LAN-Cell Cellular Router FAQs    
Frequently Asked Questions

• What types of Speed & Performance can I expect?
• What about cellular carriers & plans?
• What should I consider in selecting a cellular carrier?
• What PC-Card cellular modems do you recommend?
• Can I switch carriers, upgrade modem cards and LAN-Cell 2 firmware?
• Can I boost signal strength with external antennas and amplifiers?
• Why not just use a cellular modem?
• What If I Can't Get An "Unlimited" Plan?

GSM Data Standards & Speeds

CDMA Data Standards & Speeds

Most cellular modems are backward compatible, so if the modem's fastest standard is not available, the modem will drop-back and try to use the next slowest standard until a connection can be made.

You may select any cellular carrier you wish as long as the carrier supports one of the 3G PC-Card modems that is compatible with the Proxicast LAN-Cell 2 3G cellular router. For GSM carriers, you can use almost any of the newer GSM "world" PC-Cards because they support all GSM frequency bands and the carrier specific information is contained on the user interchangeable SIM card. CDMA carriers tend to require a cellular card that is branded and programmed specifically for their network. The exception would be CDMA carriers who use RUIM cards with their cellular modems.

Most customers select "unlimited" data plans. However if your application requires only small amounts of data to be sent and/or received, then a "telemetry" or "per megabyte" plan can save you a significant amount in monthly usage charges. Our Cell Sentry feature is specifically designed to help you manage your monthly cellular data usage.

Note: Many "unlimited" plan cellular contracts actually have usage limits (caps) above which the carrier considers your usage "abusive". If your application regularly requires very large data transfers, we encourage you to discuss these limits with your cellular carrier.

Many customers have "cost" and "coverage" at the top of their list, but there are a several other important factors to consider.

Some cellular carriers block incoming and/or outgoing ports, which can create problems for many applications. Also, while most carriers can assign "public" Internet IP addresses, others assign non-Internet routable "private" IP addresses which may prevent you from remotely accessing your equipment. Additionaly carriers who offer Internet routable "static" IP addresses give you the most flexibility for remote access and VPN configuration. We recommend considering all of your possible application requirements when selecting a cellular carrier.

Standard	Card Manufacturer	Model	Support For
CDMA	Sierra Wireless	AirCard 595	EV-DO RevA, EV-DO Rev0, 1xRTT
CDMA	Novatel/ / Sprint	EX720	EV-DO RevA, EV-DO Rev0, 1xRTT
CDMA	Novatel / Verizon	V740	EV-DO RevA, EV-DO Rev0, 1xRTT
CDMA	Huawei	EC360	EV-DO RevA, EV-DO Rev0, 1xRTT
CDMA	Huawei	EC500	EV-DO RevA, EV-DO Rev0, 1xRTT
GSM	Sierra Wireless	AirCard 880 / 881	HSUPA, HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS
GSM	Sierra Wireless	AirCard 875	HSUPA, HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS
GSM	Sierra Wireless	AirCard 860	HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS
GSM	Sierra Wireless	AirCard 850	HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS
GSM	Huawei	E612	WCDMA, GPRS
GSM	Huawei	E620	HSDPA, WCDMA, EDGE, GPRS

   Support for additional PC-Card modems will be included in free upcoming LAN-Cell 2 firmware upgrades.
   ExpressCards require an adapter.

The LAN-Cell 2 3G router uses standard PC-Card (PCMCIA) cellular modems - the same type used in laptops. The user is free to use any LAN-Cell 2 compatible cellular modem card from any carrier. Switching cards and/or carriers may require the user to modify the cellular card parameters in the LAN-Cell 2.

As new 3G and even 4G cellular modem cards are released, Proxicast will provide free LAN-Cell 2 firmware upgrades with additional card support. Also, in the near future, the LAN-Cell 2 will be able to use Express-Card modems via a PC-Card adapter.

Even in good coverage areas, most cellular cards can benefit from having an external antenna attached. Often signal strength can be improved by better antenna placement - just by moving it a few feet. If you are in a poor signal area, a good high-gain external antenna is critical. The LAN-Cell 2's Card-Guard feature was specifically designed to make it easy to reliably add an external antenna to your PC-Card modem.

If you still need to boost your signal, then an external signal amplifier can be connected between the LAN-Cell 2 3G router and your antenna. Contact your Proxicast sales representative or your systems integrator for assistance with selecting the appropriate high gain antenna and/or amplifier for your specific carrier and application requirements.

The LAN-Cell 2 3G cellular router gives you features and advantages that no simple cellular modem can provide. With the LAN-Cell 2:

• Only one device and cellular service plan is required per remote site, regardless of how many devices you have.
  
• Your equipment is protected from threats on the public Internet by state-of-the-art firewall, NAT, port-forwarding and encryption technologies.
  
• You are not locked into the single cellular modem technology and/or carrier that is embedded in a stand-alone modem - switch modems, carriers or technologies as needed.
  
• No additional hardware or software is required to implement a VPN solution, even for devices that were never intended to have Internet access.
  
• You have unmatched flexibility for secure remote device management, proactive event monitoring, and application-specific configuration.

Best of all, the Proxicast LAN-Cell 2 is cost-competitive with stand-alone cellular modems, yet provides many more features and greatly simplifies ease-of-deployment without sacrificing the "enterprise-grade" routing, security and management capabilities found in devices costing thousands more. The LAN-Cell 2 3G router is your best value for all-in-one cellular data communications.

Many 3G (third generation – EVDO / HDSPA / HSUPA / UMTS) cellular carriers have begun to enforce limits on their previously "unlimited" fixed-price data plans. Some wireless carriers now only allow a maximum of 5 GB of data per month.

Cell-Sentry is Proxicast’s exclusive new LAN-Cell 2 "watchdog" feature that monitors cellular usage and alerts administrators via E-mail when a user-defined threshold is reached. It can even block additional cellular usage via hard "not to exceed" limits to avoid overage charges. Cell-Sentry can monitor data or time usage to match the carrier’s billing policies. Click here to read more about Cell-Sentry.

The Proxicast LAN-Cell 2 3G Cellular Router (Mobile IP 3G Router) utilizes user accessible upgradable high-speed PC-Card (PCMCIA / laptop) 3G modems and supports all CDMA & GSM 2.5G & 3G cellular modem standards including CDMA2000: EV-DO RevA, EV-DO Rev0, 1xRTT; UMTS / W-CDMA: HSUPA, HSDPA, HSPA, EDGE, and GPRS on all major wireless carriers (cellular internet or broadband) worldwide including Verizon Wireless, Sprint, Alltel, AT&T Mobility (Cingular), T-Mobile, Rogers, Telus, Bell Mobility, Telcel, Orange, Vodafone, O2, Telstra & others. See the LAN-Cell 2 3G Router Product Specifications page for a list of the currently supported PC-Card 3G modems. The rugged LAN-Cell 2 3G cellular router offers Ethernet, wireless WiFi (802.11 a/b/g) and serial interfaces plus advanced enterprise mobile router features such as multiple IPSec VPN tunnels, NAT/DMZ, SPI firewall, X.509 certificates, bandwidth management and other wireless router functions which are optimized for corporate, financial, mobile in vehicle, industrial automation, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) telemetry and SCADA type remote cellular WWAN applications. The LAN-Cell 2 is also a great satellite data link alternative or backup for Low Earth Orbit - LEO (ORBCOMM, Iridium, Globalstar) and VSAT (HughesNet, Starband) satellite network sites.