Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

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Kasey Chang
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Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

Post by Kasey Chang »

Right now I have Sonic Internet (dual DSL) and Verizon mobile, and I'm paying about $170-200 a month.

I am thinking about upgrading my phone, but I don't want to pay a huge fee to Verizon, even financed. But I do want a 5G phone.

AND I want an Internet upgrade.

So far my options are:

A: Verizon LTE Home Internet (with upgrade to 5G Internet when offered) for about $40 a month... if I keep my Verizon phone and plan for $85 / month, then pay for a phone separately for Verizon. And drop Sonic Internet. I can get a refurb Samsung on Swappa or Woot for 2-300 and activated it easily. Monthly... $130.


B: Go Comcast / Xfinity, except somehow my address is classified as "business", so they have to make me pay business pricing (200 Mbps line for $170 a month) with later options for gigabit speeds at vastly increased prices. However, they have Xfinity mobile (which is Verizon MVNO) for like $40 a month. They'll throw in a Moto one 5G ace for free. And drop Sonic Internet. This seems to be the most bandwidth... but also the most cost and bother, since I have to disturb my landlord to get them to grant permission for construction and connect the building to Xfinity. And I'm looking at 200+ a month.

C: Verizon LTE Home Internet at $60 a month... But switch to VISIBLE (also verizon MVNO) for as low as $25 a month and finance a Moto one 5G ace for $10 a month. Monthly cost... under $100 a month for BOTH. Add taxes and it's like $110.

Sounds like the last option is the most affordable... My mobile service may experience a bit of downgrade, but I don't use it often enough to matter, IMHO. And my home internet may improve in speed, esp. with 5G Home Internet that may be coming soon.

Comments?
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Anonymous Bosch
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Re: Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Here's another option worthy of consideration:

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Kasey Chang
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Re: Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

Post by Kasey Chang »

Been watching reviews... Apparently the MeFi device is not meant to be plugged in 24/7. But it does sound intriguing if I live alone.
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Kasey Chang
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Re: Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

Post by Kasey Chang »

Plot deepens. Comcast just sweetened the deal... They'll go down to 110 a month + tax.

So the updated choices are

A: Comcast 110 / month (200 Mbps line) + Xfinity Mobile 40 / month with free phone so about $150 + tax a month. Let's assume 200 Mbps is peak so typical speed is more like 75-100 Mbps down and 25-50 Mbps up.

B: Verizon Home LTE / 5G for about $45 / month (with subscriber discount) and buy my own phone, so about 150 a month, can probably finance phone for $10-15 more a month. Typical download speed 25 Mbps

C: Verizon Home LTE /5G for about $50-60 / month and switch to Visible.com (as low as $25) month plus $10 / month for phone, so about $100 a month. Typical download speed 25 Mbps

Right now dual DSL "claims" to be 35 Mbps, but in practice my Speedtest at Google averages 3 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up while Speedtest.net shows a higher result for some reason 13 Mbps down and 1.3 Mbps up.

-----

I just realized something. My connection to my WiFi sucks. My phone, on the same WiFi, gets more throughput than my PC did. To improve my throughput I need to get a faster connection from my PC to my WiFi or my router. :-P Guess my built-in Intel AC really sucks, and I need to go powerline for best throughput.

My phone gets 30-40 Mbps down and 2-5 Mbps up... on the SAME wifi. On LTE it goes even higher. 70 down and 5 up.

-----

Investigating that put me down a rabbit hole that includes AV1, AV2, and the new G.hn protocols. G.hn claims to be "2 Gigabits" but my house has hold wiring and runs a dryer quite often so I am not sure this is a good idea, esp. since the "top" solution is $120, and the cheap solution I had in mind, at 65, while having supposedly better specs, came out 20% slower in Wirecutter's tests.

At this rate I may be better off with a USB 3.0 Wifi AC adapter.

And I just ordered an Archer AC1900 adapter / antenna. Hopefully this solves my throughput problem.
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Re: Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

Post by Daehawk »

Im surprised at how shitty all your options are in such a top tier city as San Fran. I watch a streamer there called Bike Curious and he rides all over town and streams at the same time. I wonder what he uses. He is based out of the Mission area.
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Kasey Chang
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Re: Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

Post by Kasey Chang »

That guy probably just uses a 5G phone.

Was watching some Verizon C-band Home internet real-life tests. 400-500 mbps download and 15-25 mbps upload. I need some of that.
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Re: Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

Post by Kasey Chang »

Now I am just confused as F***.

The new adapter came in. Plugged it in. Disabled built-in Intel Dual band AC. Enable USB. Reboot. Test. No change.

Download and run TCP Optimizer. Saved. Reboot. Test... Now I'm getting 40 Mbps down and roughly 1.6-2 Mbps up.

I'm thinking... Wait, is this the Optimizer... Or the new adapter? So I switched back to built-in Intel Dual-band AC... 40 Mbps down and roughly 1.6 Mbps up. Confirmed by the "historical results". My download speed was hovering at about 15-18, it's now 39-40... same network card. So I wasted money on the adapter.

However, I am... surprised and dismayed that it was optimization problem all along. Remember I said
Speedtest at Google averages 3 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up while Speedtest.net shows a higher result for some reason 13 Mbps down and 1.3 Mbps up.
If I now get 40 down and 1.6 Mbps up and this is on both Google "Speed Test" and Ookla Speedtest.net, it seems to be a valid result.

I STILL want the 5G home internet but it can be put off a bit more. Now, how to save my money off Verizon's monthly charges, as I don't need all those perks they keep throwing in...
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Re: Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

Post by Kasey Chang »

Apparently the TCP Optimizer throughput hack was no fluke... Steam download used to top out at 3.5 with average of 3, it's now peaking at 5.4 Mbps with average of 5.1 Mbps. Why didn't I do this sooner?
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Kasey Chang
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Re: Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

Post by Kasey Chang »

Argh, trying to get a phone upgrade is a PITA too.

With the DSL upgrade defered, I tried to port my phone to Visible, while financing a Google Pixel 6 with 5 years of security updates. Great. Except they finance through Affirm, and Affirm make you upload driver's license and ask you questions about your credit history. So I did all that. At first they send me a text that says I'm pre-approved for 2500 credit, then when I tried to check out of Visible with the plan and phone they told me I was denied. WTF?

Tried to chat with Visible, they say that's not us, please chat with Affirm.

So went to chat with Affirm. Got the standard verbiage: well, if your answers don't match what's in your credit report then we can't verify you, and you do NOT get a second chance.

The weirdest part was one of the questions was about my cousin, not me. And even then I thought I answered correctly.

So I can pay for the phone out of pocket, or I can finance it through Verizon instead, and keep my expensive plan. :-/ They won't give me a phone for free, at least not a decent phone. But they WILL finance me a Google Pixel 6 for $24 a month (for 36 months, 0 APR)
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Re: Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

Post by Jeff V »

We are using T-Mobile 5G internet now, and it's been as good as Comcrap ever was. The cool thing is if we travel anywhere T-Mobile has 5-G service, we can just bring the wifi router with us. It even comes with a rechargeable battery, so if the power goes down, the internet will probably still be sailing along.

It's $50 per month on Autopay, and comes with a $10/mo discount on YouTube TV.
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Kasey Chang
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Re: Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

Post by Kasey Chang »

Yeah, as soon as Verizon offers the darn thing I'm switching to their 5G Internet. Somehow it's just NOT AVAILABLE in my area, and I'm next to downtown SF!? :-P
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Re: Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

Post by Kasey Chang »

I bit the bullet and got in my hand a Pixel 6 (not the pro). Beautiful phone, if a tad big (compared to my previous Moto X4.
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Re: Gah, Internet Access and Mobile Plans are so Linked!

Post by Jeff V »

My internet access and mobile come from the same company (T-Mobile) but are not linked -- in fact, the internet account is in my wife's name and the phones are in my name because they can't figure out how to integrate legacy Sprint customers into their system. Internet is $50/month, they provide a 5G wifi router. Phones are about $130 for 2, phone and unlimited 5G included.
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