Internet

[jacwjames]

We originally signed up for Sprint service ~2018.  My wife has an Iphone +8 and I have an Iphone 8.  From day one my wife had better reception then I did.  We have towers in all directions from us, at night I can see the light from 3 towers in the distance but it seemed like the best reception for me was in the front yard, but there are heavy woods in that direction.  Got so bad for me that if I had an important call I'd have to stand on the front porch.  I called Sprint multiple times and they finally agreed to send me a "Magic Box" which wasn't that magical, had a hard time getting it to find and improve the signal. 

Fast forward to ~3 years ago T-Mobile took over Sprint although we still had Sprint showing as a provider.  In 2021 I took a trip with the intent of using my phone as a hotspot, which was a disaster.  Got back home and called T-Mobile and they suggested I swapped to a T-Mobile SIM card which I did which was another disaster.  The SIM did not improve (actually hurt) my signal at home and the Magic Box didn't work.  I actually checked the coverage map and although it shows coverage all around us our house is pretty much in a small dead zone so I doubt the T-Mobile box would work for us.

So in 2021 I went on several extended trips and decided to try Cricket owned by ATT for internet access.     The Cricket hotspot actually worked pretty good but pricey.  I actually had to use Cricket to make WIFI calls since T-Mobile coverage was terrible. 

We actually use a Nigthawk hotspot and ATT car connect plan $25/ month for home internet.  We have all out house TV's connected to it and I have a Point to Point Netgear power line extender set up to get internet in my garage.  Set up a separate router in the garage so I can access internet and even have TV in coach connected to it. 

So this year I finally decided to swap to Visible.  Actually had good coverage at home, the only time occasionally have connection problem is if I'm in my garage.  I bought a travel router and use that when I'm on the road.  Visible does have a unlimited data but it does throttle up/down speed but I only had one place during my last trip that had limited connection where I couldn't stream.  Visible is $25/month. 

My wife has now decided to switch to Visible and have a SIM card coming for her and can hopefully switch her over this next week.  I bought here a new phone and may keep her Iphone 8+ and buy another Visible SIM card at some point use her phone for internet in the coach all the time so while on a trip I'll have ability to check temps etc. 

[saflyer]

1 hour ago, lonrhodes said:

I work for T-Mobile independent retailer. Here are a few things I've learned about the Home Internet program over the last 2 years.:

#1) they use the same towers for home internet as well as cellular phones.

#2) Home Internet devices are designed to use "excess capacity" and are lower in priority than wireless phones. 

#3) The home internet terms of service state that router is designed to be used at the location provided at sign up. Although no one that I know of has ever had an issue as long as there is either 4G or 5G T-Mobile signal available. This could change in the future.

#4) We have a list of customers whose address didn't qualify one day but we check them once a week. Eventually when service is expanded, a new tower goes up or a tower site is upgraded to take advantage of new spectrum their address will qualify.

Her is a link to a 1 minute video segment that should explain the what and why of the program. This clip is from their Q3 2023 financial call. This is how they qualify an address for unlimited data. T-Mobile home internet strategy:

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxJ04ED9nOJMScHpsC0X0pXP_hg3IcSHke?si=TQZlEGn4zbsiak-o

Are there two different technologies for 5G? One that uses a large tower and broadcasts over a relatively large area and another that uses small antennas mounted on streetlight height poles and each antenna has a range of only blocks, if that?

 

 

[Ivan K]

Before I retired from supporting Verizon's wireless networks, they were already deploying 'small cells' or microcells. Same technology, smaller, more  inconspicuous hardware intended for super busy smaller areas to take localized traffic off of the large tower sectors that could be potentially running out of capacity with their much larger coverage area and to help with penetration, like in-building areas.

[saflyer]

7 hours ago, saflyer said:

Therein is part of the problem, as far as I know none of these modems have options for external and preferably roof mounted antennas so finding a good spot in your home is key. I’m right on the ragged edge of T-Mobile home internet service and all of the usable locations in my house have a building limiting line of site to the tower. It works but could be better. A roof antenna would solve the problem. I saw some YouTube videos about making your own external antenna attachment but it was way beyond my ability. Recently a T-Mobile customer service person hinted an external antenna model is available. I’ll have to check that ou.

As an aside my modem drops its connection to the tower and has to be rebooted manually. Not good if, like me you use the service for your home security system while on a trip. Midway through out last trip that happened and we had no home security for the rest of the trip.

 

Just read on another RV site that T-Mobile does have a gateway with an external antenna connection. Supposedly you just call T-Mobile and they will trade them out, no charge. We’ll see and hopefully it won’t have the signal drop problem i currently have.

m I currently have.

[jacwjames]

When I was in N Wisconsin last summer I visited with my sister, she has a 5th wheel set up in campground and use it for weekend getaways. 

One of her neighbors was having trouble with connecting her hotspot to the nearest tower.  She bought a WeBoost home antenna and said that it worked great.  Not sure what the difference in a home antenna versus an auto type. 

When I was in Carlsbad NM in Oct I happen to see one of the WeBoost antennas on a work truck and I stopped to ask the owner how it worked.  He said it worked great, had a signal almost everywhere he's been.  He worked in the oil fields and they said we usually out of reach from towers without using the WeBoost.

I have a WeBoost but when I was trying to pull the antenna wire into the coach I pulled the end off.  I did this just before I left on my trip.  I called WeBoost and they sent me a new antenna wire but I didn't get it prior to leaving.  During my trip I'm not sure the WeBoost was working but I have it now and intend to run the new wire. 

[eddie4ne]

50 minutes ago, saflyer said:

Just read on another RV site that T-Mobile does have a gateway with an external antenna connection. Supposedly you just call T-Mobile and they will trade them out, no charge. We’ll see and hopefully it won’t have the signal drop problem i currently have.

m I currently have.

I borrowed our neighbors new Tmobile Gateway with the external antennas and was very disappointed! I couldn’t get a signal. I connected it to our Yagi antennas- but they are pointed toward the ATT tower. I then tried it in the upstairs window where we had the Tmobile Arcadian gateway. No signal anywhere. We were having problems wih the Arcadian reading a “SIM error”. We exchanged  the Arcadian for their newest gateway w/o external antenna ports- a Sagemcom Gateway, ( the new gateway with external connectors is only for new customers, I was told). Since getting the new sagemcom gateway we are barely getting a signal, 2-3 mps. Not sure where we go from here. I would like to keep th Tmobile because it is unlimited data but not sure.

[Ivan K]

We got a starlink for lack of reliable signal at home. The city is, unfortunately, growing closer to us but so far its been the best we could get. It also travels with us and keeps the wife happy to stay in touch with the world wherever we end up. The old Mobley still works in the car or on the move.

[waterskier_1]

14 minutes ago, jacwjames said:

When I was in N Wisconsin last summer I visited with my sister, she has a 5th wheel set up in campground and use it for weekend getaways. 

One of her neighbors was having trouble with connecting her hotspot to the nearest tower.  She bought a WeBoost home antenna and said that it worked great.  Not sure what the difference in a home antenna versus an auto type. 

When I was in Carlsbad NM in Oct I happen to see one of the WeBoost antennas on a work truck and I stopped to ask the owner how it worked.  He said it worked great, had a signal almost everywhere he's been.  He worked in the oil fields and they said we usually out of reach from towers without using the WeBoost.

I have a WeBoost but when I was trying to pull the antenna wire into the coach I pulled the end off.  I did this just before I left on my trip.  I called WeBoost and they sent me a new antenna wire but I didn't get it prior to leaving.  During my trip I'm not sure the WeBoost was working but I have it now and intend to run the new wire. 

I bought a WeBoost from a RVer who no longer was traveling.  I got a good deal on it.  I've read a lot on these and was skeptical, but the price was right.  The problem with the mobile versions (they are different from fixed versions) is that the carriers have lobbied the FCC who has limited the max power (gain) of the mobile units, along with requiring registration of sorts so they know who might be overloading (overpowering) their towers.  Another thing that has changed in the last few years is limiting the distance you can be from the inside antenna - 30 inches or something ridiculous or something like that.  I can definitely see a difference in signal strength when I get my cell phone or Mobley (like a hot spot) within 3-ft of the inside antenna.  But that does not necessarily translate to increased speed.  I spent most of my experimenting with a 4G Verizon tower about 500 yards from my coach.  The whole RV park (those on Verizon) and likely those in town all used that same tower.  I could not get a good correlation between the increased signal strength and download speed.  I would say it is slightly better.  But that is not what they were really designed for.  They likely work best when the tower is far away, barely reachable.  I haven't had an opportunity to do that sort of testing yet, but plan to next month in the deserts of Arizona.  My biggest disappointment is with having to be so close to the inside antenna for it to make a difference.  I currently have a desktop inside antenna sitting on the desk directly behind the driver's seat.  I mount my cell phone on the dash when I'm driving.  That is about 8 - 10 feet away.  There is no perceived benefit with the phone on the dash, but very little data is being sent (just notifications), only Voice, and not much of that.

Just FIY, I was talking with the engineers at Wilson (the parent company of WeBoost) regarding installing a "home" device in my coach.  Besides not authorized by the FCC, there is a big difference.  Yes, the "home" unit has much more gain, but it doesn't allow for switching towers rapidly, in fact it attempts to inhibit that switching.  This is fine if you are not moving, but going down the highway, you are constantly switching towers as one tower "hands off" the call to the next closer.  This happens even in cities when you are not moving.  Noticed that the number of bars on your phone changes, sometimes dramatically?  That is because the call was "handed" to a tower further away, but still within range, so it could accept a different call.  I'm likely in the weeds, but because this "handoff" doesn't occur (I'm not clear on this, but I suspect by design, so people like us don't try to employ "home" units) or if it has do with again with FCC Regulations.  

  -Rick N.

[lonrhodes]

16 hours ago, saflyer said:

Are there two different technologies for 5G? One that uses a large tower and broadcasts over a relatively large area and another that uses small antennas mounted on streetlight height poles and each antenna has a range of only blocks, if that?

 

 

Not different technologies but different frequency spectrums. Lower freq bands like 600 mhz cover a large area but bandwidth is lower compared to higher frequencies like 2.5 gigahertz. Also, at 600/700/700 mhz bands the speeds you'll see are similar to 4G LTE. The lower bands are used for broad rural coverage.

The higher 2.5 ghz signal  covers a smaller footprint but allows a lot more bandwidth which translates to higher speeds both upload and download.

Even higher frequencies (millimeter wave) , have basically a city block (or less) coverage but can allow super fast speeds in excess of 1 gigabit, comparable to fiber. This is used in dense metro areas and stadiums because the range is very limited but the performance is incredible.

[saflyer]

2 hours ago, lonrhodes said:

Not different technologies but different frequency spectrums. Lower freq bands like 600 mhz cover a large area but bandwidth is lower compared to higher frequencies like 2.5 gigahertz. Also, at 600/700/700 mhz bands the speeds you'll see are similar to 4G LTE. The lower bands are used for broad rural coverage.

The higher 2.5 ghz signal  covers a smaller footprint but allows a lot more bandwidth which translates to higher speeds both upload and download.

Even higher frequencies (millimeter wave) , have basically a city block (or less) coverage but can allow super fast speeds in excess of 1 gigabit, comparable to fiber. This is used in dense metro areas and stadiums because the range is very limited but the performance is incredible.

Good info.