*** Update ***
It has been a while since I have updated this post.  There are more USB devices and new connection software available from CLEAR.  Follow this link for the most up-to-date software:
http://www.clear.com/support/download/usb/wimax-2-usb-adapter
*** Update ***
CLEAR just released a new version of it's connection manager which now supports Windows7. The previous connection manager did work with Windows7 but you had to spend a little extra effort to get it to work. The new connection manager, version 1.05, installs very easily and now provides all the drivers needed connect to the 4G or 3G network right away.

I did a quick test on my system that is running a retail copy of Windows7 Ultimate and I am happy to report that it worked just fine. I have provided a link to download the new software below.











If your a new to CLEAR and you want to sign-up, please give me a call at 404-492-9779 and I will take care of you.

If you use the CLEAR Voice service you may have run into issues with getting an older fax machine to work properly. Also, small business owners may also be having an issue with getting their CreditCard machines to work as well. Here is some detailed troubleshooting information to help you to get things working right.

Configuring Faxing
CLEAR supports faxing over your Clear Voice phone service. You do not need to make any changes to your CLEAR account for this feature to work. You should plug in your fax machine between the Clear Voice Adapter and your telephone, or use a splitter to connect both devices directly to the Adapter. You may have to adjust some settings on your fax machine in order for it to work properly with your Clear Voice Service.

By the way... get rid of your fax machine. Try RingCentral Fax

For maximum success:

• Dial *99 before dialing the fax number. It is also a good idea to include a “pause” or comma after the *99. Some machines will let you program this prefix to automatically dial.

• Set the “Baud Rate” to 9600. If the Machine does not have Manual Baud rate settings, it most likely makes Baud adjustments automatically.

• Turn on the “International Mode” to allow the machine to negotiate the transmission speed automatically

• Turn off “Error Correction Mode” to improve the success rate when sending faxes

• For machines that have both phone and fax capabilities, set the machine to “Fax Only”. This will enable your fax machine to automatically receive a fax. You will still be able to make and receive phone calls.

• Set the resolution to “Standard” (lower resolution)
  

For more information about these settings, please see your fax machine manual.

Configuring a Credit Card Machine
Most credit card machines are compatible with Clear Voice. These devices either have Ethernet ports for use over the Clear Home or Business Internet connection, or can be programmed to work over the Clear Voice connection. The best configuration is to plug the device into the Ethernet port of your computer or router. This configuration will give you the best transaction speed and reliability. If you do not have this option on your machine, you may want to contact your credit card machine vendor to see if they will upgrade the device to one that has an Ethernet port.

Credit card machines with an Ethernet port (IP based):

• If you are not using a computer or router, you can plug the credit card machine’s Ethernet cable directly into Ethernet port (yellow) on the Clear Voice Adapter.

• If you are using a computer or router, you can plug the credit card machine’s Ethernet cable into Ethernet port on your computer or router.

If the credit card machine does not have an Ethernet port:

• Plug the credit card machine into the Phone 1 port.

• Plug the phone into the credit card machine

• Program the credit card machine to dial *99 before each dial. You may want to consult your credit card machine manual or call the vendor to walk through the process. If you cannot program the device to include the *99 dialing prefix, you will have to dial *99 before each transaction.

Troubleshooting Hints

• The voicemail waiting indicator can cause interference with faxes and credit card transactions. You should pick up the phone and listen for the stutter dial tone. If you hear this tone, you should listen to your voicemail before sending a fax or processing the credit card.

• Outbound faxing to electronic fax services may not be compatible with Clear Voice.

• Because there are so many versions and variations, CLEAR will not publish instructions or a list of supported devices. For additional help and troubleshooting, check your fax or credit card machine manual or contact the manufacturer. You can also contact CLEAR Customer Care at 888-888-3113 and a dedicated Clear Voice representative can walk you through setting up your Clear Voice Service with your fax or credit card machine.

Feel free to leave a comment on any other tricks you may have found that could help someone else out with a problem with Fax or CreditCard machines.

We have been talking for a while now about the need and desire for CLEAR to release a real mobile handset that can do 3G/4G data with voice. We live in a gadget obsessed culture and that is why you see mobile phones selling so well. In many cases consumers will choose a carrier based on the type of smartphone or device they want to use. The Apple iPhone is a perfect example of this. Some believe that interest in CLEAR 4G WiMAX will increase if there are cool mobile devices that can connect to the 4G network without the need of a USB dongle and/or a portable router.

FierceWireless.com is running a post (Orignal Post) talking about Clearwire CEO Bill Morrow reiterating his company's commitment to launching a dual-mode 3G/WiMAX smartphone in the second half of the year, and hinted that it may run Google's Android platform. Again, you can read the that entire post here: (Orignal Post).

Since Google is an investor in Clearwire it does not surprise us too much that we may see an Android based handset in the near future. We certainly hope that is the case. Having a nice handset on the 4G WiMAX network could be huge for mobile video and other bandwidth intensive applications.

We will continue to keep you all posted on any and all development on this story as we move through 2010.

CLEAR is in the process of rolling out 2 new advanced WiMAX modems with some features we have not seen yet from the current hardware offering. The main new feature seen in both of these devices is that they have built-in ATA capability for VOIP. This is good news because customers will not longer need to have a separate ATA device for VOIP. Should make for an easier install and users can upgrade to VOIP without new equipment being installed or shipped. As soon as we get our hands on these we will post more information. Until then, here is the information we do have.

First up...
Gemtek Series G Home Modem

Gemtek (http://www.gemtek.com.tw) was Founded in 1991, and is a leading provider of Wireless Broadband solutions, offering a wide range of solutions from residential to business. Specific details about this device are not yet released yet but this is what we know:

• Internal ATA: Yes

• Antenna: Omni-Directional

• Price is the same as current modems with a CLEAR plan: $79.99 w/$10 discount.

• Lease also available: $4.99/mo Market: Las Vegas

Second device...
Motorola Series M Home Modem (CPEi 725)

The Motorola device is a little more known to us. Again, the main feature of note is the included ATA functions. Motorola’s WiMAX CPEi 725 features data and voice access ports and high gain antennas with omni directional performance that should offer good signal strength. It’s highly sensitive receiver exceeds the WiMAX Forum’s specified receiver sensitivity requirements. Also of note is the built-in quality of services (QoS) features, which should provide better data and VOIP performance.

• Internal ATA: Yes

• Antenna: Omni-Directional

• Price is the same as current modems with a CLEAR plan: $79.99 w/$10 discount.
  

• Lease also available: $4.99/mo

• Market: Portland

It is unknown at this time if current customers will be able to upgrade to these newer devices or when these may come available in other CLEAR markets.

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Like it or not the title of this post is the truth. Many customers I work with are interested in using CLEAR's Voice (VOIP) service with their current analog alarm system, but I always strongly state that CLEAR does not support the use of VoIP with analog alarm systems. Now that you have the straight answer, allow me to explain in a bit more detail and also provide a possible solution.

The Analog-Digital Dilemma
Most older "analog" alarm systems rely on a standard telephone line to dial-out to the monitoring station. Meaning, when your alarm goes off the security system uses your telephone line to dial the company that monitors your house. The system does this by using an old computer modem. Do you remember the last time you used your modem to connect to the Internet? Yeah, I can't remember either. My point here is that most alarm systems are using OLD TECHNOLOGY. And that older technology works great if you are using an old telephone line. The Internet and VoIP are digital technologies and there are some fundamental issues in getting them to play nice with each other. Here are a few things to keep in mind about dealing with VoIP and your alarm system:

• Older technology simply won't work with VoIP because the security system operates on older formats.
• Line seizure capability is lost with VoIP technology.
• VoIP requires its own additional battery back-up to maintain communications in the event of power failure.
• If the router becomes unplugged or malfunctions, the alarm signal cannot be transmitted.
• On average, the Internet experiences more service outages than regular phone lines. The security system cannot communicate during these outages.
• Alarm signals are more susceptible to loss or distortion when sent over the Internet.
  

Now, let me pause here and say that I know there are some skilled alarm technicians out there that have been able to make these systems work and talk to each other in some cases. But, each one of them admitted that it is still not as reliable that they need to be. Trust me, you want to know your alarm system can dial-out in an emergency.

Solution: Radio Monitoring
A possible solution to this whole analog-digital issues is to simply convert your system to what is called Radio Monitoring. Even that name is a bit misleading. Radio monitoring means that instead of using a telephone line, the security system uses a wireless data transmission to send the alarm signal to the monitoring station. Similar to the way you would send a text SMS message to another mobile phone. But, in this case the radio monitoring system was designed specifically for the security industry and offers a reliable and affordable solution to loss of phone service. I am personally getting a Radio Monitoring system installed this week and plan to update this post with more information about what to expect with this type of service. The radio monitoring equipment usually costs a little bit more to install and run than the older phone line systems, but you are gaining additional security and features. So you go get what you pay for.

Next Steps and Special Offer!

WiMAXATL has teamed up with Ackerman Security Systems here in the Atlanta area, so if you are interested in learning more about Radio Monitoring or if you are just looking to get setup with a new security system please contact Amy Ash with Ackerman Security Systems. Tell Amy that you were referred by WiMAXATL or William Higgins and she will provide you with your first month of security monitoring for FREE!!!

Amy M. Ash
of Ackerman Security Systems
Email: amy.ash@ackermansecurity.com
Direct: 770-798-6878
Office: 770-552-1111

I am often asked about my personal CLEAR WiMAX setup in my home. Back in May when CLEAR first launched in Atlanta I dumped Comcast and went 100% CLEAR WiMAX. I do not have the most ideal WiMAX signal. So I had to be a little creative on where I place my home modem. As you can see from the video it work quite well. I took this video a while back and the speeds that demonstrate are not as fast as the speed I am seeing now. It is still a good video showing how I have things setup and may help some people understand a little better what the setup looks like.

Another aspect of this video is a brief demo I do of the Netflix Streaming Video app running on my TiVoHD box. I am a huge TiVo fan and have been an active member of the TiVocommunity.com for many many years (My TiVoCommunity.com user ID is W Auggie H). Since I dumped Comcast I have have used the Netflix app on my TiVo a lot. We use it all the time to for our Family movie night. Anyway, I wanted to show that my TiVo and the new Netflix app work great through my CLEAR WiMAX connection. Even at 3MB download speeds that I am showing at the time. When I was a Comcast customer I had problems running the Netfilx app. The stream would drop out 2-3 times during a 2 hour movie. With CLEAR WiMAX I have a much more stable experience.

So check out the video and leave any questions or comments you may have. I enjoy the feedback.

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As a CLEAR WiMAX reseller I help a lot of people get up and running on the service. So far I find CLEAR WiMAX to work very well out-of-the box. But, on occasion I do run into a few configurations that don't seem to work as well initially. One problem that pops up from time to time is when download speeds seem to drop dramatically if you connect to the CLEAR WiMAX modem through a wireless router. If you connect directly to the modem (USB or Ethernet) the speeds are fine, but connect through the router and speeds seem to drop off. I decided to dig into this a little deeper to see what I could find out.

In running some network tests I found some strange behavior in relation to packet sizes. It seems like the CLEAR service may have some specific issues with how your router is supporting larger packet size settings. I am not a hardcore networking expert so I will not dive too far into those details, but I do have some information on what worked for me.

** PLEASE NOTE, be careful when changing your setting on your router or PC. It is always good to do a back-up of your settings to make sure you can roll back if needed. ***

1. Upgrade the router firmware - This is the most common fix to this issue I have seen. Newer routers don't seem to have this issue but older ones do. So one of the first things I would try is update the firmware on the router when you see this issue.
2. Change the MTU settings on your router. (MTU is the maximum size of a single data unit.) Check out this link for some details there: http://bit.ly/6wG9Pw This post helps you find out what your best MTU setting should be based on your specific Internet connection. It may be different for different people so give it a try to see what you come up with. Once you have the value you want to try, you will need to go into your router firmware settings and see if there is a place for you to manually set your MTU value. Make sure you remember what your current setting is so you can set it back if it doesn't work.
3. Try running a program called TCP Optimizer (http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php). The TCP Optimizer is a free, easy Windows program that provides an intuitive interface for tuning and optimizing your Internet connection. There is no installation required, just download and run. The documentation is here: http://www.speedguide.net/tcpoptimizer.php.

I hope this information helps. I am very interested in hearing what works or doesn't work for you. Please leave a comment with your experience or advice. If you are still having trouble I will try to respond to your comments with other ideas. Good luck.

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CLEAR is set to launch a new Professional Voice service that his powered by RingCentral: (Voted: "Best for Toll Free Numbers" by Inc. Magazine). Currently, CLEAR sells consumer VOIP service but is limited to one single line per modem. This was always a huge drawback to using the CLEAR Voice service. Many consumers that use other services like Vonage have the option to add more than one line. This new service and partnership takes it to the next level and plans to offer true business voice services by leveraging a leader in the space already, RingCentral. Details are just now starting to come in but here are some info we already know:

• Still waiting on price, but we do know that there will be a discount if ordered with CLEAR WiMAX service.
  
• Hardware will be Linksys SPA-941, or SPA-942, maybe softphone???
  
• Complete Business Phone and Fax System
• Unlimited Local & Long-Distance Calling Included on Every Line
• Unlimited Electronic Fax Included on Every Line
• Full Basic Feature Set & Voicemail Included on Every Line
• Auto-Receptionist & Company Directory Included
• 100 Extensions & Voicemail Boxes Included
• Toll-Free (800) Number & 100 Free Minutes per month Included
• Select Local Phone Numbers from All Over the U.S.
• Extensions Can be Located Anywhere in U.S.
• Advanced Call Management & Routing on Every Line & Extension
• Advanced Features (Screening, Blocking, Click-to-Dial, Message Alerts)
• Music & Messages on Hold Included
• Real-Time Software Call Controller and Soft-phone Included
• Microsoft Office™ and Outlook™ Integration Included
• Pre-configured Professional Cisco IP Phones
• Call Queues & ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) for small Call Centers
• Web Based Access to All Your Features & Call Logs

I will update this post as I get more details. I hear a lot of good things about RingCentral so this partnership should work our well for both.


Sponsored by:

The 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is going to be held this week, January 7th - 10th, in Las Vegas. CLEAR (or Clearwire to be exact) will have a booth #30779 at the show and I am eager to see what they may be showing off. I would expect that we are going to hear about a few new WiMAX devices and possibly a sneak peak of what is to come in 2010. I don't expect CLEAR to be doing all the announcing, but look for specific manufactures to be doing most of the show and tell.

The biggest WiMAX-related rumor that I have come across that may impact CLEAR is a possible WiMAX-enabled phone by Sprint, LG and Microsoft. Sprint is hosting a "must-attend" event on January 6th, the day before CES starts with Brooke Shields as the host. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer are both said to be speaking at the event, so you can imagine that that this is a major announcement. The fact that this could be WiMAX-related is great news for CLEAR and Sprint.

• Sprint, LG, Microsoft To Intro WinMo WiMax Phone? by Eric Zeman
  

I am still holding out hope for some sort of Android-based WiMAX device at CES, but that may not be very likely. The Google Nexus One phone will be released this week and so far there is no report that it will support WiMAX. Google is still an investor in Clearwire (and WiMAX) so I hope the Nexus One phone is a preview of possible future WiMAX handsets. I know for a fact that there are efforts to provide WiMAX support in the Android OS, but as for a hardware device, nothing has materialized as of yet.

Check back here for updates this week as we get closer to the show!

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