Verizon will soon be history

[Ozz]

I have the Verizon Internet access, it has been a living nightmare for me, the stupid 'Duck' sound happens all the time telling me that it just dropped my Internet access, I was dropped 10 times 2 days ago when I was trying to research new insurance companies. After talking to the guy at Verizon, I had no better outlook on the problem. I really liked it on the road, but here at home, it has been a miserable failure. Sometimes I get 4 little Blue signal strength bars, sometimes two, doesn't matter, drops me regardless.
I just read Michaels post, and probably should have tried that, but I already contracted with Time-Warner for new cable TV service and Road-Runner for Internet access.
Saved $60.00 a month in the process, got HDTV, 2 Tivo's, high speed Internet service as well.
This will be a problem when we decide to 'hit the road' again, but I figure I will come up with something then. We always seem to.
Ozz

[simonsrf]

Ozz,

Didn't see Michael's post, but did you update the roaming capabilities on the phone by using the *228?

We have both Verizon phone service and aircard internet, and have had excellent service, except in Texas. Texas has been the only state where we have had to continually update our roaming capabilities. Thanks to Richfaa, we learned that updating the verizon aircard helps the roaming there too!

We think Texas is AT&T country.

BTW, we always use our 3-watt amplifier, so that may be the difference.

[OntMont]

You can now get Verizon on a month by month basis. That is what I intend to do in similar circumstances.

[Waynem]

I use AT&T USB Air Card and have never had a problem from Texas to New England, and Texas to Nevada, and back both ways. I just personally thing AT&T has better coverage, but what do I know.

[lfw]

We have used the Verizon usb for the last couple of years.. We travel from TN to MI and down to FL.. The only problem we have had is in KY... Verizon does not have good service along hwy 127.. but that is the only problem we have had..
lfw

[jretz]

Ozz,

Most Verizon stores do not understand remote/roam/extended uses of the aircards. While in New Mexico we had limited to no service. We were using a small external antenna but still only marginal to no connectivity. When I talked to the Verizon people they said I was out of the service area and nothing they could do, thought I would have to go to satellite service. I called Booster Antenna (3G store) and they hooked me up with an external antenna and 3 watt amp like Robbie mentioned. Since then we have had no problems with service, even in remote and no service areas like North-central New Mexico.

Also, While visiting at my Mothers home, which is in an urban area with great cell service, we have trouble getting service inside the house. I place my router and the small portable antenna by the window and we got great service. I guess there is just to much interference inside the house.

[H. John Kohl]

quote:Originally posted by Waynem

I use AT&T USB Air Card and have never had a problem from Texas to New England, and Texas to Nevada, and back both ways. I just personally thing AT&T has better coverage, but what do I know.

Gee I get to argue with Wayne. We have not done that since 1980. I have Verizon air card and AT&T cell phone and air card works great in Eustis and PA. I had AT&T last year and it was marginal here in Eustis and did not work at our PA house. lol. The coverage area makes the main difference.
In Opalaka, Al. fringe area AT&T did not work but Verizon did.
Good luck all.

[Ozz]

I think I have tried everything as far as the air-card placement, my 3' extension cord for the plug-in card is in the window, I had it taped one way, turned it around to the other way, had it high, low, on the glass with a little bracket and on the window sill. The extension has two USB male plugs, I had one in, two plugged in...still dropped me.
As of next week it will be just a memory. A bad memory.
I really liked it on the road, it was convenient and only dropped me on occasion, but here at the house, not good. I can see the skyline of Kansas City here from my office window, we are high on a hill, so I don't think that is a problem, BUT it would depend on the tower's location.
Ozz

[Glenn and Lorraine]

We have had Verizon cell phone and air card for over 5 years. In those 5 years we traveled from New Hampshire to Washington state, from Florida to the UP of Michigan and most points in between. In all that time we weren't able to get a signal once in northern NY and again in the foot hills of the Rockies. In the Rockies NO ONE got a signal regardless of carrier. Returning from Goshen to Florida we pass thru KY. Our first trip thru Kentucky in 05 we also had no signal but the last 3 trips thru KY we have had no problems.

As far as getting Verizon help/support from Verizon, FORGET IT. If I need any help with the router, the cell phone or the air card I contact 3GStore.com

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Using an aircard at the stickbuilt, I always advise, use whatever company gives you bars/service/connectivity.

Had Verizon phones for years, but, they never worked at the stickbuilt, no problem, we had a landline.

Then came air cards.

We waited, over a year, to get one, cause Verizon did not work at the stick built.

18 months ago, we ditched Verizon and went to Sprint. Air card works great here at the stick built and has only failed me 3 times in our limited travels since then, 2 times in rural ranch Texas, lost service for 3 minutes. And, once in Virginia, near Monticello, where we were like Glenn describes, in a place that NO cell phones worked, period.

Pick your service depending on how you will use it, and where you will use it. If you are stick built bound like we are, pick what works there!!

[deadeye]

OZZ:
I would think you would get along with SPRINT also.. since they are really big in the Kansas City area. I think my daughter uses them for something, but I don't know what it is... She is in your area, about 6 miles --- west of Shawnee...JB

[Waynem]

John knows better than to argue with an idiot. So many times I have brought him down to my level and then beat him with experience!

It does all boil down to coverage and there are areas for each service that coverage is not the best. As indicated, there are places that no service is going to be had because there just is not the coverage.

You have to go with what you need for your area the most.

[simonsrf]

Ozz,

Most of the carriers have coverage maps on the web. Here is the one for the Verizon coverage. We have found it to be very accurate.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/C...pe=NEWREQUEST/

Both the Broadband and the voice and messaging signal in your area are as full as anywhere we've seen. Could part of the problem be an antiquated phone?

I might be wrong, but I don't think the placement of the aircard has very much to do with reception, of course their are interference exceptions.

What everyone here is talking about is a 3-watt booster which is an antenna that connects to the aircard. I think there might be some miscommunication here.

If we have any part of a bar, with the booster we'll usually get 3-4 bars. Something is wrong with your setup or equipment, my friend.

Do you update the roaming capabilities by using the *228?

[Carl n Susan]

quote:Originally posted by simonsrf



Do you update the roaming capabilities by using the *228?

O.K. I will bite. How do you get the Verizon Air Card to dial *228????

[simonsrf]

O.K. I will bite. How do you get the Verizon Air Card to dial *228????


Carl,

Take the card out of the router. Put it directly in the computer.

Connect to Verizon.

VZAccess Manager | Options | Activation |(message saying: your going to get disconnected} |

This is basically the same as *228 on the telephone roaming....or at least that is my understanding, and this method has found internet access for us in some pretty remote places!

I have no idea why it works.

[boylanag]

We take the card out of the router and put it directly into the laptop at least once a month and it updates it each time. It will not update while still in the router.

[Carl n Susan]

We don't have a router so the air card is usually plugged into the laptop. I tried the "VZAccess Manager | Options | Activation " opption suggested by Robbie. However, I was *NOT* connected to Verizon at the time. It unlocked the SPL, gyrated a bit, flashed something about Roaming, and finished. If you are connected, you get a message (as Robbie said) and are disconnected. So it seems it down loads the roaming information outside of VZ Access Manager.

There is no mention of the "Activation" option in the documentation or the Help. I have had this thing over a year and in lots of different places and never knew to do this.

How did you folks find it?

[FireTruckerWife]

Robbie told me about the "activation" at the shasta rally. I've found that if I don't do the activation, my signal can get stuck on a tower at the last location I was at. The hour with tech support to get the signal unstuck wasn't worth it, each time I moved from Vegas to Minden, so now I just routine-ly do the activation to let the local tower know where I am. Make sense?????

[DONnANNIE]

quote:Carl n Susan Posted - Dec 04 2008 : 10:36:55 PM
We don't have a router so the air card is usually plugged into the laptop. I tried the "VZAccess Manager | Options | Activation " opption suggested by Robbie. However, I was *NOT* connected to Verizon at the time. It unlocked the SPL, gyrated a bit, flashed something about Roaming, and finished. If you are connected, you get a message (as Robbie said) and are disconnected. So it seems it down loads the roaming information outside of VZ Access Manager.

There is no mention of the "Activation" option in the documentation or the Help. I have had this thing over a year and in lots of different places and never knew to do this.

How did you folks find it?

Carl, I think that when it says, "Not Connected", it is telling you that your computer - email or browser etc. is not connected to the internet. But the VZ Access Manager is connected for downloading the roaming update info.

Ozz, I feel your pain with Verizon Tech Support. I currently am having a problem a D/L speed of 10-30 Kbts and U/L speed of 300 Kbts. Once Tech Support found out that I was using a router, they wouldn't do anything until I could put the air card into the computer and use VZ Access manager. My laptop is TU and in the shop, so I have get a PCMCIA TO PCI adapter for my desktop - then I can put the air card into the desktop and use the VZ Access Manager.

Other than the above problem, I'm reasonably happy with Verizon. At best, I have gotten 1600 Kbts D/L, but usually 800-900 Kbts D/L.

[Ozz]

Robbie, I don't have a router, just the air card on an extension wire. I have already ordered cable and Roadrunner, so I am limping along until next week, then I will call and cancel Verizon.
Did I mention I will be saving $60.00 a month on the package?....and gaining HDTV, which I have wanted ever since I saw it in a sports bar. I have a very nice Sony flat screen TV with HDTV capabilities, and ho HDTV. Behind the times, I am afraid.
My Direct TV Tivo is on it's last leg, when it records, the voice trails the people a little, Sue and I laugh and laugh when we watch people talk. We will be getting 2 new recorders, one for the Sony in the living room and one for the bedroom.