Living In A Hole? - 3G Coverage Question

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peteremcc

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Topic # 30018 27-Jan-2009 00:14

Hi all,

I'm using one of the new Vodafone Vodem Sticks and seem to be living in a hole with regard to 3G coverage.

I'm at 360 Ngarara Road, Waikanae which is shown as covered by the extended (900) coverage on the maps on the vodafone site and listed as 'good' when i search for my address, but I only get 1 bar or occasionally two, of coverage, and with that reception, you get better speeds on GPRS.

It's a slightly hilly area, but we're on the top of the hills so that shouldn't be a problem. Also, assuming the big hoking tower near the settling ponds is where the signal is coming from, then I have line of site to that about 100m away, with a few trees in the way depending on which way the wind is blowing.

I guess what i'm after is to work out if the website is wrong, if theres a problem with the tower, or a problem with my card (it does seem to work fine elsewhere though). Also, I used to have a T-Stick which worked fine at this address too.

Thanks,

Peter

peteremcc

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Reply # 192201 27-Jan-2009 06:21

Also, when I'm using the Vodafone Mobile Connect Lite software, sometimes it connects me to "Vodafone NZ 3G" and somestimes to "Vodafone NZ HSDPA".

What is the difference? I thought HDSPA was just a kind of 3G?

sbiddle

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Reply # 192202 27-Jan-2009 06:43

There are 2 sites covering Waikanae. Ngarara (on the TV transmitter) & Forest Heights (on the hill above Waikanae).

peteremcc

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Reply # 192249 27-Jan-2009 12:49

Ok, well, yeah, i'm about 100m away from that transmitter with clear line of site (and no trees - i forgot they were cut down recently).Any idea what could be going on?

johnr

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Reply # 192259 27-Jan-2009 13:44

In the Vodem stick software you can lock the device to 3G only under manage devices. Click on the device and then edit.

and have you tried the Vodem stick on the end of a longer USB cable to give it a bit more height.

Also the device is meant to flick between 3G and HSDPA the device is only allocated HSDPA radio resources when moving traffic

Also the coverage map is up to the road side not inside customers houses as this will change depending on what the house is made out of and how far it is from the roadside.

John

peteremcc

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Reply # 192311 27-Jan-2009 16:17

Have tried holding the laptop up above my head and that sometimes increases the signal from one to two bars, still awful coverage (from my perspective at least) given my proximity to the tower.

The roadside is about twice as far away from the tower as the house, and the roadside is behind the hill that the house sits on top of, so I would have expected better coverage from the house than the roadside.

Thanks for the help though!

johnr

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Reply # 192313 27-Jan-2009 16:22

Vodem stick would of come with a USB lead in the box

and I don't think the Ngarara site has 3G bolted on it yet. If not it will not be to far away!

John

peteremcc

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Reply # 192336 27-Jan-2009 17:47

If it has been enabled for 3G already, and that's all the signal i'm going to get, then i'm not sure i'd manage.

If it's yet to be upgraded then that would be great news.

Any cance of you being able to find out john?

No rush, i appreciate your work, even outside office hours ;)

Thanks

johnr

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Reply # 192344 27-Jan-2009 18:18

peteremcc:
If it has been enabled for 3G already, and that's all the signal i'm going to get, then i'm not sure i'd manage.
If it's yet to be upgraded then that would be great news.
Any cance of you being able to find out john?
No rush, i appreciate your work, even outside office hours ;)

Thanks

Will have a quick look tomorrow PM me and remind me

There may be restrictions on INFO I can give out (NDA)

John

peteremcc

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Reply # 192355 27-Jan-2009 19:11

Sure, no problem, again thanks for the help, much appreciated.

How do non geekzone people survive? :D

peteremcc

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Reply # 194442 6-Feb-2009 11:01

Am a little late replying to this thread, have been busy, but:
Received a call from John the following day, apparently only one of the two towers in Waikanae had been upgraded.However, the second one was having the hardware installed that very day, and will be online sometime in March.

Thanks again John.