Sure Signal (Femto-Cell)

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8321 posts

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#429464 21-Jan-2011 10:37

bbman: The Femto Cell effectively creates a cell site (3G 2100mhz) in your home so your phone can make calls and use 3G mobile data. It is not a 2G solution.

Note that if your phone has WIFI may as well use that, probably be faster anyway but for voice calls it will be a great.

And that is the great hole in this good idea, which essentially makes it a voice only product.

If you have an ADSL connection why would you bother to transform it into a 3g data connection at considerable cost, when you can plonk a WIFI AP on it for a cheaper price and greater speed?....

johnr

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#429465 21-Jan-2011 10:38

IlDuce: Is there a Red Network coverage map somewhere? Or is that too complicated to do a map of? Because I assume to get Naked internet through Vodafone I need to be within the red zone (which I am not, but other addresses here may be able to connect to it).

Any customer on Vodafone fixed line can have Naked DSL its not limited to the Red network

John

Zeon

3916 posts

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#429466 21-Jan-2011 10:46

richms: Terms of the sure signal say that when you go over and are limited to 64k it will no longer work.

As vodafone dont have any internet plans for moderate to high users, and dont see fit to exclude the sure signal from any throttling, it makes it pretty useless, Can see that if you had naked dsl and then a sure signal, it would be great to have all communications cut off part way thru the month because vodafone dont offer any plans to suit.

Lol that's pretty stupid.

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oxnsox

1923 posts

Uber Geek

#429468 21-Jan-2011 10:48

wellygary:
bbman: The Femto Cell effectively creates a cell site (3G 2100mhz) in your home so your phone can make calls and use 3G mobile data. It is not a 2G solution.

Note that if your phone has WIFI may as well use that, probably be faster anyway but for voice calls it will be a great.

And that is the great hole in this good idea, which essentially makes it a voice only product.

If you have an ADSL connection why would you bother to transform it into a 3g data connection at considerable cost, when you can plonk a WIFI AP on it for a cheaper price and greater speed?....

I think you're missing the point of the product ...

Sure it requires a broadband connection, but you simply plug it into a port in your router, and you still have BB available for all you other shiney things. But it does mean that where you weren't previously able to stay connected by you mobile fone.... you can. And for some folk thats a valuable thing.

bbman

646 posts

Ultimate Geek

#429469 21-Jan-2011 10:52

The advantage is voice here, data if you already have a WIFI capable phone or device is irrelevant.

Superb product for those in ADSL reach.

I would assume that setting up a point to point wireless system with Vodafone ADSL front end would enable a distant house or building to have a unit deployed. Also can more than one be deployed on the same ADSL connection (if bandwidth allows)

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oxnsox

1923 posts

Uber Geek

#429472 21-Jan-2011 10:59

You planning on starting you own MVNO bbman???
(the 'M' standing for Micro)

bbman

646 posts

Ultimate Geek

#429473 21-Jan-2011 11:00

oxnsox: You planning on starting you own MVNO bbman???

Can neither confirm nor deny that one.... LOL

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sbiddle

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#429482 21-Jan-2011 11:21

IlDuce: When I lived at home (middle of Timaru "city"), I had Telecom mobile broadband (Sierra 595U), and no issues with reception, or mobile (CDMA) reception. After moving out I changed to Vodafone mobile broadband/mobile phone. Now when I go back to visit, my mobile phone has 3/4 bars and works fine (including using the net), however my Huawei K3715 vodem thing, has 0 - 1 bars, still connects but is incredibly flaky, I think the longest it ever stayed connected was 40 minutes, most often only 10, and it goes incredibly slow.

If you've ever pulled a mobile data stick apart and looked at the small aerials inside you'd understand why some have reception issues!

bbman

646 posts

Ultimate Geek

#429488 21-Jan-2011 11:26

sbiddle:
IlDuce: When I lived at home (middle of Timaru "city"), I had Telecom mobile broadband (Sierra 595U), and no issues with reception, or mobile (CDMA) reception. After moving out I changed to Vodafone mobile broadband/mobile phone. Now when I go back to visit, my mobile phone has 3/4 bars and works fine (including using the net), however my Huawei K3715 vodem thing, has 0 - 1 bars, still connects but is incredibly flaky, I think the longest it ever stayed connected was 40 minutes, most often only 10, and it goes incredibly slow.

If you've ever pulled a mobile data stick apart and looked at the small aerials inside you'd understand why some have reception issues!

That is so true, at least 10-15% difference in signal strength than a phone, hence why we sell so many antennas for broadband. Just a shame the reps from the Telco's would explain this in the sales process, if your rural or in marginal coverage, a USB modem will perform poorly with an external antenna.

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Geese

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#429491 21-Jan-2011 11:44

sbiddle:If you've ever pulled a mobile data stick apart and looked at the small aerials inside you'd understand why some have reception issues!

So presumably what your saying is that the Sierra 595U on Telecom, being a larger unit, must have a mobile phone sized antenna inside, and hence why I had no troubles with coverage with that? And that the Vodafone Huawei data stick has a teeny tiny antenna by comparison with a mobile, hence why I get 0 from 5 bars, as opposed to this being something to do with comparable strength of 2G vs 3G signal/2G vs 3G devices?

There is no option on my Huawei stick that I can see to run an external antenna?

coffeebaron

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#429496 21-Jan-2011 12:09

johnr:
IlDuce: Is there a Red Network coverage map somewhere? Or is that too complicated to do a map of? Because I assume to get Naked internet through Vodafone I need to be within the red zone (which I am not, but other addresses here may be able to connect to it).

Any customer on Vodafone fixed line can have Naked DSL its not limited to the Red network

John

Except if you are on a "rural" exchange I believe?

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bbman

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Ultimate Geek

#429497 21-Jan-2011 12:12

IlDuce:
sbiddle:If you've ever pulled a mobile data stick apart and looked at the small aerials inside you'd understand why some have reception issues!

So presumably what your saying is that the Sierra 595U on Telecom, being a larger unit, must have a mobile phone sized antenna inside, and hence why I had no troubles with coverage with that? And that the Vodafone Huawei data stick has a teeny tiny antenna by comparison with a mobile, hence why I get 0 from 5 bars, as opposed to this being something to do with comparable strength of 2G vs 3G signal/2G vs 3G devices?

There is no option on my Huawei stick that I can see to run an external antenna?

Actually CDMA/XT has a different coverage foot print than Vodafone 900MHZ UMTS (only 3G available in Timaru) so it is very difficult to compare. The 595u had ok coverage with telecom, better than smaller USB models but not up to a phone from my experience.

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Geese

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#429519 21-Jan-2011 13:19

bbman: Actually CDMA/XT has a different coverage foot print than Vodafone 900MHZ UMTS (only 3G available in Timaru) so it is very difficult to compare. The 595u had ok coverage with telecom, better than smaller USB models but not up to a phone from my experience.

Ok Thanks. I has just assumed it was 3G coverage issue since others are complaining of no coverage.

Upon checking Vodafone's coverage maps, I see there is good 2G calling coverage in my street, but no 3G broadband coverage. Compared to Telecom's maps, they almost have 100% 3G cover of Timaru city.

Do most 3G phones have ability to manually select 2G only/3G only? Perhaps I can borrow someones phone to test this out, and then I will know if buying one of these units is a good idea.

So what part is the antenna?

http://3g-modem.wetpaint.com/page/Huawei+K3715+%28Vodafone%29

Geese

1028 posts

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Inactive user

#429527 21-Jan-2011 13:50

johnr: Any customer on Vodafone fixed line can have Naked DSL its not limited to the Red network

John

Awww man, I would have signed up to this 5 months ago if I had known, but on the website it says:

"Where is naked broadband available?

Most people can get our naked broadband plans, but not everyone. You can check if naked broadband services are available at your address by checking on our website."

Then directly below this is says "check your address", "find out if you can get naked broadband in your area" and "what is the red zone?" <- (as if to say it was checking if I was in the red zone).

On firefox and internet explorer 8, I cannot click on the check your address button, however if I go to another page where the same thing is, it says sorry your not on the red zone. So back then it gave me the impression that since I'm not on red network I could not get Naked BB.

But yes obviously I trust what you say, so now I know this, I shall organise to get this connected sometime over next week.

MattEast

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#429533 21-Jan-2011 14:25

Actually CDMA/XT has a different coverage foot print than Vodafone 900MHZ UMTS (only 3G available in Timaru) so it is very difficult to compare. The 595u had ok coverage with telecom, better than smaller USB models but not up to a phone from my experience.

That's actaully incorrect, there is and has been for quite sometime good 2100MHz 3G in Timaru, ask anyone down there who uses an iPhone 3G/3GS....they don't work on 900MHz but still connect to the 3G network down there.

Cheers
Matt

Matt East

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