A quick note here, the Tekkeon is an small rechargeable, external lithium polymer battery. It goes hand in hand with the Cradlepoint routers, but can power other 5V devices, with its 25.9 Wh output power.

This past week, I decided I was going to check it out. In preparation, I placed the unit(s) on charge overnight. When I got to work on Friday, I attached the PHS300 to the TekCharge and powered up the router. I noted the time at 08:51. I admit the unit got somewhat light usage through the day, and when I powered it off at 14:52, the battery indicator on the Tekkeon had only dropped a couple of bars / lights.

After I got home, I fired it up again. That was at 17:37. I used the unit to continue to power the PHS300 and Franklin Wireless CDU-680 combo. My 17″ MBP was the only device using the wireless, but had more moderate usage while I surfed, ran some speedtests, sent some emails, and other general internet activities.

I hadn’t paid close enough attention, but somewhere later in the evening, I had exhausted the Tekkeon battery and the PHS300 was running on internal power. I turned the PHS300 off at 23:42, and disconnected it from the Tekkion in order to recharge the battery pack over night.

At 08:23 this morning, I once again powered up the PHS300. I left it disconnected from the Tekkeon to try and get an idea of overall total battery run time. The unit finally shut off at 09:39. This was after heavy use running Remote Desktop, performing server admin “stuff”, and other general internet activities.

All in all, it adds up like this:

This is a whopping 15 hours and 21 minutes of total use! That far exceeds what is advertised, and in my opinion might not be a true test, but it was realistic. I didn’t use the unit continuously, but in real world scenarios, this may be typical. For example, in a power outage, or for portable use, you likely wouldn’t be running continuously anyway. A larger issue would probably be your laptop battery giving up the ghost long before the Tekkeon/PHS300 combo.

The other item that may be different than your situation is my generally excellent RSSI. In the office, it varies, but is around -70dBm. However, here at home, I currently enjoy about -57 to as good as -51dBm. I also can achieve almost 2.7Mbps downloads with the CDU-680, that gives my 3Mbps DSL connection a run for its money. So the stronger signal, I’m sure, helps by requiring less power, and thus increases battery life.

All in all, I am thoroughly impressed with the performance. I’ll be looking to give the battery powered router another test, under less ideal conditions.  I’ll also devote some time to try and do a continuous run from power on to exhausting both the Tekkeon and the internal PHS300 batteries.

Certainly stay tuned for future updates.

Tekkeon MP2250, PHS300, CDU-680 combo

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Today, I did the first test of the new router on battery power. From initial power on, until the device shut off, it was a full two hours and forty minutes! Wow, the original device only got up to 2:20 or so, after I had cycled the battery three times.

Impressive performance. I looked to see if anything was different, but the router is set to broadcast at “medium” power, just as was the first one.

Maybe there really was something defective with the first one from the beginning. Time will tell, and I will report further as I continue to use the PHS300.

So, the back story… I ordered a Cradlepoint PHS300 from 3GStore.com. It arrived the next day, via UPS Red. (First plus, order one day, arrive the next! I hate to wait.) The router lasted 15 days, and then suffered ‘infant mortality’. I truly did not know, until I called “Ed” at their tech support number that they had a “14-day return policy.” (I should have read the fine print.)

But they worked to “make it right.” I gave my information, and they indicated they would work directly with Cradlepoint to replace the defective unit.

Replace it they did, and very promptly. I called on Friday, July 31. I was told they would ship out a new unit (not refurbished) that day. A short while later, I received a call from Victor at 3GStore.com. They worked directly with Cradlepoint and will “make it right.” I then got an email from Cradlepoint with the RMA and information to return the defective unit.

I have to admit, I am somewhat overwhelmed with the level of service in this day and age. It certainly stands far above the others; any others!

I received, via FedEx Second Day, my brand new retail package router this afternoon. They certainly stood true to their word, and I am overly impressed.

When I got home, I couldn’t wait to see what the small box, with the big “Cradlepoint” in red across the front held in store. It was a brand new, shrink wrapped package. Again, exactly what I was told would be sent.

I plugged it in, and the (oh, so wonderful lights) appeared on the unit. Logged on and updated the firmware to the latest available (2.4.2). I then went through the configuration options and “customized” the router with my desired settings. I’m sure I could have uploaded my backup config to restore, but it was more fun going through the configuration options and making sure it was set up how I desired.

I write this, of course, via the ACS CDU-680 and the PHS300. While this blog is read by less than a few (and is simply a place for me to ramble on) I will look for another venue to spread the word.

A sincere thank you to Cradlepoint and the 3GStore.com. You most certainly can’t go wrong with either.

I used the router Wednesday morning before departing the Slope. My flight left Deadhorse and traveled through Barrow on the way to Anchorage. I checked email, looked at my server, checked my webcam, and shut down for the flight home.

And that, was the last time the device was operational…

I don’t know what happened. I arrived in Anchorage on Wednesday afternoon and went by the office for a meeting before heading home. I didn’t bother to use the device on Wednesday evening.

Yesterday, I was in the Dimond Center office all day. I didn’t bother with the device, and used the wi-fi in the office. But when I got home, I finally decided I would give the Tekkion battery a go. Other than a plug-in, yes it works with the router when it was new, I haven’t used the battery. But I got sidetracked and didn’t use the device until this morning.

I did my usual routine, docking the Dell D420 and booting it up, firing up the 17″ MBP, getting the router out of its case, getting the CDU-680 out of its case, plugging it in to the router, and powering everything up. I turned on the router to let it boot, and concentrated on the MBP and connecting my external FW800 hard drive. When I looked back at the router, there were no lights. Hmmm…?

I checked the switch; it was in the ‘on’ position. I then questioned if maybe I had left the device “on” when I rushed to pack and get home the other morning. No, I did turn it “on”. I cycled the power switch, but nothing. No big deal, the battery (for some unknown reason) must have died. I thought to myself, “I need to keep an eye on that…”

I got the AC adapter out of my bag, and plugged it in to the router. Still no lights. Strange. Maybe the battery is *really* dead and it will take a few seconds to start charging. Waited and waited… Nothing. Hmmm…?

So after a few times of plugging and unplugging everything, and removing the modem, I tried again. Nope.

I removed the battery and tried again. Nothing. I plugged in the AC adapter, without the battery and nothing. I went back and looked up the reset procedures and attempted those. Nothing. Dead.

I logged on to 3GStore.com (where I purchased the PHS300) and looked up my order. With that information, I then looked for a contact number. Not seeing a ‘non toll-free’ number, I went ahead and called their posted number. Even though I was at work, I certainly didn’t expect to call a toll free number. That was the first positive sign… Usually there is a LD call required to get to tech support, but not in the case of the 3GStore (at least as far as I could see.)

I played a very short game of ‘touch tone bingo’ and was quickly connected to Ed at Tech Support. Ed was a great guy, friendly, and very helpful. I told him the issue, and gave him my order number. He quickly identified the order. In explaining my “trouble” I had already gone through the routine troubleshooting procedures. He reiterated that, and it was pleasant not to have to play games with someone from another part of the world, and go through a process on a script sheet all over again.

Ed I found out was in Texas. (His slight twang partially gave that away, and he certainly doesn’t write his name in Sanskrit.) As he was (frantically) trying to get in touch with his manager, he kept cool and we had a nice chat to kill the time. We talked about the router, and how well it performs. He uses the same device, as he is a DJ and uses it to connect to the iTunes store and download new songs and “requests” on the fly. Cool!

We chatted about Alaska, the last frontier. His mom is an organic chemist and tests oil samples from Alaska. Hey, it’s a small world. While I work for the CLEC here in Alaska, I actually work for the group that provides the telecom outsourcing for BP.

Anyway, he finally had to put me on hold (he really didn’t want to do that, I don’t think) but I assumed the IM or whatever he was attempting to utilize just wasn’t the same as picking up the phone to yell, “HELP!” He had explained that they have a 14-day return policy. Unfortunately, I called on the 16th day. He was going to see what he could do. I said it was no problem, at all, and on hold I went. This gave me a chance to don the Plantronics and resume the call on the headset.

While on hold, I continued to work. No big deal to me. All in all, the call lasted about a half hour. Ed came back on and said they were going to arrange a replacement, under the warranty. A unit would be shipped directly to me from Cradlepoint. Ok, that’s great news, and no problem for the wait. I asked if there was a ticket number, should I expect a call, what-have-you, and just get details. Ed provided that, and said he talked to his manager and they will make it right. Good news.

So I waited for an email, confirming this ‘good news.’ Nothing… but no problem. Then, I got a call.

I received a call, a very short time later, from Victor at the 3GStore. He explained he was the manager and they *are* going to make it right. He has been in touch with Cradlepoint, and they will ship a new unit directly to me. He wanted to confirm the address and other information. We chatted a bit, I expressed how I love the router, and really appreciated this level of service. He explained they are a small vendor, and have an excellent relationship with Cradlepoint. They will make it right. Victor said, ‘hey, I would be pissed if I bought something for a couple hundred dollars, and it quit after the return period.’ He also said I would be receiving a new unit, not refurbished. Hey, that’s great, but just one that works is fine…

I did receive an email, as Victor said, directly from Cradlepoint. It had the RMA info, as well as a FedEx tracking number. I was told, since the unit was dead, that I could return via ‘slow boat’. That’s fine, but for a buck more I can use USPS Priority, and can get delivery confirmation. At no time was I asked for a credit card or anything to cover the costs, etc. That is real customer service, a rarity these days. Unlike some that think you are guilty until proven innocent, they are taking the risk.

I only had one question, but sent the email after hours on a Friday. I’m not sure if I should send the entire package, or just the router. I don’t want to send my AC adapter and original packaging, if I am only going to swap out of the PHS300 itself. I said I would send on Saturday, but unfortunately, I may have to wait until I see what they send me. Shucks, and I said I would send the router back on Saturday, and provide them the tracking info.

I better wait, just to be safe, but since they have been so great, I sure don’t like to be the one who seems to be lagging.

In any event, to sum it all up… I can say (so far anyhow) at face value, all I talked to seemed very sincere. I really trust them, and that is saying volumes in this day and age. I really don’t doubt anything that Ed or Victor said. I certainly don’t doubt what I receive “in writing” via email directly from Cradlepoint.

Infant mortality is rare; it only happens to a very small percentage of electronic equipment. But, it does happen. In my case, I got the “one”. No big deal, especially since 3GStore and Cradlepoint are standing behind it. I don’t blame anyone, it’s the luck of the draw. What I can definitely say is that customer service from the the vendor and manufacturer are far above “normal” or “average”. So far, this has been “commendable”.

FedEx tracking shows I should get the new router on Tuesday. FedEx hasn’t let me down. I’ll post a follow-up report when the new one arrives.

The CDU-680 works well, whether plugged in to my 17″ MacBook Pro, or the Dell D420. I’ve been very pleased with the service and coverage from ACS. The throughput is top not around Anchorage in my opinion, and especially at home. The addition of the Cradlepoint to the goodie bag, at first glance seems like the right move.

I searched online and found 3GStore.com the place to purchase. I’m glad I did. I had never purchased from them before, but the wealth of information won me over. The prices were inline, if not better, than a lot of other vendors, even those listed on Amazon. I wasn’t in the mood for eBay at the time, but don’t really think I would have gotten a better deal there. Plus the ability to purchase accessories, and obtain support, a decent return policy, and reasonable shipping were the deciding factors. I ordered on Tuesday, and the package shipped same day. I receive via UPS Red this morning. Shipping appeared “at cost”, so there were no hidden handling charges tacked on. It’s always nice to see that when a vendor doesn’t add exorbitant charges to expedite shipping.  (TigerDirect.com take note!)

Included in the box was the PHS300, an AC / DC 5V adapter, a small manual / quick start quide, and the 1800 mAh lithium battery.  The battery is claimed to supply the device for about 2 hours.  Extra batteries were available but I selected a different option.  (More on that in a future post.)

I inserted the battery and plugged it into the AC power.  It started charging and I prepared to power up and log on for the first time.  3GStore.com included a photocopied “really” quick sheet intended to get you up and running even faster.  I read their instructions, and then looked at the included Cradlepoint startup guide.  3GStore.com did a great job of condensing a six or eight step process into a paragraph, without detriment to the instructions.

I powered up the PHS300, without plugging in the modem.  I searched for networks on my Mac and logged in to the device using the 3GStore instructions.  In essence, you use the model (PHS) and the last three digits of the MAC address as the network.  You then use the last six characters as the password.  That would make each device unique in its default config from the factory.

After logging on and was impressed by the options.  In my opinion, there is far more than what I was looking for in a portable cellular router.  But, I certainly won’t complain.  You can really config with far more options, such as dynamic DNS, than what I need (or think practical) in a mobile router.  But I’m sure some folks will appreciate these features.  I was mainly concerned with security and being able to limit access to my device in a public place.

The device supports 802.11b/g.  I selected “G only”.  I also chose to use WPA2.  The one concession to security was keeping the SSID visible.  I may change that, but was thinking if I want to share with friends, it would be a bit easier if they could search and view the router, rather than having to type in the name of the device, as well as the secure password.

The device from 3GStore arrived with 2.2.1 firmware.  Once I had the device configured and had plugged in my modem, it found a new version of the firmware was available.  I attempted to upgrade right from the device to version 2.4.  However, it failed on repeated attempts. There is an option to download manually, so I snagged the 1.1Mb file.  Once it was downloaded, I did a “manual” upgrade of the router.  That process went smoothly.  The router rebooted in 68 seconds and was up to date.  The 3GStore did include the firmware on CD, but I opted not to use it.

It seemed as though the router would continue to drop the connection.  I searched through the menus to find if I had config’d  setting incorrectly, but found none.  My RSSI is as good as -51dBm, down to -63dBm at this location; excellent signal strength, since I’m less than 1000 feet to the cell.  (Thankfully my GSM carrier is there as well, so enjoy “full strength” on my three GSM and two CDMA devices.)  After the first few minutes, it seems to have settled down.  I have now been connected 2 hours and 53 minutes at this moment.  It’s been rock solid.

I was curious and checked throughput.  Typically, I can get about 2.4/1.2+ at this location.  Through the router, I obtained about 2.7 down / 500k up.  I read some reviews prior to buying, and others noted a marked decrease in upload speeds from using the device plugged directly in the computer.  In my opinion, this is still very acceptable.  I suppose if there were gigs to upload, plugging the device direct into the laptop would not be a hardship.

All in all, first impression, I’m really glad to have finally picked one up.  I’ll cycle the battery a few times and see how that works, and what kind of real world times I can achieve.  I’ll report back in a future post.

First impression, if you need a device such as this, it’s a solid buy.  You won’t be disappointed.

(Of course, it should go without saying…  this blog entry was completed entirely on the MBP, while using the Cradlepoint PHS300, and CDU-680…