Wifi Question

[CWSWine]

Is that really using 600Gb of highspeed data? No throttling after 100Gb or anything? We have Tmobile phones with unlimited but throttled after 40Gb (still usable but noticeable). I planned to purchase the 5G M2000 from Tmobile directly. The device would be $170 with a new line. An unlimited plan with 100Gb high speed is $50/month. If Calyx is truly unlimited high speed, then that may be a better way to go. On their site it just says unlimited but doesn't reference anything about high speed vs throttled like Tmobile does.

Yep, we have used a PlayOn server and ran almost 24 hours a day and below is a snap shot of close to the end of the month. We regularly use 600 to 800 gigs and it does not slow down. All these are managed so if the priority of the data is one of the lowest on the tower but so far I have not noticed any managed data slow downs but that's all in the midwest. There is NO 100GB and get slower it maintains high speed all month. Currently I have over 250 GB this month when I took the Speedtest I posted above.

Yes that is 1700 GB and still getting those high Speedtest numbers in the between 200 and 500 on Speedtest and still watching 1080P on Netflix.

 

[Riverbug]

Yep, we have used a PlayOn server and ran almost 24 hours a day and below is a snap shot of close to the end of the month. We regularly use 600 to 800 gigs and it does not slow down. All these are managed so if the priority of the data is one of the lowest on the tower but so far I have not noticed any managed data slow downs but that's all in the midwest. There is NO 100GB and get slower it maintains high speed all month. Currently I have over 250 GB this month when I took the Speedtest I posted above.

Yes that is 1700 GB and still getting those high Speedtest numbers in the between 200 and 500 on Speedtest and still watching 1080P on Netflix.

Amazing, thanks for sharing!

 

[wdonovan]

...At 8:15PM in park of over 600 sites and I'm getting over 200 on Speedtest while watching TV at 1080P. My Verizon hotspot with antenna ports with external antenna is getting 8 to 15 tonight on Speedtest.

I joined the institute and at the time the 5G units were backordered so I had to settle for the intermediate plan with a 4G LTE hotspot. I am in a fairly busy area at the Jersey shore and T-Mobile claims great 5G coverage here.
Sometimes the unit can keep up, sometimes devices lag. Had my wife run a speed test this morning and she got 7. That's all... 7. Tested on both laptop and iphone with same pathetic numbers.
If I upgrade to 5G unit when available will that help my DL speed? Does the extra G make things faster? I thought it would cost the $250 difference but it is actually a $400 upgrade so I don't really want to do it if it won't help.

 

[MoonShadow_1911]

I joined the institute and at the time the 5G units were backordered so I had to settle for the intermediate plan with a 4G LTE hotspot. I am in a fairly busy area at the Jersey shore and T-Mobile claims great 5G coverage here.
Sometimes the unit can keep up, sometimes devices lag. Had my wife run a speed test this morning and she got 7. That's all... 7. Tested on both laptop and iphone with same pathetic numbers.
If I upgrade to 5G unit when available will that help my DL speed? Does the extra G make things faster? I thought it would cost the $250 difference but it is actually a $400 upgrade so I don't really want to do it if it won't help.

It really depends on network congestion. Think of it as an interstate, out West.

The speed limit is 85 MPH (in parts of Texas), so that's your 5G speed, the minimum speed limit is 65 MPH, so that's your 4G speed. Say you have a 60's Ford Stationwagon, this is your 4G hotspot. The fastest you might want to go in that thing is 65 MPH (maybe, stick with me here). Then you run into a bunch of traffic, at rush hour. Now you are down to 20 MPH.

Now, let's say you are driving a Ferarri. This is a 5G hotspot (okay, it's a stretch, but stick with me). Now, you can do 85 MPH, if there is no one else on the road, or just a few people. Then, you hit rush hour traffic with a bunch of people; everyone is moving at 10 MPH. Even though the Ferarri can do 85 MPH (and more), you can only travel as fast as the slowest car in front of you.

This is network congestion.

Now, you might think, "Why don't I just reboot the hotspot and get a different connection?" This works, until you hit the congestion again. Sometimes you might have a great connection for an hour, some times it's 1 minute.

I hope this wacky alliteration helps.

I would imagine, based on population density, NJ would have slower speeds on 4G than on 5G, until the majority of people get a 5G capable device, then it'll slow down again.

Really, the biggest difference between 4G and 5G is the network backbone each technology is built on. Think about the difference between an old 286 PC with 128 kilobytes of memory verses a brand new Intel Core i7 with a gazillion megabytes of memory. Newer is faster until it commonplace.

So, yes, initially 5G should be faster. But for how long? I have 5G access here in New Mexico, and I get nice and fast speeds in some parts of the city, but in others, not so fast. That is because T-Mobile has used their existing 4G bandwidth to carry a 5G connection in some cases.

Mark & Mary. Currently hailing from New Mexico and going full time in August 2022.
Current coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

 

[wdonovan]

Thanks for that highway story LOL. Makes actual sense. Bottom line... I will be in this for a bunch more money now. Question is where to throw it?
Do I upgrade to the 5G hotspot for another $400 or do I buy a cell signal booster for $400? Anyone with input on this decision?

Oh one other thing. I went into admin mode for the device and show a signal strenght of -79bBm which doesn't sound great to me.

 

[MoonShadow_1911]

Thanks for that highway story LOL. Makes actual sense. Bottom line... I will be in this for a bunch more money now. Question is where to throw it?
Do I upgrade to the 5G hotspot for another $400 or do I buy a cell signal booster for $400? Anyone with input on this decision?

Oh one other thing. I went into admin mode for the device and show a signal strenght of -79bBm which doesn't sound great to me.

The decision is up to you on whether or not to upgrade. It will really depend on your use and where you will use it. If is urban areas, you might want to think about it. If in rural areas, maybe not.

As for the booster, they will certainly boost a signal, but it won't help with congestion.

The signal strength is a correct reading. It's measuring the reflection signal strength, not the receive signal strength. It's can be a bit misleading. Reflection signal strength is a better measurement than receive signal strength. Reflection signal strength simply means what is the strength of the signal that is reflected back to the device. (Send and receive, in the broadest sense of the terms.)

Mark & Mary. Currently hailing from New Mexico and going full time in August 2022.
Current coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

 

[wdonovan]

Again thanks for the enlightenment. So it seems like it's in my best interest to isolate what the cause is for my sluggish internet. Does this sound like a plan?

Note the signal strength and also run a speed test midday on a weekend then repeat in the middle of the night.
That may indicate whether poor signal or congestion is the culprit, wouldn't it?

 

[MoonShadow_1911]

Again thanks for the enlightenment. So it seems like it's in my best interest to isolate what the cause is for my sluggish internet. Does this sound like a plan?

Note the signal strength and also run a speed test midday on a weekend then repeat in the middle of the night.
That may indicate whether poor signal or congestion is the culprit, wouldn't it?

You are correct. Also, if you have a different provider for your cell phone, do the same with that. You can also use your cell phone if it's the same provider and get an idea of it's the device or the network.

Mark & Mary. Currently hailing from New Mexico and going full time in August 2022.
Current coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

 

[wdonovan]

Ahh good idea. Cel phone is Verizon, hotspot is T-Mobile. I'll do a test matrix like I do in the lab (metallurgical and mechanical testing).

 

[Toy4Rick]

My question is around the provider, not the carrier

For instance, MobileMustHave has 800GB for $250/month, T-Mobile
Nomad Internet has unlimited for $900/year meaning $75/month
Calyx Internet....

Is there really a difference with the provider if they are all using T-Mobile? Speeds, caps, location...?

I got tired of Verizon with their high prices, moved to Visible for cheap phone, unlimited hot spot but the cap of 5MBPS is totally not achievable most of the time, can't hardly check work email, opens docs...

Come on StarLink

Rick

 

[MoonShadow_1911]

My question is around the provider, not the carrier

For instance, MobileMustHave has 800GB for $250/month, T-Mobile
Nomad Internet has unlimited for $900/year meaning $75/month
Calyx Internet....

Is there really a difference with the provider if they are all using T-Mobile? Speeds, caps, location...?

I got tired of Verizon with their high prices, moved to Visible for cheap phone, unlimited hot spot but the cap of 5MBPS is totally not achievable most of the time, can't hardly check work email, opens docs...

Come on StarLink

Rick

No, they are all MVNOs, or authorized resellers of T-Mobile's service. If you want T-Mobile, read all the fine print for each one, and go with the cheapest one if the fine print is the same. Some MVNO's do have some gotchas in the fine print.

Mark & Mary. Currently hailing from New Mexico and going full time in August 2022.
Current coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

 

[ajg617]

Ahh good idea. Cel phone is Verizon, hotspot is T-Mobile. I'll do a test matrix like I do in the lab (metallurgical and mechanical testing).

You really shouldn't have a problem in Toms River, at least with LTE (grew up in Red Bank area). There are some good apps you can install that will help you like Open Signal and Network Cell Info Lite - you can locate cell towers regardless of carrier and measure signal strength. They helped me confirm that I was picking up a neighbor's Verizon booster in his house and not a cell tower which was killing my calls, failing SMS texts, and killing download speeds. I live in a marginal signal strength area for all carriers. I just ran ookla over mobile. My LTE VZ phone maxed at 20mbps. My T-Mobile 5g maxed at 39mbps.

Keep in mind that T-Mobile has probably the most extensive 5G coverage after purchasing Sprint but they operate on a different frequency spectrum which may not give you as high a speed as Verizon or AT&T proposes. That said, both VZ and ATT have had their 5G deployments delayed due to potential interference with critical aircraft instruments as a result of the spectrum they purchased. And, the dollar return for them is to locate 5G towers (which need to be very close) in big metro and airport areas, not necessarily in Toms River. T-Mobile should really be giving you better performance at your location.

All the carriers throttle bandwidth independent of local congestion depending upon the specifics of your plan, local congestion, and priority access for emergency services. This is true even for unlimited plans due to the explosion of streaming. None of the major carriers architected their backbones in anticipation of this explosion, made worse by the pandemic.
[MENTION=30847]MoonShadow_1911[/MENTION] Ferrari example is great.