MetroPCS Goes Mad For (free)Wi-Fi

[ChazzMatt]

Compilation of two articles. Rather than post both, I edited the two together. I credited both authors and here are the original links.


MetroPCS Goes Mad For Wi-Fi | News & Opinion | PCMag.com
MetroPCS Android phones make roaming Wi-Fi free and easy | TG Daily

MetroPCS Goes Mad For (free) Wi-Fi
MetroPCS Android phones make roaming Wi-Fi free and easy


By: Sascha Segan
12.21.2010 0

MIKE LUTTRELL | Wed 22nd Dec 2010, 12:00 pm

MetroPCS's new Android-powered smartphones will automatically link up with 500,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots and come with software to hook up to 200,000 more, two companies said in press releases.

Most Android phones connect to Wi-Fi, of course. But the difference with MetroPCS's new Huawei Ascend and LG Optimus M devices are the preloaded DeviceScape's ("MetroPCS Easy WiFi") and Boingo clients, which can potentially seek out and link up with Wi-Fi hotspots without users having to search, log in, or pay much attention at all. They'll just see faster Internet connections.

The more impressive option is DeviceScape's (MetroPCS branded) "Easy WiFi", because it's free. The app runs in the background and connects to trusted Wi-Fi locations automatically, even if the user has never programmed that specific hotspot in their phone. Easy WiFi periodically checks to see if you're near one of a half million (500,000) free Wi-Fi hotspots - for instance a Starbucks or a McDonald's. You don't actually have to be in the Starbucks; you could just be near enough to grab the signal. Then Easy WiFi silently signs you on, invisibly clicking through any service agreements, and you find you have faster Internet.

At least that's how it's supposed to work. Mixed reviews on the Android Market and Apple App Store show complaints from users who say the app doesn't automatically log into many hotspots, so we'll have to try it out.

The phones also come preloaded with Boingo's client. Boingo Mobile is a $7.95/month subscription service that gives phone users access to 200,000 paid hotspots at hotels, airports, and other locations.

The Wi-Fi hookup is a tricky way for MetroPCS to get around its lack of a 3G network. Without Wi-Fi, its smartphones typically crawl along on slower 2G at somewhat above dialup speeds. While MetroPCS has an expanding and faster 4G LTE network, it won't have any LTE smartphones until 2011.

MetroPCS is the nation's fifth-largest carrier, with about 8 million subscribers. In a country where four mobile carriers have been the only ones worth talking about for years, MetroPCS has managed to do the impossible and really break into the market. Its extremely low-cost plan options have enticed thousands of customers to switch over from their high-priced mobile providers.

Service still isn't available all over the country, but it is very quickly expanding and if it continue, we may have to stop talking about the "major four" carriers and start talking about the "major five."

We'll have reviews of the MetroPCS smartphones, with their Wi-Fi clients, soon.

 

[The_WB]

Has anyone tried it yet? In theory, it sounds great. Real world trials is the telling measure.

 

[SuperDaveP270]

So far so great. I connect to free and open wifi all the time, usually without even knowing it.

 

[The_WB]

That is great to hear. Anything to help the process is just fine by me.

 

[adriana27]

I have a Huawei Ascend (Android) phone with MetroPCS and it shows on the top screen that the speed is a 1x...it has never shown a 2g or 3g. How can the speed be changed. It is extremely slow downloading music, video and sometimes the screen is frozen. Someone please help!

 

[fylpee]

I have a Huawei Ascend (Android) phone with MetroPCS and it shows on the top screen that the speed is a 1x...it has never shown a 2g or 3g. How can the speed be changed. It is extremely slow downloading music, video and sometimes the screen is frozen. Someone please help!

root your phone to clear up space & download applications using wifi

 

[ChazzMatt]

I have a Huawei Ascend (Android) phone with MetroPCS and it shows on the top screen that the speed is a 1x...it has never shown a 2g or 3g.

How can the speed be changed. It is extremely slow downloading music, video and sometimes the screen is frozen.

Someone please help!

It's a little confusing but 1x = 2G. 1x is short hand for either 1XRTT or 1xEV-DO. With the Huawei Ascend, it's 1xEV-DO. All you need to know is 1x = "2G". (2G technology) Maybe 2.5G, at best, depending on the RTT or EV-DO part.

When you see 1x, that is "2G". 2G (1x) speeds are usually 100 - 200kbps. (256k and above is technically "broadband", anything below that is "dial up". )

3G is faster. In a nationwide test 6 months ago, the top 3 carriers with 3G averaged 800 - 950 kbps (0.8 - 0.95 mbps) download speeds. If you look at the chart below, Verizon even hit above 1mbps.

AT&T and others claim recent improvements to 3G technology this year will let them hit 15 - 20mbps.


4G is even faster. Peak downloads of 100mbps. No carrier in U.S. has that yet, in spite of their marketing lies they have "4G".

"G" means generation. 4G is the new "4th Generation" of cell phone transmission technology. Everyone says they have "4G" -- Verizon claims it with LTE, Sprint claims it with Wi-Max, but really all they have is like 3.5G. 4G official standards call for peak downloads of 100mbps -- and no carrier in U.S. has hit that yet. Simply -- if you can't hit 100mbps, then you do NOT have a true 4G network. In fact, right now Verizon is only promising customers 5 - 12mbps with their new LTE network. Eventually they will open up the speeds more, but right now 5 - 12mbps is still "3G" or "3.5G" territory. (Verizon has hit 45-50mbps in field tests. But, that's far from achieving 100mbps and then delivering it to customers.)

Now you can use LTE to get to 4G -- that's what Verzion, AT&T, and even Sprint are betting on. LTE allows faster speeds, lower latency. Sprint has the competing Wi-Max so-called "4G" network, but they are also messing around with LTE as they see that is the future. Wi-Max also hasn't hit 100mpbs and probably never will. (Clear, a company owned by Sprint, has hit 90 - 95mbps with nascent LTE network field tests, but those are under tightly controlled conditions -- not real world. Still, this is why Sprint may switch to LTE.)

Point is, having an "LTE" network does not automatically = "4G". In fact, Metro is using LTE to get to "3G" speeds. Metro's LTE speeds are 700k right now (0.7mbps), and due to the spectrum restrictions they face, Metro may only be able to hit a max of 2mbps - 3mbps on their LTE network. That's firmly in 3G territory. Yet, they are marketing the heck out of "4G", because "LTE" has become synonymous with "4G". Hey, if Verizon can falsely claim "4G", then MetroPCS can claim "4G". But it's not true 4G.

=======

So, although you have a 3G-capable device, you are on a 2G network when connected to MetroPCS.

The only way you can improve your download speed is to connect via wi-fi network, which will then give you the broadband speed of that network. Like here at home I have 12mbps downloads, courtesy of Comcast. Also the Easy wi-fi app that came with your phone will let you connect for free to over 500,000 hotspots nationwide (McDonalds and such).

Plus, your operating speed (how quick things open, run and respond) are a little crippled by the Huawei Ascend which has only 256MB RAM and Android 2.1. The LG Optimus M has 434MB RAM and Android 2.2. As mentioned previously, you can improve things a little by rooting the phone and removing some of the bloatware which runs in the background. That will free up some RAM and CPU cycles.

 

[adriana27]

Thanks guys! I went to metropcs and asked them about "rooting" my phone...Their faces turn like I asked them some futuristic equation that no one in that room have ever heard before!!
Right know I am using wifi connections, but a lot of them are secured so I need a password to access. If I root my phone as feelpy suggested, would I be able to connect without restrictions?? Also if I root my phone would I loose my music, pic, contacts, etc, etc?? And, finally, to root the phone I have to download the z4root app?
Again thank you so much!! I am so new to this...

 

[unnamedny]

Thanks guys! I went to metropcs and asked them about "rooting" my phone...Their faces turn like I asked them some futuristic equation that no one in that room have ever heard before!!
Right know I am using wifi connections, but a lot of them are secured so I need a password to access. If I root my phone as feelpy suggested, would I be able to connect without restrictions?? Also if I root my phone would I loose my music, pic, contacts, etc, etc?? And, finally, to root the phone I have to download the z4root app?
Again thank you so much!! I am so new to this...

Most Metropcs sellers have no idea of "rooting" "java" "adobe flash" which is sad. You come into the store with some advanced question and no one can give you answer to it. It triggered me to leave 4 Metro PCS stores before I bought Optimus M.

Rooting just grants you superuser access (admin access) over your phone. No you will not lose anything. Everything stays the same.

No you won't be able to access to any WAP, WAP2 or any other password protected wifi networks. Rooting has nothing to do with that.

Yes you need z4root 1.3.0