and flimsy, and also seem to pull on the notebook's USB port.
When it boils down to it, your choices of wireless broadband are really about coverage area, and device choice/flexibility, and Sprint seems to offer the best of both.
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 Review by netwire
UPDATED: 1.3 years ago
member for 8.5 years, 2527 visits, last login: 1 days ago
Mooresboro,Cleveland,NC
$59 per month (24 month contract)
"Setup is simple, connects quickly, speed is decent."
"5GB cap, speeds do not reach 3.1mbps or near it."
"Good alternative for dial-up, but watch for the low cap."
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Without DSL or Cable services in my area I have tried Satellite but found it's latency to be unreasonably high. I thought that I was doomed to spend the rest of my time here without broadband. One day I found out that Sprint offered EV-DO service in my area.
Followup comments: jayf1965
join:2007-08-22
| Sprint mobilbroadband Yes, I agree with you, i have the sprint Evo broadband card also. I would have to say its not like the speeds of cable at around 5 or 6 MBP, but i say its better! However you can't take comcast or any wire based service any where you go and still be able to get streaming media and actually play on line games. I can even access internet while on the road in my car.. I tried verizon also and chose Sprint. I did have a problem with the sprint card on my HP Pavilion DV5040US. I got a blue screen alot. I think it was due to power out put through the card slot. To fix this you need to update your bios..Problem will be fixed after that. 
Enjoy the freedom of sprint mobile card..
jayf1965 | |
| ydoucare
join:2003-03-12
Rensselaer, IN | ... I think you mean "i wish there WERE..."  | |
| iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO | Millenicom? You might want to look into getting service from Millenicom. You have to bring your own modem but they charge $60 a month flat and it's unlimited. | |
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netwire
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Mooresboro, NC | Re: Millenicom? Thank you for the tip; I've actually already switched to them.
--
World of Warcraft - My anti-drug.
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Review by bwthomas
UPDATED: 1.3 years ago
member for 1.3 years, 4 visits, last login: 305 days ago
Leesburg,Loudoun,VA
$61 per month (24 month contract)
about 2 days
"Quick connectivity, stays connected"
"Other than cost - NONE"
"I need it, It works, I guess that makes it worth it!"
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I use Sprint Mobile Broadband with their PX-500 by Pantech on an Acer Travelmate. The cost is $59.99/month plus taxes all combined in a family plan with three other phones. This is their unlimited connection card data plan. I am a heavy user, stay connected 6 to 8 hours a day 5 days a week, monitoring three email accounts and occasionally downloading large files.
As an alternative, I could use my MotoQ on which I have unlimited data to connect to the laptop, but I often need to use the phone and the internet connection at the same time. This was the method I used when I had the Treo 650, that was sometimes painful. The connection often dropped and then locked up the phone, requiring a reboot, resulting in missed calls.
Download/Upload speeds vary with location. I've tested as low as 530/390kbps and as high as 840/480kbps. But I really haven't felt the need to be testing this all the time, it works when I need it and has never given me cause to question whether I am getting what I'm paying for.
The card and service were purchased online. Arrived next day with free next day shipping from Sprint. Set up was a breeze. Ran the included CD, called Sprint customer service for activation. I was online 30 minutes after receiving the card via UPS.
I use the service mainly in the metro Washington, DC and Northern Virginia area. I also occasionaly use it in Philadelphia, PA and central North Carolina as well as on the road between those locations. Surprisingly, I have gotten service with the broadband card in rural areas where my mobile phone did not.
I purchased the least expensive broadband card at the time. Had I done a bit more extensive research, I would have chosen a different aircard. That is only because others are reporting better connection speeds on the same network with the more expensive card.
At 59.99 a month, that's a big hit for broadband compared to what I pay and get with Fios at home. But it is something I need, when I need it.
I subscribed to the service and purchased the aircard in November of 2007. I've not had any bad experiences with the service.
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 Review by tubbynet
UPDATED: 1.3 years ago
member for 1.8 years, 1021 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Mesa,Maricopa,AZ
$60 per month (24 month contract)
about 3 days
"Great for mobile travelers, high speeds, consistent connections"
"I would like to see the price drop , B/W caps are a little low"
"Worthwhile for a traveler, still wouldn't recommend as primary connection"
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[EDIT 7/2008]
It appears that while I was wrong about the caps originally, the message has come through that a 5GB/month cap will be put in place on the data services. This only lessens my pull towards Sprint's offering. While I feel that they are very strong in the data market, their EVDO coverage is sorely lacking behind Verizon in my area. I will be sticking with the service (only because I'm not paying for it) though if it were up to me, I'd be using VZW's service simply for coverage reasons since Sprint no longer has the data advantage.
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[EDIT - 2/2008]
Reviewed Sprints ToS. No mention of cap in their contract. Have been looking to see if they do enforce some cap at a point of time. Will update when more is known.
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I use the Sprint Mobile Broadband service through my office when I travel to deployments, etc. I am always surprised at how responsive the service is, even when riding shuttles, etc. to and from an airport or carpooling. I use the Novatel 720 PCMCIA card with EVDO Rev A, and I have never been disappointed by the service that I am provided. Download speeds are in the 1.5meg range, uploads hover around 400K, though in larger cities this can get as high as 600-650K (steady).
While I recommend this solution for people on the go, it has several drawbacks. I would like to see the price drop a little, especially if you already have a Sprint voice plan, $60 is expensive, especially for a travel or backup connection (as most people have). I do meet people who use this as their primary connection, and if the shoe fits, I suppose this would work. Generally, it has been my experience that if someone is in an EVDO area, they can be offered DSL or cable with higher speeds and lower prices. But, as with most ISPs, YMMV.
Bottom Line:
Great secondary connection for travel/backup (especially if you can expense it). High mobile speeds keep me amazed, as well as the GPS feature and how that can be tied in to most map programs. While I am not ready to have this as my primary connection, I will be waiting to see if policy changes/price drops will make this a more attractive offer.
Followup comments: | | | | | ydoucare
join:2003-03-12
Rensselaer, IN
 ·Embarq
 ·Millenicom
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
4 edits | Re: ??? said by tubbynet :"We reserve the right to restrict usage if it adversely affects network performance" Things have changed since the last time I had actually read the terms and conditions. I believe at one time this had mention of a cap. The other thing that bothers me is the ambiguous wording of this sentence. However, it works for you. YMMV. At no point did they ever have any cap mentioned in their TOS. Again, you're probably mistaken for Verizon.
Every single ISP in existence has a similar line in their TOS. It's there just to cover their asses in case they do decide to drop someone from their network for whatever abuse they might be causing. The fact is, i've yet to hear of ANYONE that's been capped or kicked off of Sprint's network for any kind of "abuse." You can look all you want, but you won't find anything. Head over to either the forums here or evdoforums.com and do some reading. Sprint does not enforce any kind of cap or bandwidth limitations. The most they do is block a few ports (80, for example) to prevent using your connection as a webserver, etc.
I've been using 10 - 15 GB per month for the last year, and some of it has been p2p. I know of people that do a LOT more without issue as well.
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Asrock 4CoreDual-Sata2|E4500|1 GB PC3200|7600GT|Audigy + Front Bay|Hauppauge PVR-150MCE|Vista Ultimate + XP Pro SP2 dual boot|Sony Vaio VGN-CR290|Sprint Mobile Broadband|Netgear WGR614v8 | |
| | | | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Re: ??? True that every cable/dsl has such ambiguous statements - all of them. The truth is, Sprint really is unlimited. 100%. Sprint doesn't cancel users, reduce performance or have overcharges. You can confirm this with thousands of users over at evdoforums.com.
It is Verizon that has a very specific 5GB/month limit. Verizon has canceled over 13,000 users in the past for going over 5GB/month. Sprint has canceled zero for this reason. Now Verizon reduces performance to 200Kbps if going over 5GB/month to months in a row or 10GB in one month. Starting in March, Verizon will apparently have overcharges of 50 cents/MB over 5GB. If you go to 6GB on Verizon, it's an extra $500 - wow!
Sprint doesn't have limits because they intend to compete with cable/dsl and they have more capacity than Verizon. And yes, Sprint EVDO can replace cable/dsl for casual users. I've replaced my cable modem using EVDO exclusively, and now I often go over 5GB/month with no issues. | |
| Jack_in_VA
Premium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA | No alternative I'm in the middle of nowhere. First had dialup, then Hughesnet. Sprint and Verizon wireless the only available broadband. No cable, no DSL.
So far performance has been great. 1.2 meg down, 300 up. | |
| mitchmiami
join:2008-02-15
Fort Lauderdale, FL
| dowload limit My contract (signed in march 08) says for unlimited use. I often download more than a gig a day, let alone 5 gigs a month and have never been charged additional fees.
As far as coverage goes, I recently drove from Miami to Orlando with my family (visit my son who goes to UCF) and my 12 year old daughter used her chat program, with microphone and earphone to speak to her friends the entire trip, even when driving through isolated areas that are just basically swampland, her utube videos and chat programs both worked perfectly the whole trip.
I guess I'm just lucky, I have never had a dropped call in six months until my 595u modem died, they sent me a 597 in the mail which I received in 3 days.
I wish the service was this good on my home dsl. The sprint gives me about 1.1 megs down and 650k down. I have bellsouth 6 meg ultra plus service and am lucky to get half that, even though I live less than 1/4 mile from the dslam.
Sprint service and customer service have been great to me with only one exception. When my modem started cutting in and out (while on my Orlando trip) the local Sprint company owned store that advertises itself as a service center said I had to turn in the bad modem first and wait "a week or so" for the replacement. My office building does not have internet access so I elected to keep the intermittently operational modem. When I called customer service on Monday they said" no problem" just mail us back the old modem when the new one arrives. | |
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