Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Lyman Green" <daerid AT io.com>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christian Stalberg" <cpsr_rtp AT internet-lab.com>
To: "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/";
<internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 7:17 PM
Subject: [SPAM] Re: [internetworkers] Nextel Broadband Wireless pilot/beta


> I too am participating in the Nextel Broadband trial as I'm in the
'sticks'
> (Chatham/Durham County border). Do any of you know - assuming the trail
> turns out peachy cream (August time frame if I recall correctly)- if
they'll
> offer this 'solution' to desktops?
>
The pilot/trial/beta runs to August 31st, according to the Nextel rep who
sent me my stuff.
The answer to your question is yes, they will (or even do, I'm not sure)
provide support for desktop wireless cards.  I asked this specifically and
the Nextel L1 support rep I was talking to said yes.  Of course, he might
have been an idiot, but...

FYI: I sorted out my VPN problems with the Nextel connection - turns out
MTU's have to be set to 1300 on the Nextel NIC card.  The Cisco VPN client
comes with a gui app to change this and then everything worked flawlessly.

Unfortunately, I do not have a decent Nextel signal here at the house
(Chatham County, 10 miles south on 751 from Southpoint mall).  I could get a
signal, but it was weak and wasn't staying steady.  This was with the
standard antenna attached to the PC Card.

I am not truly surprised - only a little disappointed.  It would appear
Nextel is using the tower that Verizon was using when I had a Verizon phone.
My Cingular phone, on the other hand, must use some other tower because I
get 3 to 5 bars on my Cingular phone and have never lost a signal out here.
Verizon I lost the signal and now this nextel broadband card too.  Still, it
works great at work in Durham, and I know it works in Cary, so that's a good
thing.  I haven't tried carrying the laptop outside of the house yet to see
what that will do (out of curiosity's sake, I have no intention of using my
laptop outside all the time....)

There is a little antenna wire and I wonder if that will help.

Lyman