I received my TopGlobal MB6800 router today. I have had the box open about 45 minutes and this is what I have found so far. Please be aware that I am using a Sprint EX720 Express Data Card. My laptop is running windows Vista and I have been using the EX720 in my laptop for about 2 months and have been extremely well pleased.

To use the EX720 Express Data Card in the MB6800 I am using a Novatel Card Caddy that adapts my EX720 Express Data Card to the PCMCIA card slot in the TopGlobal MB6800 router. I found the initial setup to be extremely easy. Naturally, I will later add encription to the router for more secure transmissions but for the initial testing, I do not have a WEP encription setup. To setup the system:

Insert the Novatel Card Caddy into the Router, Insert the EX720 Express Data Card into the Card Caddy, Plug the power adapter into 110v and the router, Wait 30 seconds for the card to connect, Connect Wirelessly to the Router, Surf!

Speeds in my current location. Only 3 bars of signal. Ex720 plugged directly into laptop 1042 down 474 up- EX720 plugged into MB6800 846 down 367 up.

Couldn't be easier and so for I am extremely pleased. I hope this helps answer some questions for those of you who are looking for extremely mobile internet access.

My wife and I are going to begin some extended travel and plan to use the EX720 and MB6800 in our motor home for access to the internet during our travels. Since we run online businesses this appears to be an excellent combination for us. I do a lot of uploads to a web server and the 367 upload speed is actually faster than the upload speeds that I have been getting from my Road Runner Cable Modem. Naturally the speeds will be much lower when we are not in an EVDO Rev A area.

The EX720 has an antenna port that will allow us to add an external antenna. I plan to install a Wilson external antenna on the roof of my motorhome and put the MB6800 in an overhead cabinet above the co-pilot's chair. With this configuration we will not only have mobile internet but both my wife and I can be connected at the same time.

I hope this helps someone

Gerald Heinrich

If you are running a business, you might consider an amplifier along with the Wilson trucker antenna. It will help a lot in fringe areas.

I am assuming you are staying in mostly urban areas or along highways. I'd be interested to hear about Sprints data performance away from these areas...I have not heard good reports up till now.

We are currently located about 25 air miles north east of Austin, Texas (per Google Earth)near the small community of Hutto. During the two months that we have had the data card we have traveled to the Panhandle of Texas near Perryton. That area of Texas and Oklahoma has been called "no man's land" because of the extremely low population, mostly huge farms and cattle ranches (& oil & gas wells). We have never been without data connectivity, although some times the speeds have been 1xRTT Rev 0 which peak at 144 kbps but typically run in the 60-80 kbps. Other 1xRTT areas have been 1xRTT Rev A which peaks at 288 kbps but typically runs slower. Although I have never tested the speeds in a 1xRTT Rev A area, I understand that they run near 200 kbps. In either case, it is faster than dialup and allows us to check our mail. Prior to the Router, my wife and I had to share the EX720 so we couldn't both be online at the same time. Now that should be possible. I have been following the evolution of the EVDO internet and the related routers for quite some time. The Kyocera KR1 appeared to be a good unit but has had problems when trying to use an Express Data Card such as the Sprint EX720 with a Card Caddy. All of the new laptops have Express slots instead of PCMCIA while the routers have PCMCIA slots. The TopGlobal MB6800 is the first router available that appears to allow the use of an express slot card with card caddy (express to PCMCIA adapter) without a huge degradation in speed. This unit was announced several months ago but has just now been available for purchase.

We have no plans to be totally in the "boonies" as this is not my wife's idea of fun. A check of most of the areas that we plan to travel have at least 1xRTT Rev A which will be sufficient access until I need to upload large amounts of data to a web site. When that happens, I can just take my laptop and EX720 data card to town with me and let it upload while I check out "Wally World."

I also use my laptop for routing while traveling by putting it on the dash of my motorhome and since the EX720 also works as a GPS antenna, I am able to use Microsoft Streets & Trips for routing via GPS. I haven't, however, been able to get the EX720 to provide data access and GPS at the same time. I understand that it is possible, but I haven't had the time to spend to figure out how to do it.

Gerald

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sami's Slave,

quote:

Originally posted by Jack Mayer:
If you are running a business, you might consider an amplifier along with the Wilson trucker antenna. It will help a lot in fringe areas.

I am assuming you are staying in mostly urban areas or along highways. I'd be interested to hear about Sprints data performance away from these areas...I have not heard good reports up till now.

Jack:

We left Central Pa last May with a Sprint 580 Air Card, which is Rev 0, headed for Livingston, Tx, by way of Route 15 south into the Panhandle of Fl, then west into Texas. We stayed in 6 Thousand Trails parks in Tx, and in only 1 did we not have access - which was in Whitney, Tx.

On the way there, we stayed off all major highways, preferring 2 lane roads, instead of Interstates. Coming home, through Arkansas, Tenessee, the Carolinas, Va, NJ, and finally Pa, we were mostly on the 1xRtt network. The 2 TT parks in Tenn had no Sprint Access.

We used a Wilson Truckers Antenna with the air card. At times we also used the Wilson Amp with the Antenna. Looking at the signal strength with that card - as long as we had a minimum of -103 db, it worked fine. Increasing the strength to -70 db made very little to no difference in speeds. Getting above -105 db and we were in trouble. Slow web pages, with too much packet loss just didn't cut it.

On average our download speeds were between 110 kbps to 120 kbps. Upload speeds were in the average of 40 kbps to 70 kbps.

Overall, we were very happy with the service. I see that Sprint has expanded it's Rev A broadband area significantly since last year. Here is Sprint's page to look for broadband access by state or Zip code. If you click on some cities in the state you are interested in - you will get a map of surrounding areas where it is available.

One thing that made a significant difference in signal strength in rv parks, was to have the laptop up and running, with the wife watching the signal meter as I drove the MH around the park. Sometimes a site 4 or 5 spaces in one direction or another would yield an amazing difference in signal strength. So now, we always drive around the park looking for signal strength before parking.

This year we have a new Sierra 595 Air Card, and it definately is waayyyy faster than the Sierra 580 card. The 595 is a Rev A card, and seems much better even on the 1xRtt network.

Haven't had a good chance to test it like I want to, but so far it looks pretty good. I did post a few days ago about the test results I ran in Lancaster, Pa, which is Rev A. I think Verizon may have better coverage, but the thing that irritates me with them, is their 5 gb monthly limit. Sprint's account is unlimited mb of data, although they reserve the right to cut you off, if you are affecting their network adversely by the way you are using the internet.

Hope that helps.

Gerald, I am running the same card as you except I have the S720 (PCMCIA) version. I am using a Kyocera KR1 Mobile EVDO WiFi Router with a Wilson 3-watt amplifier and a booster antenna.

I am using Sprint and so far I have had an internet connection no matter where we travel and we have been in the boonies in Kentucky and Alabama. We are presently in New Orleans and I am getting a -53db signal with downloads of 1000 kbps and uploads of 350 kbps.

It is nice having an internet connection all the time, even while traveling down the road. Love this new technology.