A first look: Cingular 3G LaptopConnect Sierra Wireless AirCard 875

By Mark W. Kaelin March 5, 2007, 5:03 AM PST

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A first look: Cingular 3G LaptopConnect Sierra Wireless AirCard 875

Continuing TechRepublic’s look at the latest crop of wireless broadband PCMCIA cards for laptops, we take a first look at the offering from Cingular Wireless. The Sierra Wireless AirCard 875 connects users to the Cingular Broadband network using either cell phone technology or the standard 802.11 wireless protocol, depending on which is more advantageous.

The Sierra Wireless AirCard 875 arrives in a DVD-sized plastic box.

The back of the box highlights some of the card’s capabilities. Notice that it only requires a laptop with 300 MHz Processor and 256MB RAM. Just about any laptop of any real business use can meet those requirements.

The DVD-like boxt includes the card and a small instruction booklet. Installation of the software was so easy even a caveman could do it (to borrow a phrase).

The PCMCIA card itself comes in a clear plastic case. Perhaps it is not as stylish as the Sprint Mobile Broadband case I looked at previously, but it is sturdier.

The Sierra AirCard 875 is painted in the familiar Cingular icon and color scheme. The one I received has a slight blemish, but I’m not concerned. This is the kind of thing that will get beat up during daily use anyway.

There are connections for an external antenna too.

The connection software application that comes with the Cingular LaptopConnect Card is better than the one that comes with the Sprint.

I ran a few DSL Reports speed tests. In this case, I used a server in New York. The speed figures are faster then what we saw with the Sprint card.

A DSL speed test to the other coast, in this case Los Angeles, shows only a small drop in performance.

Not only will the Cingular Card connect to the Cingular network, you can also connect to standard 802.11 wireless systems. Here the connection software is showing me some known Wi-Fi Locations in Kentucky.

The Sierra AirCard 875 also located wireless networks visible in my office building. Two are CNET / TechRepublic networks, but that third one is new to me.

Here the software is connection to the TRLabs test network.

Another nice feature of the Cingular connection software is the ability to show it with a minimal desktop footprint.

By Mark W. Kaelin

Mark W. Kaelin has been writing and editing stories about the information technology industry, software, hardware, gaming, finance, accounting, and technology geekdom for more than 30 years.

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