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View Full Version : 5G internet alternative from TMOBILE?


pokeefe45@aol.com
02-14-2022, 12:09 AM
Just became aware that TMOBILE offers a 5G internet service for $50 a month, including equipment, with 100 MBPS speed- and no other usage restrictions. I'm using Century Link now, without any real issues-Am wondering if anyone has had success with TMOBILE service? It's cheaper, and I'm intrigued at the possibilities of 5G wireless internet. I do a lot of streaming on multiple TV's and devices, so am hesitant to be a first adopter unless others have had good experiences with it. Live in Polo Ridge.

Any info or anecdotes will be appreciated!

rustyp
02-14-2022, 06:03 AM
What is a "G"

elevatorman
02-14-2022, 06:14 AM
We have Tmobile 5G internet. It works fine. Just ran a speed test, 244 Mbps down, 94.7Mbps up. That was actually one of my slower tests. Usually I get in the 390s.download. We stream on 2 TVs with computer and iPad going. We are also on the senior plan for phone service and that knocks the internet down to $40/mo.

Altavia
02-14-2022, 07:36 AM
Very location dependent, need line of site to a the cell tower. Speed dependent on number of connections to that tower and can drop substantially.

SophieP
02-14-2022, 07:52 AM
There is NO guarantee of speed. The internet is deprioritized over cell phones, so during daytime the speed drops dramatically. I'm only 2 miles from the tower and averaged only around 15-20 mbps no matter which window I put the gateway near. The 1st week I did get 100mbps, but then a big drop and their techs always say they are upgrading the towers or it's due to congestion. It also loses the internet connection several times a week and has to be rebooted. The only positives are that it is relatively cheap and there is no contract.....but it's a pain in the butt.

daniel200
02-14-2022, 10:25 AM
I have had the TMobile internet service since August. My home is not in the best location to receive the signal and rarely get a signal greater than 2 bars. My download speeds are all over the place … from 20 to 600 mbps. Upload speeds from 0 to 70 mbps. Because of the weak signal, I had to do lots of experimenting to find the best location for the TMobile gateway.

The TMobile gateway has a built in WiFi6 router that i have found to be quite powerful and good. It has easily covered my 2000 sqft home wherever it was placed. No problem to stream to many devices.

There is no download limits. I have streamed more than 1 terabyte per month without problem

Your success with TMobile Internet will really depend on your homes location relative to the tower. If you are in a location with a good signal, i think you will be very happy. If your location is marginal (like mine) … you may not be satisfied.

My recommendation is to try it … There is no risk to you as there is no contract (you can cancel anytime) and they provide the hardware for free. Don’t cancel your current CenturyLink service until you have tried TMobile for a month and know it works for your location

Nucky
02-14-2022, 11:25 AM
What is a "G"

I believe it is a spot. :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

pokeefe45@aol.com
02-14-2022, 12:29 PM
Really solid input-Especially the one about not dumping Century Link without trying 5G for a month.

For the record-someone asked about 'G'-It sometimes means 'gigahertz'-which is one million 'hertz' and sometimes it means 'generation'-as in 5G = Fifth Generation
Great advice all-Thanx much

TNLAKEPANDA
02-14-2022, 12:47 PM
Cellar internet service is not going to be as stable as Cable internet…. Not even close. It is a good choice if you have no other options and better than Satellite internet.

rustyp
02-14-2022, 02:14 PM
Really solid input-Especially the one about not dumping Century Link without trying 5G for a month.

For the record-someone asked about 'G'-It sometimes means 'gigahertz'-which is one million 'hertz' and sometimes it means 'generation'-as in 5G = Fifth Generation
Great advice all-Thanx much

Correct it does stand for generation. Thus it would be improper to make it plural as in Gs. A totally meaningless marketing ploy. How do you know what you are getting. Is the new generation better than the old - by how much. What constitutes a generation. As the commercial says "hey Becky what's with the Gs" and Becky in her infinite wisdom answers back we have 5 of them.

bobeaston
02-14-2022, 08:15 PM
First, 5G means fifth generation, a new level of cell technology. (and the fifth generation has astounding speed improvements)

Is the TMobile service all it advertises? It depends on where you live and how close you are to a 5G cell tower. Here in Chitty-Chatty, I tried the TMobile internet service and found it very slow. Yes, there's a TMobile 5G tower south of here a bit near the turnpike, but there is an older 4G tower much closer and that's what the TMobile device connected to, slower than 5G, MUCH slower.

If a 5G tower is closer to you than older towers, you'll get good service. We didn't.

Jhnidy
02-15-2022, 06:07 AM
I tried TMobile and could not get a good signal no matter where I put the modem. I had great hope for the wireless service and kept trying for a month. I had no problem returning the modem and have told TMobile that if they make any coverage changes, I would be happy to try again.

thevillages2013
02-15-2022, 06:35 AM
What is a "G"

Gangster:a040:

MX rider
02-15-2022, 07:23 AM
I tried TMobile and could not get a good signal no matter where I put the modem. I had great hope for the wireless service and kept trying for a month. I had no problem returning the modem and have told TMobile that if they make any coverage changes, I would be happy to try again.

We bought a place in Amelia but aren't retired yet. I just ordered the T-Mobile 5G for our home here in Indiana. We live too far from the road for wired internet so wireless is our only option here. Our current internet is expensive, so hoping this works. We'll see how it does here. Like some have said, proximity to the towers is key since it uses cell phone signal.

PoolBrews
02-15-2022, 07:49 AM
For consistent internet speeds, fiber is by far the most consistent, cable is fast but can vary heavily based on usage on the trunk you are connected to, and wireless 5G will be very inconsistent and depend heavily on distance to a tower and what obstructions are between you and the tower.

If your home is stone block or concrete construction, 5G will work far worse than in a standard stick home as the concrete blocks 5g signals very well.

5G compares to cable as cable compares to fiber. If Quantum fiber is available in your area, they offer 1Gbps (G as in Gigabit, or 1,000Mbps) service for a flat rate of $65/month. No taxes or fees added, and they give you a WiFi 6 modem at no cost or lease fee.

Unlike cable or 5G, when I speed test I always get the same number - 980Mbps when plugged in directly, and 700Mbps wirelessly.

majcap
02-15-2022, 08:04 AM
I have had this up in TV since 2/8/22. When I tried this service in my home "up North" last month, it was a miserable failure and I returned the Gateway and almost dropped T-Mobile completely over terrible customer service. HOWEVER, here in TV, speeds are generally excellent and connectivity pretty good with only a few dropouts. I am in Village of Bonita and about 1 mile from cell tower. Price is fabulous and far superior to my troubled relationship with Xfinity. There is "0" help available from T-Mobile store, all must be done online, including device setup and return. Major issue is with offshore support, which is the worst I have ever seen and no alternatives. If you are also a T-Mobile cell customer, it is possible to negotiate a $40./mo deal.

Petersweeney
02-15-2022, 08:08 AM
Switched to Mint Mobile 6 months ago. Same service at 15 a month per phone. I use the other 35 bucks to buy steak!

JCoth1972
02-15-2022, 08:24 AM
Those having poor results with their TM 5G Gateway try rotating the unit in several directions as there are multiple antennas inside and by turning the little tower unit can improve reception.
Hope this helps before you give up.

Shoogley
02-15-2022, 09:20 AM
Terrible use Xfinity

Maish
02-15-2022, 10:55 AM
For consistent internet speeds, fiber is by far the most consistent, cable is fast but can vary heavily based on usage on the trunk you are connected to, and wireless 5G will be very inconsistent and depend heavily on distance to a tower and what obstructions are between you and the tower.

If your home is stone block or concrete construction, 5G will work far worse than in a standard stick home as the concrete blocks 5g signals very well.

5G compares to cable as cable compares to fiber. If Quantum fiber is available in your area, they offer 1Gbps (G as in Gigabit, or















1,000Mbps) service for a flat rate of $65/month. No taxes or fees added, and they give you a WiFi 6 modem at no cost or lease fee.

Unlike cable or 5G, when I speed test I always get the same number - 980Mbps when plugged in directly, and 700Mbps wirelessly.

We have a stucco home north of 466 where fiber is not available. Do you know if it can be installed in our home?

wpietras
02-15-2022, 12:35 PM
google tmobile. you will go to their site and enter your address to see if 5G is available.

Mike and Angie
02-15-2022, 07:46 PM
How would you find out if there is Quantum fiber in your area? Also, what company offers this service? We are in Citrus Grove area.

jerseyvillager
02-15-2022, 08:53 PM
Using T-Mobile internet for about 3 weeks. Very easy to self-install, great speeds, haven't experienced a blip, great deals for changing companies, Senior discounts, no charge for equipment and more. Can't tell you how happy to be done with Comcast/Infinity; the worse customer service in existence.

DDToto41
02-15-2022, 11:18 PM
Really solid input-Especially the one about not dumping Century Link without trying 5G for a month.

For the record-someone asked about 'G'-It sometimes means 'gigahertz'-which is one million 'hertz' and sometimes it means 'generation'-as in 5G = Fifth Generation
Great advice all-Thanx much

Giga means billion, when used with computers. Byte is a short sequence of bits (binary digits) that can be operated on as a unit by a computer; the smallest usable machine word. I believe 5G means 5 Gigabytes.

Bill14564
02-16-2022, 04:17 AM
Giga means billion, when used with computers. Byte is a short sequence of bits (binary digits) that can be operated on as a unit by a computer; the smallest usable machine word. I believe 5G means 5 Gigabytes.

5GB (used to measure data) = 5 gigabytes
5GHz (used to measure frequency) = 5 gigahertz
5G (used to identify a cellular service) = 5th Generation

There have been 2G, 2.5G, 3G, and 4G services. 5G is relatively new. 3G service is due to be shut off soon.

PoolBrews
02-16-2022, 08:12 AM
We have a stucco home north of 466 where fiber is not available. Do you know if it can be installed in our home?

I also have a stucco home north of 466, but we have fiber run throughout our neighborhood (Phillips Villas). You may have fiber in your neighborhood - they don't automatically run it into each home. If you don't have fiber through your area, then there is no way to get it.

You can check for availability at the following site:

Quantum (https://internet.quantumfiber.com/welcome/?pid=P_1234&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=T1-quantum-fiber&utm_content=AG%7EBRAND-CORE_AT%7EAWTEXT_PK%7ESHARE_RT%7ECPC_TG%7EPRO&utm_term=quantum+fiber&keyword=quantum+fiber&matchtype=e&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3rKQBhCNARIsACUEW_akZdRZT7xFbuo8wj8d xYQt4EGt8cSrrlCrDdCheMHxHYdFWxjQPHEaAl1xEALw_wcB)

PoolBrews
02-16-2022, 08:16 AM
5GB (used to measure data) = 5 gigabytes
5GHz (used to measure frequency) = 5 gigahertz
5G (used to identify a cellular service) = 5th Generation

There have been 2G, 2.5G, 3G, and 4G services. 5G is relatively new. 3G service is due to be shut off soon.

When it comes to measuring network speeds, numbers always refer to gigabits. For storage, it's measured in gigabytes. Networks were so slow initially, that using gigabytes looked very poor for advertising, so gigabits have always been used. This is true for cell, cable, and fiber speeds.

However, in this case 5G does not stand for 5 gigabits or gigabytes, it simply means 5th Generation of the wireless spec.

"For a network to be considered 5G, it has to abide by certain rules set by governing authorities like 3GPP. ... 5G peak download speed: 20 Gb/s (gigabits per second), or 20,480 Mb/s (megabits per second) 5G peak upload speed: 10 Gb/s (gigabits per second), or 10,240 Mb/s (megabits per second)"

Michael G.
02-16-2022, 09:22 AM
5G is relatively new. 3G service is due to be shut off soon.

From what I'm reading anything under 5G will affect home security systems, ankle braces, older cell phones. etc. etc. by the end of 2022.

5G - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5G)

midiwiz
02-16-2022, 09:31 AM
Just became aware that TMOBILE offers a 5G internet service for $50 a month, including equipment, with 100 MBPS speed- and no other usage restrictions. I'm using Century Link now, without any real issues-Am wondering if anyone has had success with TMOBILE service? It's cheaper, and I'm intrigued at the possibilities of 5G wireless internet. I do a lot of streaming on multiple TV's and devices, so am hesitant to be a first adopter unless others have had good experiences with it. Live in Polo Ridge.

Any info or anecdotes will be appreciated!

wish you much luck on that one, 5G isn't an internet answer. just a means to an end. especially with what you intend to do