EV-DO coverage / data roaming

now that is impractical for the standard user and something that they prolli will not put together

 

Hey there.
I'm dealing with an interesting problem. While looking into internet solutions (I can't get cable, and satelite is too much money for not enough functionality), I came across EVDO. I have dialup, so EVDO is like a godsend...almost. For one, I'm looking into useing EVDO for a home set up rather than a traveling hot spot, so it would be used for two or three desktops and an Xbox 360. after looking around I've found that it is possible to achieve this multiple ways (though I'm not sure which is the cheapest/most efficient).
Secondly, I live in a 1/2 whole in EVERY type of high speed coverage. The Sprint data support maps that I have looked at suddenly drop out of coverage right around my house. However, I the maps DO say that I get data ROAMING (the same applies to my cell phone, Roaming works like a charm...even if it does occasionally jump tracks; I have a sprint cell too).
Now to my questions:
How useful would the sprint data roaming be? I don't want to pay 60 or so dollors a month for something barely 2-4 times better than dialup.
Since I have Sprint service so close to my house is it possible to boost the signal enough to get Sprint service efficiently? Once again, I'd be conserned about the speed of my connection.
I'm also worried about spending quite a bit of money only to find out that my service here is spotty/not as good as I'd hoped. Sprint contracts are quite binding as far as I know.
I'm trying to get a conneciton that is good enough to efficiently play games over (WoW and 360 mainly), as both my father and I are gamers. This also brings up another worry; Sprints new 5 gig cap. I don't know if that would be enough in the end for the both of us, and I hear that they are begging to charge people for overuseage.
They are ALSO charging for roaming, so I hear. This wouldn't be a problem for those who use EVDO as an on-the-go thing, but for using it in my house that is in perpetual roaming? I don't want to be charged out the wazoo.
This is vry anoying, as a few miles away (one of the towers I'm just out of range of) is one of the best RV A towers I've seen in my research (1500k down, 400k up). I've been looking to get out of dialup for years, but I don't see service providers stampedeing my way in the near future (I live on the edge of a national wildlife preserve) , so I could realy use help on this one.

 

Don't even consider Sprint's or any other carriers data for what you want to do. Every carrier has limits (smaller when roaming) on how much data you can use. And if you go over that limit x amount of times the carrier will cancel your contract.

 

Hmmm...well that brings me back to square one.
Satelite has limitations similar to the carriers if I read correctly...and if I remember they were even smaller.
As far as Cable goes I would have to rig up some crazy contraption (believe me, it's not beyond what I'm willing to do).
These three (EVDO, Sat, and Cable) are the only techs I'm currently aware of that have a higher connection rate then DL up. Does anyone have any suggestions/ideas?

 

As a possible alternative for EVDO depending on your location, you may want to see if alltel is the Sprint Roaming partner in your area. If so, they currently do not have a 5 GB cap, and you can get just an EVDO data card through them for the same price as what Sprint offers. You should get the same exact service as you would with a Sprint card in your area if it's roaming, and you wouldn't have to worry about the cap.

Although the downside to consider is that their EVDO network is REV 0 in most areas with no real timeline that I've seen for REV A upgrades. They are also being purchased by Verizon, and Verizon does have a 5 GB cap, so you may face an uncertain future, depending on if Verizon will honor Alltel's unlimited data offerings. If not, they are just as likely to cancel you a few months down the road.

 

and you could actually invest in a Linksys router that instead of putting the card in your laptop you could put the card in the router and share the card connection if you need that

 

Check out Millenicom - Welcome - they don't have a cap. - sheureka

 

I don't know excatly how to check who the contracted roaming provider is, but I did check Altell's coverage and from the weak maps that I found it looks like I'm definately in their coverage zone, so that may be a possibility.
Although I *am* skeptical about the Rev-0. What kinds of connection speed would I get with that? Based on the Sprint analysis it didn't sound very good at all.

 

Here's an article that talks about the difference in upload and download speeds on alltel's Rev A network and their progression:
Alltel announces EVDO Rev-A Rollout Plans : EVDOinfo.com

To see if you're in their coverage area, go to the alltel homepage, click on plans, and enter your zipcode. If you're in a coverage area, it will let you select a plan. But if not, it will tell you that they don't serve your area.

But hopefully that at least gives you an uncapped EVDO option to think about in addition to satellite and working something out with cable. Though again, down the road, Verizon may choose to implement a 5 GB cap, and buying a data card and router is a lot of $$ for what may be a temporary solution if you consistently go way over the cap depending on their future policies. I just want you to be aware of the risk, even if it's less risk than signing up for a provider with a 5 GB cap now.

 

my ACE onl runs Rev 0 and I've cranked out 768K on it.......pretty decent EV-DO speeds I think