Wednesday, 28 July 2010 22:12
 All customers who purchase the EVO from 3Gstore will get our 10-page HTC Evo Tipsheet FREE!
There are many reasons why people buy from 3Gstore - helpful pre-sales support, a great variety of products, competitive pricing, a solid reputation - but the technical support that 3Gstore provides their customers is what really makes 3Gstore stand out. While many of our competitors claim they offer tech support, when you call them, they will forward you to the manufacturer (which, depending on the manufacturer, can be a nightmare!); others do offer their own support but from inexperienced or poorly-trained reps who have never even used the products they're supporting. 3Gstore provides top-of-the-line tech support from our own 3G experts who use the equipment we sell on a daily basis (and live here in the US!). Our techs are able to troubleshoot issues and resolve the problem from experience, not by reading from a script! In addition to the support we offer over the phone or email, the mobile broadband experts at 3Gstore also include exclusive resources with many of the products we sell (such as the 3Gstore Support CD we include with Cradlepoint routers, the Pepwave Surf Mini, and IP Switch). Our latest addition to our lineup of exclusive tipsheets for 3Gstore customers is our Sprint HTC EVO Tipsheet. This valuable resource makes setting up your HTC EVO smartphone as easy as possible, and includes lots of valuable guides for getting the most out of your phone. These guides are particularly helpful for new smartphone users who are unfamiliar with the Android platform, but are also helpful for seasoned smartphone users! The EVO Tipsheet includes Step-by-Step guides on:- Activation
- Backup/Syncing
- Mac Syncing
- Music Syncing
- Mobile Hotspot Setup
- Changing maximum allowed hotspot clients
- Managing authorized hotspot clients
- Checking RSSI (Signal Strength)
All customers who order the EVO from 3Gstore will be emailed this tipsheet when their order ships. If you already purchased your EVO from 3Gstore and would like to receive this tipsheet, email support "at" 3gstore.com with "EVO Tipsheet" in the subject line and include your order number in the body of the email.3Gstore provides tipsheets like this to our customers for free. We have received countless emails from people that purchased elsewhere requesting to purchase our tipsheets to help them solve an issue that had caused them a lot of frustration and wasted time. With the horror stories we've heard of people purchasing from a company that didn't provide any help when they had a problem, it's a no-brainer that 3Gstore is the place to go for all of your mobile broadband needs!
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Tuesday, 27 July 2010 21:07
3Gstore.com is happy to announce two great money-saving promotions for some of our most popular products - Cradlepoint routers and the Wilson Sleek All-in-One Signal Booster! Through September 30th 2010, customers can use special promotion codes (see below) to get $15 off any Cradlepoint router over $100 or $15 off the Wilson Sleek. Promo Code "2010sleek15" gives you $15 off the Wilson Sleek:The Wilson Sleek Cell Phone Signal Booster is perfect for any phone or 3G device that doesn't have an antenna port!
The Wilson Sleek Signal Booster is a great solution for users with cell phones or data cards that don't have external antenna ports built in. You set the cell phone or aircard in the cradle and the Wilson Sleek boosts the signal giving you up to 20 TIMES more output power to cell site! The Sleek is normally priced at $129.95 and now is on sale for $109.95, and you can use promo code 2010sleek15 at checkout to receive an additional $15 off! Promo Code "2010cradlepoint15" gives you $15 off any Cradlepoint router over $100:3Gstore already has great deals on Cradlepoint routers, and by using promo code 2010cradlepoint15 at checkout you can receive an additional $15 off any of the Cradlepoint models priced over $100! Read more about the Cradlepoint routers below:  MBR1200MBR1200 - The MBR1200 is a no-brainer for PCMCIA card users (if you upgrade in the future to an ExpressCard or USB modem, you won't need a new router!), and folks needing advanced VPN functionality will love it as well. Load balancers will love its five modem ports, and the optional security enclosure make it a great choice for in-the-field applications.  MBR1000 - The MBR1000 is a top-of-the-line 3G router and is an awesome choice for just about any application (unless you have a PCMCIA card). Excellent value for the money and a great long-term investment thanks to its wireless N radio and frequent firmware upgrades courtesy of Cradlepoint. There isn't much you can't do with this router!!  MBR900 - The MBR900 is a great "entry level home-use router" and it's a good choice for customers who want wireless "N" and multiple ethernet ports but don't need the additional features that the MBR900's bigger brothers like the MBR1000 and MBR1200 can provide (such as load balancing and support for ExpressCards and PCMCIA cards).  CTR500 - The CTR500 is excellent for travelers and home/office users alike. The small size and signal indicator lights make it a great choice for RV-ers. With the extensive list of supported devices - including many phones/PDAs - and Cradlepoint's track record for providing updates when new devices debut, the CTR500 is a great investment likely to last a long time, even if you upgrade your device.  PHS300 - With its built-in battery, the PHS300 is ideal for anyone on the go -- business executives, reporters, bloggers, even families on road trips! Thanks to its diminutive size, this router can be taken anywhere and used for up to two hours without even being plugged into a power outlet!
Important info about these promotions: In order to receive the $15 off, you must use the appropriate coupon code ( 2010sleek15 for the Sleek or 2010cradlepoint15 for Cradlepoint routers) when you check out at 3Gstore.com (the spot to enter the code is in "step 2" of the checkout process, right above where you enter your payment information). Cannot be combined with any other coupon codes/promos. Use of the coupon codes is limited to once per customer. Valid for new online orders through 9/30/2010.
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Friday, 23 July 2010 23:50
It's only fitting that the popular tech and video game TV channel dubbed G4 is a palindrome to 4G, Sprint's WiMAX network. Due to the G4 audience typically being tech savvy, this promo seems to be a match made in heaven. Viewers can expect to see the new G4 logo changed to 4G, Sponsored by Sprint on Monday 7/26 through 8/2. Most viewers will spot the change during G4's most popular shows "Attack of the Show" and "X-Play". Among their focal point, they plan on putting special attention on the 4G HTC EVO. They plan on demonstrating how you can use the HTC EVO as a wireless access point to get your wireless video game systems online. We doubt they'll mention special network adapters like the Pepwave Surf Mini that can repeat the HTC EVO's wireless signal and even convert it to an Ethernet output! Beyond the EVO, they want to show how much the 4G market segments have grown across the country. Sprint currently has 45 markets available with more locations scheduled to launch later this year. We're sure that they'll feature the Sprint Overdrive and Sierra 250U. The Overdrive has become a very stable device with the latest 2.06.06 firmware upgrade. It allows users to have a portable mobile hot-spot much like the ever popular MiFi2200 , however, has the ability to switch between 3G or 4G depending on your area. The 250U is sure to be a hit as well with its unique design and dual 3G/4G antenna ports! We can only imagine what Sprint will come up with during their interstitial's (short ads demoing 4G service). This should turn into an interesting week as Sprint has the chance to capture the greater tech market.
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Wednesday, 21 July 2010 19:10
The CLEAR Spot 4G (AKA the Infomark Biscuit) is an all-in-one unit creates a mobile WiFi hotspot to provide 4G WiMAX internet access for up to 8 users anywhere CLEAR has 4G coverage. The CLEAR Spot 4G is very similar in features to the 3G/4G Sprint Overdrive or CLEAR Spot 4G+, except it can only be used on CLEAR's 4G network (whereas those other devices can also connect to Sprint's 3G network if 4G coverage isn't available). Since it is for 4G use only, the CLEAR Spot 4G is mainly targeted towards users live or work in CLEAR coverage areas and are looking for an alternative to cable, DSL, or dial-up internet. For users who only need 4G coverage and want to share the connection with multiple users, the CLEAR Spot 4G is an excellent choice since CLEAR's 4G monthly service plan is only $40/mo! As mentioned above, the CLEAR Spot 4G is very similar to other all-in-one mobile broadband hotspots in terms of essential functionality. It features a built-in battery that lasts up to four hours and a wireless "G" radio for WiFi that can provide up to 150' of WiFi range (depending on the settings you've chosen and interference), and supports up to 8 wirelessly-connected users. Unlike other hotspots, the CLEAR Spot 4G has a nifty feature that will allow you to compromise between WiFi range and battery life by adjusting the broadcast power of the WiFi radio. There are three different WiFi power levels: short, medium, and long. Users can set the WiFi power to a higher setting to increase range, but this will reduce the battery life; setting the WiFi range to "short" will save battery life but your devices will have to be closer to the CLEAR Spot to connect. The CLEAR Spot 4G also supports both 64-bit & 128-bit WEP security, as well as WPA & WPA2 for the best wireless security to prevent unauthorized users from connecting to your personal WiFi network. If you want to connect the CLEAR Spot 4G directly to a computer instead of using WiFi (for example, a desktop computer that doesn't have WiFi capabilities), you can tether it directly to a Mac or Windows computer with the included USB cable. Unlike the Verizon and Sprint MiFi, tethering the CLEAR Spot 4G to your computer via USB does NOT disable the WiFi - so you can continue to connect your other devices to the hotspot via WiFi while it's tethered via USB to one computer! Conveniently, no connection manager software is necessary in order to tether the hotspot to your computer - it appears as a network adapter with a local LAN IP. As for the CLEAR Spot 4G's performance, many potential users have wondered how it compares to dedicated 4G USB devices available from CLEAR (such as the PXU1900). From our testing, we can confirm that the CLEAR Spot 4G performed exactly the same as CLEAR's USB devices. However, we have also found that the CLEAR mobile devices (including this hotspot) do not perform quite as well as CLEAR's "Home Modems", simply because the Home Modems have larger, stronger internal antennas built-in. Of course, the mobile devices offer the benefit of portability, so there is a trade-off to be considered. For users who want to extend the WiFi range, need to connect more than 8 WiFi devices, or need to provide internet access to an ethernet-only device that doesn't have WiFi (a VOIP phone, DVR, etc), the limitations of the CLEAR Spot 4G can be circumvented by using the Pepwave Surf Mini. The Pepwave acts as a wireless bridge, picking up the WiFi signal from the CLEAR Spot 4G and then repeating it, giving you a much greater wireless range and allowing you to get around the 8-user limit. The Pepwave Surf Mini connects to the CLEAR Spot via WiFi and counts as one of the 8 users; you can then connect as many devices as you want to the Pepwave! In other words, if you wanted to share the connection from the CLEAR Spot with 10 laptops, rather than having the laptops connect directly to the CLEAR Spot's WiFi network, they would connect to the Pepwave (which is rebroadcasting the signal from the CLEAR Spot). Since the laptops aren't connected to the CLEAR Spot itself, the CLEAR Spot doesn't count them towards the 8-user limit! It also has an ethernet port, allowing you to connect a device that can't connect via WiFi. The bottom line on the CLEAR Spot 4G: If you are looking for a mobile broadband device to use exclusively in areas with 4G coverage and want something more mobile and flexible than CLEAR's home modems, the CLEAR Spot 4G is a great choice. It's affordable (just $99.99 or you can lease it for $4.99/month if you opt for a 2-year contract), and CLEAR's unlimited 4G service costs just $40/month.
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Thursday, 15 July 2010 20:33
In the beginning of the wireless data revolution, all the carriers offered unlimited 3G data service. However, after the service really began taking off, they soon realized they didn't have the bandwidth or back-haul available to offer truly unlimited bandwidth to their customers. Verizon was the first to implement usage limits and although Sprint resisted at first, they inevitably gave in an imposed the now "industry standard" 5GB per month cap, charging customers overage fees for each megabyte used after the 5GB allowance is reached. When Sprint released their 4G WiMAX network, there was speculation that the service would be capped like their 3G service. Thankfully, that hasn't happened. A Sprint executive has said that "they saw subscriber behavior change" after they introduced the 5GB monthly cap on its 3G data plans, and that has them on edge about even considering the idea of implementing caps on their 4G network. Sprint's 4G WiMAX has been a savior to many users outside of cable or DSL's footprint, thanks to its speeds, and it's good to hear Sprint stating they have NO PLANS of capping the usage! Their WiMAX data network averages speeds between 3-6Mbps down with bursts up to 10Mbps down and average uploads between 600Kbps - 1Mbps. This type of performance can rival home DSL/cable service, but in order to really compete with traditional broadband services, keeping usage unlimited is very important. The fact that users can get truly unlimited service and faster than DSL speeds is a huge selling point. The main reason that Sprint is able to offer truly unlimited service on their 4G network stems from the amount of spectrum (range they can broadcast service on) Sprint has available. On Sprint's 3G network they only had about 30Mhz of spectrum available, which has a huge impact on overall capacity. On the 2.5Ghz frequency band they use to transmit their WiMAX signal, Sprint has between 120Mhz and 150Mhz per market. This added spectrum gives them much more capacity and Sprint has already said that they have enough capacity to even offer LTE down the road in addition to their WiMAX network. Verizon has already stated that their plans for their upcoming 4G LTE network will be usage based, so if Sprint is able to continue offering truly unlimited service, they will have a big advantage over Verizon.
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Tuesday, 13 July 2010 20:21
Apple's MacBook Air is extremely popular with mobile users because it's just so thin and portable. However, this design has presented some problems for users looking for mobile broadband cards that are compatible. With the slim profile a lot of cards manufactured can't get underneath the lip of the laptop or block the neighboring USB port. Several 3G-only devices are compatible with the MacBook Air, including the MiFi2200, Compass 597, Franklin CDU680, 595U, UM150 and UM175, but the 3G/4G Franklin U301 does NOT work unless you use an adapter or USB extension cable. We are happy to report that the new Sprint Sierra 3G/4G 250U fits into the MacBook Air without blocking any USB ports and is fully compatible with the Mac OSX. This will allow users to have access to a hybrid 3G/4G device without the need for any type of special adapter cables. Not only will you get a device that is fully compatible with the MacBook Air, you'll also get the first 3G/4G capable device that features a usable antenna port for boosting the 3G signal!
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