T-Mobile internet

9outof10mms said:
Stress tested the unit today with a kids party. Of course the adults have to be connected. I had 6-10 devices connected and Facebooking or God knows what. TMobile didn’t flinch. It’s been pull 20-40 mbps all day.

The impressive part is the upload speed. Spectrum struggles to break 5 mbps. TMobile has been pulling 10-20 mbps up even when it was giving me crap before I reset it.
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I think this will be the answer (unless Verizon, AT&T, etc does something similar) for areas where internet connection is lacking. From what I read online Starlink beta testers are paying $499 for the equipment and $99/month. Now that price may drop but for now T-Mobile has it beat. $50/month unlimited with no data caps is tough to beat when your only other options are hot spots or dsl at 10Mbps or less. Unrelated but I was in Greenville yesterday. I did speed test on my phone (US Cellular showing 4 out of 5 bars). Managed .24 down. It does what I need it to do, but it might be time to look at other cell providers.
 
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easternnc4me said:
I think this will be the answer (unless Verizon, AT&T, etc does something similar) for areas where internet connection is lacking. From what I read online Starlink beta testers are paying $499 for the equipment and $99/month. Now that price may drop but for now T-Mobile has it beat. $50/month unlimited with no data caps is tough to beat when your only other options are hot spots or dsl at 10Mbps or less. Unrelated but I was in Greenville yesterday. I did speed test on my phone (US Cellular showing 4 out of 5 bars). Managed .24 down. It does what I need it to do, but it might be time to look at other cell providers.
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What are they using as a modem and can I connect it to my orbi system
 
vaskeet said:
What are they using as a modem and can I connect it to my orbi system
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I’d imagine there’s some sort of proprietary box that decides the signal (same as AT&T or Spectrum), then just a WAN output for a wifi router. Or very likely the same as the TMobile box with built-in wifi. I thought I’d be connecting my wifi router to boost the signal. But so far, this little box is covering 95% of the house.
 
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Put my info in to T-Mobile. Waiting in hearing back.
 
Geerubb said:
Put my info in to T-Mobile. Waiting in hearing back.
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Did you get to the "Congratulations you qualify screen"? If so don't wait for them to call you. Call them. You may have to call more than once to get your account set up and the modem sent to you.
 
9outof10mms said:
I’d imagine there’s some sort of proprietary box that decides the signal (same as AT&T or Spectrum), then just a WAN output for a wifi router. Or very likely the same as the TMobile box with built-in wifi. I thought I’d be connecting my wifi router to boost the signal. But so far, this little box is covering 95% of the house.
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How has it been working for you since the hiccup? Mine is consistently in the mid 20s with occasional 30's. CenturyStink has been having problems around this area the last week. This modem keeps chugging along doing anything we need it to do (school for the kids, etc).
 
80 down, 10 up right now. It does not like to have power interrupted. The room we have it has the two outlets nearest the window on the wall switch. Despite my warnings, people have turned the switch off a few times. When it comes back on it hovers in the 1-5 range. I reset through the TM app and it fires right back up.
 
9outof10mms said:
80 down, 10 up right now. It does not like to have power interrupted. The room we have it has the two outlets nearest the window on the wall switch. Despite my warnings, people have turned the switch off a few times. When it comes back on it hovers in the 1-5 range. I reset through the TM app and it fires right back up.
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A) use packing tape to keep the switch on
B) put a small UPS before the modem. Put your wireless router ( and switch if yours is separate) on it too.
 
JimP42 said:
A) use packing tape to keep the switch on
B) put a small UPS before the modem. Put your wireless router ( and switch if yours is separate) on it too.
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The TM unit has its own battery. But no one realizes the switch is off until the battery dies!!!

Permanent fix is to require the outlet to not be switch controlled.
 
9outof10mms said:
The TM unit has its own battery. But no one realizes the switch is off until the battery dies!!!

Permanent fix is to require the outlet to not be switch controlled.
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Sure, if you want that behavior permanently.

I literally have a light switch with tape on it. Hasn’t been turned off for 6 years. I will remove the tape when I sell. It is an exterior light tha I want on and like you say, wouldn’t notice if off, or only notice by chance.
 
I’ve used these before on outside motion and/or daylight sensitive lights:
C99142E5-E988-4309-9EE3-DB04EE1416AE.png

The other thing about the room switch is that it’s THE light switch for the room. Controls the fan and those outlets. It would be weird to walk into a room and not be able to use its switch.

If it’s wired correctly, I believe it’s as easy as adding or removing a jumper wire to make the top or bottom outlet not tied to the switch.
 
Looks like T Mobile might have corrected the work around. It still says "You qualify" when using the 999-999-9999 number but now when you call they tell you it is not available. Some people in the Facebook group say they still have had some success by using the Chat feature on T Mobile website. For those of you who still need/want internet with no options Visible (uses Verizon towers) has an unlimited data plan for $40/month. Price goes down by $5 for each line you add up to 4 lines. Only thing about it is that they limit streaming to 5Mbps. There's ways to get that fixed too. My mom gets 50-60 Mbps down in an MR1100 but when streaming (Youtube) it's 4-5. Works fine for her though.
 
They have a new modem now. Some people have received them. Some current customers have been able to call and get one sent while others have been told that when the modems are available they will be contacted. I just got off the phone with them and was told they will contact me via email or phone when I can upgrade to the new modem. The new one still doesn't have an external antenna connection but is 5G capable. On a side note I got rid of CenturyStink last week and got Locality Network at 200Mbps. Far superior to CenturyStink.
 
easternnc4me said:
They have a new modem now. Some people have received them. Some current customers have been able to call and get one sent while others have been told that when the modems are available they will be contacted. I just got off the phone with them and was told they will contact me via email or phone when I can upgrade to the new modem. The new one still doesn't have an external antenna connection but is 5G capable. On a side note I got rid of CenturyStink last week and got Locality Network at 200Mbps. Far superior to CenturyStink.
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Locality Network- someone new on the scene?

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
 
got mine about 2 weeks ago (old LTE modem not 5G) still looking for the best place for the router here are my speeds tonight Guess which one is Century link (I pay for 10 meg)
1/6/2021 21:14:110.42 Mbps0.19 Mbps172.58.230.141Atlanta, GA
1/6/2021 21:13:578.78 Mbps5.71 Mbps172.58.230.141Atlanta, GA

In the AM with century link until around 5 pm I will get 8-9 Mbps down and 0.7 up getting ready to call centurylink and tell them where to put the DSL
 
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Oneofsix said:
Locality Network- someone new on the scene?

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
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Short story is Greenlight (Wilson) expanded into Pinetops. Big Telecoms went to Raleigh to tell Legislatures they (Wilson) can't do that since it is a municipality and not a private business. Rule passed that once a suitable alternative was available (ended up being Suddenlink) in Pinetops Greenlight had to pull out. Greenlight sold to an individual from the west coast who retired from Verizon. He renamed it Locality Network. It's a local internet provider.

vaskeet said:
got mine about 2 weeks ago (old LTE modem not 5G) still looking for the best place for the router here are my speeds tonight Guess which one is Century link (I pay for 10 meg)
1/6/2021 21:14:110.42 Mbps0.19 Mbps172.58.230.141Atlanta, GA
1/6/2021 21:13:578.78 Mbps5.71 Mbps172.58.230.141Atlanta, GA

In the AM with century link until around 5 pm I will get 8-9 Mbps down and 0.7 up getting ready to call centurylink and tell them where to put the DSL
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So...do you plan on cancelling Centurystink?
 
easternnc4me said:
Short story is Greenlight (Wilson) expanded into Pinetops. Big Telecoms went to Raleigh to tell Legislatures they (Wilson) can't do that since it is a municipality and not a private business. Rule passed that once a suitable alternative was available (ended up being Suddenlink) in Pinetops Greenlight had to pull out. Greenlight sold to an individual from the west coast who retired from Verizon. He renamed it Locality Network. It's a local internet provider.


So...do you plan on cancelling Centurystink?
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They will be CNXed by the end of the week
 
vaskeet said:
They will be CNXed by the end of the week
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Once Locality installed our internet and phone service my wife called Centurlink to cancel services. The representative tried talking her into keeping them on until the next billing cycle. Nope, don't think so. They will probably try to do the same to you.
 
Someones pic from the T Mobile Home Internet Facebook forum. From what I have read the majority of people of who have received the new one have seen improved speeds. Old one (white) on the left. New 5G one on the right.

tmobile.jpgtmobile2.jpg
 
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I've tried to get Tmobile a few times now. Went to the Website, put in my info, says I'm eligible, and then to call them. Went through about 30 mins with two different techs to finally have them say I have to wait for an email to call back.

EDIT - they finally called back and this time it was super smooth. Modem is in the mail. I'll report back with speeds/etc.
 
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I've had the 5Ghz size drop out a couple of times. I called yesterday evening to ask about upgrading. Tech support asked if I had any issues with the current modem and I told him about the 5Ghz side dropping a couple of times. New modem should be here next week. I plan on doing some speed test with the current one today and tomorrow. I'll post them here and compare them to the new modem when it arrives.
 
easternnc4me said:
I've had the 5Ghz size drop out a couple of times. I called yesterday evening to ask about upgrading. Tech support asked if I had any issues with the current modem and I told him about the 5Ghz side dropping a couple of times. New modem should be here next week. I plan on doing some speed test with the current one today and tomorrow. I'll post them here and compare them to the new modem when it arrives.
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I’ve seen that too. Although I don’t use the TMobile wireless. I got a Google home mesh system that I plug into the TMobile receiver.

Definitely interested to hear if the new unit gives better speed. Now I’m just being greedy though.
 
So I received the Nokia modem (new one) yesterday. Before switching the SIM out, I did a speed test on the old white one on 2.4ghz. 5 speed test with the ranging from 18Mbps to 26Mbps. Switched the SIM out to the new modem and...was disappointed. 7-13Mbps. Granted there are no 5G towers close by. I called T Mobile today to see if there were any tweaks/adjustments that could be made. I was told that the new one was connecting to a 5G tower further away (older white modem connecting to a closer LTE tower) and that is why I was getting the slower speed. Switched the SIM back into the older modem this afternoon and back up to the low 20's.
 
easternnc4me said:
So I received the Nokia modem (new one) yesterday. Before switching the SIM out, I did a speed test on the old white one on 2.4ghz. 5 speed test with the ranging from 18Mbps to 26Mbps. Switched the SIM out to the new modem and...was disappointed. 7-13Mbps. Granted there are no 5G towers close by. I called T Mobile today to see if there were any tweaks/adjustments that could be made. I was told that the new one was connecting to a 5G tower further away (older white modem connecting to a closer LTE tower) and that is why I was getting the slower speed. Switched the SIM back into the older modem this afternoon and back up to the low 20's.
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I think I will stay with the LTE modem for now I am getting from 30-85Mbps down at least for a while
 
Setup my nokia 5g tmobile router/modem the other day. Was actually getting good speeds vs CenturyLink - around 40 down / 20 up.

There are a few problems though. Tmobile has the router locked down. You can't put it in bridge mode, change dhcp settings, etc. The other main downside is the latency. Hard to do any kind of gaming with the high ping times.

If you just need basic networking - this would be a great setup. I'll probably return it and stick with decent centurylink connection.
 
Geerubb said:
Setup my nokia 5g tmobile router/modem the other day. Was actually getting good speeds vs CenturyLink - around 40 down / 20 up.

There are a few problems though. Tmobile has the router locked down. You can't put it in bridge mode, change dhcp settings, etc. The other main downside is the latency. Hard to do any kind of gaming with the high ping times.

If you just need basic networking - this would be a great setup. I'll probably return it and stick with decent centurylink connection.
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Any way to transfer this to me?
 
An update. The new gateway came with a new SIM card. However when I was on the phone with T Mobile I was told to swap the SIM card out (put the SIM card from the old gateway in the new one). Results were not good after doing so (see my post above). I posted my result on the Facebook group and someone asked "Just a thought is the SIM you switched r15 sim? I know they updated the SIM to go with 5g devices..." Got me to thinking so I switched the SIM back. Put the new SIM in the new gateway. Set everything up. Did some speed test and:

IMG_0262[1].PNG
IMG_0263[1].PNG
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Update on my experience with TMobile home internet.

I was able to finally upgrade to 5G. I've been calling every few months for the past year--each time being told "upgrades in progress near you, you can do it soon." I received the new unit last night and hooked it up.

Here is my speed difference between the original LTE and the new 5G:
CC8E0395-9BA7-46BB-A980-DEDBEEE86986.jpeg

Other than some unrelated minor issues with my Google mesh setup and devices freaking out when they saw new internet, the upgrade has been good. Dare I say Netflix came in more clear/higher res last night than previously. Another good thing with the 5G versus LTE device is an internal battery. I don't know how long it'll last, but there is one in the unit. Good for short power outages.

Overall the service has been decent, especially for the price. I would certainly recommend it if it's available.

It's worth noting that their coverage is constantly expanding. My area was once qualified for use, then it went not qualified (but I already had my device and it still worked), and is now back to qualified. So if you weren't allowed to get it previously, try again.
 
I tried their 5G access point for a day. It did not work. Kept dropping connection. Took me 6 months to get them to stop sending me bill even though they acknowledged they had the device back in their possession. Companies that do this are crooks trying to see if you will just pay the bill. They even turned me over to a collection agency and I turned them over to the state AG's office. I had VP in customer service call me and apologise. I would never do business with these theiving bastards or AT&T.
 
Resurrecting this thread -

Has anyone tried the US Cellular home internet or the Home-Fi solution?
I keep checking but none of the providers have 5G out here yet. The closest towers to us are AT&T.
US Cellular is going to be ~$75 monthly with a 3 yr contract.
Home-Fi is about $105/monthly...
Neither are giving me the warm fuzzy feeling and I'm tired of DSL.
 
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