Internet providers

[momskeeztoo]

So we got  an offer from T-Mobile. We’ve been with Verizon forever, so we figured “why not” since they are much cheaper than Verizon. We got the router today, thinking about sending it back, and just sticking with Verizon. . We’re used to hard wired internet, and this isn’t. Not sure how secure this will be, or how reliable. Anyone have any suggestions or recommendations? 

[enjoralas]

I wouldn’t be concerned about security, but reliability will depend on how T-Mobile cell service is at your location. Also, their home broadband customers’ traffic is prioritized at the lowest priority by their network, which could subject it to throttling if the cell site near your home sees high usage. Is their product all wifi in the home, or does the device have Ethernet ports? 
 

Personally, I would only use a cellular based internet service for my home if I had no other option, but I could be described as biased.

 

As technology stands right now, if I didn’t work for a cable company, I’d go with:

1 - Fios if I could get it.

2 - Cable internet, purchasing my own modem and router.

3 - DSL

4 - Moving

5 - Cellular based internet

6 - Dialup

7 - Satellite internet like Hughes 

 

 

[momskeeztoo]

Never had any problems with their cell service. And we pretty much only use desktop for movies, my workouts and paying bills. I believe it’s all WiFi throughout the house. 

[JFskiDan]

9 hours ago, momskeeztoo said:

So we got  an offer from T-Mobile. We’ve been with Verizon forever, so we figured “why not” since they are much cheaper than Verizon. We got the router today, thinking about sending it back, and just sticking with Verizon. . We’re used to hard wired internet, and this isn’t. Not sure how secure this will be, or how reliable. Anyone have any suggestions or recommendations? 

So basically the Tmobile router is all Wifi?  not wired?

4 hours ago, enjoralas said:

I wouldn’t be concerned about security, but reliability will depend on how T-Mobile cell service is at your location. Also, their home broadband customers’ traffic is prioritized at the lowest priority by their network, which could subject it to throttling if the cell site near your home sees high usage. Is their product all wifi in the home, or does the device have Ethernet ports? 
 

Personally, I would only use a cellular based internet service for my home if I had no other option, but I could be described as biased.

 

As technology stands right now, if I didn’t work for a cable company, I’d go with:

1 - Fios if I could get it.

2 - Cable internet, purchasing my own modem and router.

3 - DSL

4 - Moving

5 - Cellular based internet

6 - Dialup

7 - Satellite internet like Hughes 

 

 

I just switched to Fios from Comcast like 2 months ago.  My 2 year deal was up, and they really raised the rate.  I called to see what we could work out, but apparently when i called "i didnt speak to the right person."  Only after i set up Fios to be installed, and i called comcast to stop the service, did they offer me something that would have made me keep Comcast.  I have had Fios before, but man, the Fios router is pretty awesome.  The wifi in my house is superior to what i had before, with my motorola router.  I really thought buying my own router was the way to go, but my first one flaked out, so i had to buy another.  Sort of made renting a router look kind of like a wash.  I have Blue Ridge up in the Poconos, and again, lowest speed, and it does what i need it to do.  One thing i will give Blue Ridge the thumbs up on is customer service.  Once my internet was down, called them, i think they figured out it was the modem, and the lady i was talking to said "i can have someone there in about a half hour."  On a Saturday.  

[momskeeztoo]

1 hour ago, JFskiDan said:

So basically the Tmobile router is all Wifi?  not wired?

Seems to be. I’m just wondering will Verizon come and take the cable out and charge me. I honestly can’t remember who placed it Verizon or Comcast. We flipped flopped a couple times. I’m really happy with Verizon’s internet, they just keep raising the price. 

[momskeeztoo]

So hubby just texted me. T-Mobile working well, he’s watching a movie without problems 🤞🏼Said WiFi working all the in the garden 

[enjoralas]

14 hours ago, momskeeztoo said:

Seems to be. I’m just wondering will Verizon come and take the cable out and charge me. I honestly can’t remember who placed it Verizon or Comcast. We flipped flopped a couple times. I’m really happy with Verizon’s internet, they just keep raising the price. 

They won’t take the cable out. They’ll want to leave if there to make it easy for you to switch back in the future. It would have been VZ, at least from the pole to the house. Whether it was DSL or Fios, they both use a different drop cable to the house than we do at Comcast. 
 

If the modem was a rental, they’ll want it back. That’s they only thing they’ll want and charge you for if they don’t get, unless you were under an actual contract and we’re breaking it, then they’d hit you with an early termination fee. They’re not all that common though. Most ISP “contracts” are just price commitments

[momskeeztoo]

It says Verizon on it, so I’m guessing it is. Thanks for your help 👍👍

[RidgeRacer]

Not home internet related but realized that MVNOs, as opposed to major carriers like ATT and Verizon for wireless are a no brainer if you buy unlocked phones. I'm rolling with an MVNO on the ATT network, 4 phones, mobile Hotspot, wifi calling, more data than we need for less than a hundy. I'll never purchase, lease, finance an ridiculously overpriced phone with a network again (its not a car). Buying unlocked gives you so many more options.

[Benm]

2 minutes ago, RidgeRacer said:

Not home internet related but realized that MVNOs, as opposed to major carriers like ATT and Verizon for wireless are a no brainer if you buy unlocked phones. I'm rolling with an MVNO on the ATT network, 4 phones, mobile Hotspot, wifi calling, more data than we need for less than a hundy. I'll never purchase, lease, finance an ridiculously overpriced phone with a network again (its not a car). Buying unlocked gives you so many more options.

i'm not MVNO, but i've done prepaid for major carriers for almost 10 years. i'm on ATT prepaid now and it's $40/mo for everything. int'l phone off ebay unlocked for dirt cheap add a $99 square warranty, good to go. 

was in a contract with sprint before that and hated it. so i forced my phone to roam 100% of the time (with the help of a $3 app roam control). sprint sent me an airave (like a cell hotspot) thinking i was in a serious dead zone that i never unboxed. they likely figured it out and politely asked me to stop roaming when it continued. i didn't. they said i had a week or something to find a new carrier and they would waive contractual obligations. 

[AtomicSkier]

On 6/21/2021 at 1:58 AM, enjoralas said:

I wouldn’t be concerned about security, but reliability will depend on how T-Mobile cell service is at your location. Also, their home broadband customers’ traffic is prioritized at the lowest priority by their network, which could subject it to throttling if the cell site near your home sees high usage. Is their product all wifi in the home, or does the device have Ethernet ports? 
 

Personally, I would only use a cellular based internet service for my home if I had no other option, but I could be described as biased.

 

As technology stands right now, if I didn’t work for a cable company, I’d go with:

1 - Fios if I could get it.

2 - Cable internet, purchasing my own modem and router.

3 - DSL

4 - Moving

5 - Cellular based internet

6 - Dialup

7 - Satellite internet like Hughes 

 

 

FWIW - StarLink is now available in PA.  For $100/month it surely kicks ass in rural areas where DSL is the only game in town, if it is at all.

[rgrwilco]

I switched from xfinity to T-Mobile home internet.


I’m getting 7x the download speed, and at least 40x upload speeds compared to Comcast, and I’m paying 50 dollars a month, no data caps.

I would recommend getting a fan to put underneath your T-Mobile router, they get hot and they do, they can drop the secondary signal which causes decrease in speed.

I put a small computer Fan under it and it now runs cool and speeds stay constant.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Justo8484]

9 hours ago, RidgeRacer said:

Not home internet related but realized that MVNOs, as opposed to major carriers like ATT and Verizon for wireless are a no brainer if you buy unlocked phones. I'm rolling with an MVNO on the ATT network, 4 phones, mobile Hotspot, wifi calling, more data than we need for less than a hundy. I'll never purchase, lease, finance an ridiculously overpriced phone with a network again (its not a car). Buying unlocked gives you so many more options.

yup, i ditched ATT for xfinity wifi (no, i don't get an employee discount), and i pay less than 50 a month for unlimited everything. My ATT bill was close to twice that without unlimited service. It piggybacks on verizon's network, so coverage is very good for me, with the exception of like two spots in south jersey that I didn't get good reception with on ATT either. Only downside so far is that international talk/text is pay-by-the-minute/text, as opposed to a flat rate to enable it for a week or month or whatever if you're traveling with ATT or verizon.

[momskeeztoo]

Does that include phone? If so, that’s a steal. 

[Kyle]

I’m on year 2 of fios 1gig internet (really 900mb/s) internet and the price has stayed the same at $80 a month. Can’t wait to see what they Jack it up to. 

[Benm]

i'd kill for xfinity or fios. i always get a kick out of ppl complaining about the two, they really don't know how good they have it. i don't have anything obnoxious and my bill is around $260/mo.

i'll echo jfdan tho and say that blue ridge has unreal customer service. i have called and someone came out within an hour or two on more than one occasion.

i dont like that they drive up my god damned driveway unannounced though. they do it every quarter for testing or something. at least they respect my stop signs.

[momskeeztoo]

16 minutes ago, Benm said:

my bill is around $260/mo.

Is that for internet, TV and phone? 

[Benm]

18 minutes ago, momskeeztoo said:

Is that for internet, TV and phone? 

yeah all three, maybe it's a normal price for super high speed + super channel lineup, but neither the cable nor the internet is anything spectacular. 150mb down / 10mb up, capped at 1.5TB (i've never had an issue with those speeds, though i wish the upload rate was higher).

i love the landline more than i should.

oh and if you have tivo, you've probably recently noticed what are called preroll ads when you are viewing dvr content. call your cable provider and demand that they remove them. they will definitely put up a fight, but they can remove them. there's no reason they should profit and you not get a discount. i got so irritated having to fast forward through them i called (hammered) and 'furious' that my young children were exposed to scantily dressed people twerking in the ads. they promptly removed them (the second time i called at least).

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by Benm

[JFskiDan]

1 hour ago, Benm said:

yeah all three, maybe it's a normal price for super high speed + super channel lineup, but neither the cable nor the internet is anything spectacular. 150mb down / 10mb up, capped at 1.5TB (i've never had an issue with those speeds, though i wish the upload rate was higher).

i love the landline more than i should.

oh and if you have tivo, you've probably recently noticed what are called preroll ads when you are viewing dvr content. call your cable provider and demand that they remove them. they will definitely put up a fight, but they can remove them. there's no reason they should profit and you not get a discount. i got so irritated having to fast forward through them i called (hammered) and 'furious' that my young children were exposed to scantily dressed people twerking in the ads. they promptly removed them (the second time i called at least).

 

I'm super surprised to see that you arent on the streaming bandwagon, and have some type of device made up of an old cordless cell phone, a router, and some duct tape to do your phone over the internet.  You are paying more to Blue Ridge than i pay to Ooma, ATT TV, Verizon, and Blue ridge combined.  

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

People still have landlines in their homes?  I thought they were only in hotel houses.  

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

1 hour ago, Benm said:

yeah all three, maybe it's a normal price for super high speed + super channel lineup, but neither the cable nor the internet is anything spectacular. 150mb down / 10mb up, capped at 1.5TB (i've never had an issue with those speeds, though i wish the upload rate was higher).

i love the landline more than i should.

oh and if you have tivo, you've probably recently noticed what are called preroll ads when you are viewing dvr content. call your cable provider and demand that they remove them. they will definitely put up a fight, but they can remove them. there's no reason they should profit and you not get a discount. i got so irritated having to fast forward through them i called (hammered) and 'furious' that my young children were exposed to scantily dressed people twerking in the ads. they promptly removed them (the second time i called at least).

 

BenM does your work pay you back for the Internet since you work from home or pay for your cell phone?

[Benm]

@JFskiDan we have been debating removing the cable service. it was only recently that the ABC affiliate here became available for streaming, i think they might have been holding out. that channel (the news anyway) is the only thing i watch so i didnt really want to get rid of it. a couple months and i'll likely go to streaming. my wife is on board, i'm just lazy.

@GrilledSteezeSandwich yes, mainly for work but i use it almost exclusively. if i tell someone to call me, i give them that number. if i'm away, it'll bounce to my cell anyway.  

voip sucks. i have never had a good experience with it.

[Benm]

4 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

BenM does your work pay you back for the Internet since you work from home or pay for your cell phone?

when i moved, my boss added half of the cost to my pay. so we essentially split that and the landline. cable isn't part of the deal. i'm sure if i asked her to foot the whole thing she would but that's not really fair since i'm using it for personal stuff too. she's a great boss.

[JFskiDan]

2 hours ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

People still have landlines in their homes?  I thought they were only in hotel houses.  

Well, i have a phone in my home, but i wouldnt consider it a landline. Do i ever answer it? No. I dont own my cell phone, so i figure i should have some kind of backup. I give that number out when i need to provide people with a phone number, and dont want to give them my cell. 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

10 minutes ago, JFskiDan said:

Well, i have a phone in my home, but i wouldnt consider it a landline. Do i ever answer it? No. I dont own my cell phone, so i figure i should have some kind of backup. I give that number out when i need to provide people with a phone number, and dont want to give them my cell. 

My customers and dealers will do anything in their power to get my cell phone number. They’re not happy with just the office number.  One dealer I had to send a picture and I said I’ll email it and he said can you please text because he was then gonna text it to one of his families.  I said I will but if you call me on my cell I’ll never answer.  It’s just intrusive getting work calls on my cell phone..the few who have my cell abuse the privilege and call me at like 7pm.