[GRLUG] FAIL!!! Xfinity mobile wireless

[Matthew Seeley]

Sorry, I don't know of any dual mode devices like that


I called it "4G" as thats what retailers call them. (If you walk into Sprint
and ask for 'WiMax', most of the sales clerks have no clue what your talking
about. If you ask for "the 4G" they hand you a Sprint EVDO + Clearwire WiMax
dual mode hotspot and send you on your way)


I know there's a proper standard behind '4G', but as far as I'm concerned,
the '2G / 3G / 4G' label is meaningless: I usually look at actual
benchmarks: latency, speed (plus bachaul), spectrum, and coverage.


For instance, Sprint uses EVDO Rev A ("3G") theoretically can handle 1.5mb
down and sits on decent spectrum.  But their backhaul is so limited and
constrained that (in my experience) the speeds are roughly equivalent to
T-Mobile's EDGE service (which they call "2G"), and sprint's EVDO ping times
are 400 - 1000ms. But Sprint's calling it "3G service".


Now, AT&T also has "3G Service" but using their hotspot, I can reliably pull
down 1 - 1.5mb with 200 - 400ms latency. For all practical purposes, Sprint
"3G" != AT&T "3G"


Similarly T-Mobile's HSPA+ is technically not "4G", but they have so much
metro ethernet behind their towers, and their towers are so underutilized
that in my area, I've pulled 5mb - 8mb down with about 130ms latency.


There's also a lot of non-backhaul-related factors :  T-Mobile's "4G"
(HSPA+) also sits on much better spectrum than Sprints "4G" (WiMax), so it
gets through buildings better. (T-Mobile uses 1900,1700,2100, Sprint/Clear
Wimax uses 2500/2600).  T-Mobile's "4G" (HSPA+) is deployed on more towers
around GR, so usually has better coverage. And T-Mobile's "4G" (HSPA+) uses
the same GSM radio as their 2G/3G service, so its devices are usually more
battery efficient than Sprints phones, which need to power two seperate CDMA
and WiMax radios. (This might not matter as much if your just getting a
hotspot, but still good to know)


I don't have any experience with verizon LTE, but I know if I force roam my
sprint device to verizon, and enable EVDO rev A "3G", it will pull down 400
- 800k (where the sprint towers on that same area using the same device
usually only pull down 100 - 400k).



These are just my personal experiences with my drawer full of random android
phones and hotspots on various providers. ( I have a bad habit of switching
phones / hotspots / providers very often ). As always, your milage may vary.


--
Matthew Seeley
Threadlight Systems
PO Box 612, Jenison MI 49429
T: (616) 328-5649


On Fri, Sep 2, 2011 at 6:33 AM, Adam Tauno Williams
<awilliam at whitemice.org>wrote:

> On Thu, 2011-09-01 at 23:16 -0400, Matthew Seeley wrote:
> > Agree with the 3G issues, Sprint has awful backhaul in West Michigan,
> > I average like 100k down, on a good day. I called them two weeks ago
> > and the tech rep told me there were already "dozens" of support
> > tickets open just for our tower in Grand Rapids.
>
> I know that Verizon recently concluded a backhaul upgrade in
> anticipation of the bandwidth demands posed by LTE [aka 4G].
>
> > But the 4G should be decent (2mb to 4mb down), most anywhere in Grand
> > Rapids city limits, and some suburban areas.
> > I'm suprised to hear about the 4G issues -- one of the Jenison
> > Clearwire WiMax towers is literally across the street from you -- you
> > should have had perfect 4G WiMax signal.
>
> Confused.  4G != WiMax; are these dual mode LTE / WiMax devices /
> towers / carriers?
>
>
>
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