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3G USB Mobile Broadband Router

The only broadband I’ve been able to get in my current location in Leitrim is O2′s mobile broadband usb dongle which, for the most part has been fine but sharing the connection around the house via LAN or WiFi is tricky.Traditional routers only accept the likes of Eircom landline or wireless broadband LAN feeds in the back and don’t support 3G modems so your stuck using whatever pc you have the dongle plugged into. Of course you can plug it out and stick in in another computer or laptop but then maybe you wont get a signal in another part of the house. I personally have to have my dongle stuck up in one particular window with bluetack!

With the help of a knowledgable tech friend I was able to setup an unused slave pc upstairs into which I plugged the dongle then fed a LAN cable out the window, down the wall and into the office. This gave me a WiFi network but was a lot of hassle and my partner weasn’t too pleased about a noisy pc in her room! So I badly needed some kind of simple solution and last week it came.

I found out by chance (either through Twitter or Irish Press Releases, can’t remember which!) that Commsoft, an irish company, were selling the first 3G usb broadband router that I’d ever heard of so I snapped it up off their site immediately! It came quick enough in the post and very easy to setup.

You simply connect it up to your pc via LAN, stick your dongle in the back, power it up and visit http://192.168.0.1 in a browser and click ‘Start Wizard’. All questions were easy apart from the dongle APN (Access Point Name) which I’d no idea about until I read up and checked the settings in my dongle connection software. You then save the settings and restart the modem and it connects your modem for you! The router has all the functions you’d normally expect from a router and the wifi is fine. I can now go online on the iphone in bed at a decent speed!

* UPDATE

The above 3G UMR router has now been replaced with the Dovado 3GN, basically a smaller, faster version of the UMR and supporting 802.11n as well as higher modem speeds.

Check out the router here – Commsoft.ie

Leon.

Rated 4/5 on Jan 30 2009

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This Article has had 31,678 views so far.

Posted in General, Reviews on January 30th, 2009
Tags: 3G router, 3gn, 802.11n, broadband leitrim, dovado 3gn, umr, usb mobile broadband router
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Reverb Studios is an affordable Web & Digital Design studio based in Leitrim, Ireland and specialising in Wordpress Website Design, Graphic Design and Photo Editing.

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http://www.mulvenna.org Gerry Mulvenna

Thanks for writing this review so quickly, Leon. I’m pleased that the router is meeting your needs. The APN thing had me puzzled too, when I was testing out the router at first with a vodafone modem – the APN that worked was “hs.vodafone.ie”, not “internet” as suggested on the Dovado Irish support page. For a Three dongle “3ireland.ie” was the only APN that worked for me. Are you using “open.internet” with your O2 modem?

In the next week I’ll be clarifying the APN issue on the commsoft.ie website.

Regards

Gerry, Commsoft Ltd
- http://twitter.com/arjibakoh3 Bankchart
  
  This is a great site. I think this router is easy to set up
  
  wireless router reviews
http://www.reverbstudios.ie Leon

Yep “open.internet” for O2 worked straight off for me Gerry
Eamonn Dunne

why not save yourself the money and just install a open source proxy on the host machine for free?
- http://www.reverbstudios.ie Leon
  
  Well too late now and I wouldn’t know how..
Eamonn Dunne

Go to http://www.handcraftedsoftware.org/ and grab free proxy by default it will act as a proxy for HTTP but you can add whatever protocols you need. Its quite straightforward to setup. Sorry I know its a bit late but for future reference i guess.
- http://www.reverbstudios.ie Leon
  
  What about the WiFi, wouldn’t I need the hardware for this regardless?
http://dave.spathaky.name DeepSpin (Dave Spathaky)

Hi,

Thanks for that info and review. Are all the Irish mobile ISP’s happy with you sharing their mobile connections on a local LAN? Would they know? I had an idea that they restricted your access by MAC address or some such gubbins.
- http://www.reverbstudios.ie Leon
  
  Don’t know and don’t care whether they’re happy or not! I’m sure I can do what I like with my own connection once I don’t go over the monthly bandwidth limit. The connection is certainly sharing in the house here no problem and the dongles are meant to be used with multiple pc’s/laptops anyway so don’t see how they could lock it to 1 computer.
Eamonn Dunne

They wouldn’t be able to know, they identify the connection on the basis of the sim in the modem.
http://dave.spathaky.name DeepSpin (Dave Spathaky)

Ok point taken. i wasn’t really to concerned with their state of mind. I thought I had read that the T&C from one mobile provider and I think it was 3 said you had to agree to only use one computer connected to the connection at a time and i assumed they had figured some way to enforce that.

A friend who has an O2 dongle is certainly convinced that she is only ‘allowed’ to use it on one machine at a time.

I certainly don’t give much of a flying fe*k if is against their T&C or not I would just prefer to know…

All the best Dave
http://www.mulvenna.org Gerry Mulvenna

I had a quick skim through T&Cs (lovely way to start the morning) and could not find any reference to a restriction on sharing your connection to multiple devices. Like Dave, I have a recollection I seen some condition like that somewhere. Maybe somebody else can spot it.

O2 Terms
3 Terms
Vodafone Terms

Gerry, Commsoft
Eamonn Dunne

It really doesnt matter, they cant tell. It makes *no* difference to the operator once you dont really take the piss with the transfer cap. For what its worth, I regularly broke the download cap with O2 and was not billed for the additional transfers.
Trevor Coen

Thanks for the review, very useful.
http://styleteqnlinecomputerstore.synthasite.com/ Cian

You can buy a 3G Router from My Company, check out the link to Edimax the manufacturer below, it retails for ?111.99 free next day delivery in Ireland!

http://www.edimax.ie/en/produce_detail.php?pd_id=267&pl1_id=3&pl2_id=18
Pingback: Leon Quinn reviews his UMR - 3G-router.ie
http://www.mulvenna.org Gerry Mulvenna

I think I’ve spotted where the notion came from that sharing a USB modem was “bold” (it isn’t of course). In the O2 Broadband FAQ they say:

Can I share my O2 Connection with another laptop?
No, but you can transfer your connection from laptop to laptop.
- http://www.reverbstudios.ie Leon
  
  @ Gerry, Maybe that O2 FAQ means that it just wasn’t technically possible at the time they wrote it to share a 3G connection rather than being forbidden. Now it is possible thanks to Dovado!
Sam, from Barcelona

I quickly read the Edimax 3G router manual. It says you have to install the USB modem in each PC before you plug it into the router………..uhhhhhh……why? Isn’t the point of the router that you DON’T have to do that???

Goes to show how much Edimax knows about 3G, doesn’t it?!?

The DOVADO UMR offers a whole lot more for only a few euros extra. It’s made by a company whose core knowledge is 3G and mobile broadband in general. They follow the progress of the global development and are able to tap into new possibilities thanks to their ongoing firmware development, which constantly unlocks new potential in your existing UMR.

Check these out:

http://www.dovado.com/sms
http://www.dovado.com/traffic
and my personal fave….
http://www.dovado.com/tellstick
monty

Hi, just happened on your blog as I was searching for a remedy to help set up the new Edimax wireless 3G Broadband router on my PC. I’ve been using the O2 HUAWWEI Mobile Connect 3G Modem for the past 6 months or so and it works fine, despite being on the Edge network most of the time. I hoped this router would be a way to wirelessly use it for the PC and Laptop and also set up a new WiFi Epson printer accessible to both computers. However it’s not being ‘seen’ when I try to connect it to the Internet through the new router. I seem to have the cables and the APN settings entered correctly. I also disabled the PIN settings on the modem as I had been prompted to enter the PIN code on start-up of the PC in the past. Any ideas as to how I can get around this. The modem is working fine here directly connected to the PC right now, but it won’t connect through the Edimax Router…Help!
cian

just buy a D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router best router around for the price and works with 3g usb modems
http://www.mulvenna.org Gerry Mulvenna

Cian, the D-Link DIR-655 isn’t a 3G router – it does have a USB port, but that appears to be for Windows Connect Now.
monty

Sorry, but I’ve already bought the Edimax ROUTER here and just need a little advice as to how to get it going…if anyone has any ideas?
http://www.mulvenna.org Gerry Mulvenna

Monty, looking at the Edimax manual, it suggests to me that you should just be all that is needed on the management interface is to enter your PIN (if enabled) and the APN (open.internet) – are you seeing any 3G/3.5G status on the router management interface? The manual also just seems to refer users with connection problems to the reseller who supplied the router.

I’m assuming you have an E220 or E270 modem from O2? They certainly appear on the Edimax compatibility list.

You might have more luck finding other Edimax users by posting on the boards.ie midband forum. Best of luck, Gerry.
Bill

I am also trying to set up an Edimax 3G-6200W router with my Vodafone 3G USB modem. I have managed to get my computer to talk to the router but cannot get online. I am using Windows XP SP3. Has anyone managed to online and, if so, how?
Bill

I have sorted it at last. The handbook was confusing and the 5 minute wait when using the CD Wizard was frustrating. As I live in Portugal, I used the APN “internet.vodafone.pt”. I also chose to use the SIM route of setting up the router instead of the Username/Password route. My PIN was on the SIM card in the Vodafone/Huawei modem. Using the wizard, I selected the SIM route, and entered the PIN and the APN. Within a minute or so I was online and happy at last. My wife’s laptop is also connected by wifi and she is happy.

I hope this helps.
- izzati
  
  how to check the APN of our modem? i got the same problem as you before. can you give me the instruction.
  
  thanx,
  izzati
Neil

Thanks for your review.

Has anyone tried VOIP (e.g. Blueface) using Dovado 3G router and mobile broadband? I’d love to ditch my landline if this works but I’ve read on some old posts that latency can be too poor on mobile broadband networks to make this work well.

Thanks

Neil
- http://www.reverbstudios.ie Leon
  
  @Neil Well I used to use Skype before my signal withered here due to too many local subscribers but it was fine in the beginning. If you’re in a decent area of coverage voip will work fine on mobile broadband. I can’t see how the Dovado router would make any difference.
John Dier

Hi Guys,
I am about to buy an Edimax 3G router and use it with my O2 modem, I presume that they are no hassle to set up, just a matter of putting the apn in. I can see from most of the posts that open.internet will work as an apn for the O2 modem, just checking I am reading right? The fact it is a print server and also can be used as a standard DSL router looks handy.

John
http://www.mulvenna.org Gerry Mulvenna

When buying any 3G router, you need to make sure your USB modem is supported – usually the manufacturer’s website will maintain a list of supported devices. For instance the Sierra Compass 888 modem (as used by many O2 customers in Ireland) has proved a difficult device for 3G routers to work with. It’s my understanding that the Edimax doesn’t support it as yet.
John Dier

Cheers for the help Gerry, I am using a Huawei E220, which looks to be on the supported list of modems. They maybe the bog standard modem, but I have never had an ounce of bother with it. Presume that having the router in the system has absolutely no effect on either upload or download speeds. I have absolutely no quarrel with O2 on their speeds.

John
John Dier

One thing, does leaving the pin code off on the dongle make connection through the router any harder or easier. I have disabled the pin on my dongle and wonder do I need to enable it to set up the router? Also, I presume the wireless network detection part of the computer will see the router straight away so it can be browsed to set it up. My laptop is a little bit on the ancient side and have to use a wireless card in the slot to pick up wireless networks. I have no problem anywhere I use it to pick up hotspots, so presume will have no problem with this.

John
Bill

My Huawei E220 works well with the Edimax 3G Router. All I needed to do when setting it up with my Vodafone account was to use the CD Wizard that came with the router. As mentioned earlier, I ran the CD and selected the SIM route, then entered the PIN and the APN. Be aware that the wizard takes something like 5 minutes to detect things, so be patient.

Bill from Portugal.
dermot

Hi,
i’ve got a 3 mobile modem and an apple mac, what’s the best way for me to get wifi? will a apple airport express work?
thanks
dermot
John Dier

Guys,
Got the router yesterday, and guess what, no five minutes wait or anything. Plugged the router in, plugged in the dongle and low and behold, it connected even before I had time to put in the CD. I had my mail programme open at the time and could see mail coming in even before I opened the CD tray. I browsed the router and noticed the APN is set as “internet”. Going to leave it at that if it works like it is now. Only one minor thing to do now is figure out how to change the name on the SSID. Figured out how to do it before on an old D-Link AP that I used, so hope it wont be too much hassle. Thanks for any of the useful tips given.

John
http://www.mulvenna.org Gerry Mulvenna

Dermot, I think the Apple Airport Express needs DSL / Cable / Wireless broadband for it’s internet connection. You need a 3G router like the Dovado UMR, as per Leon’s original blog article, to which you can directly connect your USB modem.
http://www.reverbstudios.ie Leon

Unfortunately, my O2 has been getting slower and slower recently, probably because of too many people on the local network or maybe theres too many leaves on the trees now!

I wasn’t sure if the Dovado router needed to be connected to a pc or not to work fully (I kinda guessed it didn’t since I’ve been using it to go online on the iPhone without the pc turned on but still connected to it). I can confirm it doesn’t need to be! I moved it and the O2 dongle to the upstairs window where I get a slightly better signal and beam the wi-fi down to the main pc via a usb wi-fi dongle and while the actual link speeds aren’t great (11 Mbits/sec), its better than no broadband at all!

Just a tip for anyone in the same boat..

PS – The router settings/config can still be accessed from the same address.
Martin Roll

Hi Folks, I bought one of Gerry’s Dovado’s and worked with them on testing the Sierra Compass 888 (C888). I still have problems with mine, but I’m assured that I’m the only one that’s still got problems. I’m waiting for O2 to give me a firmware update that Sierra issued in March to see if that fixes my problem. I’m also going to try a signal booster out, as I live in a weak reception area.

Dovado’s Techies are hot and responsive and produced fixes for me very quickly. I think my C888 is probably the problem since the E220 works fine, but the C888 doesn’t maintain connections even when plugged into the PC.

Has anyone tried using signal boosters?
http://www.christopherprice.net/ Christopher Price

Gerry, you are incorrect about the D-Link DIR-655.

The latest firmware update enables the USB Port to function with 3G USB Adapters. D-Link is not providing much documentation for it, in fact, the only support docs for the feature are inside the router’s help menu itself.

The same thing applies to all other D-Link Shareport routers, including the $69 D-Link DIR-628.

Unfortunately the one downside is, it doesn’t work very well right now. For example, it claims to work with EV-DO and GSM/UMTS 3G Adapters, but there aren’t any settings for EV-DO cards.

Still, at $70 to $120, it’s far cheaper than other options. Hopefully D-Link will do the right thing and issue firmware updates to make it work perfectly… oh, and start telling you about it.
http://www.mulvenna.org Gerry Mulvenna

Thanks Christopher – I stand corrected. One would think D-Link would be highlighting the 3G functionality on the specs on their website. I suppose the Dovado 3G router has gained a following here in Ireland because it does work well with the commonly used modems and the manufacturers have a proactive attitude to support.
John Dier

I know the Dovado router seems to be very popular, i am using the Edimax one myself for the last few weeks and think it is great. It set itself up with my O2 modem in about 20 seconds, no waiting for 5 minutes or anything. I am using it now with both my laptops, I bought a new one this week with duel core processer, and it works fine, even with live stream telly broadcasts and stuff like that. think both edimax and Dovado have stolen a bit of a march on D-Link.

John
Martin Roll

Hi Folks, has anyone got the latest firmware for the Sierra Compass 888?

I’ve asked O2 for it three times now, and had no response what-so-ever. Sierra tell me it was available last month.

My C888 is unreliable and I’m not using it with the Dovado as the E220 works fine and is reliable.
- Kevin Kenny
  
  hi martin The firmware is on the official sierra wireless site, it`s called K2
cyberdunce

Hi can you please tell me how to connect the PS3 to mobile broadband dongle , i am with {3G}……… thank you
http://www.dovado.com DOVADO

Tried this? You need a router, like our DOVADO UMR.

http://www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/DOVADO/UMR_Broadband/UMR_Broadbandindex.htm
Fionn

Hi i also have the Edimax 3G-6200Wg router on o2 wireless mobile broadband on the huawei E220 modem. The only problem is when i leave it connected say all night in the morning it disconnects itself and starts searching with the blue light flashing its enoying. Because i want to leave it connected so my sisters can use it on their laptops. And when i want to connect it again i have to change the router setting from CDMA to HSDPA to get it connected again. Is there anyway of getting the router to connect the huawei back on to the internet automatically when iam not at home. Also iam thinking of upgradeing to the Sierra Wireless Compass 888 Modem
but buying it myself not from o2 because then i would have to change the price plan. Say if i bought one and put my sim in from the huawei would o2 pick up on this and see it as a differant modem on there system.
Tom

Just yesterday, I managed to put to work my Vodafone USB modem (Huawei E180v or K3715) via SMC router SMCWBR14-3GN. With this type of a connection, is it still possible to somehow use the Vodafone Mobile Connect software to measure the strength of the signal and to measure the amount of transfered data? Or is there any other software that is able to provide this information? Thanks for any hints.

Tom
John Dier

Fionn,
just a thought if you are thinking of going the Sierra Compass route, I emailed the tech support guys in Edimax and they said that the 888 won’t work with the 3G-6200W. That is them saying that, not me. i was interested in the faster upload speed of the 888, but will make do with the E220 for the moment. If you can lay your hands on the E270, it has faster upload speed than the E220, trying to find one myself. As for the switching off, try leave nothing open on your computer like internet or email programs, that helps slightly for me. All I do when mine turns off is plug the modem out and back in again and it works fine.

John
Fionn

Thanks for the help john dier i took the router back in the end i got a bit ticked of by it aparently aload of them were taken back to petes electrical in newbridge. So i was on the same boat as the others. Tell me does the modem have to be unlocked for it to work with o2 or other providers. I have seen the Sierra Wireless Compass 888 Modem on the net but thay are way to expensive about €160 ex postage and packageing i am going to check the E270 out. Do you have the E270 modem if so what is it like
thanks

Fionn
Martin

Hi Fionn,

I have a Sierra Compass 888. It’s already on O2. If you’d like it, you’d have to take over the DD of €20 per month, and cover the €20 + postage it cost me. I’m leaving the country, but it’s got an 18 month contract.
Martin

I suggest that you look at the Dovado UMR …. it never drops my E220 connection…. although I can’t get it to work properly with the C888.
http://www.mulvenna.org Gerry Mulvenna

Hi Martin et al

Dovado just released a new firmware update for the UMR today, which (among other things) fixes a bug affecting some Sierra Compass 888 users whereby the PC software was putting the modem in a low power mode and causing poor performance with the UMR. It may be the answer to your C888 problems, Martin. Available from the usual place.
John Dier

Fionn,
I am working on the e220 and it works a trat with my edimax. although if i can lay my hands on an E270, I will give it a try as it has much higher uploadf speed than the E220. As I do a lot of website work and email audio reports to radio stations, higher upload can be very handy. The download speed of the E220 is plenty for what I do. As Gerry is pointing out with the firmware update for the dovado, I think problems with the C888 that people were having was common to the Edimax and the Dovado, so maybe Edimax will get the compatibility problem with the C888 sorted as well. When I emailed their tech gang last week they said they were working on the problem. As the E270 is becoming less available, they may be harder to get, but let me know if you manage to find a source that has a good few.

John
Jody

I have an O2 dongle (Huawei E220) that I’d like to convert to wireless access through a dedicated (always on) computer so that others in my household can be online at the same time.

I’d be very grateful for suggestions for the best router/wireless access point to use, and where I can purchase it.

Many thanks,
Jody
- http://www.reverbstudios.ie Leon
  
  Jody, if you look a little closer at this blog post your question will be answered!
John Dier

Jody,
The modem you have will work werll with both the Dovado or Edimax routers that are available quite easily. I found my e220 very easy to set up on the O2 network, i just plugged it into the Edimax router that i have and it set itself up in about 15 seconds, no need to install software or anything. You would not need a dedicated computer left on or anything, it would bacically make your house a wi-fi hotspot. For everyone, just looking at the Edimax website, I think they may have added the Sierra Compass 888 to the compatible list, i will email them and try find out.

John
- Kevin Kenny
  
  Hi john. I got a message from edimax stating they were not supporting Sierra 888 K.K.
Pako

Hey Jody,
this router I found on Dabs dot ie does what your looking for and also works as a printer server…
Search for eEdimax 3g it cost 72 euro including shipping, reasonable cost also I think.

Pat
Jody

Thanks Pat, John and Leon,

My 13 year old son solved the problem unexpectedly. He has a two-year old HP Pavillion laptop with Windows Vista, and he just plugged the 02 dongle into his laptop and turned on the peer-to-peer network on his laptop, adjusted a setting or two, and suddenly we were all on wireless. No router, no wireless access point. My IBM Thinkpad, my husband’s brand new dell, and my assistant’s year old Macbook wouldn’t do it–so we think Windows Vista, which only my son is on, has a wider set of network options.

The only problem we’ve had is when one of us uses video Skype it knocks the rest of us off the internet. Regular Skyping is fine though.

Thanks for all of your good advice, which I may still use in order not to be dependent on my son’s laptop.

Jody
stephen

i Have a
Vodafone
huawei e220 hsdpa usb modem ialso have a edimax 3 g-6200wg router with print server the print server works fine but when i plug in my dongle it flashes but wont go online .

any thoughts thanks
John Dier

Stephen,
it is probably something simple like the APN not being set right. When I plugged my O2 one in, it hooked up in less than 20 seconds, it turned out the APN that wasd pre installed in the router works for O2. There is a list of APN settings somewhere in this thread or you can get it from your dongle itself by plugging it into your computer and looking at the settings that are on the dongle when the dial up box opens. If you then connect to the router through your wireless end of your laptop or computer, browsw the router using 192.168.2.1 and putting in the username and password in the box, these are in the instruction manual that can be downloaded from the Edimax site, but are usually admin and 1234 and you can get to the APN set up page by firstly clicking on the “General set up”. Then click on the “3/3.5G” link in the side menu and you will see where to put in the correct APN. When you do this, click on the “Next” button and it will go to the page where you have to click on “Apply” to activate the changes. When you do that, the router will restart and you should be in business. Vodafone should be able to give you the APN if you can’t find it in the software screen.

Hope this helps
John
ion wittig

hey guys….i have a better solution…is called Cradlepoint PHS 300…is a portable wireless router, a little biger than a pack of cigaretts, got a rechargeble battery so you can have internet anywhere, or you can leave it pluged in if you use it home….just be carefull with it,might not support all usb modem….mine works with O2 Irelands sierra compass 888….but make sure you got latest firmware on Cradlepoint router, otherwise it will not work…if you have any questions ask me.
- John
  
  I can see how it is handy if not close to the mains electricity, but would think using the usb dongle on it’s own in that scenario would be as handy. If they had made it a little bit bigger and put in a few LAN ports, then it probably would be the business. having said that, a good inverter in the car, along with the router I already have, might be better!!!
  
  John
http://www.mulvenna.org Gerry Mulvenna

I’m just experimenting with the in-car WiFi using the Dovado and a 12V regulator (no need for an inverter surely?).

Gadgets like the Cradlepoint would come into their own, I suppose, if you had a car load of people sporting various wireless-enabled devices with no need for LAN ports and nowhere to stick a USB dongle.
- John
  
  True Gerry, I just happen to have an inverter, maybe I am just too lazy to go out and get a plug to suit the 12V input on my Edimax. I have used it as a hotspot in the car quite successfully, like you with the Dovado.
  
  John
ciaran

have to say very entertaining reading.just put in an order with gerry do a lot of experimenting with cctv wi fi and data and was in the market to expand on that.was not aware that there was an agent here and there were like minded individuals also, will let you know how i get on .ps just build in an atom pc into the vehicle small runs on 12 volts
runs a version of windows xp wi fi built in connect that to your dovado and now your possibilitys are endless.A small solar pannel to top up the battery.
alee

i cannot find the 3g router, is there any other way i can make my pc a wireless hotspot with usb dongle but i dont know how to make it work with a router. please help me if you can
John Dier

Hi Folks,
Just as a follow up to all this. I used the upgrade on my O2 accpount to get a Sierra Compass 888 as looking at the latest compatibility list from Edimax, they have solved the problems that they had with the two of them working together. Firstly I updated the firmware on the router and then connected, and all worked well. What it did show up for me was that I had been working all along since I bought the router in April, that I had been using the wrong APN. The “internet” APN, that was in the router when I bought it, will work with O2. This did however lead to problems with me having emails to certain organisations being bounced as a source of spam mail. When I looked into the cause, the “internet” APN was causing me to show the same IP address the whole time, one that was listed in the CBL register as a source of spam. Once I changed the APN to “open.internet” the problem dissapeared and my IP address shows up as varying ones on the O2 range and I have no problem with bounced mail. With the firmware update, the proper APN setting and the new modem, the router is working much better than it had ever worked up to now. ALee, which network are you on? The APN setting is critical for the router to work. Can I also suggest you use the LAN cable to connect the router to your computer and browse the router with the IP address that is in the manual. This will definitely make the router visible to the computer. If, like me, you have an Edimax, the IP address is 192.168.2.1. Type this into your browser and it will ask you for the username and password, which are preloaded. Once you are into the router, the settings will be there for you to see. Hope this has been of some help.

John
- kevin kenny
  
  Hi john.What firmware are you using in sierra 888.. K KENNY..?
Gavin

Have any of you guys who are running Vista or W7 had a problem with dropped connections on your USB modems? It’s really getting to me now! I think a problem may be the default gateway on these two OS and I was considering one of the 3G routers – hopefully that may provide Windows with a static IP?

Thanks for any help.
John Dier

Gavin,
Just as a test, since I got the Sierra Compass 888 at the start of the month, i decided to leave the modme puggud into the router the whole time to see how it will work on a long stint. It has never cut out once while using it in nearly 4 weeks!! It does knock itself off at about 6AM some mornings when the cell the modem is picking up reboots at that time. The only other time it logged off was during a power cut once. What I would suggest is that your firmware on the dongle and the router are bang up to date, this helps a lot. O2 brought out new firmware for the E220 at the start of the year and it made them work a lot better. The firmware upgrade is still on the O2 site. Also, make sure the APN in the router you get is set properly, some come with “internet” set as the default. This will actually work with the O2 router, but it should be “open.internet”, it can slow the router down and also lead to spam problems.
Gavin

John, thank you for the reply. As yet I haven’t purchased a router – that is one of my next steps in trying to get a stable connection with my 3 dongle. The dongle does have the latest firmware applied, although I’ve since read in various places that 3 techies are advising people not to update to that and keep going with older settings!! A friend has told me that a problem seems to be Vista and W7 using a different gateway/IP system and applying a non-static version – using a router might provide the OS with a permanent/static one and help reduce/eliminate the dropped connections. Were you/anyone having problems with this when you were just using the dongle, rather than via a router?
http://broadbandguide.com.au wilson

Hi Guys! I Heard 3’s MiFi, mobile broadband Service,It’s easily be shared between different users and devices.
http://www.mulvenna.org Gerry Mulvenna

On the subject of MiFi® they are certainly an option if what you’re after is a truly mobile personal hotspot. However bear in mind that the range is fairly limited (typically 10m), there may be a limit on concurrent clients (e.g. maximum of 5 clients) and they are not particularly cheap at the moment. A Novatel MiFi will set you back €255; 3 in the UK are currently offering their MiFi for £70 but you must commit to a £15 a month contract. I can’t see that product on the 3 Ireland website.
- Gareth
  
  No you prob will never see the same price here because this Ireland!.
  I was in Tesco in North Wales over Christmas and looked at a cast iron griddle pan for £7.50. I decided it would prob be available in my local Tesco in Maynooth so I left it there. When back in Maynooth I discovered yes it is in Tesco here…but at €28.50 !!!, exactly the same pan, almost four times the price!!!
John Dier

Gavin,
Since I got the APN setting right, the router, or the dongle,is giving me a dynamic IP, changes a good few times a day, and this has sorted out any spam problems I had. I am not totally sure if having a static IP is of any great advantage, you would probably want to ask a more tech type person, probably Gerry!!!!, than me. I am wondering, now that you mention what network you are on, if it is the ISP that could be your problem. I had the same as yourself, and had to give up on them, no probs with who I am with now.

John
john

can you plug the router into the wall without it being connected to a computer and then put the usb dongle in the router.when this is done do you get internet via wifi on another device eg ps3
John Dier

You can indeed John, just make sure that the APN stting on the router is the same as your dongle. You can get that by plugging your dongle into your computer and going into the settings of it. Connect your router to your computer with a lead and browse it and set your APN setting on the router. When all this is done, your router should connect to the net within 20-30 seconds. You should be able to use any device that can connect to wi-fi then, I managed to get the young fella’s DSi connected. Your mobile operator should give you the APN setting if you ask and whoever you buy the router off should be able to show you how to set the APN setting. Hope this helps.

John
https://supportforums.cisco.com/thread/186893 jeffrey gilsona

I just started working for a small company (20-25 people) and was wondering what would be a good router for them. They have a netopia now and have a T1 connection. The average user would only be surfing the web but they did just get an accounting package that they will use over the web. Any ideas would be appreciated…..and the cheaper the better, I would have to sell them on it. BTW what does cisco tech support cost per year for a router? Josh Delcore
Aedin

I’ve got O2 mobile broadband, but the dongle is a Huawei E1752. I bought the Edimax 3G6200n router and am having no success in connecting to the internet with it. On my laptop, I’ve got it to the stage that it can see the network, but can’t connect to it. (On my ancient desktop, I’ve had less success). Has anyone managed to use this router with this dongle? Any other advice?
John Dier

Aedin, just wondering, is your modem connecting to the net, as in is the light going constant blue/green or what ever colour it goes when using it just on the laptop? Also, the Edimax router I bought came with a network cable, try connect the router using that and see if it connects. What you will have to do when the router and your laptop conect is to set the APN on your router to suit your dongle. The IP address for the router should be in the instruction book, but it probably is 192.168.2.1. When you open that, there will be a thing in the side menu, 3G/3.5G, click on this and in the box that appears, there will be a line that says APN. It is probably saying “internet”, change that to “open.internet”. Once you do that, you should be up and running. Also, check is the router password protected to connect wireless, you may have to change that to one you want. It is woth connecting with the cable first to check all of this, that will definitely connect to the router for you.

John
Aedin

Hi John,

sorry for the delay in replying – I had to go off and check the answer, and I just couldn’t face another evening of hooking the thing up and messing around with settings endlessly…..

So, yes, the modem is connecting to the net. It even informs me that the signal strength is excellent. But I can’t connect the computer to it.

I changed the APN to open.internet. I put in the correct password for the sim. I tried putting in gprs as the username and password (as per some advice I saw somewhere) and then I tried leaving it blank (as per some other advice I saw somewhere). One problem that I face with all this is that connecting to 192.168.2.1, which I need to do every time I try to change a setting, is often difficult. At the beginning of a ‘session’, I can connect, but then I have to reboot to get the connection, and then eventually even rebooting doesn’t work so I just give up.

Re your idea of connecting with a cable, do you mean the ethernet cable? And if so, do I connect the computer to the WAN port on the router, or to one of the LAN ports? Sorry if this is an embarrassingly obvious question!

All help gratefully received. I’m gearing up for one last try on making this thing work before giving up….

Aedin.
John Dier

Aedin,
Whack the ethernet cable into any of the four numbered LAN ports in the back of the router. As for your connection difficulties, not sue how I can help you there except possibly try move the router away from the laptop. Sometimes if they are too close, it makes connection difficult as the router tries to over power the connection. If you have hassle after that, try ring or call into where you bought the router and see if they can spot something obvious. Don’t worry about posting questions, if I can be of help, ask away.

John
Moose

I know for a fact that the edimax cannot connect your 3g Modem using both LAN and WAN at the same time.. meaning you can only use either the lan or wifi alone but not both at the same time… my question is does the dovado have the same issue? can somebody confirm to me that i will be able to connect to the dovado 3gn using my latops wifi and a wired lan cable from the the dovado 3gn into another dektop pc at the same time??? mean ethernet cable connection and wifi connection same time!??
http://movingWiFi.com Gerry Mulvenna

Hi Moose – I can confirm that the LAN ports and the WiFi on the Dovado routers can used at the same time. They’re on the same subnet for what it’s worth. I’m a bit taken aback by the idea that the same isn’t true for the Edimax. That would be a bit mental, no?
John Dier

Moose, the Edimax can’t be used to connect to the net with a 3G modem and a WAN connection at the same time, but you can connect to the router using wi-fi and one of the four LAN sockets at the same time, I do it a lot of the time. My older laptop has problems connecting wirelessly when I have the security on, so I quite often connect it with a LAN cable and the new one by wi-fi. What none of them can do is be connected to two forms of broadband at the same time, ie, two 3G modems or 3G and WAN.

John
John Dier

Didn’t see your reply Gerry, it went up as I put mine was being typed, as you can see, the LAN ports & the Wi-fi can be used at the same time on the Edimax, I do it a lot with mine.

John
Moose

THANKS A LOT I APPRECIATE IT!
John Dier

Not a problem Moose, I was asking some of the same questions when I got my router.

John
David Reidy

Hi everyone… just wondering if anyone knows if internet sites browsed when using someone’s modem can be traced on the modem itself…. ? Does the modem keep a record of all sites visited by users?
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Nice one, thanks for the info. I love using my iphone when searching online, this may just speed up my mobile phone.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Regina-Mc-Dermott/1534740649 Regina Mc Dermott

Hi guys hope this aint classed as spamming – its not intended
3 mobile actually do a router like eircom with a sim card slot Ethernet RJ45 with external antenna support and wifi if you would like further details or you would like to try router for 14 days you can contact me and i would be delighted to assist you. We also install high gain antennas specifically for 3G poor signal areas.
you can connect with me on facebook under regina mc dermott (space between Mc and Dermott) or email reginamcdermott@3mail.ie
Mitch

Hi. I need help. I’m using a mobile broadband and i want to set it up to become a wifi source. my cousin told me to use a dongle to set it up but he forgot how to do it. does anybody know how?
- http://www.reverbstudios.ie/blog Leon Quinn
  
  Hint…you’re in the right place!
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With help of this 3G broadband router we can boost our mobile signal efficient way and get a better signal. In this blog post you have described really a great stuff so we an know about it in more detailed way.
Lauraburke007

how do connect to the internet on your dsi if you have mobile broadband?
izzati

hye. i have the 3G modem and i want to make that modem as the wifi which is im using portable router EDIMAX. so based on the manual, i have to connect the router with my computer using LAN then the 3G modem connect to the EDIMAX portable router through usb port at EDIMAX portable router.

after i follow the manual i still cannot access to the internet. so can you help me to solve my problem.

thanx,
izzati
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I was not aware of how to handle process this 3G USB Mobile Broadband Router.. Thanks for letting me know about it. Loved it.
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Thank you admin for sharing the wonderful articles I have you bookmarked to check out allthe new stuff you post.
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Hmm.. interesting.. I have planned to buy 3g branded mobile.. loved it.
Talha Awan

Hi there …
Which dongle did you use and from where i can get one?
Just curious and wants to know … I am looking to set up a LAN connection as a wifi.
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http://usb3gvn.com USB 3G

Thanks, great review to the important points. Some really great thoughts here, very comprehensive. I appriciate that!
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Keep posting such kind of information on your blog. I bookmarked it for continuous visit. Thanks once again.
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I have recently purchased 3G USB mobile broadband router which could provide excellent Internet speed. It is quite amazing content that guides pretty well about the 3G USB Modem.
Ann

Had a Blackberry Playbook bought for my birthday, don’t have WiFi have 02 Broadband, which is excellent, after years of dial up eircom, you can imagine how different the computer is now, anyway, do you have any advice on what to buy for the Playbook please. Seems a shame not to use it, and you get bored after downloading hundreds of pictures and music onto it.