Thu, 27 Mar 2008

My First Wireless WAN Device
posted by Chip Witt

Well, Krista's annoyance at seeing random $9.95 charges on our corporate card for wi-fi hotspot access during my travels over the last year finally convinced me to give an AT&T Wireless WAN device a try. I say device, because it is not a PC card...it is the Sierra Wireless USBConnect 881, which plugs into an available USB port to provide cellular data service.

So far, so good, I guess. I'm using it to write this post, and given the length of time since my last post, this can't be all bad. 3G access, at a max of 3.6 Mbps so far, is sketchy in most locations I've tried to use it. Speeds any slower are virtually unusable, so there are times when I shake my head, and just unplug the device. I've been able to browse the web, check email, and use instant messaging at a rate of about 70% reliability...the other 30% being aggravating discconnects at inopportune times.

In dense metro areas, coverage is supposedly better for high-speed access, but time will tell if this is a worthwhile investment. At any rate, it seems better than sorting random charges, and dealing with time consuming hurdles to get connected.

See you online.

CW

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