Sprint Airave
Starting at: $104.99
CNET Editors' Review
CNET Editors' Rating
- Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
- Reviewed on:
The good: The Sprint Airave is both a device and a service that helps boost your Sprint phone's wireless signal via your home broadband network. It supports up to three active calls, and improves signal strength and call quality considerably. The Airave works with all Sprint phones and comes preactivated.
The bad: The Sprint Airave takes about an hour to properly find a GPS signal and find coverage during setup. There's also a monthly fee.
The bottom line: The Sprint Airave is an easy way to boost your Sprint cell coverage at home, and possibly replace your landline in the process.
Since a cell phone is practically useless without good signal strength, a signal booster is sometimes required to boost it. We've seen plenty signal boosters here at CNET, from the Wi-Ex zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL to the ARC Freedom Antenna. However, Sprint has decided to release device to boost the signal of Sprint phones, and it's called the Airave, made by Samsung. This CDMA femtocell uses your existing broadband Internet connection to help with the signal strength, similar to how the T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service works. We found that it worked as promised. The Airave costs $99.99, while the ... Expand full review
Since a cell phone is practically useless without good signal strength, a signal booster is sometimes required to boost it. We've seen plenty signal boosters here at CNET, from the Wi-Ex zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL to the ARC Freedom Antenna. However, Sprint has decided to release device to boost the signal of Sprint phones, and it's called the Airave, made by Samsung. This CDMA femtocell uses your existing broadband Internet connection to help with the signal strength, similar to how the T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service works. We found that it worked as promised. The Airave costs $99.99, while the service will cost you an additional $4.99 a month.
Out of the box, the Airave looks like an ordinary wireless router. It measures 6.9 inches long by 5.7 inches wide by 2.1 inches thick and weighs about 14 ounces. On the front are four LED indicators for Power, System, GPS, and WAN status. On the back are an Ethernet jack, a charger jack, the power switch, a GPS socket, and an antenna that can rotate up to 180 degrees for better performance. As for the GPS, the Airave requires a GPS signal to maintain exact network timing updates and it helps provide E911 services with your accurate location. If the built-in GPS is insufficient, Sprint has included an external GPS antenna that attaches to the GPS socket.
Setup was pretty easy. The Airave comes preactivated from Sprint, so all we did was connect the cables and power it on. Note that you'll require a router for the broadband connection. At this point, you'll have to be patient--it takes a long time before the Airave is able to find a GPS signal, and after that, it takes awhile before it can find coverage. Sprint advises you to wait for an hour; it took up about an hour and 15 minutes. Do note that if you are using the external GPS antenna, be sure to place it near a window at an elevated position for the best signal strength. You'll know everything is ready to go once all four LEDs glow blue.
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Nicole Lee is a senior associate editor for CNET, covering cell phones, Bluetooth headsets, and all things mobile. She's also a fan of comic books, video games, and of course, shiny gadgets.
User Reviews
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"Terrible product!" By Soadnirvana
Pros: Works well, when it works...
Cons: Frequently loses connection/gps signal
Summary: We live in an older place that is sort of isolated, so it does not receive Sprint's signal. We called and complained to Sprint so many times that they sent us the Airvana Airave device (ours looks nothing like the one in the photo and is completely white). At ... Expand full review
"Works great, but getting there is the hard part" By jordinhman
Pros: Works great. I get 5 bars now compared to dropped calls. I'd say thats a big step up. Great tecnical support. They have a direct line to AirRave support in the instructions without getting transfered all day.
Cons: Lots of variables that can create problems. Took me many hours and changing my service provider. Need better instructions. Will not work unless it gets a GPS signal for 911 purposes. Would be nice if we could bypass it, but I can understand having it
Summary: Does not work well with Clear ISP (or any ISP with 1mbps upload). Lots of delay and talking over each other because it was not in near real time conversation. We did a count test where one person on one end of the line counts even and the other person ... Expand full review
