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Advice on 3G modem.

Advice on 3G modem.

Old Mar 19, 2011, 3:11 am
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Advice on 3G modem.

I have decided to buy a 3G modem to use when I am travelling abroad. Sometimes hotels charge a lot for internet use. I would rather buy a 3G modem and use that to connect to the internet via a local SIM.

I have seen some, for example, USB 2.0 3G/WCDMA 7.2Mbps Wireless Modem Dongle (UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM) on dealextreme. com. There are several ranging in price from US$30-US$40. Has anyone used any of these?

Since most of my travel is overseas, HSDPA 2100 MHz will serve me in most countries.
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Old Mar 19, 2011, 3:43 am
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The problem with any of the USB attached modems is that you need a driver, and these are of dismal quality. After struggling with lots of different hardware/driver/OS combinations, all having some problem, I've switched to using Pocket Wifi (standalone modem/router) as that has no interaction with the client devices (it is just a personal access point). Much cleaner solution and also works with anything using 802.11g.
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Old Mar 19, 2011, 4:14 am
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Originally Posted by number_6
The problem with any of the USB attached modems is that you need a driver, and these are of dismal quality. After struggling with lots of different hardware/driver/OS combinations, all having some problem, I've switched to using Pocket Wifi (standalone modem/router) as that has no interaction with the client devices (it is just a personal access point). Much cleaner solution and also works with anything using 802.11g.
I am not up-to-date with this kind of stuff. How does it connect to provider's broadband network? I mean how does it dial the provider. Is there a SIM slot in it?

Last edited by Yaatri; Mar 19, 2011 at 4:32 am
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Old Mar 20, 2011, 3:07 am
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The Pocket Wifi is a standalone device (I bought one from a provider, but you can also get unlocked ones). It is about the size of a phone and has a sim socket. You can program it using a USB link to a PC, or it has default settings (e.g. the SSID). Very easy to use
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Old Mar 20, 2011, 7:20 am
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Or consider the Zoom 3G Modem (google it) as a generic solution.

Either use a stick with roaming, buy and unlocked stick and use local sims or buy local sticks and simply plug them in.

The benefit of using this device is you can place it by the window, or wherever the 3G signal is stongest, then use the wifi to access the net.
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Old Mar 20, 2011, 8:17 am
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I just picked up a couple of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...0Ovation%207.2

$15 for an unlocked Ovation is a great deal - it arrives in a Canadian Fido branded box with USB Y cable and a notebook clip to mount it. Used it with several operators and it works perfectly.
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Old Mar 20, 2011, 10:47 am
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Thanks. This is very timely as I recently accidentally ripped 3 of the little sim card contacts out of a Novatel Merlin X950D ExpressCard/34 version when removing a micro sim in a sim card adapter from it. The sim must have come dislodged from the adapter. I liked the ExpressCard version because it has an external antenna jack but for $15 I'll get a longer USB cable.
Originally Posted by ScottC
I just picked up a couple of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...0Ovation%207.2

$15 for an unlocked Ovation is a great deal - it arrives in a Canadian Fido branded box with USB Y cable and a notebook clip to mount it. Used it with several operators and it works perfectly.
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Old Mar 20, 2011, 8:34 pm
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I use my Android phone to provide a 3G wifi hotspot. Seems the easiest way to go, and one less thing to carry.
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Old Mar 21, 2011, 9:29 am
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Originally Posted by ScottC
I just picked up a couple of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...0Ovation%207.2

$15 for an unlocked Ovation is a great deal - it arrives in a Canadian Fido branded box with USB Y cable and a notebook clip to mount it. Used it with several operators and it works perfectly.
Thank you Scott. This is perfect. As always, one can count on you to be the best resource. I just ordered two.
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Old Mar 22, 2011, 5:06 am
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Wow, that was quick. I placed the order yesterday from newegg, and it's to be delivered today.
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Old Mar 22, 2011, 6:18 pm
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Note that the Ovation might not have a Win7 driver, the spec says "Supports Microsoft Vista, Windows 2000, XP, Mac OS X; Linux" ... one of my USB stick modems (Huawei) still doesn't have a working Win 7 driver, so it can be a problem.
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Old Mar 22, 2011, 7:20 pm
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Originally Posted by number_6
Note that the Ovation might not have a Win7 driver, the spec says "Supports Microsoft Vista, Windows 2000, XP, Mac OS X; Linux" ... one of my USB stick modems (Huawei) still doesn't have a working Win 7 driver, so it can be a problem.
Ovation 950 driver for Win 7 32/64: http://www.novatelwireless.com/index...165&Itemid=183

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Old Mar 23, 2011, 11:37 am
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Yaatri: Install this firmware updater:

http://www.dc-unlocker.com/download/...p?file=lbw11O1

It'll boost speeds, and install an unbranded connection manager. Then, right click on the taskbar icon, and select the profile manager. Then enter the APN for your mobile operator. The included connection manager only likes FIDO (Canadian).
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Old Mar 23, 2011, 3:47 pm
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Originally Posted by ScottC
Yaatri: Install this firmware updater:

http://www.dc-unlocker.com/download/...p?file=lbw11O1

It'll boost speeds, and install an unbranded connection manager. Then, right click on the taskbar icon, and select the profile manager. Then enter the APN for your mobile operator. The included connection manager only likes FIDO (Canadian).
Thank you Scott. I will do that. I noticed there was no way to delete the FIDO profile.
Here are my observations.
  1. It worked with the drivers included in the dongle.
  2. I installed the WIndows7 drivers, which showed up as generic driver, but made no noticeable difference.
  3. According to the info on the CD, you double click on the shortcut/taskbar icon to access menu, but what works is right click.
  4. If you disconnect the dongle without exiting, the programme is still runnig. When you insert the dongle again, it won't work as the programme things it doesn't work as it can't find a port because it's already being used.
  5. Upon uninstallation it complains that the programme could not be unregistered. But installing it again is not a problem.
  6. I didn't want to pay data charges from T-mobile, which is highway robbery $1.99/MB, I did not configure it APN etc.
  7. When I tried to connect using my T-mobile SIM, it made the connection to my account, (the part that's accessible free) and issued me above warning.
  8. Since I did not make a connection, I don't know what speed I was getting.


It will meet my needs.
I was in India for nearly two months and was almost completely cut off from the world. The local cyber cafes would not let me use internet without a proper (which means local) ID. Similar devices, dedicated to their network, with no provision of inserting a SIM to use another provider, were being sold by some of the wireless providers for a little less than US$80. It came with 10GB of free usage and beyond that you had to subscribe to a plan. They were very very aggressive. Just the initial call to find out about their 3G services prompted them to send a salesman to talk to me. There were no roaming charges within India, but you could not roam internationally.
A 3G modem like the one you suggested was going for about $60. But many providers did not have 3G service. As far as I remember, for a little more than $2, you could charge your vodaphone SIM with data usage, and get about 10 (or was it 100 MB?) for a month.
This gadget would have been very useful to me. It will come handy when I am travelling and the hotel does not provide complimentary internet.

Last edited by Yaatri; Mar 23, 2011 at 4:32 pm
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Old Mar 23, 2011, 4:32 pm
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Originally Posted by ScottC
Yaatri: Install this firmware updater:

http://www.dc-unlocker.com/download/...p?file=lbw11O1

It'll boost speeds, and install an unbranded connection manager. Then, right click on the taskbar icon, and select the profile manager. Then enter the APN for your mobile operator. The included connection manager only likes FIDO (Canadian).
P.S. I am having trouble with the link you provided. Then I searched for Ovation MC950D and DC-unlocker. They list that specific modem, but none of the downloadable files mention MC950D, although they mention other models of Ovation. Also, it seems I have to pay for it. I would if I can find the file I need to download.
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