Looking for AT&T / Verizon / Sprint WWAN service impressions - on or off-list replies welcome

Wed Apr 15 10:17:41 UTC 2009

On Apr 15, 2009, at 2:28 AM, Seth Mattinen wrote:

> Crooks, Sam wrote:
>> I'm considering use of AT&T / Verizon / Sprint WWAN services and the
>> Cisco 3G router interface cards/integrated module in C880 routers for
>> primary or backup WAN network connectivity for routers.
>
> My comments are only for Sprint EVDO/1xRTT since that's what I use.
>

I use Sprint EVD0 and really like it. SSH, tunnels, etc. all seem to  
work fine. I have never tried to host a mail server on it,
though.

About once per month I get the same IP address if the session dies and  
I immediately restart it, but generally not.
They are public IP addresses.

I have heard that there is now a 5 GB per month cap, but I never got a  
notice of this and have never been capped.

My biggest complaint is that Sprint internally regards this as a  
phone, and so the automated services are
typically useless. There is nothing like spending 25 minutes on the  
phone dealing with some issue, only to be
told "the information you requested has been texted to your phone,"  
when, as far as I can tell, I have no
way to receive such texting.

Regards
Marshall

>
>> I'm looking for information from users of these services on the
>> following:
>>
>> - addressing - Do these WWAN services use dynamic, PPPoE or static IP
>> assignment typically? Any of the 3? All?
>
> My IP changes every time the session establishes.
>
>
>>   - is static IP assignment available?
>
> I've never asked about static because there was no benefit to me when
> other workarounds were available, i.e. DMVPN.
>
>
>> - do these service providers use NAT within their network?
>
> Sprint doesn't, you get a public IP and I can establish inbound
> connections. They seem to filter incoming port 80 though. I regularly
> SSH to the wireless IP without any problems, although if the radio is
> sleeping sometimes it takes two attempts.
>
>
>> - How is the service reliability?  In most cases, is the service
>> available for use when you need to use it?
>
> I've been using it for years with no complaints.
>
>
>> - How is the service coverage area?  Do you have problems getting
>> sufficient coverage in the deplouyment location to support desired
>> speeds (say 512kbps up/down as a minimum)?
>
> I get full EVDO rates. It's as reliable as any other CDMA phone I've
> used in my area. Standard bad and good coverage areas apply. They will
> do site surveys for you though, plus you can get fancy antennas for  
> the
> cards. I picked EVDO because it has a better upstream rate.
>
>
>> - is ESP / IKE / IPsec permitted through un-rate-limited and un- 
>> molested
>> by the providers?
>
> As far as I can tell.
>
>
>> - If you build a IPsec/GRE tunnel over these services, do you have
>> frequent issues with the tunnel dropping, or a dynamic routing  
>> protocol
>> running through the tunnel going down frequently?
>
> Sometimes latency sucks and timers will expire. It always recovers on
> its own though.
>
>
>> Also interested in similar information on impressions of similar EMEA
>> WWAN service providers, particularly Vodaphone and T-Mobile, if  
>> anyone
>> has experiences with these.
>>
>>
>> Replies on-list or off-list are welcome.... Your choice.
>>
>> Cisco 3G interface and provider information:
>>
>> http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps7272/index.html
>>
>> http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/routers/networking_solutions_products_ge
>> nericcontent0900aecd80601f7e.html#~north-america
>>
>
> If uplink rates matter, for AT&T, you'll have to wait for the
> HWIC-3G-HSPA-A to come out. If you want better than 384 up right  
> now, go
> EVDO Rev. A and make sure they do a site survey for you first. In the
> end, it's just a fancy cell phone in your router.
>
> ~Seth
>
>