Categories
Communications for sale

Deactivated

I called AT&T and switched off my iPhone 3G and put the sim card into my $12.99 Nokia phone the other day. I will be temporarily saving $30 per month on data this way. My iPhone will still be useful on Wifi until I get my stuff in order to sell it on eBay later this week. After using my wife’s iPad, I would rather pay $30 per month for the iPad than for data on my iPhone. The only iPhone complaints my wife and I have had were about the “Phone” functionality, no problems really with the “i” part of the product. I look forward to an iPad of my own later this year possibly, but my laptop could suffice pending some power solutions I have planned.
-Ezra

Categories
Communications thoughts

Network updates

I found two places this week that Verizon does not have coverage. One AT&T did have really good coverage, the other AT&T also was without service. One was in Clyde, CA & the other was in Martinez, CA. I did not take screenshots. I believe that if AT&T invests well in it’s network with all the wireless money it continues to get, then Verizon will have to play catch up. As for now, Verizon’s network seems more stable and reliable.

I don’t think I want to write more on this subject. It is getting a little boring to me. If anything comes up of interest, I will let you, my reader, know.
Thanks,
-Ezra

Categories
Communications thoughts

California Network Showdown #1

I have both AT&T and Verizon data plans now. It may seem crazy to some, but I really like bandwidth, and love the opportunity to see which offers more value for the money in my real world situations. Also, my AT&T contract is almost up, so I don’t plan on keeping it this way forever.

I stopped to get fuel on a roadtrip to and from Redding, CA and did a network speed test at one of the last stops at a Chevron just off of interstate 5

AT&T on the Edge Network

Well, there is not a lot of room for a slower connection than this.The good news here I see is that there are a solid five bars of signal strength, but only one kilobit per bar ratio for download speed. I suppose if I were to really thouroughly test this, I should have tried to make a call, but I had to attend to the pump, since the trigger released itself for some reason. Karyn does not have a lot of patience for my experiments going longer than a commercial break, especially when we have to get back on the freeway and make good time.

AT&T on the 3G Network

Not too bad. This is usable. I have no idea why it took four minutes to find the 3G signal, but I am glad it did. I did not turn off the 3G setting to get the first edge reading above, it just happened this way, oddly. I guess the edge network is what one uses to talk on while surfing the net with 3G?

Verizon on the 3G Network

Wow! This was way beyond
my expectations. I had to double check my network settings to be sure I was not connected to some other courtesy network. Nothing else around but freeway and grass besides this pump station.

Chevron Food Mart Location

Karyn was getting a few Gatorades at the food Mart, and I was not quite filling up our tank, besides doing these ‘geek tests’

MiFi on my dashboard

Today Verizon wins by an embarrassing landslide. I have never had a speed test result this high done from my iPhone while not on my home WiFi network

Categories
Communications

Network Diversification

Well, I finally did it. I got a Verizon Wireless MiFi 2200 portable CDMA router. Partially out of curiosity, and part because of utility.

I wanted a way to work on my laptop when on the road, publishing web page edits and podcast episodes, because WiFi service is not everywhere. It seems like whenever I go on a retreat or camp, my iPhone has no service. A lot of times, on a retreat, it makes sense to be unplugged, but if I can’t make a call, that is a problem. So Skype can help in those situations.

I have 30 days to decide if I want to lock into this contract, so hopefully 5GB per month works for me for the next 24 months.