Verizon Wireless USB720 Modem
- Thread starter HIGH TIME
- Start date
Caty, the part numbers for the UM150 external antenna are ; Adaptor ... PCCAB150 $9.99.the antenna is # WFME001 ... $19.99. this ant. will have suction cups for mounting onto fiberglass. how did connecting both male plugs into the computer USB Ports work?CatyMae n Steve":3j1cn0la said:
Sam Walker
New member
To All, I just got back to the Motorhome and checked. There are not any part numbers on any of the pieces. :cry As has already been mentioned, you need to get the correct adapter that fits you specific card. I believe that my antenna is the same one to which High Time referred. Mine also has suction cups. :thup
Knotty C has made a valid point about the possibility of using the cell phone itself. :wink When I originally went shopping for modems, Verizon advised that the current generation of phones at the time were not conducive to tethering. :disgust It appears that like everything else in the cell phone industry, the ability to tether the phone to the computer comes and goes on the wind. :embarrased Anyway, it appears that anyone who is interested in the technology just needs to talk their carrier and keep asking questions until the answers for which they are looking are answered. :smiled
Knotty C has made a valid point about the possibility of using the cell phone itself. :wink When I originally went shopping for modems, Verizon advised that the current generation of phones at the time were not conducive to tethering. :disgust It appears that like everything else in the cell phone industry, the ability to tether the phone to the computer comes and goes on the wind. :embarrased Anyway, it appears that anyone who is interested in the technology just needs to talk their carrier and keep asking questions until the answers for which they are looking are answered. :smiled
CatyMae n Steve
New member
HIGH TIME":6tg2txca said:
That Verizon site isn't very good at searching for their part numbers :smilep but I finally got them to come up with an inquiry for accessories on the page for my specific modem -- it won't come up otherwise! -- and got them ordered! We'll see if there's a good gain with them -- in Jefferson, there isn't much of anything happenin :xlol so it'll be a good test point for it. We happen to live in one of the deadest spots there is that still gets a bit of signal....had to switch from AT&T on my cell to Verizon because my cell was useless here...price ya pay to get away from it all, I guess
Caty
Sam Walker
New member
Caty, that is good stuff. Here are some tactical tips to help you get the most out of it. Do you know where the actual tower is compared to your house? If you do not, you will want call the Verizon 611 again and ask them where it is. You will want to make sure that you have a USB extension cord and that the modem is at least a short distance from the computer. Does the 720 modem have a little flip up antenna on it? If so, make sure that the antenna is vertical when it is deployed and is as physically high (elevation wise) as possible.
When you get the the external antenna, you will want to locate it on the interior of a window on the side of the house nearest the Verizon site(thanks for the suction cups). The cellular signal (especially when weak) can be further reduced by the construction features of buildings, vehicles, etc. Also make sure that when you mount the antenna on the window that it is in a vertical position also.
Let me know how it turns out.
When you get the the external antenna, you will want to locate it on the interior of a window on the side of the house nearest the Verizon site(thanks for the suction cups). The cellular signal (especially when weak) can be further reduced by the construction features of buildings, vehicles, etc. Also make sure that when you mount the antenna on the window that it is in a vertical position also.
Let me know how it turns out.
CatyMae n Steve
New member
Sam Walker":3l8dx6n7 said:
I have the UM150, not the 720...and yes, it has a pull-out antenna -- will see if there's a difference in the signal strength when we get the new goodies.
Caty
i'm curious, did AT&T charge you an early termation fee? once, i canceled AT&T because of no signal and they charged me $275. twice i've canceled Verizon, because of a weak signal, and they never charged me an ET fee. that's a big reason i always go back to Verizon and i'll never go back to AT&T . ( no matter what! )CatyMae n Steve":1xrqa75f said:HIGH TIME":1xrqa75f said:
That Verizon site isn't very good at searching for their part numbers :smilep but I finally got them to come up with an inquiry for accessories on the page for my specific modem -- it won't come up otherwise! -- and got them ordered! We'll see if there's a good gain with them -- in Jefferson, there isn't much of anything happenin :xlol so it'll be a good test point for it. We happen to live in one of the deadest spots there is that still gets a bit of signal....had to switch from AT&T on my cell to Verizon because my cell was useless here...price ya pay to get away from it all, I guess
Caty
CatyMae n Steve
New member
HIGHTIME, no fees from AT&T for stopping service -- my contract time was long past. The company Steve works for offered discounted pricing with Verizon -- plus better signal in the end, so we feel we made the right move!
Caty
Caty
Re: the Verizon 720 USB. I had the PC card but had to change to the 720 due to a new puter that had a smaller PC socket.
The 720 USB is much much faster than the PC card.
Also, my farm is listed as outside the Verizon service area, but the phone and the USB internet work there. I think the maps understate the actual coverage area since some conditions or areas may not be up to par at times.
Depending upon the location, the data speed is great. It is poor at the farm, good in Wichita, KS and screaming fast at the Grand Lake, Oklahoma location. I think that's due to the Tulsa, Oklahoma City tower strength.
I have not tried the antenna, but will hook it up on the farmhouse soon, I think.
The connection speed of the USB 720 in a good area is very similar to our office satellite speed.
John
The 720 USB is much much faster than the PC card.
Also, my farm is listed as outside the Verizon service area, but the phone and the USB internet work there. I think the maps understate the actual coverage area since some conditions or areas may not be up to par at times.
Depending upon the location, the data speed is great. It is poor at the farm, good in Wichita, KS and screaming fast at the Grand Lake, Oklahoma location. I think that's due to the Tulsa, Oklahoma City tower strength.
I have not tried the antenna, but will hook it up on the farmhouse soon, I think.
The connection speed of the USB 720 in a good area is very similar to our office satellite speed.
John
Larry H":2y0ummms said:
Larry,
It's a U727 (made in China). I paid $60 for it through a Sprint promotion.
Gotta tell you....it's dual purpose is dang useful. Today I had a bunch of appointments at various residential addresses throughout Portland. I put the laptop in the passenger seat, connected to Sprint on the internet and GPS, then punched in addresses to MS Streets. GPS told me exactly where I was and where I needed to go. When people e-mailed me, I was able to pull over and reply to them immediately.
Suhweet!
One more thing. Better half and I were near Gig Harbor and yearning for dinner and dessert. Sprint has a menu feature that says, Where is the nearest......? We inputted Sizzler and Starbucks and were directed there via GPS. My wife was very pleased.
-Greg
Doryman":27ps5l81 said:
Talking to a Verizon rep at a Verizon (not reseller) store yesterday and he said the tethered phone throughput is the same as the USB modem. But for what I want the T-Mobile phone is still cheaper than the Verizon, so I am keeping the Verizon service on the USB modem for now.
The part number for the external antenna is WFME001 and you can get one by calling 866-894-6848 (this info from the package the antenna comes in.) You will also need an adapter, and that is specific to the modem or phone you are connecting the antenna to.
Warren
CatyMae n Steve
New member
HIGH TIME":2dfs4v7b said:
DOH! More boneheaded typing :xnaughty
BTW, it has no effect by plugging both USBs into the laptop -- I think you'd requested to know if it was speedier that way. The external antenna is helpful tho
Thanks,
Caty
CatyMae n Steve":2n0timjv said:
I had a problem with my Verizon software (hint for Mac users -- Do NOT let VZ Access Manager update your software!!! Instead, go to http://www.vzam.net and download. The auoto downloadvia VZ Access Manager breaks the software on the Mac) and while on the phone with the tech rep asked about the 2 USBs. They told me it made a small difference, not a lot. Might mean the difference between connecting and not connecting in marginal areas.
Warren
I would like some opinions and I know there are plenty out there.
I would like to have a laptop with a Verizon modem for using on trips. I am thinking that I would like to replace my home DSL with a new laptop and the mobile connection.
Does it make sense to get rid of the home DSL and go with just the Verizon modem?
I have looked at Dell, and Acer and a few other laptops and am looking for a low priced system.
Anyone have an recommendations on a good laptop for less $700?
Thanks,
Steve
I would like to have a laptop with a Verizon modem for using on trips. I am thinking that I would like to replace my home DSL with a new laptop and the mobile connection.
Does it make sense to get rid of the home DSL and go with just the Verizon modem?
I have looked at Dell, and Acer and a few other laptops and am looking for a low priced system.
Anyone have an recommendations on a good laptop for less $700?
Thanks,
Steve
seabran":zvk6thjj said:
If there is only going to be one computer and one user in the house then you need to decide if the speed of the Verizon is adequate (which will depend in part on how good Verizon coverage is at your house.) In my case, I needed to have a permanent online connection at the house so went with DSL.
I use a Mac so cannot provide any assistance with laptop selection other than to say do yourself a favor and consider a Mac also. With the new Intel chips they can run Windows simultaneously with OS X.
Warren
Steve,
Nowdays there are many good, reliable laptop brands out there. Sony is good but a bit high and usually has some odd limitations on music/video file transfers to placate Hollywood. My middle son has run a Sony for 5 years now and he likes it due to the music/video specialty extras.
In our office, we have used the Toshiba laptops in all price ranges for about 8 years now and they have held up well. We use the Toshiba "Satellite" models a lot. I personally carry a Satellite X205-SLi2 which is loaded to the hilt, but I use it at home, the farm, the boat and now at the office since our high speed satellite is out due to roof repairs on the office. So, the Verizon USB720 is carrying this message.
The speed of the USB720 seems to vary with the location. At the farm it is as slow as a dial up. Here in Wichita, it is fairly fast, but slower than our Satellite feed. At Grand Lake, OK, which is close to Tulsa, and Oklahoma City, it is a screamer with performance as fast or faster than the high speed satellite feed at the office. I think, due to the many high tech companies near Grand Lake, e.g., Google's headquarters is there, and all the Oil Companies in Tulsa, they must have more and higher towers.
Hewlit Packard (sp) has given me mixed performance in the past, but some of my employees use the recent models with few problems.
I think you get reliability and more bang for your buck with the Toshiba Satellite series. One I bought on sale for about $400 and it has been working fine for 3 years now.
Good luck, Whatever brand, whatever speed, I think the Verizon USB air card is a great thing to have. You can pull out the laptop in a parking lot when you're waiting for something and operate much as one could at home. In poorly serviced areas, such as farm country, though, the speed is dismally slow.
John
ps, I have both types of extension antennae and am having a tough time finding much difference in speed between using them vs. the little lift-up tab on the USB270. I have not checked the speed readout. If you are in a heavily covered, esp. with steel, area, perhaps they would increase performance, but in most cars and the boat there seems to be enough open window space to work just fine without them.
Nowdays there are many good, reliable laptop brands out there. Sony is good but a bit high and usually has some odd limitations on music/video file transfers to placate Hollywood. My middle son has run a Sony for 5 years now and he likes it due to the music/video specialty extras.
In our office, we have used the Toshiba laptops in all price ranges for about 8 years now and they have held up well. We use the Toshiba "Satellite" models a lot. I personally carry a Satellite X205-SLi2 which is loaded to the hilt, but I use it at home, the farm, the boat and now at the office since our high speed satellite is out due to roof repairs on the office. So, the Verizon USB720 is carrying this message.
The speed of the USB720 seems to vary with the location. At the farm it is as slow as a dial up. Here in Wichita, it is fairly fast, but slower than our Satellite feed. At Grand Lake, OK, which is close to Tulsa, and Oklahoma City, it is a screamer with performance as fast or faster than the high speed satellite feed at the office. I think, due to the many high tech companies near Grand Lake, e.g., Google's headquarters is there, and all the Oil Companies in Tulsa, they must have more and higher towers.
Hewlit Packard (sp) has given me mixed performance in the past, but some of my employees use the recent models with few problems.
I think you get reliability and more bang for your buck with the Toshiba Satellite series. One I bought on sale for about $400 and it has been working fine for 3 years now.
Good luck, Whatever brand, whatever speed, I think the Verizon USB air card is a great thing to have. You can pull out the laptop in a parking lot when you're waiting for something and operate much as one could at home. In poorly serviced areas, such as farm country, though, the speed is dismally slow.
John
ps, I have both types of extension antennae and am having a tough time finding much difference in speed between using them vs. the little lift-up tab on the USB270. I have not checked the speed readout. If you are in a heavily covered, esp. with steel, area, perhaps they would increase performance, but in most cars and the boat there seems to be enough open window space to work just fine without them.