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With the antenna plugged in at home the increase in speed is not noticeable. The free wi-fi HotSpots are a nice feature but I haven't used one yet. I mainly use it for Online college classes and checking e-mail from work, so speed is not paramount. Speeds tested using speedtest.net. One of my classmates has the Verizon service and page loads are extremely fast; almost comparable to my cable service at home.
Connection speeds range from 150kbps down and 50kbps up (Home) to 50kbps down and 15kbps up (work). Previously I had 0-1 bars at work, but I bought an external 7db antenna and the connection is improved. I reside in Southern California and have not had any issues with coverage. They also have more modems to choose from so do some research. I purchased my card used at a substantial discount and signed up for the 39.95 unlimited data plan.
At home I get 3-4 bars on the T-Mobile Connection Manager software and only 1-2 bars at work. If you are looking to stream music/video or VPN you should look to Verizon, but be cautious of the 5gb per month limit.
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. 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. We bought T-Mobile GC89 for Internet access via cellular network. I even upgraded the firmware and downloaded the latest software version for the card, but that didn't help. 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. 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. We don't typically use its Wi-Fi functionality because all of our newer laptops already have a built-in WLAN. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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.
Now about the service. 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. T-Mobile said they had not and were not allowed by law to contact a third party about my account. (I could have gotten extremely better performance by getting cable broadband at a similar price and free equipment).
Also, after I updated the software at T-Mobile's insistance, it expires every few months. First OneStopWirelesshop is totally incompetent. (I deleted the update and reinstalled the original). T-Mobile is my carrier and had all the info necessary. Total desaster. 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). The speed is slower than old 56K dialup.
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. 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.
I rec'd the card today, called T-mobile to add the $50 sevice to my current Family Plan. 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. As I told the rep, I did not want to pay more, but I did not want a surprise later. 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. - as she made fun of yet another piece of plastic and wires entering the domain.
I've been with T-Mobile when it was Voicestream (in the Year 2k). 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. 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. 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 type this review from the capital of Virginia with only 1-2 bars reaching, stretching, straining toward my distant EDGE/GPRS/T-Mobile tower.
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. 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.
Data-only access it $40/month, which is EDGE plus Wi-Fi. 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. It's fairly compact, only a piece the width of the slot and half an inch length sticking out. 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. If you have a voice plan, both services costs only $20/month. It works just fine for me.Service=======T-Mobile HotSpots are for Wi-Fi access. Again, the card works.
T-Mobile data services are very cheap, and I would recommend it to just about anybody who needs general data access. What's even worse is the cost. It's actually possible to get data access for even less if you have a voice plan - for $6. The downside. 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.
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. 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. T-Mobile's EDGE network is very reliable and allows data access anywhere on the T-Mobile network. Not much to say here.The T-Mobile EDGE network has pretty good coverage where I travel (San Francisco Bay Area). others are also possible, but let's not get ahead of oursevles). $$$. You definitely can't use this as a dedicated connection: they will cut you off without any prior warning.
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. 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. 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. There are two networking "widgets" in this card. Other electronics allow you to access cellular networks, referred to as GPRS or EDGE (in this case, T-Mobile's cellular networks. It's available anywhere you can get a cell signal, and not just at libraries or coffee shops. IF you stay in large urban areas. Verizon is VERY vigilant about how much you download.
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. 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. Even if you already have a voice plan with AT&T, then it's not any cheaper if you go the legit route. As I said, speeds are okay and consistent. You can get it while driving around, on a train (sometimes even underground if the company put signal points there) etc. In fact, I'm using it for this review right now. the contentious cellular data.
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. 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). Downloads are okay; just don't wait until the last moment to download a 25MB PowerPoint presentation. It's a little slow getting things started, but web browsing is just fine.
That's what you're buying: a card that allows you to access two different networks. So, no getting your money's worth by downloading everything through it. A data-only plan costs $60/month; include their Wi-Fi service plan and it skyrockets to $100/month. Legit cost is $60, but you can be sneaky about it and cut it down to about $40/month with a PDA phone.
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. So for what you would pay for other companies to just have data access, you could get both data AND voice. It's a light grey, which matches my laptop. Coverage is also not so hot, but supposedly somewhat better than AT&T. In those spots and outside of large cities, you get dropped down to EDGE speeds. 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. 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. 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.
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. Remember, this second part is working off of the same network as cellphones. And sometimes they don't even cover all of a city. But wait. 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. No Wi-Fi service.Compare it to T-Mobile.
In many locations, it is slower. Anyways. 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. 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. more than what I get in the same spot with my phone anyways.
Turns out, not much, and what is being said indicates that there's a lot of confusion. So read on.What You're Getting=======First things first: this card is a twofer. Customer service is ok.Verizon: Also has a speedy 3G network. Always read the instructions, even if it's suppoosed to be "Easy as 1-2-3.". No Wi-Fi service.AT&T: AT&T actually has pretty speedy service (called 3G), comparable to a slow DSL line. The benefit.
I thought I'd set things straight. 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. 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. This is where things get tricky. So, it's a little suspicious.
Even if this were your only connection (no DSL or cable), it'd still be extremely expensive. 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. 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. Cellular data is generally no faster than Wi-Fi on ANY network. That's right, the same kind of network as T-Mobile.
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