Bell's portable internet allows you to set up an account online once you get a connection with the modem... this seems to make a lot more sense. Don't know why Rogers makes you call in.

Ron.
The problem with Bell is that they charge $200 for install and they are completely unrealistic with respect to contract requests...2 or 3 years...plus they are more expense I think.

Has anyone tried this service in the HoneyHarbour + Port Severn area?

After weeks of calling and not getting anyone who new what an outdoor modem was I finally got a sales person that allowed me to give her the website then she checked and found out how to send it to me. One thing I notice is on the new maps on there site that shows the outdoor modem coverage-it is really only a few hundred meters at most past indoor modem coverage. The outdoor modem does not live up to expectations. I have managed to get a signal now and then but not enough actually give me a value in the software-just enought to change from the 2 beep then no beep(indicating no signal) to the repeated beeping but only about 1 a second apart(need 2 a second to have recommended minimum). It is not line of sight technology but for me to maintain a signal it requires almost as much percision as aiming a satellite dish. I will now have to return it...no looking forward to all the calls I will have to make to find someone again who will know what it is and how to return it.
Todd
PS-it says I am 8.4 km from the tower when I do get a signal(not enough for a strength value though...and need 20 strength minimum)

t121t3... try a small tower. I was having the same problems (I am 23 km from cell tower). If I raise the mdeom about 40', I get a constant signal of about 26 - 29. I bought a tripod with a 10' mast mounted on the roof.

yeah...i was just getting two beeps on my roof until i put my outdoor antenna on my tv tower. it is about 10 feet higher than my roof. just last night i got a score of 76! (highest rating yet, but am _always_ between 43 and 66).

go UP and get that signal!!

also, i am 8.5 km from tower, but down in a valley...hence the reason to go up with the equipment.

Where is the best place to get a mast to put on top of my roof? I know I can buy free standing towers that go on the ground and up to 70 feet(more money than I want to spend) but I take it from what you are saying I can just use a round TV antenna mast? I remember many years ago radio shack sold all sorts of these but I checked there site never saw anything. I have already attached the Outdoor modem to a 12' 2x4 and held it up on top of my roof...and got a beep a second...so I need to get maybe 20' above my roof and try again. The outdoor modem looks like it might really catch the wind so I guess pole will have to be very strong. Or is it like a free standing tower but roof mounted intead?

I have tried the Bell Unplugged with standard modem and can get signal (in vehicle with AC adapter) only on top of large hill about 3km from home. However, as I decend into valley, the signal disappears entirely.

So, it appears Rogers system with outdoor antenna might be worth trying WITH mast?

Any tips on where to get roof mounted masts?

BTW: very similar experinces with both Bell Sympatico Unplugged and Rogers Portable call centre. Long delays, mis-information regarding postal codes, etc. My rural location based on my mailing address shows service is available. Use the local postal code and it shows up unavailable.

Also, a caution...Bell sales claims 30 day grace period...Bell customer support claims 14...Bell service agreement states both ambigously!!!!!!!!!

The Source (former Radio Shack) sells a 3' rooftop tripod with 5' sections of mast. The unit seems strong, but if you are worried just use guy-wires to stabilize. The whole unit costs about $80 incuding a ground spike. Copper ground wire is expensive though, ~$6/meter.

It seems as though this system is really dependant on topography, more so than they like to admit. I have also spoke to a technician that admitted the system is susceptible to 'time of day' interference, hinting that increased radio noise during the day can affect the signal.

It would be great if others who have had luck with this system would post their experience.

XSCEN

my outdoor antenna fluctuates about by about 20 points (low 40s to mid 60s) every time i monitor the antenna.

i always thought it was because my antenna has a bit of sway to it (due to the fact that i never took the old top off the antenna (whatever the wire tuning part of it is called from the old tv days).

what is this about radio interference? i just hope i dont ever drop lower, although all the tree coverage etc seems to be in by now...hopefully i am "out of the woods"?!

dude

I just called to suspend my service until I can install my tower (I have a really steep roof cannot safely climb it). They will not let people suspend service, so I had to cancel. They even wanted to charge me for usage, when I have barely been able to connect! The modem is non-refundable, even though they assured me that I would receive service in my area when I bought it.

I hope it works with a taller tower, if not I'm taking offers on a brand new outdoor modem w/ all equipment (& a tower if needed). :mad:

It sucks dealing with these large companies who care more about their shareholders than their customers :mad:

could anyone who has used the outdoor modem let us know how long the cable from the outdoor modem to the power supply/ethernet is?

for a lark i took my indoor modem up the ladder to the potential install site and was getting three bars of reception. should this be adequate? indoors i find one bar is usually enough, but i am constantly having to chase the modem around to get the one bar. if it got three bars up the ladder on a cloudy day can i just set up the outdoor modem and forget about it?

My package just arrived and contained approximately 30 metres of wire (I say approx because I was measuring it on the ground with an imperial tape and measured 98 feet)

I just purchased a Rogers (Motorolla) outdoor modem, I live about 7 km west of Gravenhurst where the tower is located. With an indoor modem in the attic of my garage I got 2 lights +/- 1. I concluded this was bare minimum and since in I live here year round I decided I'd have to go external.
I climbed a tree near garage to get 6 to 8 ft higher and got 3 lights +/-1.
I then went about 120 feet closer to tower to a height of land on my property. At approximately the same elevation as in tree I got 5 lights. Only a few trees really affected the signal -- far more than I would have expected.
I then made a 250' ethernet cable to get from power in garage to 5 light modem location. I also added a 100' cable from modem connection in garage to D-Link wireless router and everything works great.
I have yet to do final installation which involves coupling 250 and 100' ethernet cables so all power plus router will be in my home -- as opposed to garage.
Previous to Rogers I was using Xplornet satelite at $99/month. On paper they have the same up and down capability. In reality it is at least 10 times faster. It seems even faster than high speed Cogeco cable I had when i lived in Burlington. And it's half the price!!! I think I've died and gone to heaven!!
As I write this it is raining so hard that my Bell Xpresvu is out -- and Xplornet always went sooner. My Rogers internet is working great. So I'm really:p

Just finished hooking up and activating my Rogers Portable internet with the outdoor modem about 25 feet up on my tv tower.
Got 3 green lights on the modem = strong signal.
Averaging 1.5 - 2.1 Mbps speed on the Intel broadband speed test.
I can't tell you the feeling of elation finally having residential hi-speed.
I have suffered 8 years of dial-up at our rural property and this is simply outstanding.
Now the fun part - setting up a wireless network this weekend and connecting the Xbox 360 and PS3.
:)

I was just checking out the specs on that Motorola modem. Rogers is using 2.5 GHz for their wireless system. This is just above the Wi-Fi band. The modem uses an internal 12 dBi gain panel antenna. What I’d do, and I’m sure this will become a future hack of these modems to extend the range and performance, is you open it up and disconnect the internal antenna and connect an external high gain directional grid antenna like the one below. This antenna has 24 dBi gain.. And for ever 3 dB you have twice the gain so you’d end up with 4 times the signal by doing this.

http://www.smartbridges.com/new_images/30_grid_antenna.jpg

Did another speed test this morning and clocked it at 2.9 Mbps!
This is with a signal strength reading of 3 green lights out of a maximum of 5.
Sorry if I'm coming across as a tad over entusiastic, but I've never been able to connect at speeds greater than 31.2 Kbps!
And the ironic part is I had to practically beg Rogers to sell me the modem because they kept insisting that the service wasn't available in my area, even when the coverage map showed me right on the fringe.
I seriously had to call 4 or 5 times and plead with them to let me try it!

Previous to Rogers I was using Xplornet satelite at $99/month. On paper they have the same up and down capability. In reality it is at least 10 times faster. It seems even faster than high speed Cogeco cable I had when i lived in Burlington. And it's half the price!!! I think I've died and gone to heaven!!

Nice to hear positive stories (and someone else doing lots of hard work). Thanks for sharing.

Another neat little thing I heard about and found out to be true is that even with 1 bar out of 5 you will still get practially FAST speeds. Bars do NOT directly affect the speed of the service. Probaly just the transmit power to the tower. Something interesting from Paolo!

My Modem didn't include the link monitor software -and I'd rather not spend 5 hours calling rogers trying to get it from them.

Does anybody have a copy I can download?

Tx

David in Ottawa

Quote>>>
I was just checking out the specs on that Motorola modem. Rogers is using 2.5 GHz for their wireless system. This is just above the Wi-Fi band. The modem uses an internal 12 dBi gain panel antenna. What I’d do, and I’m sure this will become a future hack of these modems to extend the range and performance, is you open it up and disconnect the internal antenna and connect an external high gain directional grid antenna like the one below. This antenna has 24 dBi gain.. And for ever 3 dB you have twice the gain so you’d end up with 4 times the signal by doing this.
>>>

HDTV101, where can i get a 24dbi antenna like this in the picture? thanks