Short Review about Reliance Netconnect+ Prepaid USB Internet Device

What’s included in the Package? The whole package of Reliance Netconnect+ High Speed USB Internet Device includes the following components:

• 1 High Speed USB Data MODEM
• 1 Dialer CD: Includes MODEM Installation Software and Soft copy of User/Quick Start Guide
• 1 Quick Start Guide (Hard/Print Copy)
• 1 USB Extension Cable
• Warranty Card

The build quality of products is robust and the USB Stick carries 1 Year National Warranty. Also the device is capable of supporting Micro SD Card

Setting Up TATA Photon Plus Prepaid for your Laptop/Desktop

As soon as you plug in the USB Device in your Laptop/Desktop, Autorun will be executed and you can install the MODEM Drivers within minutes. The interface window of Reliance Netconnect+ is very User Friendly, showing Network Strength and Buttons viz. Activation, Connect, Connection Logs, Settings and Help (Click to Enlarge):

In order to Setup your Reliance Netconnect Plus device with the Network, click on Settings Button and following interface will be displayed:

 

Here:
1. Phone will be #777
2. Username and Password will be the 10 Digit MDN Number (excluding Zero ’0′) printed at the back of Reliance Netconnect+ Package
3. Mode will be either Netconnect+ OR High Speed 1X OR Hybrid depending on your choice and the location where you are using the device. The description of all the MODES in Reliance Netconnect+ are as follows:

• Hybrid Mode: This is default mode of operation for Reliance Netconnect+ MODEM. In this mode, Modem will latch to Netconnect+ network, if you move to any location where Netconnect+ network is not present, modem will switch over automatically to High speed 1x network and will get back to Netconnect+ mode once you come back to Netconnect+ coverage area.
• Netconnect+: In this mode, modem will latch to Netconnect+ (High Speed Data) network. You will experience download speeds up to 3.1 Mbps and upload speeds up to 1.8 Mbps in this mode.
• High Speed 1x: In this mode, Modem will latch to High speed 1X network. In this mode, you will get download speed up to 153.6 kbps

4. You can set your own DNS like Google Public DNS OR OpenDNS. Although, this is completely optional and the device will continue to work flawlessly (depending on CDMA Network Performance at your Location) even if you don’t set this
In the settings page, you can also set your Static IP Address and also choose whether to connect the Device at Startup of your Operating System and Auto-Reconnection

System Requirements

Reliance Netconnect+ (plus) High Speed USB CDMA Network device:

• Is compatible with Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, Linux and MAC 10.5.X Operating Systems – Details for installing the MODEM in MAC and Linux is present in the Quick Start Guide
• Is fully Compatible with USB 2.0
• Requires minimum of 100 MB or above of Free Hard Disk Space
• Requires minimum of 128 MB or above of RAM

Price

The price of this device is bit high, though it’s a best bet for you, if you are a frequent traveler OR your office/home is located in an area where there’s NO Wire line Internet Providers. I got the whole package for Rs. 1300/- which doesn’t includes any type of FREE Data Transfer for NEW Buyers. I have to additionally recharge the Device with Rs. 330/- for getting 5 GB Data Transfer with validity of 1 Month.
You also need to submit your Photo, Address Proof and Photo ID Card like Driving License, PAN Card etc. at the time of buying and activating the device.
* Price/Free Data Transfer Offers may vary from one city to another

Connectivity and Speed

As soon as you click Connect, the device gets connected to the network almost instantly. Occasionally, it takes more than 15 Seconds to get connected to the Network. On an average, the device gets connected to the network in 5 Seconds.
The Download speed for the device is quite good and sometimes great. Check out following Speed Test Screenshots while Testing Download and Upload Speeds:

* The above Screenshots are taken when the device is using either Netconnect+ OR Hybrid Mode
Update
Tried using Reliance Netconnect+ during Late Night Hours and following is the result I got:

* The above Screenshot is taken when the device is using either Netconnect+ OR Hybrid Mode. Increase in speed can be attributed to less network congestion/traffic as compared to day/evening time
The Download and Upload Speed of Reliance Netconnect+ USB MODEM is quite decent for casual browsing/surfing the web. The connection is constant and doesn’t break at all. Though if you are travelling in a fast car/train, the connection may drop/break eventually and you have to reconnect the device. Tested this Device at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (Although as per Reliance Netconnect+ IP Address, my location is Bangalore, Karnataka and Chennai is the nearest Speedtest Point! But this can be ignored as I am testing from Bhopal using server hosted at Chennai – No doubt the device/network offers good speed)

Roaming

Roaming on Reliance Netconnect+ High Speed USB CDMA Device is absolutely FREE throughout India, provided that the city/location where you are going have either Netconnect+ OR High Speed 1X Network.
In case, you are not sure what type of Reliance CDMA Network is present in the city/location where you are going, switch to Hybrid Mode, so that the device automatically switches to the best available network for surfing/browsing OR refer THIS PAGE for Coverage Details

Reliance Netconnect+ (Plus) vs. TATA Photon+ (Plus)

As I have used both the devices (Read TATA Photon Plus Review), I will say TATA Photon+ is better than Reliance Netconnect+ when it comes to Speed and Connectivity. Following is the screenshot of both download and upload speeds offered by both Reliance Netconnect+ and Tata Photon+:

If Network of both TATA Photon+ (not Whiz) and Reliance Netconnect+ is available in your City/Location (See TATA Photon Coverage), I will highly recommend you to go with TATA Photon+. Although, it’s also recommend that you test both the device before buying any one of them, as speed and connectivity experiences varies from one location to another within same city!
In case, no TATA Photon+ Network is present in your City, Reliance Netconnect+ High Speed USB Internet Device is HIGHLY recommended over other providers like Vodafone, AirTel, Idea, MTS etc., when it comes to Speed, Connectivity, Reliabilty and Customer Support.
* Still experience may vary from person to person and from one location to another within same city

Conclusion

Overall, I will give Reliance Netconnect+ a score of 7.5/10, when it comes to Connectivity, Speed and Customer Support. The score will drop to 6/10, if Reliance Netconnect+ is compared with TATA Photon+ Network and Device (Not Whiz).
Note:

• In some cities you may be getting this device on a small monthly rent, it’s recommended not to rent such products, as it may results in unnecessary consequences. It’s better to buy the device and enjoy it whenever you want
• As soon as the device gets connected to the Internet, Reliance Netconnect Page will open in your default browser, which contains details like View and Pay Bill (for Postpaid Users of Reliance Netconnect+), Usage Details, Prepaid Balance, Trouble Shooting Information and Service Center Details