When Verizon released their 4G LTE network back in December of 2010, the demand quickly grew for a 4G amplifier so users on the fringe of service could enjoy the faster wireless network. We initially offered a 3G/4G Directional Panel antenna then offered a 9.5" 3G/4G Omni antenna for mobile users, but had no viable solution for users looking to repeat a 4G signal. Over the past several weeks we've been testing some new 4G amplifiers and are happy to let you know that the wait is almost over! In the press release below, Cellphone-Mate has announced their 4G LTE amplifier has now been approved by the FCC and should be available for purchase in a few weeks.
Follows the CM2100, 4G AWS (Advanced Wireless Service) Amplifier introduced in March 2011, making Cellphone-Mate the most complete 4G cellular amplification provider:
FREMONT, Calif., July 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellphone-Mate available at http://3gstore.com, is a leading provider of cell phone amplifiers and accessories, today announced that it is now taking orders for the industry's first and only aftermarket FCC Approved, 4G LTE band bidirectional amplifier, the SureCall® CM700V 70dB and will begin shipping product full-scale in late July.
With cellular amplifiers built specifically for the LTE network, Cellphone-Mate is the only company that currently supplies aftermarket amplifiers, antennas, splitters and couplers for both the North American LTE and AWS technologies and frequencies, following in the wake of its SureCall® CM2100 AWS amplifier solution introduced in March of 2011.
Designed to work with the Verizon network, the largest cellular carrier in North America, this in-building amplifier complements the two external and two internal full-band antennas the company is currently shipping for the LTE network. Each of these full-band antennas work with all carriers in North America -- for all cellular frequencies – and with all generations of technology including 2G, 3G and 4G.
"Our new SureCall CM700V amplifiers, combined with our full-band antennas and accessories, will greatly improve data and voice service for businesses and homes on the Verizon LTE network," said Hongtao Zhan, Cellphone-Mate CEO. "This LTE amplifier positions Cellphone-Mate as the most complete 4G cellular amplification solution. We pride ourselves on being first-to-market in the evolution of 4G connectivity."
Testing has shown that the 4G LTE amplifier system will consistently provide 4G service in areas not available previously. While Cellphone-Mate's new amplifiers work with LTE and AWS, its product lines of antennas, splitters, and couplers, also work with all cellular bands in North America, including Cellular, PCS, and the Wi-Max band.
Like all its products, the 4G LTE amplifier will be covered by Cellphone-Mate's industry exclusive two-year manufacturer's warranty.
CradlePoint has released several new routers recently, all of which operate on CradlePoint's new NetBSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) platform, which is Unix-based and offers a much cleaner interface than the legacy CradlePoint Ubicom admin interface you'll find on the "classic" CradlePoint routers. For those that have heard of NetBSD, it is the same operating system that Apple has built Mac OS X. This new platform is specifically built with 4G LTE and 4G WiMAX technology in mind and features improvements in modem reliability. With NetBSD they’ve also made the control panel more user-friendly and a lot easier for customers to navigate. However, customers used to the older platform may feel a bit lost initially. Above you'll find a full video demonstration comparing the NetBSD platform with the legacy Ubicom platform, and below you’ll find screenshots and detailed information on the new NetBSD platform.
All of CradlePoint's recently-released routers operate on the new CradlePoint WiPipe Series 3 (NetBSD):
Be sure to click the above 3Gstore links to read customer reviews on how actual users like the new CradlePoint interface!
classic CradlePoint admin interface:
new CradlePoint BSD interface:
When you log into the web admin for a netBSD router (the URL is the same: http://192.168.0.1), the first thing you'll notice is that the initial setup is much easier than it was on older CradlePoint models. You can easily change your wireless network name (SSID) and set up WEP or WPA security; on older models you needed to dig through a wall of text and options to find these sections. By creating a simple step-by-step interface that customers can follow, CradlePoint has made the initial configuration easy enough so that even users with very minimal technical knowledge can configure it. In fact, if you're not concerned with changing the network name and just want to access the internet, these new models ship with WPA security already enabled!
Guest SSID Settings (left): Digging beyond the basic interface you'll also find some exciting new options like the dual SSID feature, which allow you to create two networks within one router. This will allow you to create a private network for your home/office and a secondary network with a different password for guests. The main advantage to the guest network is it can be configured with a different password and turned on/off when you know you'll have guests that need access; users connected to the guest network will only have internet access - they won't be able to log into the router or access any of the other computers on the network.
WiFi as WAN: Another major difference between the older Cradlepoint routers and the new CradlePoint BSD models is WiFi as WAN (screenshot below). This feature allows the router to connect to any WiFi source within range (as long as it's either an open network or you have the password) and use that network as its source of connectivity. Until this new NetBSD platform launched, Cradlepoint users who wanted to pick up a WiFi network (like campground WiFi, for example) needed to use a product like the Pepwave Surf Mini. This feature alone makes the NetBSD platform unique and offers users several new uses for their router that aren't possible with the older Cradlepoint routers. Popular WiFi as WAN applications:
Failover/backup: If your main Cable/DSL connection goes down, you can connect to a neighboring WiFi signal within 10-15 seconds, allowing you to continue working until your network comes back online.
Connect a smartphone: Many popular smartphones offer a "Mobile Hotspot" feature, which turns the phone into a WiFi hotspot for 3-8 users. By connecting your CradlePoint router to your phone's hotspot, you'll be able to remove the user limitation, gain access to features like port forwarding and be able to hardwire devices via a standard Cat5 Ethernet cable.
Repeating a wireless signal: If you have a large area you'd like to cover with WiFi you can use WiFi as WAN to receive the WiFi source from your main router and then repeat the signal throughout the remainder of the building. Please note: For multiple CradlePoint routers linked together, we recommend a Star Topology configuration for optimal performance.
Wireless receivers: If you've got a desktop or other device that doesn't support wireless but isn't nearby your WiFi source, you can place a WiFi as WAN-enabled CradlePoint router by the device connect via ethernet.
WiFi as WAN configuration nenu
Modem Health Management: Another great feature for anyone using a 3G/4G data card is the "Modem Hammer," also know as Modem Health Management (MHM). MHM monitors the connectivity of 3rd party 3G/4G USB modems connected to the router and offers different ways of recovering from modem freezes and other modem issues. If MHM determines there is a problem with the modem, it can do a software reset, hardware reset and even a full power cycle of the modem if necessary. This feature will allow you to stay connected without having to detach the modem from the router to reset it.
Signal Display Bar (left): Within our tech department we've found that customers like to have the ability to easily view the signal strength of their wireless 3G/4G modem within the router. With the older CradlePoint routers this was done by navigating to the "Modem" tab and digging through the system diagnostics. With the new CradlePoint NetBSD you'll see a quick reference signal bar widget in the upper left corner of the screen and clicking on it will give you detailed RSSI information.
On the picture to the left you can see we've circled the signal bars, which is clickable and brings up a drop down menu (Modem Connection Quality) indicating your signal percentage and RSSI levels. If you see a red circle with no signal then you know that you're not connected to the internet currently. This menu system also serves as a signal strength indicator when you're connected via WiFi as WAN. This is useful if you're using the WiFi as WAN feature as a repeater solution as it allows for optimal router placement, ensuring the signal quality is still strong so the network isn't degraded.
Advanced Mode (right): Thus far we've been discussing all the great basic features the NetBSD platform offers, but all of the other features that advanced users require such as setting DHCP reservations, port forwarding, DynDNS, Mac Filtering and more are also easily available on the new platform. You won't be giving up most of the features that you've grown accustomed to with the older CradlePoint admin interfaces! In fact, CradlePoint has created a "Basic Mode" and "Advanced Mode", which allows you to hide more advanced options if you're a basic user and expand them as needed. This can be a very useful tool for novice users that will never use the advanced features and keep you from getting confused within the admin interface. In the new NetBSD interface they've removed settings like SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection), aggressive modem reset and enable high speed, which were settings within the older legacy interface that caused issues with 3G/4G hybrid modems.
System Update (left):
Upgrading your router's firmware is easier than ever with the new NetBSD platform. In the picture to the left you can see that you've only got to deal with one firmware file, where on the older platform you needed to worry about "Router Firmware" and a "WiMAX Modem Driver" in order to get any WiMAX device online. With the NetBSD platform you'll know as long as you've got a supported firmware version for your modem, there isn't anything else you need to do to make it work.
Also, you'll see that the "System Config Save/Restore" is found within the same section. This allows you to backup all your existing settings in the event that you decide to do a firmware upgrade. We highly recommend backing up your configuration so that you'll have a restore file if you ever lose your custom settings (for instance, if you have to reset your router to factory defaults for any reason). In the previous legacy interface this "Save/Restore" configuration option was found under "Tools" and "System," which didn't make a lot of sense because that wasn't where you did the firmware upgrades. When you have all of these settings on the same page it makes it easier to make changes and you won't need to memorize all the little sub-menus to make specific changes!
Online gaming: As more and more people turn to 3G or 4G as their internet source we've seen an increase in customers looking to get their Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 online vai mobile broadband, and the new NetBSD platform simplifies the process. When you purchase your NetBSD based CradlePoint router from 3Gstore you'll receive access to custom gaming tipsheet, which will help you optimize your connection for console or PC gaming. The new NetBSD platform is much more intuitive and user-friendly to set up and configure for an open NAT and optimal gaming experience with minimal lag.
3Gstore NetBSD Tipsheet For Playstation 3
Are there any downside to the new platform? Whenever a major change like this comes into play, many users assume that there must be some downsides - it can't all be good! With the NetBSD platform, there really is remarkably little negative to report! The only downside to the NetBSD platform is that Cradlepoint has eliminated support tethered phones (on older Cradlepoint models, a limited number of phones were supported in tether-mode as 3G modems). However, any smartphone that features a mobile hotspot option (such as BlackBerry, iPhone, Android) is fully compatible via WiFi as WAN!
The bottom line: When CradlePoint first released the CTR35 on 1/1/2011 (first NetBSD product) - there were some negative customer reviews because the NetBSD platform had issues - but those were worked out in firmware updates and since March 2011, has been a solid. The NetBSD platform is Linux-based, the same platform that Mac utilizes in their OSX operating system. This is what you'll find on all the new CradlePoint routers released after 1/1/2011; all future models will also feature this new platform. If you've already purchased an older CradlePoint router, don't worry: they should be supporting their older platforms for another year. However, after that point, no new firmware updates will be available for the legacy platform, meaning newer modems won't be supported. Also, you will see many new cool features available only for the NetBSD routers. CradlePoint plans to add some other exciting new features on the NetBSD platform later this year, and if you're in the market for a router we highly recommend going with one of the newer NetBSD models to future-proof yourself.
AT&T was recently hacked by the group known as LolzSec, who are most known for the recent attacks on Sony, PBS and other high profile companies. In this hack not only did Lulzsec manage to extract over 60,000 user phone numbers, but they also released documentation via BitTorrent leaking several AT&T documents. These files indicate that AT&T will be implementing speed based tiers when they launch their 4G LTE network this summer, which could be interesting if they abandon monthly caps or adjust them for the tier you select. The documentation also hints that Apple will be testing LTE-capable devices like the iPad, which may be available between November and December of this year. These leaked illustrate that AT&T's announcement at CES earlier this year will be implemented in the near future.
Earlier this month Sprint and LightSquared announced a 4G deal, however, must modify their plans due to GPS interference. They've conceded early tests where they utilized a 10Mhz block of spectrum, and now plan to go to plan B. They will now use an alternative block, which "greatly reduces" the risk of GPS interference, and won't use the original block that caused issues with GPS units initially. They also plan to reduce the base station power by more than 50%, "which will provide additional protection to GPS."
LightSquared Chairman and CEO Sanjiv Ahuja said "This is a solution which ensures that tens of millions of GPS users won't be affected by LightSquared's launch. At the same time, this plan offers a clear path for LightSquared to move forward with the launch of a nationwide wireless network that will introduce world class broadband service to rural and underserved areas which still find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide,'' in a statement earlier this week. Over the past week close to three dozen companies which include Vonage, Cellular South and XO Communications, have sent in a letter to the FCC to express their support of LightSquared's open platform and 100% wholesale model. A major point seemed to be LightSquared's ""ecosystem of third party software, hardware, and applications providers who will collectively seek to transform not only the wireless industry, but also other industries such as health care, automotive, transportation, education, media, entertainment, and energy."
The concept of wholesale broadband isn't new and FCC chairman Julius Genachowski has supported the idea since last summer. After the project was officially announced, he said it represented "more than $7 billion of new investment, with the potential to create more than 100,000 new private-sector jobs within five years. Today's announcement shows that FCC policies are helping grow the U.S. economy by catalyzing investment and job creation." He also implied that this would further the FCC's National Broadband Plan, which was a point made to the FCC to help grant the approval of LightSquared's wholesale business model. LightSquared could end up being a big part of the President's National Wireless Plan, which calls for 4G rolled out to 98% of the population within five years.
Bloomberg has reported that Sprint finally struck a deal with LightSquared Inc to help deploy 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution). This will be a 15-year deal worth $20 billion, which should help Sprint compete with Verizon's rapidly growing 4G LTE network. At this time Sprint 4G WiMAX is available in 71 markets and covers 120 million people and should reach 130 million by the end of 2011. By comparison Verizon plans to offer 4G LTE service in 175 markets by the end of 2011 covering 185 million subscribers.
At this time Sprint is the third largest U.S. wireless carrier and refers to this switch from WiMAX to LTE as the Network Vision project. This project will take three to five years and cost Sprint $4 to $5 billion, but allow them to phase out their incompatible iDEN network. They then plan to implement both 3G and 4G technology on 45,000 cell sites by utilizing 800/1900/2500Mhz spectrum bands. When this agreement with LightSquared goes live it will allow Sprint to lighten the load on their network as demand increases for faster wireless data speeds. The decision to join forces may have been made easier by AT&T's plans of buying T-Mobile, which will put Sprint far behind both AT&T and Verizon in terms of overall wireless subscribers.
As soon as customers discover they can utilize a router to share their 3G or 4G connection with multiple computers/devices, their first concern is often security. Considering 3G/4G users are typically dealing with 5GB or 10GB monthly data allowances, it's important to know how to lock down your router so that unauthorized users aren't using your network and eating away at your allowance. Cradlepoint routers allow owners to enable WEP or WPA security to protect the network so that only those with the wireless password will be able to join the network. This tutorial will allow explain the easy steps you'll need to take to configure wireless security on the Cradlepoint CTR350, CTR500, PHS300, MBR900, MBR1000 and MBR1200 routers.
The text instructions are below, but this video demo will walk you through the steps if you'd like to follow along:
Step-by-Step Instructions to Configure Wireless Security:
Connect your computer to your router via WiFi or ethernet, open a web browser and enter http://192.168.0.1
Enter the last 6 characters of your Mac address (located on the bottom of the router) to log in
Click on the "Basic Tab" and select "Wireless WiFi" from the sub-menu on the left
Under "Basic Wireless (WiFi Settings)," you'll see a bold field titled "Wireless Network Name." If you haven't changed the default name yet, enter whatever you'd like your network to be called
Scroll down to "Wireless (WiFi) Security Mode" and select "WPA Personal"
You will see a drop down field appear. Enter a password 8 to 63 characters in length in the "Pre-Shared Key" section
Scroll to the top of the page and click "save settings" and reboot the router
After your router reboots, don't get alarmed if you see a message in your browser indicating the webpage can't be displayed. Remember, after you've enabled security you'll need to re-associate all your WiFi-enabled devices to the wireless network. To do this, just go to your wireless connections manager or Apple airport, click on the network name, and enter the password you created in step 6 above. You should then see a "connected" message and a little lock icon indicating your network is secure. Just be sure that you either remember the password or write it down in case you need to add more wireless devices in the future!
At 3Gstore we provide a variety of tipsheets available exclusively to 3Gstore customers that offer step by step instructions on various configurations. As Cradlepoint moves to their new BSD platform on models like the CTR35, MBR95, CBR400 and MBR1400, they've created a more intuitive and user-friendly admin interface. We have created extensive PDF step-by-step guides for these platforms, however, until now we didn't have one for specifically for gaming with the new Cradlepoint BSD. Over the last year we've been getting more and more customers interested in gaming over a 3G or 4G connection.
In our "Can I Play the PS3/360/Wii over 3G/4G" article we showed exactly how playable these games actually are, but have found some users having difficulty with proper router configurations. To make things easier for 3Gstore customers, we've developed an exclusive tipsheet dedicated to the new Cradlepoint BSD platform. This tip sheet will guide customers step by step indicating each change they'll need to make in order to optimize their router for gaming online. At this time this setup is available for a Playstation 3 configuration and we'll have a dedicated tipsheet for Xbox 360 users soon. By following these directions step by step users will be able to enable a "Nat Type 2 Open" connection, which allows you to join any games and reduce the amount of lag you experience in a game.
