Reliance Netconnect v/s Airtel Data Card
A review of wireless options
With the growing dependency on internet along with the rise in laptop sales, the telecom companies have brought in true wireless solutions. The solution is data cards which are “truly” wireless because they provide with wireless connectivity throughout the country like a mobile as opposed to restricted range for wireless routers. Since I have used both AIRTEL and RELIANCE offerings, I thought it helpful to give an idea to others looking to go for it. Here are the options:
_____________________________AIRTEL____________ RELIANCE______________
Price Upfront (Rs.):———————- 5000———————2850——-
Plan Offerings: Unlimited usage ———–999———————- 1500——
……………………….1GB monthly usage——- 599———————– 650——-
Now the review:
RELIANCE NETCONNECT: The card is cheap upfront. Also they give the card free for 12 months advance subscription. But the plan is costly. Also the services are fuzzy. The unlimited plan is not truly unlimited. They have a policy of a fixed maximum credit limit for each number. They charge you for every MB you download, calculate the amount (which may go into thousands, I got a 27000 unbilled balance once) but then they deduct that amount in the final bill and send you a 1700 bill (including taxes). Pretty neat. But the problem is with this credit limit they have got. Once your unbilled amount gets over 1500 they freeze the number, on calling customer care to defreeze it, they ask you to pay up and don’t understand the meaning of “unlimited” download. So you go to Web World, give in a request an then your services are resumed after 2 days.
Now discussing the download and browsing speeds. All in all, the browsing is OK. It is comparable to a 128Kbps DSL connection. But the problem is with downloads. You get a speed of 13-15 Kbps when downloading through IE or Mozilla but when you switch on to torrents, it is an average of 5Kbps. Also the connection terminates is not truly always on type.
On the upside though, reliance offer far more plans which might suit anybody. They have night unlimited plan, hour based plan etc.
AIRTEL DATA CARD: The card costly upfront but then the plan cost is less so it pays off in the long run. The net speed is also comparable to 128Kbps DSL. Also the download speed is consistent for torrents as well giving constant average speed of 10 Kbps. I have had this 3 days and have already downloaded 3 movies, as opposed to Netconnect which took 2-3 days for 1 movie. The connection is more stable, I have used it for 10 hours straight and no disconnect.
The problem may be with the plans they offer, very few, only download based. Not a variety to choose from.
The final word from my side would be to go for AIRTEL, a good service and true to their word rather than hiding anything. Moreover, the modem cost may seem too much but will pay off in 4-5 months of subscription.
PS: All tariffs as of 28 December 2007. For any further information visit: http://onlinedeals.in/reliance/homepage_v2_paln.html (reliance) or http://www.airtel.in/Level2_t3data.aspx?path=2/33/96/134 (Airtel). Feel free to ask any query.
Thanks Zombie. That was a really useful information.
Thanks ZoMBie. That was quite useful for me as I was trying to decide on a wireless data plan to take in India. U made my job easier.
Hi Zombie,
I’ve a question: does airtel or reliance data card work with express card slots? I’ve an express card slot on my laptop not a PCMCIA card slot. Will I still be able to use these data cards? I heard these just work in PCMCIA card slots. Please let me know
This is very true. Airtel is the best comparing to any other services and also their customer service is excellent.
Well im not quite sure about that, but why dont u just go for the USB modem? Its as good as the card i hear?
P.S: Ill try to check on the card issue and reply back
I finally checked on the situation and sorry to say that only PCMCIA cards are being offered. Express card slots cant be used with them
Though u can buy a converter if u desperately want only a card.
Also reportedly , express cards might be offered in the distant future.
Hi Zombie. I was looking for some information on wireless cards in India and hit your blog. Thanks for your detailed description, it solved some of my questions. I have another question though. How is the connectivity of Airtel data card once you go out of big cities? Let’s say in a small town? Do they offer the connectivity and if they do how good it is compared to that in big cities?
Well i have not used Airtel outside Delhi.
I have used Reliance in Pune where it has equivalent connectivity (Pune is not a small city though)
Also i reckon reliance’s network is better and more in depth so you might get better connectivity outside big cities using reliance as compared to airtel.
I believe airtel will have gud connectivity in north indian cities though….
HIIIIIIIII………IS DOWNLOAD IS UNLIMITED IN THE PLAN 0F FREEDOM AT NIGHT…………………………………..
wats the difeerence between card n usb modem………
which is best………
i m sing reliance connection……………..
Yes the download is free in “freedom @ night” plan but only in the specified duration.
The difference b/w a card and a modem is that the card goes into a specified slot (PCMCIA) while the modem goes into the USB slot. There isn’t much difference in connectivity as both depend mainly on network strength for speed.
Since all laptops dont have PCMCIA slots ( some have epxpress card slots, cards for whom are not available), the best option would be a USB modem i suggest.
Still if u are thinking of buying a card, u should check it thoroughly for compatibility first.
Thank you! This information is really useful.
Thanks for the feedback….my take is both are bad…but one is worse than the other…in this case Airtel is less worse than reliance…which is pathetic
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation
Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Gloat
.
i have 1 question!!
i have got a riliance netconnect plan (freedom at night) with me…
it has provided me with a huawei ec 325 usb modem…
it has limited the speed to 153.6 kbps…
is there any way to speed it up?
I don’t think we can tweak the modem to perform faster. Anyways it doesn’t ever reach it’s potential limit.
In case you are looking @ increasing download speeds via torrent, I tried removing half-open port restrictions for that. It helped me increase download speeds.
CHEERS!!
In case you are looking @ increasing download speeds via torrent, I tried removing half-open port restrictions for that. It helped me increase download speeds.
how to do that?
In case you are looking @ increasing download speeds via torrent, I tried removing half-open port restrictions for that. It helped me increase download speeds.
how to do that?
plz tell step by step…
i hav utorrent ,bittorrent and azureus also…
tell for any 1 of these..
thks in advance
Follow these steps:
1) Download patcher from http://www.lvllord.de/?lang=en&url=downloads (get english version)
2) Run the patcher, when asked allow it to change limit to 50 ports, then when it confirms for change in windows files allow it to do so.
3) Change the limit in utorrent ->
Options->preferences->advanced->set “net.max_halfopen) to around 35-40.
4) restart your pc.
That should do it, still run the patcher again after restart, now it should rather be asking if you want to revert back to 10 ports. If it says so, then you are done.
thks for that help zombie…
whts the max expected speed in torrent and dc with this reliance netconnect?
it will b gr8 if u can help me to speed up my dc d/ls…(any setting suggetions)
m using strong dc 2.13…
thks
Well I would expect a speed between 6-9 kbps on dc++ on netconnect.
I would suggest the best way to squeeze best downloads from netconnect is to use rapidshare, it gives best speeds as it downloads over IE/mozilla. Thats my opinion
ok….thks zombie…
good work…
keep it up
its ok… nevermind man…
I myself learnt it all through the net….
zombie ..plz suggest some good site for rapidshare movies links..
I havent used rapidshare for movies but only use it for album download… probably you would make do with googling … you should land up some site depending on your movies…
cheers
hi iam roham can u please tell me how can i get dc++ for reliance net connect pls mail me
I have used dc++ only for LAN sharing but did try downloading via netconnect once. I think if you just connect to the net and then start dc++ and look in public hubs, you will get a list of hubs available. Join one and then search and download. Though I think finding a steady hub with steady connections to user might be tough.
To download big files like movies or games, the best way is torrents. though it takes time , you are sure that in some time it will be done and not like you are stuck at some “78%” figure with no one to give the rest of download.
Hi man i am ravi:-) actually by seeing this feed you have so many experiences and talents:-) hope you will clear my doubts:-) i am having laptop i am interested in buying net connection. i am confused in choosing:-( but i prefer for usb modems because i can use it for both my laptop and pc:-)is my idea good? if so you pls tell me Airtel, reliance, tata indicom which is best for speed,fast downloads and also price:-) sorry to make you sad for reading this very lengthy message:-( and another doubt whats meant by dc?
Hey ravi, thanx for the appreciation man….. and yes, your thought of buying wireless modem so you can use it for both pc and laptop is good but only if you plan on using the modem outside of your hame like office, in car etc. because if you plan of using laptop and pc in your home only, then a wifi router is a better option. Besides out of airtel/reliance/tata, i beleive airtel is best in term of services and rent as they have the best network which is primary deteminant of the speed you get…. i suppose the ‘dc’ you are talking about should mean ‘disconnect’…. and nevermind man, keep the queries coming….. cheers
thanx man and another big problem i am facing now… actually i am using hp “dv9507tx” which has vista on it… vista it sucks so i am planning for xp… what r all the steps i have to do? pls tell me step by step pls pls… and where i can get full set drivers for my laptop just telling again my laptop model is hp “dv9507tx”…
awesome piece of info dude..
ive been using night unlimited plan on Reliance till now.. want to switch to unlimited plan, but this credit limit scares me. I download lots of stuff, say around 10gb per month. Would you advice me to switch to Airtel? Ive not been facing problems regarding network coverage in Reliance, hope Airtel is on par with it. thnx in adv for the reply.
Hi, actually the credit limit thing in reliance is a bit of a buggy thing. But if I remember correctly, I had to get it switched back on after they turned it off twice but then I sort of fought with them and they said it wont happen again. But alas, I switched to airtel very soon after that and couldnt test their word.
And airtel rox as far as I am concerned, truly professional and prompt service. I faced loss of connection once and got back online within 2-3 hours of calling customer care without having to go to their office.
Regarding the network, you will have to check for your area. I know that airtel network is not that good around pune so my sister prefers to use reliance there. If the airtel mobile network is good in your area of use, then there is no hitch.
CHEERS
@ ravi, I have replied to your query in a new post, do check it
hmm thnx again Zombie..
one more question. What is the difference between postpaid u/l plan for 1500 and prepaid u/l for 999 bucks? speed? really dont think so..
Hey Tackphoton, gr8 observation dude. The postpaid and prepaid plans seem similar. Moreover prepaid 999 plan has 300 free sms while postpaid has only 100
. I beleive both would be the same and also that postpaid wont have any credit limit hassle!!!! So im changing to prepaid 999 up nest though I would search for the fine print and any “conditions apply” thing. Otherwise this is gr8. Thanx a lot dude. Cheers!!!!!
Thats awesome… guess i’ll be following your lead then. \m/
Cheers..
having problems on vista for airtel datacard? any solutions or obvious drivers? thanks..
Well I can suggest anything only after u tell me what kind of problem are you facing as in what happens when u connect the data card, what when u try to connect to the net, etc…..
says “drivers not found” … i wonder like so many other driver issues with vista… if someone found a diferent compatible driver which would recognize the airtel data card and still work???
u sure ur comp is vista compatible.. as in it might meet the minimum requirements, but not support other hardware like audio Bus, etc.. and is it a lappy or desk ?
http://geexpot.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-to-make-gsm-data-card-like-airtel.html
check this out.. a complete how to for configuring airtel ,vodafone datacards on linux
Zombie u said this earlier:
“…and also that postpaid wont have any credit limit hassle!!!! So im changi…”
I assumed that “postpaid” was a typo for prepaid. But ive got this sudden and stupid doubt about it. Please clarify about credit limit on postpaid and prepaid.
@yo
Sorry man, had my exams so couldnt reply. I suppose you need to install the correct drivers. Also just try reinserting the sim card and trying, might just help. In case none of this helps, just go to the airtel outlet you bought the modem with your laptop and they will do everything for you.
@Tackphoton
Yeah, the “postpaid” was a typo, sorry for that.
Although I havent used reliance for more than an year, but when I used it, they had a credit limit hassle. It was like whenever your bill went above 2000, your card would freeze and you would have to call them and get it working again. Although I had an unlimited connection, still they calculated my credit thus I had to somehow bear with the credit limit. Then they would send a bill of “Rs. 16000(credit) – Rs. 16000(discount) + Rs. 1700(srrvice charge) = Rs. 1700″ !!!
Dont know what the scenario is like now, Im using airtel sice 5-6 minths
hi uaing the reliance usb modem does not require any cd set up thing does it? i have very small HP laptop has not got cd and runs vista. need internet in india for 1 month a year and don’t want to spend much time with the sales people if i can avoid it. also can’t get prepaid netconnect voucher on airtel can i, which is why i think i need to have reliance network. Thanks HK
Sorry man, have been busy off late.
The reliance data card needs a cd set up, that has the drivers. But in case you really need it, u can find the drivers on the net somewhere, but in case you have no net at all right now, then its a problem.
Also, reliance or airtel would also depend on the area you are going to use the data card as both have pretty different network depth in different areas.
zombie its raghu here. i have compaq pressario c500 laptop purchased a year long back. since a week i have problem in display, it shows pix cells ( i believe). some pictures are blurr and cant see clearly and some are good ! dont understand whats happening. is it because of some shaking problems while carrying on bike ? pls do help me out with this dear.
hey raghu, this seems to be a very peculiar problem. First let me just ask if these pixels appear only in a certain part of the screen always or appear randomly? Also did you install a new software or anything recently??
Firstly ill suggest you to just update the display driver in case this is just a driver issue to be sure. (chk here:- http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/ProductList.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=3318986&taskId=135 )
If it still doesnt resolve, ill just say you need to take the laptop to a service center. Since you bought a year back, it may still be in warranty and may get repaired for free. In case not, just take it there and ask whats the price n come back n then see your other options.
Just reply back in case you have a query and do tell me the result… All the best!!!
hi this is saravanan from chennai (proper)…iam planning to go for a laptop for this diwali but confused with the plans and offerings from various providers. Can you pls list out the providers and their best plans available with tariff (both modem and USB) in chennai…
Hi Saravanan,
Since you need to decide on a plan to take up this diwali, I hope Im not too late.
So first lets divide the criteria:
1) Speed & Download capacity
2) Connectivity
So first up, The speed:
The speed as far as I am concerned, I really rely on airtel to provide true speed in both broadband and data card. But broadband speeds are fairly constant for others like Reliance, BSNL.
So if you dont download much you can go for limited download plan of 4 Gb for super high speed 8mbps from airtel for 1300. But if you need normal browsing, go for bsnl 256kbps plan with 1.5 GB download for 500.
For unlimited, airtel gives 512 kbps for 1400 while bsnl for 1300.
Though BSNL will have waiting for installation.
For the data card, you should check out for the network. The provider that has the best mobile network in chennai is ideal. If all have same, then id say prefer airtel!!!.
2) for Connectivity: What do you need the net for, in case only for home use, u can better use wifi broadband rather than data card. But if you really want wireless connectivity, then ou can go for data card though at the price of speed as data cards provide only a max of 130 kbps speed.
So here it is, you need to decide what kind of plan suits your need, speed or unlimited downloads??
Do reply if you need any more specifics!!
Cheers
some links for plan:
http://www.airtel.in/wps/wcm/connect/airtel.in/Airtel.In/Home/ForYou/Broadband+Internet/Tariffs/
http://bsnl.co.in/service/dataone_tariff.htm
http://bsnl.co.in/service/dataone_tariff.htm#unlimited%20home
hi zombie,
i have a query regarding my airtel usb modem..i had subscribed for 350rs plan monthly..and they provide me with 500mb free usage..i just dont know how much i am using interms of mb…as they provide me with only the total cost and they never reveal me how much i have used …so how can i check my total usage interms of mb ..so that i can restrict to 500mb before crossing the free usage…hoping for the reply advance thankx..happy diwali..
heya zombie.. its been a while. About that switch to prepaid in reliance… customer care ppl are saying that there is some minimum usage period O.o ?? They claim that i’ll have to wait a month more before switching to prepaid, and that too by resigning up for a new number. Oh, and that too only in the place where i originally got the data card. Guess i’ll have to wait for the semester to get over and return to my hometown.
And Mr.Saravanan: I’m from chennai too, sir & i’ve noticed that reliance has got quite a splendid coverage. In fact I was literally able to access internet all the way from Chennai to Trichy when i was traveling by train. :-B
Hi avnish,
I looked into the data-counter thing and didnot find any such thing in the airtel data manager software so I suppose you would need some other software. I found one namely BitMeter which tracks your net usage and you can just enter details of your monthly quota, and BitMeter will warn you when you approach your limit.
Here is the link:
http://codebox.no-ip.net/controller?page=bitmeter2
@Tackphoton: yeah man, long time. Those were some real “But”s in there for the prepaid scheme. I doubt if they give it to anyone actually
. Besides, I wanted to ask, how is the reliance connectivity in your are, like is it stable and what download speeds you get??
Cheers
Im in Goa currently (Near Vasco da gama) and the signal stregth in our college is quite stable. Theres been just one or two days when the network was down, otherwise its been \m/.
Download speeds:
Torrents : with a gud seed ratio reach 14 kbps (avg)
Direct links : Rapidshare (Teleglobe VSNL server) – 16 kbps
Megashares Singapore server – 18 kbps
The thing is, I use the card 24/7, so it gets a little warm and gives me a hardware error once in a while
Hi,
i hav dell mx1330 with vista and express card. i am planning to go to india this month. will be staying over there for few months. i will be staying in palani a hill station. i hav to use my vonage phone over there. could u pls tell me which is the best data card (usb modem)for vonage. i wont be downloading movies or games. PLS EMAIL ME. THANKS
Hi Laxmi
Thanks for the question.
Firstly Id like to clarify that here you cant get a data card independently to use with your existing network. So you have to get a complete package of data card + sim card from a single provider. So in case you are looking to use a data card with your vonage sim, that wont be possible.
Also the data card speed is quite mediocre but still if you are to buy one, I would suggest AIRTEL. It is value for money.
Hope that answers your question. Feel free to ask any further doubts
Airtel Datacard Service – Review
As per my advice, do not even think about Airtel Datacard service. Their service is pathetic both in terms of speed compared to other service provider and billing procedure. I had terrible experience and within 9 days of my connection, i had surrendered it. Their daily unbilled amount does not consider your data plan and free transfer limit resulted your service will be deactivated even when you have not reached your free limit.
Take example of their 350/- rental plan where 500 MB free data transfer is allowed and above that Rs. 5/- per MB. Now say you credit limit is set to Rs. 1200/- and you made a data transfer of 300 MB after the activation. Their system will take is as 300*5 = INR 1500 which means you are above your credit limit and your service will be deactivated until you make payment of INR 1500 or wait for your billing to generate. Their billing system will consider free transfer of 500 MB only at the time of bill generation. So you would never be able to utilize at least your free limit.
The same is true for Rs. 999 wala plan. You can utilize the internet data transfer till your credit limit and once you reach their credit limit as per their faulty unbilled system, you have to make the advance payment of entire amount to get it reactivated but in reality are required to pay only Rs. 999/- which will be considered only at the time of billing generation.
Their speed is even poor compared to BSNL/TataIndicom.
If any one is even considering going for this, i would request them to clarify the issue specifically related to billing system with their customer support executive before they go for this.
Hey zombie…thanx buddy..
u r really a master of wireless internet world…
it was a cool n useful piece of information
I am using airtel datacard for internet surfing. But I am unable to see how much MB is already spent & how much remaining during a billing period… can u pls guide me how can I update myself on the required…..???????????
Hey Tanusree
I answered a similar question sometime back … Havent used the datacard lately so cant update …here is the previous reply :
“I looked into the data-counter thing and didnot find any such thing in the airtel data manager software so I suppose you would need some other software. I found one namely BitMeter which tracks your net usage and you can just enter details of your monthly quota, and BitMeter will warn you when you approach your limit.
Here is the link:
http://codebox.no-ip.net/controller?page=bitmeter2 ”
Cheers !!
Check Relience datacard prepaid balance by this link:
http://www.reliancenetconnect.co.in/ecare_balance.html
Hi Zombie,
I am Ravi from vadodara.
you are doin such a nice job to providing us tips and solutions.
I am using Idea netsetter USB modem (Huawei E1550). it is locked for restricted usage for idea netwrk only. but now 3G network is available in Gujarat and i want to get a 3G BSNL connetion. thts why i need to unlock the device for universl use of frm any netwrk. can u suggest me any solution or software to unlock my device. here locally no one is providing unlocking solutions
Hoping for a favor
regards
Ravi
Hello Zombie,
I am Nishi from Vile Parle,Mumbai.
I want to get a new wireless net connection to use at my hostel. I want such a connection that provides good speed and unlimited download and usage at low tariffs.Can you please suggest which is the best one?
Hoping for an early reply.
Regards,
Nishi
Want 2 buy relience usb broadband netconnect
Useful Infomation
Hi, I need BSNL wireless DATA CARD, please conatct me asap. Mob- 9738273141. mailID: manish220803@gmail.com thanks, manish.
hi i m nikita n i planing to take usb data card for my lappy that is acer extensa 4630 n i want to ask u that whos network is good in mumbai btw airtel or reliance.