EVDOinfo.com has long been your source for tips, tricks, hacks and suggestions for getting the most out of your EVDO service, and each week we will be highlighting a particularly interesting or popular topic in the "Tip of the Week" feature. To suggest future Tips of the Week, contact us at suggestions@evdoinfo.com or post your suggestions in the EVDO Forums.

Locating Cell Towers - a "Non-Tip" Tip of the Week

Since the inception of our Tip of the Week series back in April, we have been wanting to post a tip that would help users locate the cellular towers serving them. Knowing where the cell tower is located is very important for users considering using directional antennas (like Yagis and grid antennas, or amps that come with directional receiving antennas like the Wilson SignalBoost DT) as those antennas must be pointed accurately in the direction of the tower to be effective. It's a question we hear often at 3Gstore and on the EVDOForums: "how do I find out where the tower is?" Many customers are surprised that there is NOT an easy answer to that question! There is no publicly available database, no magical mapping tool - it's not even as simple as asking the provider themselves. Unfortunately, while we would love to offer a simple solution, this Tip of the Week is to help you save time and frustration and explain why locating a cell tower is NOT an easy process.

The Usual Suggestions and Why They Aren't Reliable: If you do a Google search for something like "locate my cell tower" or post something similar on a forum, you're likely to get one of a few common suggestions. Here's a quick list of the most common "tower locating tips", and why they DON'T work reliably:

• "Just ask your provider!" Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Unfortunately, for some reason, providers do NOT typically give out this information, even when pressed. Some users have had success in getting tower location information from their provider, but the information given by one rep is likely to be different from the information another rep gives if you call back ten minutes later. We have found that even if a representative gives you a location of a tower, that doesn't necessarily mean it is the closest tower to you - which is what you're looking for, of course! The "ask the provider" tactic simply does not produce consistently reliable results.
• "I can SEE a tower (or a friend/google search/etc pointed one out to me) - that must be my tower!" Nope. Even if you can see a cell tower, that does NOT mean that YOUR carrier broadcasts from that tower - or, again, if it's the closest tower to you.
• "Use a tool like antennasearch.com to see a map of the towers in your area!" This is one that SOUNDS like a perfect solution - tools like antennasearch.com allow you to enter you address, and then a map is displayed with all the towers in your neighborhood. Perfect, right? If you've ever tried using this tool, you'd know why this method doesn't work well. Yes, you'll get a list of all the towers in your area, but that doesn't tell you much! A search for towers near a randomly chosen semi-rural address turned up 116 tower locations and 503 antenna locations in a 4-mile radius - what is a person supposed to do with that?! And reading the list of the locations isn't any help, as only a few are registered to the provider themselves - most of the towers are registered to companies with names like "Tower Co", and there is no way of knowing whether your provider broadcasts from that location or not.

So what DOES work? How can I find my tower? Obviously, if you considering a directional antenna solution, you DO need to find your tower. Unfortunately, it's not going to be easy... the only way to really locate your tower is to invest some time, hit the bricks, and turn yourself into a signal-strength detective for the day. First, find out where to view your RSSI for your cell phone or aircard (see this article for more info on RSSI), then take your cell phone or laptop with datacard and start walking or driving. Remember that for RSSI, closer to zero is better - as you get closer to the tower, your RSSI will go down (for example, if the RSSI at your house is -98dbm, you'll know you're getting closer to the tower when it goes to -90, then -85, then -80, etc etc). If you're completely clueless about which direction the tower may be in, try searching for your address on your carrier's coverage map (http://3gstore.com/coverage); the map should at least help you see the general direction of where stronger coverage is. Sprint users can try this trick: search for your address at the coverage map, and select the "voice" option (even if you're looking for data coverage) - the dark green areas are likely to be the location of the towers.

If you've already got a directional antenna, then good old fashioned trial-and-error may be your best bet: connect the antenna to your aircard and note the RSSI; then tweak the antenna a few degrees at a time, noting the RSSI each time (keep in mind that to get a good RSSI reading, your device should actually be moving data when the reading is taken. We recommend doing a speedtest at http://speedtest.net and recording those speeds with the corresponding RSSI value for your comparisons.)

Is driving all over town looking for cell towers or tweaking a Yagi antenna for an hour pleasant? No - but it's a lot more reliable than begging your provider for information or using a tool like antennasearch.com, and if you're using a directional antenna, you want reliable results - not easy ones.

Related links:

• Discuss this Tip on the EVDO Forums
  
• More information on RSSI
  
• View previous Tips of the Week

Order at 3Gstore.com in November and You'll Automatically be Entered to Win a 64GB iPod Touch!

3Gstore is giving away a brand new 64GB Apple iPod Touch to one lucky customer who makes a purchase in the month of November (retail value $399.99). EVERY order placed at 3Gstore.com (or over the phone with one of our friendly and knowledgeable reps) will be automatically entered in our drawing, and the winner will be shipped a FREE brand new 64GB iPod Touch just in time for the holidays! With the iPod Touch, you can download and listen to music and videos, surf the web via WiFi, play games, download apps, and more - and it's FREE from 3Gstore!

Giveaway details, rules, and restrictions:

• All orders placed between 12:01am CST on November 1, 2009 and 11:59pm CST on November 30, 2009 will be automatically entered in the drawing (if you placed a 3Gstore order in November but before this announcement was posted, don't worry - you are already entered).
• NO additional action is necessary to enter the drawing - your order is your contest entry.
• Each order placed during November counts as one entry. Multiple orders DO increase your changes of winning.
• Orders can be placed either online (3Gstore.com) or over the phone (866-3GSTORE)
• Returning your order VOIDS your entry in the drawing.
  
• One winner will be chosen at random from all entries on December 21, 2009. The iPod Touch will be shipped to the winner via FedEx Overnight delivery to arrive on December 22, 2009.
• The winner agrees to have their first name, city, and state published on EVDOinfo.com/3Gstore.com/EVDOforums
• You can view the full specs for the iPod Touch at Apple's website

If you've been considering making a purchase at 3Gstore.com, now is the time! With some or our lowest prices ever (remember, the Cradlepoint MBR1000 is just $189.99 and the CTR350 is just $89.99 for a limited time!) and the opportunity to win a $399 64GB iPod Touch just for ordering, shopping at 3Gstore.com has never been a better deal!

In an unusual move, Verizon Wireless has begun banning resellers from selling all antennas and cell phone amplifier products that improve signal for 3G mobile broadband devices and cell phones (such as the Droid, BlackBerry Storm2, LG enV, MiFi, iPhone, and other popular devices). These antennas and powered amplifiers are typically used as a retention tool to keep customers from canceling service when in a weaker signal area or when in-building coverage is poor or non-existent.

The first victim of this new unfair policy is 3Gstore.com. 3Gstore.com has been selling 3G / EVDO mobile broadband devices and service since 2005 and has been one of Verizon's biggest cheerleaders and supporters, but earlier this year they had their authorization to sell Verizon Wireless products and services suspended with no warning or explanation. After much digging, the reason given by Verizon was that 3Gstore.com also sold antennas and cell phone amplifiers. 3Gstore was told that if they wanted to continue to sell Verizon Wireless products, they would need to cease selling all signal enhancing devices.

Ironically, Verizon Wireless stores sell some of the exact products that 3Gstore.com sells and Verizon Wireless B2B has sold exactly the same powered amplifiers that 3Gstore.com sells. Why has 3Gstore been targeted?  Apparently, Verizon Wireless is coming out with a new signal enhancing product, called a femtocell, which Verizon Wireless is calling the "Verizon Wireless Network Extender". While this product uses different technology, it competes with the powered amplifiers sold by 3Gstore.com and thousands of other resellers as well. So, it appears that Verizon Wireless is trying to illegally ban competing products in order to increase sales of the models sold directly by them.

Michael Ginsberg, president of 3Gstore.com, responded to Verizon's new policy: "If we give in and stop selling antennas and amplifiers, what is stopping Verizon Wireless from coming to us next month and demanding that we stop selling 3G routers? What Verizon Wireless doesn't seem to understand is that we have prevented thousands of Verizon customers from canceling their service contracts, because a signal-boosting product we sold to them allows them to use and enjoy their service. These products allow Verizon to retain customers that otherwise would have canceled their service due to weak or unreliable signal." Many agencies and companies understand the value that cell phone amplifiers provide (see NTSB Article).

In addition to 3Gstore, there are many other Verizon Wireless resellers and agents that sell antennas and amplifiers to help their customers. If this action against 3Gstore is allowed to go unchecked, they could be the next to get a notice to stop selling Verizon Wireless products.

"We are looking for Verizon Wireless to realize that they made a mistake, and to rectify this by allowing 3Gstore to sell their products again. If Verizon continues to be unwilling to work with us, we may also be in the market for an experienced legal firm in the telecommunication industry to represent us pro bono," said Ginsberg.

Related Links:

• For more information, read our blog post on this issue.
• If you would like to comment on this article, join the discussion on the EVDO Forums
• If you are a legal expert in the telecommunications industry and would like to further discuss 3Gstore's dispute with Verizon, please contact legal@3gstore.com
• If you are looking to purchase Verizon products and services, please contact us. While we are not currently processing Verizon orders, we can help you select the right gear and point you in the right direction.

Prepaid EVDO from 3Gstore.com - No Contracts, No Deposits, No Credit Checks

For many mobile broadband users, a 2-year contract for $59.99/month (which is standard from all the major carriers in the US) makes perfect sense. There are many potential users, however, who would love to have access to mobile broadband but don't need it full time or don't want to go through a credit check and sign a contract, and 3Gstore now has a solution for you: Pay-As-You-Go 3G Mobile Broadband!

Pay-As-You-Go Mobile Broadband from 3Gstore works just like a pre-paid cell phone, but with data instead of voice minutes. You simply purchase the aircard and then purchase pre-paid service as you need it (the service can be bought in 1GB or 250MB increments, and you can re-load anytime online or by calling a toll-free number). The modem is a Sierra Wireless 598U and works on Sprint's nationwide 3G network. Once you activate your pre-paid service, you can use your aircard just like you would if you had a contract with a service provider - you can use the aircard right in your computer or even use it with a router to share the connection with multiple computers! To make things as easy as possible for our customers, 3Gstore includes a helpful tipsheet and a CD with the latest versions of the Sprint connection manager software (for both Mac and Windows computers, including Mac 10.3 - 10.6x and Windows XP, Vista and Win7) when you purchase your modem.

Read More

Congratulations to our Contest Winners!

Following the success of our September contest, 3gstore ran a contest in partnership with Wilson Electronics during October to give away two very useful wireless signal boosting kits. Participants were able to enter to win either a FREE Wilson SignalBoost Mobile Professional amplifier or a FREE Wilson Signal Boost DT repeater. Like last time, we asked folks to email us and tell us what they would use the products for and why they needed them, and we received some GREAT responses - everyone from RV'ers to students to business executives to entrepreneurs to families in rural areas with no cable/DSL access wrote to us and gave us compelling reasons why they should be the winner. Unfortunately, we couldn't give the prize to everyone, so we had to narrow it down. Congratulations to:

Wilson SignalBoost Mobile Professional WINNER: Harold G. from New Jersey will be pleasing his family and receiving the Wilson SignalBoost Mobile Professional. Below is an excerpt from Harold’s winning entry:

[I'd use the Mobile Pro] to increase signal strength in the car and hotel rooms when we travel. The better my daughters can stream video in the car moving down the interstate means the less whining I would need to listen to. I prefer the hum of the tires....... I would use the repeater to primarily boost the signal of my Merlin EX720 and my Blackberry 8830. If it'll work with the iPhone [3Gstore note: it does!] then the oldest daughter will be happy....back to the less whining.........

Harold will be enjoying his trips in the car from now on! Congratulations, Harold!

Wilson SignalBoost DT WINNER: Steve G. from South Carolina will be receiving the Wilson SignalBoost DT. For all customers hoping to boost their cellular signal in a static location, 3Gstore always recommends that the customer perform a site survey (read more about site surveys here: http://www.3gstore.com/rssi) to determine what equipment is right for them. Based on Steve’s results from his testing and what he's hoping to accomplish, we believe he will have great success with the DT! Below is an excerpt from Steve’s winning email:

I currently have a kr1 router with a KPC680 card that I bought from alltel about 1.5 years ago. Verizon took over my phone plans but the Internet is still under the alltel plan. I have an Alltel tower about 2 miles from my house. I have an -84db signal about 20yards outside my house now, since I called them about -110db signals causing phone and Internet service to drop. They said I was between sectors causing low signals; they rotated the tower to improve our signal to -84db. We still have problems inside the house and have to walk outside to work. We are using Blackberry curves 8330 and the Blackberry Storm. Also any other person who comes in my house has the same problem. I live in a rural area where there is absolutely no other options! I don’t know how long the tower will stay in its current position, but I would devote whatever you need for feedback on this product. The -84db seems to surge/burst sometimes!

Congratulations, Steve!

Thank you to ALL of you who participated in the contest. We look forward to running more contests in the future and hope you'll all participate again!

Related Links:

• Read more about the SignalBoost DT
  
• Read more about the SignalBoost Mobile Pro
  

EVDOinfo.com has long been your source for tips, tricks, hacks and suggestions for getting the most out of your EVDO service, and each week we will be highlighting a particularly interesting or popular topic in the "Tip of the Week" feature. To suggest future Tips of the Week, contact us at suggestions@evdoinfo.com or post your suggestions in the EVDO Forums.

Use Your Cradlepoint Router for Cable/DSL/Satellite Internet

We've done quite a few Tips of the Week that focus on Cradlepoint routers, and there's a good reason for that: there is SO much you can do with a Cradlepoint router, and many Cradlepoint owners aren't even aware of some of the features they're not using! One such example is the fact that the WAN (ethernet) ports featured on the CTR350, CTR500, MBR1000, and MBR1200 aren't just for connecting non-WiFi computers/devices to the router - they can also be used to connect a cable, DSL, or satellite internet modem. Your Cradlepoint router is not just the best choice for use with mobile broadband, its also a top-notch router for use with common cable, DSL or satellite internet connections!

Your Cradlepoint router's ability to be used as a router for cable/DSL/satellite internet can come in very handy in a variety of situations. By taking advantage of this functionality, you could set your router up to use your cable/DSL/satellite connection primarily and "fail-over" to mobile broadband if your hard-wired service goes down, or simply eliminate the need for two set-ups (one for mobile broadband, one for your hard-wired connection). Even if you don't have cable/DSL/satellite right now, the fact that your Cradlepoint router CAN be used as a router for those types of internet connections makes your router that much more of a wise investment in case you ever do have access to those options!

Using your Cradlepoint CTR350, CTR500, MBR1000, or MBR1200 as a router for your cable/DSL/satelite internet connection is easy (remember, this won't work with the PHS300 because that router does not have a WAN port):

1. Connect your cable/DSL/satellite modem to your Cradlepoint router's WAN port with an ethernet cable.
   
2. Log into your router's admin page by navigating your browser to 192.168.0.1 and entering your admin password (by default this is usually the last 6 characters of your router's MAC address, which you can find on the bottom of your router).
3. Once logged in, select the "Basic" tab from the top.
   
4. From the "Basic" section, click on the link entitled "WAN" on the left.
   
5. If you're using the CTR350 or CTR500, you'll first need to set the ethernet port to WAN mode (the port on these routers is by default set to "LAN" mode). There will be a section called ethernet port mode where you can make this change (MBR1000 and MBR1200 users won't need to make this change, because those routers feature a dedicated WAN port):
   
6. Further down the page, you will see a section entitled "Wired WAN Connection Type". Select your ISP from the drop-down menu for "Internet Service Provider". If your provider is not listed, select "Not Listed" or "I Don't Know".
7. The next dropdown menu, "Internet Connection" will change depending on your choice of ISP in the first dropdown menu. If you were able to select your ISP in the previous step, leave the "Internet Connection" menu alone. If your ISP was not listed above, you will need to contact your provider and find out what type of connection they are providing you and select it here. http://www.evdoinfo.com/images/stories/cp_wwan.jpg
   
8. The next section will be determined by your selection in the "Internet Connection" dropdown, and the fields in this section will vary. At this point you will want to fill in the fields with the proper information from your ISP. In some cases your ISP may not know some of the things being referred to in a certain field such as MTU or MAC address; this is generally not an issue and defaults can be left in place.
   
   
9. Once you have everything filled in on this page, click on the "Save Settings" button at the top of the page and reboot the router if prompted to do so.
   
10. Once the router has rebooted you will want to log back in to the router's admin settings and click on the "Status" tab at the top of the page. On this page there will be a "WAN" section that will allow you to look at your Network Status. If the status is "established", the router is connected and ready to go!
    
    
11. If the status is listed as "establishing" for a long period of time or as "suspended", your WAN settings are either incorrect or incomplete and you will need to review them and update them as necessary. Be patient - this can sometimes take a few tries, depending on the service provider. A helpful hint: search through EVDOforums.com for your ISP may help, as others may have already posted the appropriate settings for your ISP!

Related links:

• Discuss this Tip on the EVDO Forums 
• Which Router is Best for Me? Router Selection Guide
• Router Compatibility Chart
  
• View previous Tips of the Week