T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Review

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, going Rogue on Comcast

When it comes to broadband internet, I have been with Comcast since 1998.  I can remember telling clients you really should see this.  I was pulling 3 mbps download and we were raiding Napster for songs at blazing speeds.  We could hook into a T3 line and download 75 songs at the time.  Friends and relatives were lucky to get a song a night using dial-up.

At the time my clients would say all we need are emails and don't need broadband.  Fast forward 24 years and civilization cannot exist without it.

Now I'm seeking an alternative to Comcast.  My location unfortunately does not have fiber yet so I am excluded from Google or AT&T fiber.  Up until this week my only alternative has been AT&T, internet 75, not fiber.  I refuse to go with AT&T since my experience dealing with them on client accounts has always been disappointing as to speeds, (they promise up to 75 MBPS, but may be only 5 MBPS).

I have had Comcast Business for 3 years now and of course the bill keeps climbing.  I have internet service only, no cable TV.

I decided to try T-Mobile 5G home internet.  I entered my address info and voila,

However, all was not as it seemed.  Upon continuing I had to verify my shipping and emergency (911) address.  The address prefilled by the website did not match my actual street address.  I'm at 4228 and it was responding with 4308.  I had to call customer service and the rep told me that the service was not available at my address.  Undaunted the next day I tried again and this time the rep allowed me to change the shipping and emergency address.  I was able to place the order and my internet appliance arrived Tuesday.  I have a 15 day trial before my service starts at $50/month.

Installation and setup.

The device setup was simple.  I attached the power cord, downloaded the T-Mobile app on my iPhone and I was ready.  I started the app and things looked bleak.  It could not auto attach to the T-Mobile 5G network or discover my location.

I then chose manual installation and provided my street address and phone number.  Next I gave it a secured password/key for the internet and accepted the default SSID (Wi-Fi name).  The device then attempted to connect which it accomplished successfully, but only 2 out of 5 bars strength.

I attached my Surface Pro notebook, ran a speed test and found I was pulling 120 MBPS down/8 MBPS up.  The instructions advised to place the device on an upper level near a window.  I moved the device upstairs, trying 3 different rooms. all locations had 3 bars out of 5.  I found that even with 3 bars, some of the locations were not ideal for WIFI due to walls and distance so I opted for the middle level of the house with 3 bars.

So far I'm pleased with the results.  I've tested and used the internet with my notebook and I can't discern any difference between it and my Comcast signal.  I ran the http://speedof.me speed test and the results are:

So far so good... this is with 3 of 5 bars signal strength.  If T-Mobile can improve the strength of the signal to my device I have no doubt that the T-Mobile Home Internet is a worthy alternative to Comcast.  The price is no comparison, $50 vs $130 plus per month.

This weekend I plan to test the device using all my devices including streaming on the TVs.

The T-Mobile device has 2 ethernet ports.  However the location of the device isn't convenient for my lower level office.  I will drop an ethernet cable and connect to an ethernet switch to conduct the test.

I will post an update to the blog next week and publish the result of my experiment with the T-Mobile Home Internet.

Have a great weekend.

The Newest Windows 11 update 22H2 and more

Is it time to update to Windows 11?  The latest Windows 11 update 22H2 contains features that have many saying yes!

This feature update isn't likely to turn Windows 11 skeptics into fans. It doesn't include any major architectural changes and it preserves both the system requirements and the overall design of the user experience from the initial release. This is, at its core, a "fit and finish" update, with a handful of new features that are useful but far from essential.

The 8 best new features are:

1. Drag and Drop for the Taskbard
2. Folders on the Start Menu
3. Updated File Explorer
4. Live Captions
5. New Touch Gestures
6. Update Task Manager
7. New Inbox Apps:  ClipChamp, Sound Recorder
8. Smart App Control.

To summarize key features;

Windows 11 has changed the way security is handled.  Windows 10 left security settings up to the user to enable.  What Microsoft found was that most users did not understand how to make the changes or the trade offs in compatibility and performance.  Windows 11 has inverted that view and now makes the security settings default for users.

In addition to security, the new Windows 11 update contains improvement in performance, better throughput and more beneficial features.  Microsoft's Photos app is also getting a much needed makeover.

File Explorer's Quick Access will now be called Home, however Quick Access will shift to the right panel where you can pin files and folders.  Windows will be adding a Tabs feature to File Explorer in October 2022 as an optional preview and then in November as a full release.  A File Explorer Tabs interface will allow you to open a new Tab like in a browser where you can search and open files without opening another File Explorer instance, much needed.

The Windows 11 22H2 upgrade was made available yesterday, 09/20/22.  It may already be installed on your Windows 11 computer, waiting for a restart to finish installing.

To read about what to expect and more from this update, please see the following links.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-11-22h2-how-to-get-microsofts-latest-os-update-and-whats-coming-next/ 

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/hands-on-with-windows-11s-new-task-manager/

https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-11-22h2-these-are-the-big-new-security-features/

Windows 10 EOL (End of Life)

You have until October 14, 2025 to keep using Windows 10 and continue receiving at least some sort of support from Microsoft for it. However, the company announced in November 2021 that it will only release feature updates after version 21H2 (the Windows 10 November 2021 Update) annually in the second half of the year via the General Availability Channel.

The next Windows 10 feature update is slated for the second half of 2022. Home and Pro editions of the November 2021 Update will only receive 18 months of servicing and support, and Enterprise and Education editions will receive 30 months of servicing and support after November 2021.

After that, Microsoft says it will continue to support at least one annual Windows 10 release until October 2025.

 https://www.lifewire.com/windows-10-end-of-life-4163811 

Who Will Pay the Price for Cyberattacks?

Insurers have long excluded war damage from their coverage. A new spate of legal battles will decide whether they can consider state-sponsored hacking an act of war.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-will-pay-the-price-for-cyberattacks-11662645501?st=05lt1qffidk57d4&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink