3G Data Card
With the ever growing number of remote and mobile users, I was looking for a fast and effective solution for a user to connect to the Internet. This is where I came across a Vodaphone 3G/GPRS card. The datacard is of a PCMCIA type that slots into a laptop allowing laptop users to access the Internet via a high-speed network.
I ordered the 3G card via the online Vodafone business shop, with the Data 250 package and not the unlimited package. The reason being that although the Data 250 is cheaper and allows a usage of 250 MB, it is very straight-forward to upgrade to the unlimited package, but not the the other wat around. On Vodafone's website the information states that one has to stay on the package for at least 6 months (upon ringing them I was told that this was infact 3 months) before they are aloowed to downgrade a package. Therefore, as it was a first time 3G card purchase, it made sense to go with the cheaper package and upgrade the following if the user seems to be exceeding the data allowance.
The card arrived within a couple of along with a SIM card (which sits in the 3G card). The installation process was very simple using the mobile connect CD that comes with the 3G card.
The only gripe I have is that Vodafone didn't activate the card before they sent it out. The card came without any paperwork such as an invoice or contract details. In other words, I didn't have an account number or the Phone number of the 3G sim-card, which took quite a bit of time and several calls phone calls to Vodaphone to get the sim-card activated.
The card was tested in a couple of laptops around several locations in London, and even though the signal strength varied considerably between areas, the card provided a decent connection. In areas where the reception was at full strength we achieved download speeds of around 380kbps. This is not quite as fast as a typical cable or DSL connection (512kbps) but plenty fast enough for the kind of applications mobile workers are likely to use and certainly a massive improvement over the GPRS connection.
A setting on the Mobile Connect software allows to automatically switch to a to a GPRS connection, if the 3G network is out of range or unavialble. The transition between 3G and GPRS is quite smooth nearly all of the time. Vodafone's 3G network is currently restricted to major cities but is expanding fairly rapidly. A coverage map is available on the company's Web site.
In a nut shell, the 3G Mobile Connect Card performs and works well. The speed is certainly very impressive for those who are more used to a normal GPRS connection.
I ordered the 3G card via the online Vodafone business shop, with the Data 250 package and not the unlimited package. The reason being that although the Data 250 is cheaper and allows a usage of 250 MB, it is very straight-forward to upgrade to the unlimited package, but not the the other wat around. On Vodafone's website the information states that one has to stay on the package for at least 6 months (upon ringing them I was told that this was infact 3 months) before they are aloowed to downgrade a package. Therefore, as it was a first time 3G card purchase, it made sense to go with the cheaper package and upgrade the following if the user seems to be exceeding the data allowance.
The card arrived within a couple of along with a SIM card (which sits in the 3G card). The installation process was very simple using the mobile connect CD that comes with the 3G card.
The only gripe I have is that Vodafone didn't activate the card before they sent it out. The card came without any paperwork such as an invoice or contract details. In other words, I didn't have an account number or the Phone number of the 3G sim-card, which took quite a bit of time and several calls phone calls to Vodaphone to get the sim-card activated.
The card was tested in a couple of laptops around several locations in London, and even though the signal strength varied considerably between areas, the card provided a decent connection. In areas where the reception was at full strength we achieved download speeds of around 380kbps. This is not quite as fast as a typical cable or DSL connection (512kbps) but plenty fast enough for the kind of applications mobile workers are likely to use and certainly a massive improvement over the GPRS connection.
A setting on the Mobile Connect software allows to automatically switch to a to a GPRS connection, if the 3G network is out of range or unavialble. The transition between 3G and GPRS is quite smooth nearly all of the time. Vodafone's 3G network is currently restricted to major cities but is expanding fairly rapidly. A coverage map is available on the company's Web site.
posted by kipper at 4:12 PM
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