Possible Free Netgear WNR3500L router

douglasc727

Member
chris.i signed up for this.do you have any way of knowing if you have qualified?i didnt get a response or email from them...yet.maybe i am just impatient.
 

StayC

New Member
* You must have a fixed line broadband Internet connection to your residence.
* You must use a standalone device to connect to your broadband service (i.e NOT a USB ADSL modem)
* You must have a stable broadband connection (i.e. it doesn’t disconnect frequently).
* You must not be a heavy downloader
* You must have a spare power socket near your existing router (or wherever you plan to connect the unit. Keep in mind that a network cable must run between the unit and your router though…they will supply a 1m cable).
* You need to be on one of the ISPs that they are measuring.
* You cannot be an employee or a family member of an employee of one of the ISPs being monitored.

THANKS Hip2save
 

sunedaz77

New Member
Test My ISP Signup
Submission successful!

Thank you for your interest in our performance network.

Your information has been submitted and we'll get in touch regarding your application shortly.

FCC & SamKnows
 

willow01

New Member
Got an e-mail back from them.

Dear Will

We’re pleased to say that the details you originally supplied match the type of broadband connection we’re looking to measure. We need to ask you for more information to be certain, and to do this we’ve built a speed-test and accompanying form, which can be found by clicking here.

If you could run the speed test and complete the additional information, we’ll then be able to ensure that we get a representative sample of broadband connections.

If successful, you will receive a SamKnows enabled high-spec NETGEAR router, we’ll also give you access to the SamKnows reporting system so you can see your own data and we’ll send you a monthly report card detailing your ISP’s performance.

To check whether your broadband connection is what we’re looking for please complete the details here. Thank you again for participating in this landmark project to measure the performance of American broadband. We look forward to working with you!

If you no longer wish to receive any emails regarding this trial, please use the unsubscribe link in the footer of the email.

Kind regards,
Sam.
 
Last edited:

willow01

New Member
Got another e-mail today. Looks like I'm in!

I've been doing a bit of research on what they do with the router while it's in use. The router itself uses a custom SK firmware, which seems to be a pain to install your own firmware on top for the router (IE: Tomato ) Basically it does a couple of line tests daily, and then send that info to SK which then send that info to your ISP to help improve the connection. No personal info is gathered through the router. Since they are working with the FCC on this project, I feel a little bit better using a router with someone else's custom firmware on top of it.

Now remember, if you are accepted into this program, SK has the right to request the router itself back, and from what I've been reading, after 3 years then the router is yours, but who in there right mind would ask for a 3 year old router back at that time? lol I'm sure in that time, there should be a decent amount of network changes to where they may upgrade the routers to industry standards.

Anyways, here is the e-mail I received.

Join SamKnows & the FCC's campaign.
Help shape the future of American broadband!

Dear Will

Thank you for volunteering to participate in the SamKnows Broadband Performance Measurement Study, in association with the FCC.

We now have all your relevant ISP details and you're just the kind of person we're looking for. So welcome to the SamKnows Broadband Community!

If you would like to confirm your participation in the study, please read and agree to the study’s Terms & Conditions.

We've said it before, and we really do mean it – thank you for your support. Through your participation in this study, you can play a part in changing the face of American broadband.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us at community@samknows.com.

Kind regards,
Sam.


So, I accepted the ToS, and the Router is being sent within 7-10 business days.
 

rymor

Mugu Member
I got in on this one, said they will mail the router out to me in 7-10 days. I have Verizon Fios and run around 45-50 mb/s Up
 

To0tandButterzMa

New Member
Omg, i almost delete the email, but I scanned through one more time and found my email stating that I met the requirements... I was looking for the sender name to be the same as the 1st email they sent lol But yea I'm getting it too, Hope it's better than the one I have now *spits on linksys* :kekeke:
 

chrisman

New Member
Test My ISP Signup

Submission successful!

Thank you for submitting your details. We will be selecting panelists in the next 14-21 days, and we will contact you via email if you have been successful

FCC & SamKnows
 

willow01

New Member
My router was sent Thursday by UPS, it's in town but UPS won't deliver on Saturdays unless paid for, so I should get it on Monday. I love free electronics :)
 

laurelnev

Active Member
is this worth it?

Depends on if you like helping the govt to do research or not. If you go to broadband.gov, you can see broadband penetration in the US. However, this data is currently only based on ISP reports of speed/throughput. The free router is kind of like a neilsen box for your internet. The feds will use the data gathered to generate more reports, which in turn, will help influence future ligislation, FCC policies, grants/financial initiatives to bridge the digital divide, etc. They'll also be able to gather research related to "are you getting the service the ads say you'll get?"

In my area, we rarely get advertised speeds, yet if you look at the chart on broadband.gov, you'll see Verizon reports we get great throughput; running the various speedchecks on the net negates Verizon's claims, and cable is even worse. I eagerly signed on for this router, as I'd like to provide the govt data that will help them see how bogus the various local broadband providers claims are. The only thing that disappoints me is that the Feds choose a UK based company with which to partner on this. No US IT companies could do this?
 
register to remove this ad:
Top