Canadian Strategy - N810 WiMAX Edition
 

Fellow Canadians,

We are fortunate: the N810 WiMAX Edition is due in Q2/2008, and we have an existing WiMAX network that is nationwide. As pointed out by TheHMan, it should be possible to use this device on the Inukshuk network being resold by Rogers and Bell. It should be as simple as calling them up with the MAC Address of the N810WE, and surfing to your heart's content.

A few questions for discussion:

1. Does anyone have the current WiMAX offering from either Bell or Rogers (you know, the brick of a modem that is supposed to be 'portable'?
2. If so, when you activated it, did you simply give them the MAC address of the modem?
3. Has anyone tried getting more information from Rogers/Bell with respect to the possibilitiy of adding the N810WE to their network?
4. Any insights from more knowledgeable ITT members - Is this a fruitless discussion? Is there something fundamentally wrong with assuming that it could be as simple as being suggested?

Thanks for any comments or insights.

Re: Canadian Strategy - N810 WiMAX Edition
 

I'd like more information about this as well, but I don't think it will end up being as simple as we hope.

Re: Canadian Strategy - N810 WiMAX Edition
 

My girlfriend has Rogers Portable Internet in montreal, and it's terrible. the modem has to be near a window at all times, it disconnects a lot or becomes really slow in bad weather, and is usually much slower than videotron cable. about once a month, it goes down completely and rogers can't seem to get it back up for a day or so because their system still registers her mac address as connected and their only solution for this is waiting for the lease to expire.

Re: Canadian Strategy - N810 WiMAX Edition
 

With the limitation of an absolutely minimal understanding of WiMAX, I've been trying figure that out myself. One of the basic questions I'm trying to answer is whether the network and equipment Rogers is using follows the base 802.16-2004 standard or the 802.16e-2005 addition. In other threads, folks have pointed out that Rogers states on a web page that their subscriber units cannot switch towers without a cold restart, so 802.16-2004 seems likely. I haven't found confirmation of that though.

On the other hand, it appears that Rogers is using Motorola subscriber units, and Motorola indicates in their product literature that transparent hand-off between base stations is supported even at "vehicular speed". Does that mean the subscriber units are 802.16e-2005, but Rogers has done something in their network configuration to break the roaming capability? And if Rogers calls their network "pre-WiMAX", are they really using Expedience and planning a later transition to WiMAX?

I'm going to keep digging as I have time.

Re: Canadian Strategy - N810 WiMAX Edition
 

Well, I'm not terribly WiMAX knowledgable myself, but I'd expect an N810W would work on 802.16-2004; you'd just have to manually reconnect when it should hand-off. So it'd possibly still work well walking around.

Of course, knowing Nokia, that "manually reconnect" bit won't be easy; some scripting around things would likely be necessary.

Re: Canadian Strategy - N810 WiMAX Edition
 

I think ultimately WiMAX will just become another "Carrier protocol" which will require $$ to enjoy, just like a cell phone service. And I doubt it will be easy to get in Canada anyway, at least not anytime soon.

Re: Canadian Strategy - N810 WiMAX Edition
 

I did some sleuthing and came up with a Q2 of 2007 transcript of some Rogers meeting of some sort. Thank god for the Internet and public companies.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/4306...scripts&page=9

Some of the important things to note:

So what I can gather from this transcript is that they've been spending money on upgrading the network and bringing it to the full "Wimax" standard 802.16e which will allow for roaming. All we need to figure out now is whether or not the existing model will work with the fixed network hardware they have installed. If not, then we might have to wait a year or two before they upgrade the hardware in major urban centers.

Re: Canadian Strategy - N810 WiMAX Edition
 

Ah, so it does sound as though they've been using Expedience. So, until they move from Expedience to WiMAX, the N810 WiMAX Edition has zero chance of connecting.

Re: Canadian Strategy - N810 WiMAX Edition
 

Thanks for all the discussion. Primus Canada has a WiMAX trial in Hamilton, and one supposedly in Toronto which uses the 802.16e-2005 standard. So, if they are trialing that, then obviously the Inukshuk network is using the 802.16-2004 standard. Otherwise, what would the point of their trial be?

*Sigh* - I have had little luck getting information on Primus' Toronto trial - they do not seem to know about it, although it has been in the press for a while now.

Re: Canadian Strategy - N810 WiMAX Edition
 

WiMax is just not available everywhere right now; at least not as availaible as open unprotected WiFi routers :D

I just don't see the point with all the fanboyism around a WiMax device.

bell and rogers will just try to sell us an expensive an spotty wimax service; as spotty as the previously mentionned "open" wifi routers.


but I'm ok with the WiMax fanboys as long as one of them sell me his used N810 for cheap when he gets his N810WE :cool: