Rodfather Mobile

Sitting At The Beach
At Manresa State Beach on one of
the benches. It’s almost sunset. I’m connected w/ the Novatel U727 sticking
out of the Q1. Working out nice.

JKK of JKKmobile asked me to shoot some cleaner photos in of my set up without the ‘vegetable’ in the background.  Hey, it’s a fruit, not a vegetable. 

The photos above are the Novatel U727 EVDO USB modem, CradlePoint CTR350 EVDO router, and the Tekkeon MP3400 external lithium battery.

I missed a setting in the Sprint Mobile Broadband dialer.  There’s a  Display GPS Receiver checkbox to bring up the button to active the GPS receiver.  I also noticed you could change the mapping service.  So I chose Google Maps.

Once I got that going, I went outside and was able to pick  up a few satellites.  iGuidance worked right away and this is looking to be nice multi purpose device. 

I took a cruise with the Samsung Q1 with the Novatel U727 sticking out the side.  It fit in the front dash compartment perfectly.  I  was able to stream a new release album with Yahoo Music Jukebox through the Yahoo Unlimited plan.  It’s pretty sweet being able to stream internet radio and a 2 million song library, along with GPS navigation.  Don’t forget it’s a thumbdrive that can take up to 4GB microSD’s.  This is a nice little package.  

The package arrived today.

The Novatel U727 EVDO Rev.A USB modem, 1 GB microSD card,  and the CradlePoint CTR350 EVDO Router.

Both the modem and router are fairly small.  The router is even more surprising since it’s just a bit wider than a deck of cards.

Modem

The U727 came preactivated with Sprint Broadband from evdoinfo.com.  I installed the Sprint Mobile Broadband dialer and drivers into my Samsung Q1 with the included CD.  It gave a message to update the software but I was able to connect right away.  I slide in the 1GB microSD card into the U727 and copied the software and drivers from the included CD on to it.  The CD came with Mac drivers as well so having the software stuck in the modem’s microSD card may be handy in case I need to connect with other computers.  You can use up to a 4GB card in the U727.

Although it’s around the size of a thumbdrive, it does stick out quite a bit from the Q1.  It comes with a rubber cradle and small USB extension cord that’s designed to attach the modem to an LCD screen.  Unfortunately, the Q1 has so much depth, the cradle won’t attach easily.  I imagine I’ll use velcro or just plug the modem into the router when I need to get connected with the Q1.

Battery drain isn’t too bad.  With WiFi and Bluetooth off, NHC was showing the Q1′s battery drain was around -12W to -14W.  I’m imagining an average 1W drain from the modem but can probably peak to 5W.

The GPS seemed to work when using it with Sprint’s dialer.  It comes with a Location and Search Services feature for searching nearby point of interests, like the nearest restaurant.  After submitting a search, the results are brought up on a Sprint web page with a Microsoft Virtual Earth map showing where you are and icons displaying the search results.

I couldn’t get iGuidance GPS navigation software to find the GPS receiver though.  I will try again later.  I’m assuming it should work since a GPS COM port is showing up in the device manager.

Router

There’s not much to this router.  On the face, there’s 4 LED indicators.  Power, WLAN, WAN, and USB.

On the left side, there’s a single USB port.

On the right side, there’s a reset button, ethernet jack, and power.  The ethernet jack is only used for WAN connections for connecting to a DSL modem or a hotel network jack as another means to a source connection.   It cannot be used to share the USB EVDO connection to, let’s say, a desktop with an ethernet jack.

The package contains a sheet of instructions on how to update the firmware and a CD with the actual firmware.  It was suppose to come shipped with the latest firmware but it wasn’t.  Mine was installed with 1.4 and when plugging  the U727 into the router, nothing happened.

After updating the firmware to 1.6 through the web admin interface, it recognized the modem right away and started working.

It’s really that simple.  Just plug the USB modem into the router and it connects right away.  The router even allows hot swapping.  I can insert or unplug the U727 without restarting the router.

It comes with the default setting of entering a password to get online.  So anyone can’t hop on your network from the get go.  When you first connect, you are redirected to the router’s interface, similar to connecting to hotel or T-Mobile’s WiFi network.   You can however change to using WEP or other forms of security instead of using the web password form.

There are many options in the admin screen.  It’s definitely a full featured router which can easily run your home wireless network.  One thing it doesn’t show is the signal strength of the USB modem.

Battery Powered!

Luckily, one of the tips that comes included with the Tekkeon MP3400 battery fits into the router.  Since the router only uses 5V, it will last a very, very long while time while connected to the Tekkeon.  If it can power my Q1 for 3 hours, then there’s nothing to worry about in the battery life department. 

WiFi Devices

I pulled out other WiFi gadgets to see if they could connect.  But first I set the wireless security of the router to use WEP since not all of my devices have a web browser to type in a password.  All the devices connected to the network with ease.

iPhone -  Browsing was fast.  I could connect to the iTunes WiFi Music Store.  The music previews wouldn’t play for some reason.  I bought a song and it downloaded fine.

PSP – Browsed web sites fine.  Left a tweet.  Didn’t try multiplayer games.

Sansa Connect – Connected and streamed LaunchCast radio fine.  Didn’t try downloading tracks but I assumed it would work.

Speed Test

Test Setup

Samsung Q1 900Mhz Celeron 2GB Windows XP Tablet Edition. 

These tests are with the U727 directly connected to the Samsung Q1′s USB port using the Sprint Mobile Broadband dialer.

Tests

In my house.  The signal strength isn’t all that great.  I’m getting -88dBm for EVDO.

The speed is a lot faster than EDGE though.  Here’s two speed tests (below).  I’ll probably expect that range in my area.  Hopefully higher when I go outside and close to a tower.

I tested downloading a file from download.com (below).  I could live with this.

Connected through router

Here’s some tests with the U727 plugged into the EVDO router which was then plugged into the Tekkeon MP3400 battery.

Not sure why the difference but it fluctuates a lot. 

I’ll do more tests in a better location and compare the results.  Pages certainly come up fast so this is working out alright.  With EVDO Rev.A I should be able to get around 1.2Mbps in a good area.  My town isn’t particularly great in terms of high speed.  DSL and cable is slow and there’s no HSDPA coverage.  So I’m probably going to expect normal EVDO speeds here.

Conclusion

Hey it works.  I have a portable WiFi network that’s powered with an external battery in a compact package.  How freaking awesome is that?

I will continue to post my thoughts as I use this set up.

The modem sticking out does concern me when I want to connect quickly.  It seems plugging it into the router, then plugging the router into the battery pack is a lot faster solution though. When sticking the modem straight into a device, it first has be recognized by the computer, you then have turn off WiFi, and finally launch the Sprint dialer to get online.

Either way, it’s still a pretty darn convenient and fast way to get connected, with almost any device.

3gstore.com has processed and shipped my order.  I had it shipped Fedex 2-day so it should arrive on Thursday.  It’s noted in the order history that the modem is activated with a fresh ESN number.  If you didn’t know, I placed an order for the Novatel U727 USB EVDO Rev.A modem and CradlePoint CTR350 EVDO Router.

I may post an unboxing/review.  Live through Ustream/justin.tv?  Maybe if I get some beers in me.  We’ll see if I have the courage to do so.

I just put in an order for a Novatel U727 USB EVDO Rev.A modem along with a CradlePoint CTR350 EVDO Router from evdoinfo’s 3gstore.

With the Novatel U727, I’m subscribing to 2 years of Sprint Broadband for $59.99/mo. It’ll come with a free 1GB microSD card.

I checked the option to have it preactivated for use with the router. I could activate myself with XP, but hey, if it works out of the box, then that’s one less step I have to do.

I’m basically going with the people at evdoinfo.com so I don’t have to deal with Sprint. They have a chock full of information on their sites which has helped me tremendously in deciding my future WWAN solution. I hope their level of support is just as great as the support they give in their forums.

I guess you can call it an impulse buy. Just look at it though.

The router is about the size of a deck of cards. It’s so tiny.

Someone in the evdo forums hooked it up to 4 AA batteries with an adapter and it ran for 3.5 hours. I’m sure it’ll last and lot, lot longer with my Tekkeon MP3400 battery. Anyway, the point is, hot damn, I’ll be able to have a portable on-the-go WiFi network soon.

I’m not sure if I will use the router all the time, but I’m sure it’ll come in handy for sharing a connection when needed. Otherwise, I imagine plugging the Novatel U727 directly into my UMPC or laptop’s USB port. Or not if I don’t want to have it sticking out the side. That’s the beauty and it’ll all fit easily in my bag. One thing is for sure, if I want to download music with my iPhone using the iTunes WiFi Music Store or Sansa Connect with Yahoo Unlimited, I will, from practically anywhere.  Or how about some multiplayer action with the PSP or Nintendo DS?  Both have WiFi builtin so it should be possible.

So now the question is, what happens if I get a device with internal Sprint EVDO? Will I do an ESN switch and render the Novatel USB modem and router useless? I don’t know. All I know, for the meantime, this setup will give a lot of flexibility. Not only will I be able to use the Sprint EVDO connection on multiple computers with USB, but with any device that supports WiFi, all within a compact package.

Coffee Break
Chillin at Starbucks wishing I
didn’t have to swap SIM cards and
tether to get online.
I like sitting here w/ my Q1 on
my lap with its small footprint
and light weight. I keep looking
into 12″ convertibles though since
many have internal WWAN options now.
Not sure if I can get used to having a
big USB modern sticking out of my
UMPC either. At this moment,
a HTC shift would be nice, but
I’m using interpolated 1024×600 now
but the performance loss and fuzzy
screen is way annoying.
Maybe I should just hack my
Q1 w/ a EVDO card while I
continue deciding what to do.

Link

Brenda ‘Newt’ just informed me through a comment in the 6 UMPC’s with internal WWAN. Which one would you choose? post, announcing the launch of a new blog covering the Flybook V5.

She’s been lusting after a Flybook literally for years now and finally ordered one a few days ago. It should arrive around October 11th.

Newt was able to order the latest build of the V5 which was recently upgraded from having a U2400 1.06Ghz processor and 60GB hard drive to having a U2500 1.2Ghz processor and 80GB hard drive.

If you’re even slightly interested in the Flybook V5, check it out and subscribe. It’s full of useful links and a great post answering why she wants a Flybook V5.

I can’t wait to read more about her experiences with this nice (yet expensive) device.

Link to Newt’s Flyblog

Hot on the heals of Verizon’s announcement, Sprint will also have the Novatel U727 available as another USB EVDO Rev.A modem option.

I checked the Sprint site and it’s not listed yet. I’ll update this page when it shows up.
It’s now on the Sprint site.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. & SAN DIEGO – Sep. 27, 2007 ¬– Sprint (NYSE:S) and Novatel Wireless, Inc., (Nasdaq:NVTL) a leading provider of wireless broadband solutions, today announced the commercial availability of the Ovation™ U727 USB Modem. Carrying the distinction of being the world’s smallest EV-DO Rev. A modem stick, the Ovation U727 features an integrated microSD™ slot, allowing for the seamless storage and transport of up to 4GB of files, photos or videos.
The Ovation U727 is designed to work with any computing device equipped with Type A USB ports, including most desktops, notebooks, tablet PCs and PDAs, to provide instant on-the-go mobile broadband access. With out-of-box support for a variety of operating systems including Windows® (Vista, XP, 2000), Mac OS® X and Linux, the Ovation U727 enables users to surf the Web, check email and access important business documents with speeds similar to those of a cable or DSL connection.
“Mobile professionals and consumers alike want to make the most out of whatever equipment they carry and Sprint customers get maximum value from the Ovation U727 which delivers both high-speed access via the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network and the ability to store and access documents and other critical information,” said Danny Bowman, vice president of customer equipment for Sprint. “A smaller form factor, GPS locate-and-find capabilities and newly available support for the Linux platform truly help make this a next-generation connectivity device for our customers.”
Optimized for the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network, the Ovation U727 supports EVDO Rev. A technology where available providing average download speeds from 600 kbps to 1.4 Mbps (with peak speeds of 3.1 Mbps) and upload speeds from 350 to 500 Kbps (with peak speeds of 1.8 Mbps), offering users unprecedented performance and notably faster speeds than legacy mobile data modems. The Ovation U727 is also backwards compatible for EVDO Rev. 0 and 1XRTT technology in areas where EVDO Rev. A coverage is not yet available.
“Novatel Wireless and Sprint have worked closely to develop mobile broadband solutions that meet customers can now take full advantage of the next-generation speed and functionality of the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network.”
Featuring an extremely durable design and remarkably small form factor, the U727 combines a variety of innovative features, including an integrated dual band diversity antennae system with flip-up antennae to maximize data speed performance and provide for stronger network signal reception. Sprint Mobile Broadband Lite Manager Software is included to simplify set-up and navigation through the vast feature set of the Ovation U727, eliminating the need to install drivers from a CD when using the Windows platform.
Beginning this month the U727 will initially be sold through Sprint indirect and business sales channels and online at www.sprint.com for a suggested retail price of $279.99 and as low as $79.99 with a two-year subscriber agreement and mail-in-rebate. Sprint retail stores will begin offering the device later this year. Service plans for the card currently range from $39.99 per month for 40 MB to $79.99 per month for unlimited data usage. Customers signing a two-year subscriber agreement will be eligible to receive unlimited data usage for $59.99 per month (no separate voice plan required).

Via EVDOInfo (Thanks for the new pic!)