Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not so good on Laptop with 3G card, April 14, 2009
I really don't like to give bad reviews, so when I say that this product does not work well, keep in mind it did not work well on the equipment I tested it on. I live in a rural area where I typically get 1 bar for my wireless 3G service. So, sometimes internet downloads are slow (packet retries?). DSL is not yet an option.
What I had in mind was to use the CellRanger to boost the signal going to my laptop. I have a Toshiba Satellite M115 laptop with Sierra Wireless USBConnect 881 on an AT&T 3G Network.
When I got the CellRanger, the label on the package stated: "IMPORTANT For proper function, your Cellular device should be 12 inches or more from the CellRanger unit." Keeping 12 inches or more, I tried for 6 days in my yard, car, & house to get more bars with no success.
When I began an email dialog with CellRanger support, they stated that " CellRanger should be no further then say 5"-6" from your USB-881 you might need a 15" USB extension cable to position the devices." I tried this but when you got too close, the USB-881 kicked offline & had to be unplugged, then re-inserted before it would work again, so more bars means nothing if you can't stay online.
I relayed the above info to CellRanger support & no solution was supplied, just a comment about wireless being like medication, it doesn't work for everyone. Needless to say, I sent the CellRanger back.
In a nutshell: Unless you enjoy aggravation, keep the CellRanger away from your laptop.
The good news is that I found a much cheaper solution with 100x less aggravation (i.e. you simply plug it in and it works): Wilson Electronics model 301103 Magnet Mount 5dB Gain Cellular Antenna & model 359924 Adapter Cable for Sierra Wireless 595U Air Card. I've tried it in my house & car & it works great!
Wilson also sells an inline amp & marine antenna if (like myself) you wanna' use Google Earth on your laptop (on your pontoon, not bass boat!) while on the water.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Booster, April 3, 2009
The booster works great. I was in an area that is usually very spotty for me but with the booster I had full bars. One note of caution - it seems to use a lot of battery power from the vehicle. I left it plugged in and didn't drive my vehicle for several days and it drained the batteries. I now unplug it each night, but as far as doing what it says - it's great.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
almost works, June 27, 2009
yes, did increase the bars, but still would'nt work in the area i needed it the most. Before i had reception but no bars, now I have up to three bars depending on location, but still can't call or receive calls. in town i could'nt make calls, but I can now, so it does help, but not in all conditions
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