Aircard For Laptop

[ad61]

Hi,

I'm looking to buy an Aircard for my sony Vaio TT15. Is there anybody who can recommend me?

I went to a shop yesterday and made inquiries, they show me a Sierra 875 PC card and told me that it will work perfectly with my laptop. I came back home and did some reserch on it.

On the Sierra Wireless web site they writte the following:

AirCard 875 PC Card Discontinued June 2008, supported until September 2010.

What does it mean? they stopped the production of the card in June and it will not work after sept. 2010?

Thank you

[Guest Reimar]

It just mean that those product is outdated already! Production stopped even before June 2008 and they will even Not accept any claim after September 2010!

To be very clear: DO NOT buy that card.

Cheers.

[AjarnChan]

Hi,

I'm looking to buy an Aircard for my sony Vaio TT15. Is there anybody who can recommend me?

I went to a shop yesterday and made inquiries, they show me a Sierra 875 PC card and told me that it will work perfectly with my laptop. I came back home and did some reserch on it.

On the Sierra Wireless web site they writte the following:

AirCard 875 PC Card Discontinued June 2008, supported until September 2010.

What does it mean? they stopped the production of the card in June and it will not work after sept. 2010?

Thank you

Hi ~ 'discontinued' means they stopped making it, ''supported until' is the date they will stop improving the software it needs to operate. So basically it is OK now, but could be awkward to keep using in 2011 onwards. But this is not at all unusual in the Electronics/Software industry. Don't Panic !

The Sierra card is OK, I have one and it was very fast in places like Bangkok, but not outside. I also use an Axen GPRS Aircard, bought way back in early 2004, and it still works BUT it does not support the latest improvements, most importantly EDGE { a much faster connection method }. The latest Axen cards do though, and I would suggest looking at them as another option. If you are in Bangkok go to Panthip Plaza, and you should find everything in one of the larger outlets.

Another { maybe better } very fast alternative is CDMA, available from CAT { Communications Authority Thailand } just go to one of their offices and they will sell you a card, and sign you up. They offer USB type devices as well as PCMCIA [ie. connect rather than Plug In} I suggest you try to get 'modern' rather than 'almost obsolete' Technology, not because it is automatically better, but it has a longer 'shelf life' ~ at least in theory.

In countries like Thailand nobody but a few eccentric Farangs use anything except the LATEST

[ad61]

It just mean that those product is outdated already! Production stopped even before June 2008 and they will even Not accept any claim after September 2010!

To be very clear: DO NOT buy that card.

Cheers.

Thanks for the advice Reimar. Do you have any recommendation where should I go to find a good card and how to be sure the product is not a fake one (copy)?

[David006]

It just mean that those product is outdated already! Production stopped even before June 2008 and they will even Not accept any claim after September 2010!

To be very clear: DO NOT buy that card.

Cheers.

Thanks for the advice Reimar. Do you have any recommendation where should I go to find a good card and how to be sure the product is not a fake one (copy)?

check out this site..he's a POM and very helpful/knowledgeable WWW.edgethailand.com

[ad61]

Hi,

I'm looking to buy an Aircard for my sony Vaio TT15. Is there anybody who can recommend me?

I went to a shop yesterday and made inquiries, they show me a Sierra 875 PC card and told me that it will work perfectly with my laptop. I came back home and did some reserch on it.

On the Sierra Wireless web site they writte the following:

AirCard 875 PC Card Discontinued June 2008, supported until September 2010.

What does it mean? they stopped the production of the card in June and it will not work after sept. 2010?

Thank you

Hi ~ 'discontinued' means they stopped making it, ''supported until' is the date they will stop improving the software it needs to operate. So basically it is OK now, but could be awkward to keep using in 2011 onwards. But this is not at all unusual in the Electronics/Software industry. Don't Panic !

The Sierra card is OK, I have one and it was very fast in places like Bangkok, but not outside. I also use an Axen GPRS Aircard, bought way back in early 2004, and it still works BUT it does not support the latest improvements, most importantly EDGE { a much faster connection method }. The latest Axen cards do though, and I would suggest looking at them as another option. If you are in Bangkok go to Panthip Plaza, and you should find everything in one of the larger outlets.

Another { maybe better } very fast alternative is CDMA, available from CAT { Communications Authority Thailand } just go to one of their offices and they will sell you a card, and sign you up. They offer USB type devices as well as PCMCIA [ie. connect rather than Plug In} I suggest you try to get 'modern' rather than 'almost obsolete' Technology, not because it is automatically better, but it has a longer 'shelf life' ~ at least in theory.

In countries like Thailand nobody but a few eccentric Farangs use anything except the LATEST

Thanks for the info AjarnChan.

I tought about buying a CAT product but I'm not sure if it will work well in my wife hometown, somewhere in the middle of the jungle in southern Thailand; so far only AIS signal can be capted there.

[Guest Reimar]

First you need to know which system you'll use and which has a good service in the area you'll mostly use it.

The price and even quality differs quite a lot and I'm not really familar with that products. I use one of my two handy's in case I need to go to internet on the move and that works just fine for me. And in Bangkok there many places with free WiFi as well.

Anyway I wouldn't buy an expensive one and the price for many is coming down every week. They now starting by below THB 2,000 incl. some 30+ hours Internet time.

Cheers.

[THAIPHUKET]

I read all this and I confess as a pure user of my Acer one netbook I understand little.

1. to be independent from wireless hotspots I bought a G1 USB stick for 1500b.

Slow connectivity?

2. using 12Call cards, are they any good ?

3. in Chiang Mai. My hotel wireless shows 54 Mbs, my aircard 460kbs

yet I dont see a difference in loading times of web sites, I dont do down loads with the netbook.

That means internet in CNX is generally slow, correct ?

An aircard should give me a good internet connection whenever and wherever my mobile phone shows a strong signal. Correct?

Am I correct, that a CAT equipment with CAT card are better ?

[H2oDunc]

There are some available on Thai Visa Classified. Good download speeds and 100 baht for 30 hours, 500 baht for 250 hours and 1000 baht for unlimited on the AIS EDGE pay as you go mobile network

[THAIPHUKET]

There are some available on Thai Visa Classified. Good download speeds and 100 baht for 30 hours, 500 baht for 250 hours and 1000 baht for unlimited on the AIS EDGE pay as you go mobile network

Did search on classified, no returns.

Prefer to buy in a shop, must be CAT shop?

buy only card or replace my G1 UBS air modem ?

[Crushdepth]

Just use your mobile phone. It almost certainly has a GPRS/EDGE modem built in which is just as fast as an aircard. You can connect by bluetooth, infrared or worst case scenario a data cable. All for less than 1,000 baht.

[Jan46]

Do you get same download/upload speed with mobile phone, as with the aircards?

I have got different info about this, so I wonder what is fastest?

Think I saw a sponsor saying: some aircard with built in chip, was faster.

(sorry for hijacking)

[longball53098]

A word of caution if you look at CDMA offered by CAT or Hutch

The roaming agreements between CAT and Hutch do not allow use of the data system into each others areas. So if you sign up for CAT CDMA in Bangkok it will only work in the areas outside of BKK. If you sign up for Hutch you can be online only in the 25 central provinces controlled by Hutch. Hutch data system does not work in CM and Korat and many other places

Be careful which one you choose.

[monty]

There are some available on Thai Visa Classified. Good download speeds and 100 baht for 30 hours, 500 baht for 250 hours and 1000 baht for unlimited on the AIS EDGE pay as you go mobile network

Did search on classified, no returns.

Prefer to buy in a shop, must be CAT shop?

buy only card or replace my G1 UBS air modem ?

I'm not entirely sure what you mean with a G1 modem, but I guess that it would be a regular GPRS modem, which tops out at some 80 kbps if it can handle class 10. And you are close to a cell tower. Average is more likely something like 40 kbps.

To get the faster Edge speeds (up to 238 kbps, average anywhere between 80 and 200 kbps, gair bit faster then gprs) you can do the following:

- Use an Edge capable mobile phone and hook up to your pc/laptop through bluetooth or data cable. Capable phones available new from a tad over 3000 Baht.

- Buy an Edge capable USB modem and use that. Costs 2500 Baht for Chinese made brand, up to 6000 Baht for Solomon brand.

- Buy an Edge capable aircard (make sure you get the proper one, older laptops use PCMCIAA, newer one use express card slot).

[Digitalbanana]

Do you get same download/upload speed with mobile phone, as with the aircards?

I have got different info about this, so I wonder what is fastest?

Think I saw a sponsor saying: some aircard with built in chip, was faster.

(sorry for hijacking)

Mobile phones are mostly GSM. There are 2 different wireless technologies involved with aircards - those USB antennas. Aircards can use CDMA technology and/or GSM. CDMA offers higher speeds, whereas GSM offers a cheaper and slower GPRS data link that may or may not come with EDGE enhanced speed. I have been using the GSM EDGE system and am seriously considering trashing it as it can be very frustrating at times of peak use. I will try CDMA next. Most other countries now have GSM 3G aircards, but this is still a long way off for Thailand.

[MJP]

I run a Sierra Wireless 880E bought a year ago. Run the AIS 999Baht Unlimited package on it (only mobile service working here).

I can only recommend you try to get a second hand one on ebay. I paid 13k for the 880E! Was desperate at the time to send emails back and forth from work. Then I picked up a Sierra Wireless 875 for my old laptop on ebay in the UK for . . . £25!

Ten times less!

Ouch!

[Digitalbanana]

I just bought a CDMA USB MC727 modem from CAT, it pisses all over the other wireless speeds upcountry. GSM - forget it. This thing costs 790B/m unlimited with 3.1 mbs advertised and I am getting at around 1mbs all time so far. Faster than my ADSL in Bangkok.

[yoon01]

CATCDMA with CCu 680 modem. I am 2 km from the tower, though

[Digitalbanana]

CATCDMA with CCu 680 modem. I am 2 km from the tower, though

My speed test varies from fast in mornings (like attached) to a third of this speed.

[johna]

I bought a Dtech/Edge aircard in February for 3700 baht with 30 hours thrown in, first problem the installation CD was faulty and had to go back to the shop for a copy, so if you go with the aircard make sure they install and test it at the shop.

A week after I bought this True cold called and offered a 2MB connection for 970 baht per month.

My True connection is worthless when there is thunder and lightning rains and its been raining here for the last week, so I am mostly using the aircard

I also bought acer aspire on the same day from DATA IT Zeer St Rangsit with Win XP Home and they threw in Kaspersky anti viras free.

When I tried to install Win XP the installation shut down saying there was a problem with the hard disk, so back to the shop, when i walk up to the customer service desk before I say anything, the guy says to me the hard disk needs modifying, but not to worry he can do this in an hour.

While he is saying this an assistant has unpacked the PC with Win XP CD attached, and on seeing this he says "oh this model only supports Win Pro but dont worry we can modify the hard disk but it will take 3 hours" so they had sold me this knowing it would not work.

The Kaspersky anti viras also would not load

[yoon01]

CATCDMA with CCu 680 modem. I am 2 km from the tower, though

My speed test varies from fast in mornings (like attached) to a third of this speed.

I have to say I am pretty happy with what I get from CAT. There a re no telephonelines here. I used a wireless connection from the school's IPSTAR but that was really a pain most of the time. Sometimes CAT CDMA let me down but not for long. around 1400 kpbs is the average speed I get and that is faster than ADSL in the next town. Sometimes you get funny results...: