[harry10]

Originally Posted by sanagg1

@sgiitk
@harry10
@harjeev

Dear mates could you share the information about the speed of photon+
the numerical values e.g. 400 kbps etc.

cheers

right now am geeting download between - 160-180 kbps/s.
very good.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by sanagg1

@sgiitk
@harry10
@harjeev

Dear mates could you share the information about the speed of photon+
the numerical values e.g. 400 kbps etc.

cheers

The normal speed I get is around 230-260kbps do it does go up to 330kbps sometimes.

[ScarySkulls]

Hey guys. Thanks for all this information.
Finally I have decided to go in for Reliance Broadband+ for my upcoming visit to India - Main reason for this is that Tata Photon is not present in Ludhiana, but Reliance is. So....
Now I'm confused over which device to choose from this list - Reliance Wireless Internet Broadband Connection – Reliance Netconnect Connection

There seems to be disctinction based on
Brand - Huawei v/s ZTE

Connectivity - CDMA 1x RTT & CDMA 1xEVDO Rev A OR 800 MHz frequency band. I think I want the former one in this one.

OS - Windows and Ubuntu are what I have on my laptop. Only one seems to do both - ZTE AC 2726.

Additional feature - ZTE AC 2726 and Huawei EC 1262 claim "Provides data statistics of connectivity". How important is this feature in real world usage? Are they even accurate enough?

I am looking for both performance and longevity. While only one model of ZTE also do Linux, I won't keep it so much of a make or break factor as I can reboot back to Windows from Ubuntu while I am travelling...

[speedmiester]

I have been using wireless USB Modems for more than 2 years now.
I bought my first usb modem from 3 when I was in UK. It was quite expensive, but the speed was good and it served the purpose.

After returning back to India, I bought the BSNL EVDO modem.
I used this modem for more than a year before I moved to Mumbai.
In all this time, I only faced problem with my service once and it was rectified within 8 hours by BSNL. I was totally satisfied with the service and the customer care of BSNL, though I used the customer care service only thrice.

I moved to Mumbai recently as I took a job here. Again I was left with the dilemma on which modem to chose. I prefer a wireless USB Modem over the regular broadband since I am used to it.
Since I am a heavy user, more than 6 hrs a day with some downloading involved, I was looking for an unlimited plan. Only MTS offered an unlimited plan with wireless USB Modems. That was my only choice and I was quite undecided as MTS is a relatively new player in the Indian Market.
I called up the MTS store nearby to send a demo modem to my place to check the signal level at my place before buying one. Luckily my place gets full broadband signal at my place. The modem has inbuilt software and you don't need a CD to install the software, thats a nice touch. I used the demo modem on some very bandwidth hungry sites and also browsed team-bhp, the speeds I received were very good. I tried streaming couple of youtube videos and there was no buffering, the speeds were in the range of 1.5 to 1.7 Mbps.

I placed my order the next day and got my new modem. Unfortunately there was a problem with my modem, though there was broadband signal at my place, the modem refused to connect in the broadband mode and connected only in the slower 1X mode. This was frustrating, I lodged a complaint with the customer care.
The customer care of MTS is one of the worst I have ever encountered, you have to literally wait 20 mins before someone answers you.
I returned my modem for replacement at the store and it was sent to the MTS service to check it, I got back the modem the next day only to discovered they have returned me the original modem with the same problem. I was furious and blasted the customer care and also escalated the issue.
The next day I called up the corporate office of MTS and demanded a replacement, this time they sent an engineer over to my place who diagnosed the problem as a software glitch in the modem. He rectified it within 10 min and I was able to use the modem in the broadband mode.
Since that day I have used my modem for more than 20 days now and I have always received good speeds while browsing and downloading. I regularly get speeds in the range of 1.4 to 1.6 Mbps occasionally increasing to 2.1 Mbps.
I have downloaded close to 20 GB of data since I bought the connection.

I paid 2100/- for the modem and it is 999/- for the prepaid unlimited plan which is valid for 30 days. I also received a free encyclopedia DVD. MTS does have a fair usage policy for its unlimited plan, after 15GB of download within the 30 days, the speed is restricted and you can use the service only at 1X speeds which are in the range of 150Kbps.

Also MTS has national roaming activated, so I can use the modem anywhere in India where I get an MTS signal. In fact I was in Karnataka last week and I was able to browse in 1X speed even in some of the remote places along the highways.

Apart from the initial hiccup, I am satisfied with the MTS Mblaze connection.

[sanagg1]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

A)The modem has inbuilt software and you don't need a CD to install the software, thats a nice touch.
B)The customer care of MTS is one of the worst I have ever encountered, you have to literally wait 20 mins before someone answers you.
C)Also MTS has national roaming activated, so I can use the modem anywhere in India where I get an MTS signal. In fact I was in Karnataka last week and I was able to browse in 1X speed even in some of the remote places along the highways.

Apart from the initial hiccup, I am satisfied with the MTS Mblaze connection.

A) Even Photon does have same touch
B) Sorry
C) The availability of MTS on PAN India level is abysmal compared to TATA/ Reliance

Cheers

[ScarySkulls]

Decided on the ZTE modem for my next India trip and ordering it right now.

Thanks a lot for all those replies to my above questions. Wouldn't be able to decide without the excellent support.
Cheers!

[San Phrangmung]

Yes i used it for more than a year shelling out around 15,000.
Had got the stick for 2,500 and an unlimited connection for 1,000 a month.

What i left was a 250 Reliance unlimited gprs line.

But had enough of Airtel as the line got slower and slower and eventually worse than Reliance gprs.

Now i shifted to unlimited gprs in BSNL for 250 which is hundred times faster than 1,000 Rs a month Airtel cheater usb.

USB modem is nothing but a mobile device minus voice facility. One has to insert a sim just as in the handset so its never any faster than gprs.

Anyways airtel is cheating and robbing customers in the name of offering high speed connection through usb modem which is actually nothing but gprs.

So no matter what dont take Airtel, had i not i would have saved 12,000 rs.

[manolin]

Originally Posted by Ardy

Tried this, but did not work.

I get a message stating that the USB device has malfunctioned when connected to the port on the left. While it works perfectly well on XP. Called Reliance and they had no clue (which is what I was expecting) and finally they said, please contact your OS vendor .

Any other suggestions???

Cheers

I had the same problems with the Reliance data card but on a XP laptop. Some internet reading seemed to suggest that the USB ports directly connected to the motherboard will work fine; but not the ones which have been tethered out. I am no comp. guy; so I continued using it on the one slot it worked well in.

[SirAlec]

is reliance Broadband+ prepaid advisable for secondary connection for occasional usage.

[ghpk]

Originally Posted by SirAlec

is reliance Broadband+ prepaid advisable for secondary connection for occasional usage.

Read many horror story and problem with Balance on pre-paid broadband.

however It may be a old news from early days so check with someone who already is using before you buy one.

[FlyingSpur]

I'm looking to replace our existing prehistoric Tata Indicom USB modem (I think it still gives GPRS or slower speeds, 1x or whatever it's called) and am looking at the Photon+ USB so that it will give us decent speeds on the go. It will be used mainly around Mumbai (all over), Pune, Delhi and Chennai.

Any recommendations? Is Reliance worth trying? I'm slightly averse to anything Reliance, frankly. Also, as an existing customer, any schemes I can avail of?

[deepakchan]

Originally Posted by flyingspur

I'm looking to replace our existing prehistoric Tata Indicom USB modem (I think it still gives GPRS or slower speeds, 1x or whatever it's called) and am looking at the Photon+ USB so that it will give us decent speeds on the go. It will be used mainly around Mumbai (all over), Pune, Delhi and Chennai.

Any recommendations? Is Reliance worth trying? I'm slightly averse to anything Reliance, frankly. Also, as an existing customer, any schemes I can avail of?

I think if you have a Standard Chartered credit/debit card, you can get the device at Rs.1,599 with 1 or 2 months of 15GB usage. That's the offer sold with most laptops nowadays.

[mail4ajo]

I occasionally use the Photon in Chennai since I have a dedicated DSL line. How does the Photon work on the go like in Trains where the high speed is not available? Any idea on network in Kerala?

[k_ajay]

Hello Mates,

I'm also in the mental rift between going for unlimited on Tata Photon+ or MTS Mblaze.. I live behind the HAL (old) airport in Bangalore, so ppl familiar with airport road on B'lore, know it's about 4kms on the inside from airport road.

I have a test piece of Mblaze and have been getting full signal on device since Sunday evening and browing and downloads are very good. I'm happy with this since the signal is almost full throughout the house [I live in an independent home and it's a g+1 structure]..

I have also borrowed a colleague's Tata Photon+ and signals have been good on that too inside my home [but kept fluctuating between 46% signal strength to 100% signal strength], but it never affected browsing or downloading.

What I'm unsure of is how much data will I require if I am to use the devices for almost 9 hrs every M-to-F routine and a few hrs [about 4-5 hrs] on the weekends. Will 10GB suffice or is more than 15GB required? Downloads may not be much but surely browsing, instant messaging and such will be heavily used.

I request feedback and comments from members who use the datacards heavily [that is, from those who connect from home, for work purposes, every day of the week, using these devices].

Many thanks for your help. Also appreciate your immediate responses as I like to make a decision by the end of this month.

ajay K

[mail4ajo]

I am typing this from some remote location on a train close to Erode off SH15 (according to my Nokia GPS). I had CDMA 1x access continously on my Tata Photon+. Speeds were very slow, 110kpbs download and 30kpbs upload. I was still connected to my office lotus notes, tbhp, facebook, gmail etc.