AT&T LaptopConnect First Impression
Thursday, June 5th, 2008
Despite my initial reaction to the contract, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a laptop connect card from AT&T. The modem arrived early this morning via DHL express thanks to the complementary 2 day shipping that came with this modem. I opted for the Option GT Ultra Express 3G device which of course comes with limited Apple OS X support. I read the reviews on AT&T’s site about how the card stuck out 2 inches from the side of the computer. I found it to be slightly less, but it’s flush with the top surface of the 15″ MacBook Pro, so I was happy. With the antenna all the way out it extends just over 2 1/2″ but your milage may vary for the most accurate placement of the antenna. There’s also a port for an external antenna should you happen to have one. The other negative I had read about the modem was the blinking light was so bright they needed to put tape over it. While it is slightly distracting, it’s hardly blinding and I find it reassuring to know I’m connected - again YMMV.
For folks using a Mac, you’ll need to download the correct version of your software from Option. It’s a small file (1.1Mb) and downloads quickly - but don’t forget to do it before you head off into the land of non-access. You’ll get little help from the paper that comes in the box with the modem. Download the installation manual from Option as well. It’s not linked from the 10.4.11 and 10.5.x download page. Apple has the device listed in it’s configuration files so I’ll be spending some time looking for connection scripts to see if I can bypass the GlobeTrotter Connect software all together.
I was unsatisfied with the SIM card insertion - there’s nothing but friction holding it in. I have a feeling over time it will fall out. The other connection that felt weak is the actual slot in the Mac. I’m not sure if this is a issue with the card or the laptop’s ExpressCard/34 slot. The old style PC Cards seemed to have a more solid connection and the handy eject button that popped out let you know if it was in all the way or not.
I found it frustrating to have to create a new Network location instead of having it inserted in with my Airport/Ethernet etc settings. This also means I’m going to have to create all of my Parallels configuration again so I can use the network with Windows and WiFi and Ethernet so I can share the connection on vacation. I followed the instructions and set the APN value to isp.cingular as instructed in the 3G/EDGE/GPRS tab in settings. It never did connect although it may have been my lack of patience with the device’s initial network registration process. After removing that value it connected just fine - so it may be ignored anyway.
From my home office I had pretty dismal download numbers for the portion of the test that was able to complete. I tested via Speedtest using their recommended connection in Kansas City, MO. With the default configuration set to prefer 3G but use what was available. I was able to achieve a peak of 17kbps and then it slowed to 6kbps and then stopped 17% of the way into the test. The ping test yeilded 349ms which I feel was reasonable. I’d read that setting the device to only use 3G and not switch to EDGE as needed can improve this performance. I reconnected and sure enough I was able to hit 700kbps but averaged 650kbps download before the test failed at 76% completed. I ran one last test to my closest physical location, the Twin Cities and hit 900kbps before the test failed at 56% I’m unclear why the tests continue to fail before completion - but that’s for another day.
My last test was to upload a few photos (in fact the ones I took for this post) just to see how that all performed. My expectations were pretty low given the issues with the download test. I was able to upload all of these photos (~204Kb) in about 10 seconds which I actually found reasonable. The larger screenshot above (~188Kb) uploaded in about 4 seconds which was even faster. My conclusion is that this certainly won’t be replacing my broadband cable modem for daily internet access (not to mention there’s a data cap on the service) but it’s a viable alternative to going without and for those who travel sufficiently, it’s a cheaper alternative to pay as you go WiFi in airports and hotels.
Brian Nadel recently wrote a nice article 
In Brian’s article he mentioned that AT&T had an $80 option for those adverse to a 1 or 2 year commitment. Intrigued I stopped by my local AT&T store and was given a bunch of misinformation that differed even from the information I was able to read on the AT&T site. 2 calls to AT&T later I was still unable to get the $80/month plan mentioned. I asked my sales consultant if there was an option to add it onto an existing line of service which could be upgraded and downgraded as needed based on my travel patterns and still no luck. At least a 1 year commitment is required. I was able to get an offer of a month to month with no discount on the card plan (which is to be expected) for $29.95/month with a 10Mb data allowance. Unfortunately the overage charges are outrageous ($0.06/kb). A single webpage might end up costing $2 to $3 to view! 
