Sprint Mobile Broadband vs. Verizon BroadbandAccess
On 2007-05-03, Bill Marriott <wjm@wjm.org> wrote:
> Assuming you will have adequate coverage with either carrier, your most
> important consideration should be data policies. Verizon advertises
> "unlimited" but will in fact cut you off it you use "too much" and they
> specifically prohibit doing anything but web browsing, email, and connecting
> to corporate systems. They are notorious for enforcing this.
To be clear, what they seem to strictly enforce is the 5 GB/month
limit, and Sprint might be worth while just to avoid this. Verizon
doesn't, however, appear to actually do anything about the application
restrictions; I've used mine for a bunch of stuff not in their
permitted list without any difficulty or complaint.
I'd note that the Verizon data service where I live has in the past
been a bit flaky, particularly in the afternoon. It would go numb
for 10 or 30 or 40 seconds, delivering no packets, and then suddenly
deliver everthing. Here's what a 40 second pause looks like from
ping's point-of-view.
64 bytes from 66.1.1.1: icmp_seq=50 ttl=236 time=216.143 ms
64 bytes from 66.1.1.1: icmp_seq=51 ttl=236 time=39988.390 ms
64 bytes from 66.1.1.1: icmp_seq=51 ttl=236 time=40041.284 ms (DUP!)
64 bytes from 66.1.1.1: icmp_seq=52 ttl=236 time=38042.056 ms
64 bytes from 66.1.1.1: icmp_seq=53 ttl=236 time=36042.944 ms
[...]
64 bytes from 66.1.1.1: icmp_seq=70 ttl=236 time=2075.783 ms
64 bytes from 66.1.1.1: icmp_seq=71 ttl=236 time=187.830 ms
64 bytes from 66.1.1.1: icmp_seq=72 ttl=236 time=196.765 ms
I don't know how it duplicates packets, but it seems to do
that a lot. Here's one where it went dead for 12 seconds (pings
sent once every 2 seconds) and then delivered a copy of a
packet previously received 4 minutes earlier:
64 bytes from 66.1.1.1: icmp_seq=314 ttl=235 time=191.644 ms
64 bytes from 66.1.1.1: icmp_seq=193 ttl=235 time=250118.502 ms (DUP!)
64 bytes from 66.1.1.1: icmp_seq=320 ttl=235 time=177.113 ms
Of course the reason I have all this ping data is that the service
would drop the connection after being idle for an annoyingly small
number of minutes, so I now run the ping in the background to keep
it up. I've also had the connection go dead, requiring a
disconnect/reconnect to fix, after connect times suspiciously close
to exactly an hour, though I haven't had this happen recently.
To be fair, a lot of this has gotten better recently. And I live
in Silicon Valley where Verizon has a lot of customers but less
spectrum than other places, so it is possible some of this was
due to load problems which wouldn't occur elsewhere. I have
a friend with the Sprint service who hasn't seen as many problems,
though he also has leaner coverage and also may not watch for
brokenness as carefully as I do.
If I had the choice over again I think I might try the Sprint service
instead. Recently the Verizon service has been better, though,
so I'm hoping the problems might have been temporary. If they come
back, however, I guess I can always have my contract terminated
by exceeding the 5 GB/month limit, so that can sometimes be an
advantage.
Sprint Mobile Broadband vs. Verizon BroadbandAccess
On 2007-05-03, Bill Marriott <wjm@wjm.org> wrote:
> Just underscoring that you're lucky. Verizon *does* have a "not permitted"
> list, whether they choose to enforce it in any individual case or not ...
> aren't we all beyond the "ISP as nanny" model?
Bill,
You are correct, though it isn't like Sprint doesn't have its own set
of "do this and we'll cut you off" conditions. They're just less specific
about what particular applications they might be imagining:
Specific Terms & Restrictions On Using Data Services
In addition to the rules for using all of our other Services, unless
we identify the Service or Device you have selected as specifically
intended for that purpose (for example, wireless routers, Data Link,
etc.), you can't use our data Services: (1) with server devices or
host computer applications, or other systems that drive continuous
heavy traffic or data sessions; and (2) as a substitute or backup for
private lines or frame relay connections. We reserve the right to
limit or suspend any heavy, continuous data usage that adversely
impacts our network performance or hinders access to our network.
So it is still more interesting to me what the carriers actually
enforce, rather than what they could theoretically enforce (both have
sufficient lattitude to cut you off for anything). Verizon enforces
its 5 GB/month limit but doesn't seem to measure anything else or
worry about what you've been doing if you don't exceed the limit.
I've not heard of Sprint cutting anyone off yet. Verizon has a hard
limit (and is a far bigger liar for calling their service "unlimited"),
Sprint's limit is subjective and is as yet, to my knowledge, untested.
As always, past performance is not necessarily an indicator of
future results.
Sprint Mobile Broadband vs. Verizon BroadbandAccess
I did extensive reseach on this topic on various
RV forums and decided to go with Sprint for 2
reasons:
1. Better technology
2. No limitations
I've using Sprint broadband since Sept 2006,
and since that time Sprint has added towers
all over the country and in my primary location,
actually upgraded the tower capabilities so that
I don't have any problems viewing YouTube.Com.
Sprint Mobile Broadband vs. Verizon BroadbandAccess
On 2007-05-01, techman41973@yahoo.com <techman41973@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Does anyone have experiences regarding the real-world performance/
> coverage differences between Sprint Mobile Broadband and Verizon
> Broadband Access?
> Thanks
Sprint Mobile Broadband vs. Verizon BroadbandAccess
On May 1, 1:59 pm, techman41...@yahoo.com wrote:
> Does anyone have experiences regarding the real-world performance/
> coverage differences between Sprint Mobile Broadband and Verizon
> Broadband Access?
> Thanks
Given spcs's implosion of subscribers, Virgin Mobilers should get
video soon.
Sprint Mobile Broadband vs. Verizon BroadbandAccess
In article <463baa0f$0$16299$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>, Todd Allcock wrote:
> At 04 May 2007 15:19:55 -0700 jgrove24@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>> Given spcs's implosion of subscribers, Virgin Mobilers should get
>> video soon.
>>
>
> Holy cr*p, jgrove! That post of yours was actually almost on-topic! Are
> you feeling ok?
Someone got his password and is posing as him.
--
Steve Sobol, Professional Geek ** Java/VB/VC/PHP/Perl ** Linux/*BSD/Windows
Victorville, California PGP:0xE3AE35ED
It's all fun and games until someone starts a bonfire in the living room.
On May 3, 11:40 pm, Dennis Ferguson <dcfergu...@pacbell.net> wrote:
> On 2007-05-01, techman41...@yahoo.com <techman41...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Does anyone have experiences regarding the real-world performance/
> >coveragedifferences betweenSprintMobileBroadbandandVerizon
> >BroadbandAccess?
> > Thanks
>
> These might be useful.
>
> http://www.dslreports.com/archive/spcsdns.net
> http://www.dslreports.com/archive/myvzw.com
>
> Dennis Ferguson
Sprint Mobile Broadband vs. Verizon BroadbandAccess
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