How fast is fast internet speed?

[entropyfoe]

Here in the slow backward USA...

AT&T Uverse
about 50$/month
I get consistent 15MB/s down and 2-3 MB/s upload.

Comcast cable is available faster, but too lazy to change everything.

[andyprough]

When I first checked my address to see if my address was serviced, it was $55 a month. After I ordered service, I noticed the website was changed to say $60 a month. However, with autopay, they took $5 off a month so now I'm paying $50 a month for it. The signal quality where I live is "weak" according to their router, so sometimes it flakes a little, but it generally works well thus far.

Some drawbacks I have found: the router "admin" page, if you can call it that, is a joke. You can do almost nothing. You can set the wifi password, admin password, change some wifi settings, and that's about it. The router has no external antenna port and the display on it is on the top, which is a little awkward since you will probably have to physically put the router up high in a room to get a decent enough signal. Also, if you don't have an actual T-Mobile branded phone number, you will not be able to check up on order status or log in (create an account with them) until the modem arrives and they email you the phone number of the modem. Also, at least right now, it seems that their customer support for the home internet has an hour or two wait. But, once you do get through, the reps are actually decent and you can actually understand them. Another drawback, it seems the wifi signal from the router is kind of weak compared to other routers I have used. It seems their modem/router combo has some design flaws and firmware issues, but I also presume they will eventually get all of that sorted out. It's also good to keep in mind that although there is no upfront cost, you better make sure you will send the equipment back if you leave them because they will charge you for it if you don't (they say). One final drawback is how long it takes to get to the full speed. It can take a few seconds from the start of a download until you get to the full speed. Not a problem for a big download, but can be an issue with large/heavy websites. If a website seems to stop loaded, reload it. There is a known firmware issue where if you disconnect the power, the whole modem is reset despite there being a battery in it. It's supposedly being worked on.

Some good stuff I have noticed: Even with a weak signal, the speeds are quite nice. The price is fair. They claim no data caps, so no intentional slowdowns. I couldn't get them to tell me at what point bandwidth usage would be considered "abusive", but it seems to be beyond 400GB a month from how the rep acted. In my first month, I used less than 100GB. The customer service reps are actually decent. The router is packaged well and is pretty unobtrusive. It comes pretty much ready to go. Unbox it, plug it in, get the app they say to get, and configure it (basically passwords).

Sounds like a pretty good deal. Previously I had heard about "wifi" from cell phone companies that was costing more money for a very limited amount of data per month, like 8GB. If this T-mobile offering really works well, it could be a game-changer for people that are a little bit off the grid.

[andyprough]

Here in the slow backward USA...

AT&T Uverse
about 50$/month
I get consistent 15MB/s down and 2-3 MB/s upload.

Comcast cable is available faster, but too lazy to change everything.

I had AT&T Uverse a few years ago. Sounds like they haven't increased their speeds. The good thing is I recall they were easier to deal with than the cable companies.

[Michael-IDA]

I couldn't get them to tell me at what point bandwidth usage would be considered "abusive", but it seems to be beyond 400GB a month from how the rep acted.

So, not for us... Per the AT&T router we're using about 19TB usage per month (19GB makes no sense, as overnight server backup downloads are 5+GB/day, so I'll guess I computed that right). AT&T pumps their TV/Movie stuff through the internet connection, but using Netflix/Hulu (etc.) instead won't change that. Now I'm curious just how big TV is per hour... Seeding MX/TDE/etc. ISOs can't be using that much bandwidth??

Very many thanks for the heads up! Now I won't have to figure out how to run a cat line to the second story

Best,
Michael

[Michael-IDA]

I couldn't get them to tell me at what point bandwidth usage would be considered "abusive", but it seems to be beyond 400GB a month from how the rep acted.

So, not for us... Per the AT&T router we're using about 19TB usage per month (19GB makes no sense, as overnight server backup downloads are 5+GB/day, so I'll guess I computed that right). AT&T pumps their TV/Movie stuff through the internet connection, but using Netflix/Hulu (etc.) instead won't change that. Now I'm curious just how big TV is per hour... Seeding MX/TDE/etc. ISOs can't be using that much bandwidth??

Very many thanks for the heads up! Now I won't have to figure out how to run a cat line to the second story

Edit:

AT&T Uverse
about 50$/month
I get consistent 15MB/s down and 2-3 MB/s upload.

Comcast cable is available faster, but too lazy to change everything.

Ah, good thought, just drop the 'bundle' and go straight internet...

New Customer:

Code: Select all

$35 /mo. for 12 mos. plus taxes & equip. fee
$10/mo. equip. fee applies
Unlimited internet data included
100Mbps equal upload and download speeds

Edit:
If you want HBO max (I have no idea what that is), then 1Gbps @~$70/month is the better deal. [HBO Max™ included—a $14.99/mo. value7]

As reference, our current 100Mbps caps at (a basically sustained) 120Mbps.

Best,
Michael