|
|
Location: Blogs ReviewsComputer Hardware |
 |
| Posted by: gmon3 |
7/26/2009 |
Virgin Mobile’s Broadband2Go is a new no-contract nationwide 3G mobile broadband service that brings the pay-as-you-go payment model to mobile Air Cards.
You can buy service in increments of 100 MB ($10), 250 MB ($20), 600 MB ($40), or 1 GB ($60) in the form of Virgin Mobile’s popular Top-Up cards (or with your credit card). Once activated, your megabytes must be used within 30 days (or 10 days for the 100 MB option).
Currently selling exclusively at Best Buy for $149, the package consists of a Novatel Ovation MC760 EV-DO Rev. A USB device, a Quick Start Guide, and a Lanyard. The software and full User Guide comes preloaded on the device. The device also functions as a microSD card reader allowing for up to 16 GB of storage.
I had jury duty in a couple of days and thought this would be a good opportunity to test this device out.
Installation was a bit problematic on my Vista Home Premium 64-bit laptop. Plugging the device into my laptop’s USB port produced a virtual CD-ROM drive on my laptop containing the preloaded software. But when the automated installation routine began to load, it ultimately failed to load the software and drivers.
Investigating further, it seemed as if the virtual CD-ROM drive unmounted itself during the installation process. I immediately went on Virgin Mobile’s website and discovered that others had the same problem with Vista. I then searched to see if the software and drivers were available for download but was disappointed to discover that it was not. Note to Virgin Mobile: you should make the software and driver available for download.
The thought began to enter my mind that I might have to return the device but then I came up with a solution to the installation problem. I unplugged the device and plugged it back in. The virtual CD-ROM drive appeared on my desktop. Instead of trying to run the installation software from the virtual drive, I decided to open/explore the virtual drive and copy the contents to a folder on my real drive.
Running the installation program from the folder allowed the software and drivers to successfully install on my laptop and I can happily confirm that it works with Vista 64-bit.
Once the software is installed, you can follow the on-screen instructions from the Broadband2Go Connection Manager to register and activate the device.
After the device has been activated, you can use the Connection Manager to connect to the internet. Hitting the connect button brings up a web page where you can purchase service time, manage your account and monitor your usage with the usage monitor. This shows how many bytes you have used and how many are left in your plan.
I was pleasantly surprised at how well the device worked during my time at jury duty. Inside one of the rooms in the jury waiting area , I got about 2 out of 4 bars in signal strength and I was able to surf the internet and get some work done and this made the experience much more pleasant than the last time I had jury duty.
During testing at http://infospeed.verizon.net/index.asp, I got around 745.4 Kbits/sec (93.2 Kbytes/sec) in the jury waiting room. At my home, I got around 988 Kbits/sec (123.5 Kbyte/sec). This is around the same speed that I get with DSL.
One interesting tidbit I read is that the Novatel Ovation MC760 device supposedly has a built-in GPS in it but I was unable to get Microsoft’s Street and Trips to recognize it.
Overall, I think this is a great device for those occasions where you don’t have access to a Wi-Fi hotspot or wired internet connection. There are no monthly commitments and you can buy service whenever and wherever you need it using cash (Top-Up cards), credit or debit.
Just as pay-as-you-go phones are great for people who want access to a phone wherever they may be at an affordable cost; Virgin Mobile’s Broadband2Go is great for those people who want to have broadband access wherever their travels might take them at an affordable cost. |
|
| Permalink |
Trackback |
|
|
|
|
|