The DATA Card and USB Modem discussion thread (Reliance/Airtel/Tata)

[rahul_intlad]

Is there a way to connect these 'data cards' to a router?

There are 3g mobile routers[supports 1xEV-DO PC Card/ UMTS TD-CDMA PC Card],not sure if they support the airtel/reliance data cards however.

[carboy]

I lost my Plug2Surf USB Modem - luckily, I had removed the SIM Card from
the Modem soI still have the Modem SIM Card with me?
Do TataIndicom sell the modem separately? How much does it cost?

Also, I earlier had the PC-MCI card - I found that much more
convinient - is it possible to buy a PC-MCI card from them & use this
SIM card in it? How much will it cost, if available separately?

[ravibhat]

You should be able to buy plug2Surf Modem seperately, it should cost 2850/- although MRP shows 3700/- I suggest plug2Surf instead of PC-MCI card.

Regards,

Ravi.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by ravibhat

You should be able to buy plug2Surf Modem seperately, it should cost 2850/- although MRP shows 3700/- I suggest plug2Surf instead of PC-MCI card.

I have used both a USB Modem & the PC-MCI card. The PC-MCI card
is far better. Once you insert the PC-MCI card into the slot, it can remain
there forever - there is never a need to remove it. Whereas the USB modem
juts out of your laptop - so you have remove it & store it somewhere
each & every time you need to carry your laptop around. When you
rest the laptop on your lap, the poorly built USB modem gets bent &
starts developing loose contact issues. The USB modem has a cap - like
a cap for the ball point pen. But the difference is that a ball point pen
cap design isn't a brain dead design. When you want to use the pen, you
can remove the cap & fix it at the back of the pen. The USB modem cap
doesn't fit in the back of the modem - so it's liable to get misplaced.
All these shortcomings are OK if you are planning to connect it to a
desktop, but for a laptop it's a major pain.

Anybody wants to sell an old, unused PC-MCI card without SIM card to
me in Pune, do let me know.

[thebagchi]

The device is available for 2850/-
but speed is very sluggish

other option is from Reliance.
Faster than Tata Indicom

[carboy]

Originally Posted by thebagchi

The device is available for 2850/-
but speed is very sluggish

other option is from Reliance.
Faster than Tata Indicom

Are you saying that using a PC-MCI card from Tata Indicom would
be slower than using a USBModem from Tata Indicom?

[kuttapan]

There should not be much of a difference in speed between USB and PCMCIA from Tata Indicom. I chose the PCMCIA for the reasons carboy mentioned + it has an external antenna(better reception where the signal is weak).

At least in Bangalore, Reliance data card sucks...Sucks as in SUCKS !! Forget pictures, even plain text is hard to come by. I could never manage to connect to my office network using reliance, whereas it was possible even in my archaic BSNL dialup.

So thumbs down for reliance. Actually, I have been to DAKC, Vashi, which is the HQ for Reliance Communications and guess what? The internet speed over LAN there is slower than my Indicom PCMCIA card gives....Beat that !!
Ultimately, we had to use the PCMCIA Card instead of the LAN !!

[thebagchi]

Originally Posted by carboy

Are you saying that using a PC-MCI card from Tata Indicom would
be slower than using a USBModem from Tata Indicom?

Am using the USB Modem
Speed is very sluggish.
but am not a big time net surfer. only vist few wesites and update my blog so i dont bother much.

[Technocrat]

Anybody wants to sell an old, unused PC-MCI card without SIM card to
me in Pune, do let me know.

I have one with me, PM me for details

EDIT: Oops I have a spare Plug To Surf modem not PC-MCI

[spadival]

Slightly off topic, Has anyone tried getting BSNL EVDO connection in Pune? BSNL EVDO - Unofficial Website

[shuvc]

I use TataIndicom PCMCI card. Speed is pretty slow. Though connected speed says 230.4kbps. Signal is erratic, there's only one room in my apartment where I get 5 bars - and this is not really the city outskirts. Most rooms have no signal.

I get more consistent network connecting the laptop through Vodafone Mobile Connect (on my cell). This says 115.xx kbps. Speeds are similar to TataIndicom data card.

[Mr.Bangalore]

Originally Posted by spadival

Slightly off topic, Has anyone tried getting BSNL EVDO connection in Pune? BSNL EVDO - Unofficial Website

check out the official website..
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited - BSNL Data Card - High Speed Internet - Anywhere - Home Page

[spadival]

Originally Posted by Mr.Bangalore

check out the official website..
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited - BSNL Data Card - High Speed Internet - Anywhere - Home Page

ahem... its unofficial.. Check at the bottom - " Un-Official website of BSNL Data Card © 2007 - 2010"

Interested to know if anyone has used it in Pune..

[BurningHeart]

Need to work from home (in Trivandrum) for the next four months. Looking for a data card with good xfer rates.

Have a home broad band from Asianet Data Services already. But I would like a data card for my laptop (to keep the personal and professional lives separate!!) as it gives me flexibility to move about.

Reliance would have been my choice. But after reading mouthshut reviews on Reliance and Airtel, both seem to be offering dismal performance.

Has anyone here used/bought a data card in the past? What do you recommend?

BH.

[ram_hyundai]

IMO all the cards available now offers similar speeds.I am using a reliance card which is ok but not at all fast compared to broad band.
ram