Faster Verizon

A little over a week ago I wrote a Journal entry about our slow Verizon internet connection here in Rockport [Link]. Briefly, we connect to the internet by using the broadband data capabilities of the Verizon Cellular Phone system with a little device called an aircard. Depending on where we're camped, that connection could be fast or it could be slow, it could be steady and reliable, or it could be weak and undependable. When we're camped out in unpopulated areas, far from major highways and cities, I expect the connection to be slower. But I was expecting a better connection than we've been getting here in Rockport. That's what I wrote about then.

But things have changed in the ensuing days. Here's the story:

In the past, I've had our Verizon AirCard and router located in the front of the bus-house, on the dashboard. My thought was that the big windshield would provide the least resistance and interference from the bus-house framework to the radio signals that carry the data to and from the cell tower. I also have a signal booster (amplifier) and an external antenna that's designed to improve signal strength when we're in fringe areas. I had that booster and antenna hooked up here in Rockport when I found the service was so poor and spotty. I really couldn't detect much difference between using the booster and antenna, or not using them. I don't know why. The connection continued to just poke along, often almost as slow as dial-up, which is so slow it's almost unusable.

After I wrote that journal entry about the slow service, I decided to make some changes. I decided to try different things and see if I could find something that might improve the situation. I focused on re-locating the aircard/router to another location within the bus-house.

My first attempt was to move the aircard/router to the top of the desk on the left side of the camper, about half way back. When I re-started the connection there seemed to be some improvement... or was it just a fluke. Even before, I'd have short periods of time where I'd get good speed, but it never lasted.

The next step was to use a 3 foot shielded USB cable to connect the aircard to the router -- instead of plugging the aircard into the router directly. With two 3M Velcro Command strips, I stuck the aircard directly to the side window above our desk.

Well, I've learned a huge lesson. Of the things I changed, something worked. For the past week, we've been enjoying true broadband speeds again. And without the use of the booster and the external antenna.

Here are some download speed numbers to show what the difference has been:

Before; AirCard on front dashboard with booster and external antenna attached; normally between 75 and 150 kb/second -- never faster than 200 kb/second. And the connection would often just drop off altogether.

After: AirCard stuck on side window with velcro and connected to router with 3 foot shielded cable, no booster or external antenna; typically between 700 and 1200 kb/second -- occasionally as fast as 1600 kb/second. And only once did the connection drop.

At those speeds my problems and my whining are over. I've learned that placement of the aircard is critical. It appears that, like real estate, the three most important things about connecting to the internet with an aircard is location, location, location.

Rapidly computing in Rockport;
Thom