Railfan Technology > Wifi Internet?

I dumped my very expensive landline and internet for an android phone. I am really happy with the phone: phone surfing, mobile communications, texting and the many apps available.

I knew that I could use my Hotspot for my PC, but what I assumed reared up its ugly head: I can get on the NET with the PC and the hotspot, but it's slow. But T- Mobile has me on a waiting list for WiFi Internet.

It's too early to switch. Do I have any viable options? Can I get wifi internet seperately from another provider?

Victor Baird

Posted from Android



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/23 13:38 by wabash2800.

The answer is yes, but the bigger question is at what cost? It all depends upon where you are and how easy is access to other providers, such as cable or fiber service. At the very least there is satellite service, but again at what cost.

Use speedtest.net to on your phone to find the actual speed of the internet connection via your cell phone.  Then do the same on your PC, using the phone hotspot.  If the phone itself is noticeably faster than the hotspot to the PC, the issue is the hotspot connection.  Consider using USB instead of WiFi to connect the PC to the phone/hotspot.

Some carriers throttle speed to hotspot.  My Verizon unlimited data plan does not seem to.

One day I woke up early, and just for the heck of it, ran speedtest.net on my Android/Verizon phone.  105 Mbps!

Bob: they checked in my area zip code and don't have anything right now--thus the waiting list and no estimate as to when. I live in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with a metro population of about 300,000.

Victor Baird

Posted from Android

Sf1010, I will do what you suggested.

Victor Baird

Posted from Android

Speedtest says about 205 mps for the phone and .58 mbps (yes point 58) for the hotspot connection with the computer. I suppose I will find me a usb to C cable. According to Speednet,  the nearest transmitter is Indianapolis, Indiana which is about 100 miles as the crow flies. I have to wonder if T-Mobile is throttling it down, since I have unlimited use.


Victor Baird



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/23 15:21 by wabash2800.

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Speedtest says about 205 mps for the phone and .58
> mbps (yes point 58) for the hotspot connection
> with the computer. I suppose I will find me a usb
> to C cable. According to Speednet,  the nearest
> transmitter is Indianapolis, Indiana which is
> about 100 miles as the crow flies. I have to
> wonder if T-Mobile is throttling it down, since I
> have unlimited use.
>
>
> Victor Baird

205! Impressive!

The locations speedtest.net reports are not terribly useful.  Typically they are where the "ISP" (your cell carrier, in this case) hits the fiber backbone.  

I tried it with the usb tethering and it was about the same--no improvement. I suspect T-Mobile has throttled it because I have an unlimited data plan.

Victor Baird

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I tried it with the usb tethering and it was about
> the same--no improvement. I suspect T-Mobile has
> throttled it because I have an unlimited data
> plan.
>
> Victor Baird

That's the catch with unlimited data plan and why I like to avoid them.  When you have a data cap, they'll give you all the speed you want.

Thanks all for your input.  It was what I suspected all along:


Unlimited isn't really unlimited. I received this message from T-Mobile Today. See photo.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/23 10:18 by wabash2800.

---

Does not explain dial-up like performance for a hot spot.  That is still a mystery.

There's always Starlink!

You might wish to consider downloading and running the free software SG TCP Optimizer -- available at https://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php -- on your Windows PC to see if some of the TCP/IP parameters on your PC are substantially out of the appropriate range for your broadband connection to your Internet Service Provider.

I have used this software to test/adjust all of my computers when I have moved to another ISP.

Hakk