T-Mobile HotSpot @Home

[-MrBigster-]

What are the advantages and the disadvantages of this service? Right now I use my cell phone all the time. I don't have a landline (maybe I should?).

[redwildebeast]

basically all the calls from home would be free, and any call you start at home then leave will be free till you hang up.

[Scooby214]

In my case, the main advantage is that I have improved reception at home. Calls sound much better.

[chokaay]

This is (or will be) the main advantage for ME:


CONFIRMED: T-MOBILE ALLOWS @HOME USAGE (WiFi/UMA calling) FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES FOR FREE*!!! (http://www.t-mobilesignal.com/forum/5373-post4.html)


*NOTE: All @Home (WiFi/UMA) calls initiated anywhere in the world will be billed as if it originated within the U.S.A. NO International Roaming fees will be billed! If you call the U.S., then you will use your Unlimited N&W (if applicable), Unlimited M2M (if applicable), and Anytime Minutes (during peak times based in the U.S.). If you call a foreign number, then International Calling Fees WILL be billed (but NOT International Roaming if you make the call outside of the U.S.). Adding $9.99-$19.99/mo for the @Home Add-On will grant you UNLIMITED @HOME CALLING anytime to any U.S.-based number (will not count against your Anytime Minutes).


EDIT: Attached scans of T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home Flyer below for reference (click to enlarge)...

[NokiaFanatic]

I found it quite annoying. At home with a 768 DSL, i had an extreme lagtime. I had nothing running but my phone on the router and there would be about a 2-3 second delay. If you have higher speeds, deffinetly a cool thing. Otherwise - I wasnt too happy with it.

[redwildebeast]

what was delayed??? iniatiating the call or when you were talking???

[~Evil~|~Steg~]

i seen the prepay hotspots service for like 10 bucks/an hr on my.tmobile, but does the hotspot@home offer its service for prepay? i never really looked into it... if they did then that would rox...

[chokaay]

what was delayed??? iniatiating the call or when you were talking???


Based on Nokia's description, I think the call itself might have been lagged. When using VOIP, or other Internet Phone technology, there is a minimum bandwidth requirement that is necessary for smooth voice calls. The speed necessary depends on the amount of data that needs to be sent and received, which is directly related to the quality of the call.

I don't know if @Home has a "voice call quality selector" feature (either a button or software control on the router and/or phone), but the lower the quality of call selected, the less data that needs to be transferred to and from T-Mobile's servers real-time. Thus, the lower the quality of calls, the less minimum bandwidth speed necessary to maintain the call. The higher the quality of calls, the more minimum bandwidth speed necessary to maintain the call.

Possible explainations can be that Nokia's DSL speed was too slow (at that time) to effectively use @Home to make stable calls. This can be caused by a bad connection (interference or bottleneck somewhere from the phone to T-Mobile's servers), too slow of a connection (either downlink or uplink) because the DSL modem is too far away from the "box" or the ordered speeds are too slow, too much network activity through the same router/modem at the time of the call without voice prioritizing QOS (like data downloads, video/music streams, online gaming, file transfers, etc), or too much congestion on T-Mobile's servers (like too many callers at once or too few servers at that time).

I've heard quite a few people happy with @Home so far, and only 2 people unsatisfied with the results (Nokia here, and another poster on another forum). Hopefully Nokia (and the other poster) can find out what their problem is and fix them (somehow) so they can enjoy @Home too! :D

[tmobilefan]

I don't know if @Home has a "voice call quality selector" feature (either a button or software control on the router and/or phone)

I don't know either, but I think it would be a good idea.

[joedagook]

no hotspot service for prepaid. sorry.

[~Evil~|~Steg~]

no hotspot service for prepaid. sorry.

that sux :( though i couldve swore i seen the regular hot spot access for 10 bucks/hr ya know??? they may have taken it down from their webpage....i remember it had the 19.99 a month access for contract users and 10.00/hr for prepay??? hmm ill do a search and see if i can find it again :) though since the hotspot@home came out it prolly cancelled the other ya know???

[tmobilefan]

that sux :( though i couldve swore i seen the regular hot spot access for 10 bucks/hr ya know??? they may have taken it down from their webpage....i remember it had the 19.99 a month access for contract users and 10.00/hr for prepay??? hmm ill do a search and see if i can find it again :) though since the hotspot@home came out it prolly cancelled the other ya know???

Are you sure that the $10.00 prepaid is not the hotspot for the internet?

[~Evil~|~Steg~]

yeah thats what i was talking about the hotspot for internet heres the link i found, this made me wonder on the previous post if the hotspot@home fone service would work with prepay.. but heck for the 9.99/month you really dont need prepay, but being able to pay with a prepay card would be really convienent ya know...

Wireless Internet Access - T-Mobile HotSpots (http://hotspot.t-mobile.com/services_plans.htm)

Pay As You Go

Includes 60 minutes of unlimited data usage and additional minutes, as needed. Get connected at any T-Mobile HotSpot location nationwide. $6.00 per login for the first 60 minutes, whether or not the minutes are fully used; $0.10 per minute thereafter.