Verizon wireless - EVDO Shootout Sprint vs Verizon at SOCALWUG Meeting

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EVDO Shootout Sprint vs Verizon at SOCALWUG Meeting

Frank Keeney

2006-04-26, 5:48 pm

The So Cal Wireless Users Group is meeting tomorrow Thursday 04/27/06 at 7pm
(Pacific). Pasadena, CA

Locations and directions at http://www.socalwug.org

Presentations:

EVDO Shootout!! Sprint or Verizon (and T-Mobile EDGE) which one is best?
Mike and Frank will perform live demonstrations of these products. We'll
discuss the good the bad and the ugly. Strong attendee participation is
encouraged. We want everyone to chime in. Do you have a high speed device
from Cingular? Bring it and we'll discuss it as well.

Who should attend?

Wireless users
Wireless technicians and engineers
Business people interested in wireless
People working in the wireless community
Wireless Security professionals
People new to wireless
People interested in meeting others involved in the wireless community
Buyers of wireless technology products and services
Those interested in lively technical discussions ranging from beginner to
expert
People old to wireless

Meeting Cost: Free!

Agenda (times are approximate):

7:00 Mixing - business/friend contacts
7:10 Logon> Introductions to the group and key members
7:15 Announcements & News Items
7:20 General Q&A
7:30 Main Presentation
8:30 Mixing - break off into groups of discussions
9:00 Logoff>
10:00 Discussions move to the parking lot

When:

Every Fourth Thursday
7:00pm to 9:00pm (Pacific)
Thursday 04/27/06 7pm

Where:

Pasadena IHOP Restaurant (rear meeting room)
3521 E. Foothill Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91107
Location: http://ihop.know-where.com/ihop/cgi/site?00006
Wireless SSID: www.socalwug.org
GPS: N 34 09.032 - W 118 04.645

Take the Train!

MTA Gold Line "Sierra Madre Villa" station Visit the MTA site for times and
stations:
http://www.mta.net/riding_metro/met...ine/default.htm
Click this MapQuest link for a walking map from the SMV station:
http://tinyurl.com/lhum

Note: Please come hungry and support our host. Food served during meeting.
Separate checks.

Please redistribute this notice.

Thank you

Frank Keeney
SOCALWUG Co-Founder
http://www.socalwug.org

Pasadena Networks, LLC:
http://www.wlanparts.com
Blog: http://www.unwiredadventures.com

2006-04-27, 5:48 pm

Would be very interested in reading about the findings!

All the best for the meet.

JP
---

"Frank Keeney" <la@pasadena.net> wrote in message
news:124vfqqkipbdu19
@corp.supernews.com...
> The So Cal Wireless Users Group is meeting tomorrow Thursday 04/27/06 at
> 7pm (Pacific). Pasadena, CA
>
> Locations and directions at http://www.socalwug.org
>
>
> Presentations:
>
> EVDO Shootout!! Sprint or Verizon (and T-Mobile EDGE) which one is best?
> Mike and Frank will perform live demonstrations of these products. We'll
> discuss the good the bad and the ugly. Strong attendee participation is
> encouraged. We want everyone to chime in. Do you have a high speed device
> from Cingular? Bring it and we'll discuss it as well.
>
> Who should attend?
>
> Wireless users
> Wireless technicians and engineers
> Business people interested in wireless
> People working in the wireless community
> Wireless Security professionals
> People new to wireless
> People interested in meeting others involved in the wireless community
> Buyers of wireless technology products and services
> Those interested in lively technical discussions ranging from beginner to
> expert
> People old to wireless
>
>
> Meeting Cost: Free!
>
> Agenda (times are approximate):
>
> 7:00 Mixing - business/friend contacts
> 7:10 Logon> Introductions to the group and key members
> 7:15 Announcements & News Items
> 7:20 General Q&A
> 7:30 Main Presentation
> 8:30 Mixing - break off into groups of discussions
> 9:00 Logoff>
> 10:00 Discussions move to the parking lot
>
>
> When:
>
> Every Fourth Thursday
> 7:00pm to 9:00pm (Pacific)
> Thursday 04/27/06 7pm
>
>
> Where:
>
> Pasadena IHOP Restaurant (rear meeting room)
> 3521 E. Foothill Blvd
> Pasadena, CA 91107
> Location: http://ihop.know-where.com/ihop/cgi/site?00006
> Wireless SSID: www.socalwug.org
> GPS: N 34 09.032 - W 118 04.645
>
>
> Take the Train!
>
> MTA Gold Line "Sierra Madre Villa" station Visit the MTA site for times
> and
> stations:
> http://www.mta.net/riding_metro/met...ine/default.htm
> Click this MapQuest link for a walking map from the SMV station:
> http://tinyurl.com/lhum
>
> Note: Please come hungry and support our host. Food served during meeting.
> Separate checks.
>
>
> Please redistribute this notice.
>
>
>
>
> Thank you
>
> Frank Keeney
> SOCALWUG Co-Founder
> http://www.socalwug.org
>
> Pasadena Networks, LLC:
> http://www.wlanparts.com
> Blog: http://www.unwiredadventures.com
>
>

unfrostedpoptart

2006-04-27, 11:48 pm

Frank, I don't think I can make it (I'm down in Irvine), but I'd also
like to hear the results! I've got Verizon and thought about one of
these, but my new notebook (Dell 9400) doesn't have PCCARD slots, just
the new Expresscard (54 or 33). I'd appreciate it if you could ask if
anyone knows about EVDO Expresscards.

Thanks,

David

Isaiah Beard

2006-04-28, 5:48 pm

JP wrote:
> Would be very interested in reading about the findings!

I don't know what the situation is like in California where this test is
to be held, but I just my own test and will be posting a full write-up soon.

But, I'll give my summary results for the NY/NJ area.

I tethered a Verizon BB7130e, and a Sprint Samsung MM-A900 to a laptop
in an area with full signal (maximum bars showing on each device), using
each carrier's respective connection software. I then conducted three
speed tests each using dslreports.com's Mobile speed test
(http://www.dslreports.com/mspeed), dslreports' full Java speed test
(http://www.dslreports.com/stest, I used the nac.net test as it was the
closest to my location).

The tests were conducted between 5:00 and 5:10 p.m. on April 27, 2006.
All tests were done using a USB connection from the laptop to the
wireless phone. I refrained from using Bluetooth for this test because
1. the Blackberry 7130E doesn't support Blueooth DUN, and 2. earlier
tests I've done with Bluetooth show that you cannot reach EVDO's full
speed potential with it.

The laptop used was an IBM ThinkPad T42, running Windows XP. It was
disconnected from all other network connections during each test, and
the the built in WiFi was turned off.

The Mobile speed test results were:
(the mobile test only tests download throughout)

Test # Verizon Sprint
-----------------------------------------
1. 354 kb/s 679 kb/s
2. 594 kb/s 422 kb/s
3. 574 kb/s 564 kb/s
------------------------------------------
AVERAGE: 507.33333 kb/s 555 kb/s

The full JAVA test results were:
(listed as downlink/uplink speeds)

Test # Verizon Sprint
---------------------------------------------
1. 612/126 kb/s 679/163 kb/s
2. 188/98 kb/s 393/126 kb/s
3. 442/175 kb/s 592/119 kb/s
---------------------------------------------
AVERAGE: 414/133 kb/s 554.6667/136 kb/s

Looking at the raw numbers the speeds seem relatively close, but the
overall averages show Sprint seems to have a sigificant edge in download
speed. Uplink speeds seem about equal.

Also, I tried to do a raw download speed test with Verizon and Sprint,
downloading a 64MB binary executable file using an ftp site with known
good bandwidth.

For Sprint, the transfer started out at about 390kbps, but then steadily
climbed over 15 seconds to a peak speed of 748kbps and stayed there,
occasionally bursting to 771kbps. Impressive! I can easily seem myself
not even bothering with WiFi connections in favor of this, unless of
course the WiFi was free to use, and not already crowded with other
traffic. This just about matches a bare-bones, budget-priced 768kbps
DSL connection.

Unfortunately, I could NOT test Verizon's BroadbandAccess using this
method. It appears Verizon's service blocks active ftp transfers. I
could not get passive mode working either, alas. However, I'm not
surprised, considering Verizon Wireless' stance on tethered EVDO (even
when paying full price for it), which states:

"Unlimited NationalAccess/BroadbandAccess services cannot be used (1)
for uploading, downloading or streaming of movies, music or games, (2)
with server devices or with host computer applications, including, but
not limited to, Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds,
Voice over IP (VoIP), automated machine-to-machine connections, or
peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, or (3) as a substitute or backup for
private lines or dedicated data connections. "

To me, I can see this as a huge negative.

So I guess from a purely technical perspective, Sprint wins my version
of the shootout.

Sprint wins on price too: for a limited time, Sprint is offering the
unlimited "Phone As Modem" add-on for $39.99 a month with a voice plan
(some of which start as low as $29.99). With just the basics, you're
paying $69.98 plus taxes and fees on Sprint. With Verizon, the
unlimited tethering plan is $59.99 with a voice plan, the lowest of
which is offered at $39.99. Total cost for just the basics with
Verizon: $99.98

Verizon DOES win on customer service though. My BroadbandAccess setup
was established on Verizon in mere minutes and was handled correctly and
thoroughly on the very first call. With Sprint I had enormous problems
wading through the mess they call customer service, and my EVDO service
was incorrectly provisioned and stayed that way for almost three days
before someone was able to figure out what the problem was and get it
corrected.

So I guess my brief evaluation wasn't so brief. ;) But, those are my
results. Interpret the numbers as you see fit.

--
E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.

Thomas T. Veldhouse

2006-04-28, 5:48 pm

Isaiah Beard < sacredpoet@sacredpoe
t.com> wrote:
> The Mobile speed test results were:
> (the mobile test only tests download throughout)
>
> Test # Verizon Sprint
> -----------------------------------------
> 1. 354 kb/s 679 kb/s
> 2. 594 kb/s 422 kb/s
> 3. 574 kb/s 564 kb/s
> ------------------------------------------
> AVERAGE: 507.33333 kb/s 555 kb/s
>
>
> The full JAVA test results were:
> (listed as downlink/uplink speeds)
>
> Test # Verizon Sprint
> ---------------------------------------------
> 1. 612/126 kb/s 679/163 kb/s
> 2. 188/98 kb/s 393/126 kb/s
> 3. 442/175 kb/s 592/119 kb/s
> ---------------------------------------------
> AVERAGE: 414/133 kb/s 554.6667/136 kb/s
>
>

These results could be a simple as routing one on the wired network. The
differences may have nothing to do with EVDO performance.

--
Thomas T. Veldhouse
Key Fingerprint: 2DB9 813F F510 82C2 E1AE 34D0 D69D 1EDC D5EC AED1

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