Author Topic: Clear 4G Internet Service  (Read 543 times)

Offline ImADot

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6215
Clear 4G Internet Service
« on: January 05, 2011, 08:51:59 AM »
Anyone have experience with Clear ( http://www.clear.com/ )?  I got a mailing from them about having Mpls covered with 4G wireless.  I'm currently on Comcast and for the most part it's been acceptable.  I have a wireless router feeding an Ethernet wired self-built tower desktop for me (gaming/office/graphics/etc.) and a wireless laptop for the wife.

My ping times to HTC are generally in the mid 50's and d/l speed tests between 3-5Mbps with a few dropped packets now and then.
My Current Rig:
GigaByte GA-X99-UD4 Mobo w/ 16Gb RAM
Intel i7 5820k, Win7 64-bit
NVidia GTX 970 4Gb ACX 2.0
Track IR, CH Fighterstick, CH Pro Throttle, CH Pro Pedals

Offline SectorNine50

  • Silver Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1331
Re: Clear 4G Internet Service
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2011, 11:04:40 AM »
I have mixed feelings about Clear.

I was doing work for a company that was using Clear at it's stores, and Comcast at the server.  The stores would have to VPN to use a thin client that was on the server as their "point of sale" software.  It seemed that when the signal started to get worse, things started becoming hit-and-miss.  For example, the RDP printing protocol would sometimes drop off, this kept them from printing from the server to their local printer.  So keep in mind that just having a modem right next to your computer and not needing a wire into the wall might seem cool, the modem's performance seems very reliant on how good of a signal it can achieve.  Depending on your area, getting a good signal might be a bit of a challenge.

I should add that we don't know for sure if it was the signal strength or the way the NAT worked on the Clear network that caused the issue (Although, if it were an NAT issue, you'd think the VPN would take care of that problem).  All we knew is that when we switched the stores to Comcast, the problems went away.

On the other hand, it's an extremely cool concept.  You might not get the same speed as a cable connection, but the ability to move around and put the modem where you wish without a wire to the wall is pretty neat.  As a home user just using it for gaming and web browsing it very well could work perfectly and perhaps even better than Comcast since it might not be as congested.

Out of curiosity, what were your reasons for wanting to switch?
« Last Edit: January 05, 2011, 11:09:55 AM by SectorNine50 »
I'm Sector95 in-game! :-D

Offline ImADot

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6215
Re: Clear 4G Internet Service
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2011, 11:39:05 AM »
The wife saw the mailer and wanted me to check it out.  Lower cost per month is appealing for her.  I checked Clear's coverage map, and my house is supposedly inside their "maximum 4G" signal. 

I need to do some checking with Comcast about my service level...3-5Mbps seems low to me and is basically what Clear claims is average for their 4G service.  A friend who is also on Comcast in a different suburb here, gets around 45-60Mbps.  WTF  :furious   I'm taking these speeds (from Speedtest.net) with a grain of salt...using the same destination server at least gives a common reference point for comparison; I know differences in geography and hardware will play a big part in the results.
My Current Rig:
GigaByte GA-X99-UD4 Mobo w/ 16Gb RAM
Intel i7 5820k, Win7 64-bit
NVidia GTX 970 4Gb ACX 2.0
Track IR, CH Fighterstick, CH Pro Throttle, CH Pro Pedals

Offline SectorNine50

  • Silver Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1331
Re: Clear 4G Internet Service
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2011, 12:14:43 PM »
3-5 is rather low, I'm getting 15Mbps on my Comcast internet, and I think that's the slowest package you can get here.  I've found SpeedTest.net to be very accurate, so you potentially could be having a problem with your service.

I'm sure if you talked to Clear, they'd let you demo their system for a few days.  Might help aid your decision a bit.
« Last Edit: January 05, 2011, 12:16:20 PM by SectorNine50 »
I'm Sector95 in-game! :-D

Offline Ghosth

  • AH Training Corps (retired)
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 8497
      • http://332nd.org
Re: Clear 4G Internet Service
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2011, 06:47:52 AM »
If your going to use it for flying AH you might want to test drive it for actual ping and packet loss before committing to it.

Offline ImADot

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6215
Re: Clear 4G Internet Service
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2011, 09:18:37 AM »
I did some more research and testing.

Clear 4G states their average bandwidth is 4-6Mbps.  I ran checks at home right after work (around 17:00 CST) and got results in the 14-16Mbps range on both my desktop and wireless laptop through my Comcast connection.  Later on, around 21:30, the results were a disappointing 3-5Mbps like I got the previous night.

So, Clear is not an option.  Sounds like I now get to struggle with Comcast to get their service stabilized in the evenings.  Either that or go blow up the neighbors who are sucking up all the bandwidth in my neighborhood...   :D
My Current Rig:
GigaByte GA-X99-UD4 Mobo w/ 16Gb RAM
Intel i7 5820k, Win7 64-bit
NVidia GTX 970 4Gb ACX 2.0
Track IR, CH Fighterstick, CH Pro Throttle, CH Pro Pedals