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Could I replace my current ISP with Mobile Hot Spot

M

meinken

Newbie
My Comcast connection has been down for 3 days and I'm thinking of options. DSL is only available in slower speed in my area and fios and uverse are not available at all. I am in a solid 4g area at home.

I have a pc/tv/ps3/tablet connected to my wifi at home
I generally us my connection for web surfing, email and only very rarely for a movie from Amazon Prime or Vudo(less then 2 times a month).

If I were to use Moble Hot Spot as my sole internet connection at home:
What are the downsides?
I currently have unlimited data on my TB, would it continue when activating MHS?
If I would remain unlimited, is there a hidden data limit that I might bump up against?

With my employee discount MHS is about 1/2 the cost of Comcast.
I am not rooted and don't plan to be (phone is owned by employer)

Thanks
 
VZW's tethering policy is clear that you must pay for a tethering plan to use it. Currently all tethering plans are tiered and you would need to switch to a tiered plan to use MHS. I doubt you could use it to replace your ISP since their largest plan currently is 12GB monthly for $100/month.

Since you are on unlimited you may be able to add the $30/month hotspot that is also unlimited but I do not know if it is still being offered or if they will make you change plans.

Even if you can get the one with unlimited data if they decide your usage is excessive they have the right to terminate the contract with you. I am not sure what they call excessive but unlimited 3G customers start getting throttled or affected by network optimization at 2GB in a month.
 
I wouldn't use it for gaming, but if you use wireless tether it drains battery very fast, and if you charge and tether, there's a good chance that you'll overheat the battery unless you place it somewhere that will allow for good airflow. I heard that Verizon was allowing people to use unlimited data plus tethering.
 
if you have the unlimited data plan, then you would get unlimited tethering. BUT...

VZW does not call throttling by it's common name. they call it network optimization. basically it means the same thing, but it's considered more "network friendly to all users" instead of punishment to the highest users. it ultimately amounts to the same thing.

having said that, it's only an issue for people in a congested area, or connecting to a congested site. there have been some months that I've knocked through a f*ckton of data, but never had a slow down. I'm in a major market, however, where congestion isn't as much of a factor. what Yeahha said about the 2GB "limit" sounds about right, though.
 
At this time VZW says that "Network Optimization" does not apply to 4G phones running on a 4G network. I don't know how true that is as I've seen plenty of posts (most dealing with the MHS) that complain about slow network speeds after using it for a while.
 
Yeah, they want to wring every dollar out of us that they can, and I'm sure the meetings about what to do next includes a lot of info on what users are doing to try to save money and how they can find ways to pinch that off.

I ended up taking my Galaxy Tab off the data plan and use it on wifi only. At the time I did that, I got the immediate assumption at the store that I was to pay an ETF, but I harangued for a while about my wife and kid being on Sprint and I should be on their family plan instead of being with Verizon, so he finally gave in and just cut service to my Tab, no fee. :D

Anyway, the mention up there about battery heat on wired tethering was true of my Droid 3, but I have noticed the X2 has much less of that. Don't know about the T-Bolt.
 
On my bolt, there wasn't a lot of heat on it with the hotspot enabled, except when charging and the screen on for other usage. I typically turn the hotspot on, plug it into the USB port on my laptop, and use the USB for charging, with the screen off. But if I'm actively using the phone at the same time, it does tend to get warm. As for drawbacks:

If you aren't on the unlimited data, then you will have the cap to worry about, although based on what you claim your habits are, maybe not a problem anyway.

You'll need to keep your phone near a charger more often than not, depending on how long you are staying online and connected.

You will be eliminating internet for the house whenever you go somewhere with your phone. If someone is left home, they will have nothing when you leave.

Also, and this doesn't sound like it would apply to you, but if you had any devices without wifi capability, you would need either an adapter for it, or you would need to create network bridges etc to hook into a wired home network.
 
Yeahha said:
At this time VZW says that "Network Optimization" does not apply to 4G phones running on a 4G network. I don't know how true that is as I've seen plenty of posts (most dealing with the MHS) that complain about slow network speeds after using it for a while.
Click to expand...

So far, and this is going by the information given to me, and I assume is subject to change...this is what/who impacted by it:

Supposedly customers would be impacted only if:

They have a 3G device, with unlimited data, who are among the top 5% of usage in the current or previous bill cycle (which is pretty much if they've used more than 2GB this month to date, or last), AND are on a congested cell site.

So basically, if you're using a 4G device, it won't matter (as of this post, anyway..). If you're a high-usage person on a 3G phone, but are in the middle of nowhere and there aren't a lot of people on the tower, it won't matter. Customers NOT on an unlimited plan, are also not affected. (why throttle, when they'll be paying extra?). Supposedly, there is also a feature code for the Network Optimization Code, that would also have to be applied to the line to ensure this all happens. I just double-checked my non-4G lines, and no such code exists as of yet. This could just be that maybe they didn't end up putting that in, and instead it's just rolled out internally or something. However, I also live in a remote area, not anywhere NEAR a congested possibility.

But, as of now, that's how it's "supposed" to be. Whether it changes, who knows. Us with 4G phones shouldn't ever see any issues with it since we're using 4G devices.
 
I had the mobile hotspot (official vzw app) on my Palm Pre Plus and it was free with that phone. The hotspot was capped at 5GB even though I have unlimited data on my phone plan.

Also a number of people report that they have been shutdown using rooted phones and tethering - VZW is using network tools to find and kill these uses. I would expect that the mobile hotspot would at best be a good backup to when your ISP drops the ball.
 
CharlzO said:
So far, and this is going by the information given to me, and I assume is subject to change...this is what/who impacted by it:

Supposedly customers would be impacted only if:

They have a 3G device, with unlimited data, who are among the top 5% of usage in the current or previous bill cycle (which is pretty much if they've used more than 2GB this month to date, or last), AND are on a congested cell site.

So basically, if you're using a 4G device, it won't matter (as of this post, anyway..). If you're a high-usage person on a 3G phone, but are in the middle of nowhere and there aren't a lot of people on the tower, it won't matter. Customers NOT on an unlimited plan, are also not affected. (why throttle, when they'll be paying extra?). Supposedly, there is also a feature code for the Network Optimization Code, that would also have to be applied to the line to ensure this all happens. I just double-checked my non-4G lines, and no such code exists as of yet. This could just be that maybe they didn't end up putting that in, and instead it's just rolled out internally or something. However, I also live in a remote area, not anywhere NEAR a congested possibility.

But, as of now, that's how it's "supposed" to be. Whether it changes, who knows. Us with 4G phones shouldn't ever see any issues with it since we're using 4G devices.
Click to expand...

You are correct. It should only affect 3G phones and 4G phones should be left out of it regardless. I haven't brushed up on my ToS all that recently but when you are using the MHS app it does tell VZW that it is being used so they can tell the difference between phone data and MHS use so I suspect they may have something in the MHS ToS to counteract the use of their network as a home ISP.

UncleVanya said:
I had the mobile hotspot (official vzw app) on my Palm Pre Plus and it was free with that phone. The hotspot was capped at 5GB even though I have unlimited data on my phone plan.

Also a number of people report that they have been shutdown using rooted phones and tethering - VZW is using network tools to find and kill these uses. I would expect that the mobile hotspot would at best be a good backup to when your ISP drops the ball.
Click to expand...

Yes VZW is currently looking to ways to prevent people from breaking their contract to avoid paying for a service, I know most current phones have been released with known tethering methods blocked and who could blame them (VZW). Having MHS for when your ISP drops the ball or you are on the go and need to use a CPU for something is why it is offered.
 
I originally posted this because of my frustration over a 3 day Comcast internet issue. I will prob. continue with Comcast and have Verizon turn on the mobile hotspot when it goes out again and when I'm on the road.

Thanks everyone for the help and information.
 
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