My inspiration for this post came from my dear, longtime blogging friend, Debbie @ Musings by an ND Domer's Mom, who is not only a gifted...
Internet Service Backstory -
The apartment building I live in is exclusively wired for Comcast. And since I loathe Comcast because of their INSANE prices and the way they think they RULE the world, I refused to use their service. Therefore, the only other option I had was Verizon. However, since Fios was unavailable in my building, I succumbed to Verizon DSL.
That's right, you heard me correctly.
For the past 23 years, I've been using DSL, which is only half a step up from Dial-up service. I felt like Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail. It was so bad that many times while watching a movie, it would buffer. Not only that, the service would knock me offline constantly, so I had to reboot the modem which was a royal pain in my arse.
But I put up with it because I didn't think I had any other options.
Also, guess what I was paying for DSL service each month. Are you ready for this?
$100.98!
And that was because I was paying for not only internet service but a landline phone as well. And for a phone that I NEVER used. DSL requires that you be connected to a phone line.
My New Internet Service Search -
For the past several months, I've been searching for a different option and decided to look into the possibility of going with Wi-Fi internet. And I wanted one that was reliable, fast, and available in my area. But most importantly, much less expensive.
I looked into Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
After watching a bazillion YouTube videos on each one, I chose T-Mobile 5G Home Internet.
I purchased the service (which included a gateway) online rather than in-store because if I did so, they would waive the $25.00 activation fee. In addition, it qualified me for a $150 Virtual Prepaid Mastercard promotion.
Signing up online went smoothly. The gentleman who helped me (Jonathan) could not have been more patient, kind, and efficient. He informed me that I would receive the gateway in 3-5 business days. It only took TWO days!
Setting It Up -
I had heard over and over again how easy and quick it was to set up service. They all said, "It will only take 15 minutes to set it up." One YouTuber even claimed,"It was so easy to set up that my 98-year-old grandmother completed it in less than 5 minutes!"
Yeah....RIGHT.
After trying to connect my desktop computer to the Wi-Fi for over 45 minutes, I decided to call customer service. But before doing that, I did everything I was instructed to do, via the app.
I got a technical support guy who kept saying to me, "Oh it's so easy to set it up. You simply plug it in and it will AUTOMATICALLY connect your devices."
Oh, really?!?!
By the way, don't you love how IT people talk to you like you're an IT person as well? They seem to have little patience for anyone who doesn't understand IT. And I'm thinking, "Why would I call you if I understood IT?!?!"
Anyway, after trying everything on his end to correct the issue, he came up with another way to go at it. Now mind you, my cellphone device had no problem connecting to the Wi-Fi, it was my desktop that had the issue.
Come to find out that my desktop Wi-Fi would not accept the name and password that was printed on the back of the gateway. Therefore, I had to go in and create a new name and password. Oy vey!
But that seemed to do the trick. It connected!
My Feedback On The 5G Home Internet -
I have to say, besides the issue in getting my computer to connect to the gateway, the process was not bad. As soon as I got online and started visiting various websites, I could immediately tell how much FASTER the service was compaired to my DSL. It felt like I was flying over the internet. And no buffering while watching a movie.
And guess what? It's only $55.00 per month. It would have only been $50.00 had I signed up for auto-pay, which I never do. The gateway was included. Unlimited data. No contract. And no price increase.
Here are a few photos.
The box...
I placed the gateway right next to a window. I'm on a very high floor, so I get a strong signal...
So far, so good! I'm VERY happy!😁
Goodbye DSL! Hello 5G Home Internet!
Have a faaaaaaabulous rest of your week, everyone! 💕
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