Customer Reviews

Sony Ericsson GC89 GPRS/EDGE & Wi-Fi Laptop PC Card (T-Mobile)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am using my Sony Erickson card with my t-mobile service to write this review. So, how is it working out? Hmmm....

Okay, so the card cost me $200 (I did not get a free one - if I had perhaps I would like it more). In my job I need constant available internet access, so I broke down and invested in this. It works. You can get internet access anywhere you can get cellular signal. The antennae is all but useless (it keeps falling off due to poor design) but the card works about 80+% as well without the hassle of the antennae anyway, so it is a wash. Reception is very good, and even when you have 2 (out of 5) bars, you can keep working. One [red] bar is pretty much death. You might get Google or some other easy-to-load website, but that's about it.

What really annoys me is the connection speed. Occasionally I will get a blistering 24MBs (that is a good mid-point wi-fi average for a cell phone company). But I am spending $50 a month (on top of the $200 card) and my computer tells me that I usually get speeds slower than dial-up, except when I am at a hotspot. Hotspot speeds are what you would expect, generally 11MBS (very nice) to 54MBS (Whoah! Slow down there speedy!!), but the whole point of spending this much money is to get internet access anywhere. That means I am driving in my car and decide that I simply cannot live another day unless I pull over, flip open my laptop, and order another copy of the new Harry Potter **right now**. With this card you can do that, but you may be waiting a few minutes for the page to load. It is best to say that the speed is spotty. You never know how fast or slow it will be when you are on the "EDGE" or "GPRS" network.

Look: If you absolutely *must* be connected to the net at an on-call basis, yes this is a solid investment. If you don't have the antennae plugged into the card (it pops in and out "too" easily), then the card is not that much of a nuisance. I have started to leave my card plugged in all of the time and I hardly notice it. But... if you can live with free internet access from the library, or using the hotspots at ANY Starbucks (like there aren't a million of those) then I would pick up a $5-$10 wi-fi Belkin network card and spend the $20-$30 on a t-mobile hotspot account that allows you to get those super fast hotspot internet speeds I mentioned above any time you are either at Starbucks, the library, or an independent coffeehouse that has free wi-fi access.

Lastly: just so I am clear... If you DO buy this card and then spend the $50 a month with t-mobile, you DO still get total access at any Hot Spot as a priority, and you ONLY sign on to the somewhat clunkier GPRS wi-fi if there is no regular signal to be found nearby. So after the initial $200 blow to your wallet, it is really only an extra twenty bucks a month. The factors you need to consider are how much you would spend to get internet access at home versus just having this card and service so you can get internet access at home - AND - anywhere else by using ONLY this service. As an example: my total internet bill is $50 a month. I hope this helped.

I'm not really the type to review things, but I was looking for updates for the GC89 and I saw this Amazon page; thought I'd take a look at what other people are saying. Turns out, not much, and what is being said indicates that there's a lot of confusion. I thought I'd set things straight. So read on!

What You're Getting
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First things first: this card is a twofer! There are two networking "widgets" in this card. One lets you access Wi-Fi networks (what I'm guessing many people reading this have at home or at a coffee shop nearby); this may also be referred to 802.11b, 802.11g, or the very new 802.11n. Other electronics allow you to access cellular networks, referred to as GPRS or EDGE (in this case, T-Mobile's cellular networks... others are also possible, but let's not get ahead of oursevles). That's what you're buying: a card that allows you to access two different networks. Not bad for $50 (which is what you can expect to pay for it elsewhere online, or at the T-Mobile store if the manager feels especially generous).

I don't bother with the external antenna since the signal strength isn't bad around here... more than what I get in the same spot with my phone anyways. It's fairly compact, only a piece the width of the slot and half an inch length sticking out. It's a light grey, which matches my laptop. Oh, and the antenna is only for the cellular network; I believe it has no effect on the Wi-Fi.

Installation
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Installation went smoothly, took about 5 minutes in all, including READING THE INSTRUCTIONS. Always read the instructions, even if it's suppoosed to be "Easy as 1-2-3!". Many things aren't, and if it is, then you can be pleasantly surprised. In this case I was; I didn't even need to type in any account info (as I already have an account with T-Mobile; if you don't have service with them yet, you will need to activate your account first; SEE THE INSTRUCTIONS!).

Usage
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I'll talk about the Wi-Fi first, since it can be summed up in two words: it works. I don't need it, as my laptop already has Wi-Fi built-in (as should just about all laptops these days) but I figured I should test it out. This particular card supports 802.11g, which isn't important to most folks except for the fact that it can work with older 802.11b networks as well as getting you faster speeds on 802.11g networks. I suppose it's nice to know that if my onboard Wi-Fi ever breaks down I won't have to pay for repairs.

Ah... the contentious cellular data. This is where things get tricky. Remember, this second part is working off of the same network as cellphones. Cellular data is generally no faster than Wi-Fi on ANY network. In many locations, it is slower. With T-Mobile's EDGE network, I am consistently getting around 10% of a DSL connection, or 3-4x the speed of a dial-up connection. It's a little slow getting things started, but web browsing is just fine. Downloads are okay; just don't wait until the last moment to download a 25MB PowerPoint presentation. The benefit? It's available anywhere you can get a cell signal, and not just at libraries or coffee shops. You can get it while driving around, on a train (sometimes even underground if the company put signal points there) etc. It works just fine for me.

Service
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T-Mobile HotSpots are for Wi-Fi access. Like at your home and office, except at Starbucks, Kinko's, airports and other places T-Mobile expect people to want to have net access. Again, the card works. Not much to say here.

The T-Mobile EDGE network has pretty good coverage where I travel (San Francisco Bay Area). In fact, I'm using it for this review right now. As I said, speeds are okay and consistent. Again, I need to stress: it's not as fast as Wi-Fi by any means, but it's good to have data access everywhere I go. If I really need the speed, I know I can go to a HotSpot and get the boost.

I also need to clarify: EDGE access has a contract like a cellphone because it uses the same network as cellphones! I don't know how the other reviewer "often lost jobs" because of the connection; I really can't imagine a scenario where it would directly affect her (missed an e-mail? and if the service has cost someone a job, you would think that they'd switch or something and not wait until multiple "jobs" are missed), but at the very least it's amazing that a BUSINESSwoman won't read at least a portion of the CONTRACT she's signing to figure out that it indeed has a contract period JUST LIKE A CELLPHONE. So, it's a little suspicious. Anyways. Yes, it can slow down a little bit if a lot of people are making phone calls or using data, just like if there's a lot of people on your home network things go slower. That's how things work, so keep that in mind.

In terms of customer service, I've had T-Mobile for, oh, 3 years now (including phone-only service), and the staff has always been very helpful. In the case of T-Mobile, it really is a case of, if you hear about their customer service staff being unhelpful, you need to consider just how rude the person calling may be. Now, that might not be very professional, but getting angry at the staff doesn't help solve the problem.

Comparisons
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Not going to compare Wi-Fi service simply because there aren't any other really big players in the Wi-Fi service business.

You do have some options with cellular data. There are better resources to find out more information (google howardforums, for starters), but I might as well give some brief summaries.

Sprint: In terms of pricing, they're pretty close to T-Mobile. I don't know about their customer service or coverage, but from what I hear (take this with a grain of salt), it's not so hot. No Wi-Fi service.

AT&T: AT&T actually has pretty speedy service (called 3G), comparable to a slow DSL line... IF you stay in large urban areas. And sometimes they don't even cover all of a city. In those spots and outside of large cities, you get dropped down to EDGE speeds. That's right, the same kind of network as T-Mobile. What's even worse is the cost. $$$! A data-only plan costs $60/month; include their Wi-Fi service plan and it skyrockets to $100/month! I suppose if your business is paying for it, it's not an issue, but it's definitely not something I would even consider paying for. Even if you already have a voice plan with AT&T, then it's not any cheaper if you go the legit route. It comes down to $50/month if you're sneaky about it, but you'll also need a PDA phone to use as a modem. Even if this were your only connection (no DSL or cable), it'd still be extremely expensive. Customer service is ok.

Verizon: Also has a speedy 3G network. Coverage is also not so hot, but supposedly somewhat better than AT&T. Legit cost is $60, but you can be sneaky about it and cut it down to about $40/month with a PDA phone. The downside? Verizon is VERY vigilant about how much you download. You definitely can't use this as a dedicated connection: they will cut you off without any prior warning! So, no getting your money's worth by downloading everything through it. No Wi-Fi service.

Compare it to T-Mobile. Data-only access it $40/month, which is EDGE plus Wi-Fi. If you have a voice plan, both services costs only $20/month. So for what you would pay for other companies to just have data access, you could get both data AND voice. But wait! It's actually possible to get data access for even less if you have a voice plan - for $6! The process is a little complicated, and not for everyone, but if you want the cheapest, reliable data access available, this is it.

Conclusion
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The Sony GC89 provides reliable connectivity to the T-Mobile EDGE network and HotSpots. T-Mobile's EDGE network is very reliable and allows data access anywhere on the T-Mobile network. T-Mobile's HotSpot service is very fast and available in a lot of places, not just Starbucks (the software for this bundle includes a directory for locating HotSpots). T-Mobile data services are very cheap, and I would recommend it to just about anybody who needs general data access.

I type this review from the capital of Virginia with only 1-2 bars reaching, stretching, straining toward my distant EDGE/GPRS/T-Mobile tower. I've been with T-Mobile when it was Voicestream (in the Year 2k).

Before I decided to buy the card I checked the service map for my area and found it to be accurate; I basically get 2 bars on my cell phone, at home. Before I decided to buy the card, I read all the reviews I could find - some going back to 2006 - and still decided to give it a try. Before I decided to buy the card, I compared it to all the other carriers prices/plans/products and @ $50.00 a month including HotSpot access it was the best value so I ordered the card.

I rec'd the card today, called T-mobile to add the $50 sevice to my current Family Plan. When the rep told me it was only $19.99 including HotSpot access, I asked him to make sure it was only $19.99 and not $49.99. As I told the rep, I did not want to pay more, but I did not want a surprise later. I was pleasantly surprised as he confirmed the lower price.

So after dinner, I grabbed my wife's laptop from her lap, installed the software and during the long 3 minute process I had to endure snickers and comments like, Is it working yet?, How's it going? - as she made fun of yet another piece of plastic and wires entering the domain. As I scoffed at and ignored the do you want to reboot message, I snapped in the sim card from my little used family plan line, slid the card in and waited a technological lifetime - 2 minutes - for the card to find the Cell Tower.

As the previous reviewer detailed quite accurately, Edge is much slower than WiFi. While I'm not sure if the speed is fast enough to replace my cable modem, the ability to connect anywhere I receive a signal along with the many T-Mobile hotspots (that I used to drive/walk by) plus the pleasantly surprising price of $19.99 may just be compelling enough to get rid of 2/3 (internet/phone) of those $99 triple play bundles, with a net savings of about $45.00.

Now, does anyone know of a signal booster.........

I wasted my time and nerves using this slow card/provider at so many different places in Chicago and nationwide that I can now claim with confidence it is practically useless.

We bought T-Mobile GC89 for Internet access via cellular network. We don't typically use its Wi-Fi functionality because all of our newer laptops already have a built-in WLAN. I chose this provider because this card supposedly also works in most European countries where T-Mobile is very present.

So far I tried to use it at home and at work (Chicago), at my in-laws' house (Chicago suburbs), in Minneapolis suburbs and at a conference in Las Vegas. Although I had a strong signal (4/5 bars) at every single place, the internet browsing experience seems to be worse than during my long-gone modem years. I even upgraded the firmware and downloaded the latest software version for the card, but that didn't help. Various ISP bandwidth tests usually report around 100 kbps and rarely close to 200 kbps, but my subjective experience is so much worse that I'd rather pay $15 per day from my own pocket instead of using this card in a hotel and wasting as much time as I did.

We have several different Verizon PC cards at work and their speed is comparable to DSL service, which is an order of magnitude faster than this one. I used to give the PC5740 Verizon card to my staff when there was a need for weekend remote network administration or possible emergency and we all loved it. Last weekend I gave this GC89 card to one of my staff members whose DSL was down while he needed to perform some DBA work from home and to use his words, it was useless. I tried to use this for remote access to work via VPN and connect to my PC there via Remote Desktop and I have to confirm it is virtually useless.

One good point about T-Mobile is their customer service, which seems very quick and professional, while Verizon's customer service was so poor that I swore the next card I buy won't be Verizon, but I must admit I shot myself in the foot by bying T-Mobile. I'd rather have poor customer service with high speed Internet than vice versa.

After researching other providers, I found out that Verizon and Sprint typically have the much faster EV-DO networks with speeds close to DSL access, while EDGE and GPRS protocols used by T-Mobile and AT&T (Cingular) networks are miles behind.

This card and/or T-Mobile's internet access speed is so slow it's virtually useless for any remote administration work, remote desktop access via VPN, serious internet downloads or even browsing - avoid by all means.

Bought the Sony Ericsson GC89 wireless card one year ago. Total desaster. First OneStopWirelesshop is totally incompetent. I started getting inaccurate emails from them the minute I entered the order. They claimed that T-Mobile needed more info to enter a new account. T-Mobile is my carrier and had all the info necessary. Then, after five and a half months when I sent in the rebate forms, I was denied the rebates (two for[..]total) They(OneStopWirelesshop) claimed that T-Mobile had contacted them and said I had discontinued service.(I still have the service after one year). T-Mobile said they had not and were not allowed by law to contact a third party about my account.
Now about the service. The speed is slower than old 56K dialup. You may be connected but don't expect anything except checking mail and occassionally Yahoo.com. Also, after I updated the software at T-Mobile's insistance, it expires every few months. When I complained, T-Mobile's solution was to drive around until I found a wi-fi hot spot and login to renew the software. (I deleted the update and reinstalled the original).
All tolled, mediocre-outdated equipment, criminal service by vendor (OneStopWirelesshop), and a we don't care we have you under contract attitude by T-Mobile. (I could have gotten extremely better performance by getting cable broadband at a similar price and free equipment.)

I purchased my card used at a substantial discount and signed up for the 39.95 unlimited data plan. Connection speeds range from 150kbps down and 50kbps up (Home) to 50kbps down and 15kbps up (work). Speeds tested using speedtest.net. At home I get 3-4 bars on the T-Mobile Connection Manager software and only 1-2 bars at work. Previously I had 0-1 bars at work, but I bought an external 7db antenna and the connection is improved. With the antenna plugged in at home the increase in speed is not noticeable. I reside in Southern California and have not had any issues with coverage. I mainly use it for Online college classes and checking e-mail from work, so speed is not paramount. If you are looking to stream music/video or VPN you should look to Verizon, but be cautious of the 5gb per month limit. One of my classmates has the Verizon service and page loads are extremely fast; almost comparable to my cable service at home. They also have more modems to choose from so do some research. The free wi-fi HotSpots are a nice feature but I haven't used one yet.

Considering I am a business women and I was a full-time student at the time I chose to get wireless internet with T-Mobile. I paid $150 for a wireless internet card that you can purchase for $35 on the internet and I didn't realize that I was in a one-year contract. I used the internet service for 4-5 months at which time I had several interruptions in my service. The internet service was very slow at times and did not work properly. I often lost jobs due to the service of the internet. The internet service was so bad that I refused to pay them another $50 a month for service so I paid the $200 early termination fee. At that time I signed up service with Adelphia cable. If the internet service was not so terribly bad I would not have opted to terminate my service. I could not afford to go another day without internet service. T-mobile customer service did not help me with my service issue and I often had to leave home to use the internet somewhere else. I had no choice but to cancel my service and pay the $200 + $150 I already paid for the wireless card. The internet wireless card that I paid $150 for will also pick up WI-FI internet. After connecting my new cable internet in my ho