This is an initial review of my latest USB modem.
I needed to see how these $20 devices work, as they are a pretty cheap alternative to a real gsm modem. So I bought one. I shopped from
Deal Extreme. First time, everything went ok. Order arrived in Greece after a couple of weeks - I was prepared for this delay, as they use standard post. Package was stamped as "sample".
I purchased
this device.
Don't expect much from the packaging or the modem. I've managed to insert the SIM correctly after trying a couple of times. There is no manual or anything, no brand and the label just reads "EDGE MODEM"... LOL!
Installation on my Win XP machine:
1) Plug the USB.
2) Wait for the driver to install.
3) Don't run the setup! If it runs by itself, cancel it!
4) Reboot as instructed.
5) The USB appears as a normal USB storage device.
6) Run the setup in order to install the modem drivers.
Mine appeared as COM5. It identified itself like this:
Modem Information:
Manufacturer: HOJY
Model: WYLESS_600
Serial No: 353036025712340
SIM IMSI: ** MASKED **
Signal Level: -71 dBm
Battery Level: 100%
I used the default HUAWEI handler, i.e.:
new SerialModemGateway("modem.com1", "COM6", 115200, "Huawei", "");
The good thing is that this cheap device plays OK! I've managed to send and receive messages without problems. The inbound notifications don't work, but I will examine it further.
Of course, I cannot give any feedback about the stability of the device in long running applications. I just played for a couple of hours and, for what's worth, it seems good enough.
