T-Mobile’s 5G home internet service: Fingers-on report

T-Mobile’s contemporary 5G home broadband gateway/wireless router issues for one huge motive: It’s a replace for the cable monopolies that dominate most main markets within the United States. Whether or no longer it’s a better risk than cable is, unfortunately, a query we can’t objectively retort, for 2 causes.

First, what T-Mobile officially calls its T-Mobile Excessive Tempo Net Gateway (5G21-12W-A) is “5G”—and the quality and bandwidth of the wireless signal you internet in your apartment will seemingly be relying on any different of factors, presumably the most essential of that can per chance per chance additionally merely be the gateway’s distance from your nearest 5G cell tower. You’ll also wish to balance what we chanced on against what your like, competing broadband ISP delivers. Fortunately, T-Mobile’s idea offering is flexible ample that it’s probably you’ll per chance per chance additionally presumably make your like one-month trial.

In my case, cable aloof regrettably gives presumably the most efficient risk for my family of four, residing in a home stuffed with streaming media gadgets and gaming laptops. T-Mobile’s 5G router provided ample bandwidth for roughly half of of my family, but no longer moderately ample for all four of us and our many gadgets. 

To be stunning, even supposing, we by no technique experienced all that the T-Mobile Excessive Tempo Net Gateway has to provide. While T-Mobile labels my home as ”covered” by its 5G products and companies, the true fact wasn’t moderately as easy. 

Impress Hachman / IDG

Specs and setup

T-Mobile’s router idea is all-inclusive: after confirming your eligibility, for $50 monthly, T-Mobile will send you a pre-configured router with an activated SIM inserted. (The $50/mo in fact entails a $10/mo AutoPay credit ranking, so the staunch value is $60/mo.) There’s no annual contract, both. While you to deem the service isn’t for you, it’s probably you’ll per chance per chance additionally merely name T-Mobile, execute, and the corporate will send you a prepaid tag to field up and return the 5G21-12W-A hardware.

T-Mobile’s pricing is already on par or lower than even the cheapest cable contracts, and T-Mobile guarantees unlimited internet with no data caps or throttling in addition. Serene, T-Mobile says that the service is “no longer supposed for unattended use,” so don’t idea to download Linux distributions by approach to BitTorrent. 

Attributable to its protection plan, T-Mobile knows in case your apartment will seemingly be shut ample to a cell tower to internet a passable signal. While you’re feeling in fact nerdy, on the opposite hand, it’s probably you’ll per chance per chance additionally talk over with a space love CellMapper.gather and stare moral how shut the closest cell tower is, and what wireless bands these towers use. 

Bodily, T-Mobile’s router rings a bell in my memory of the Harman Kardon Invoke, a now-discontinued cylindrical wise speaker, that, love T-Mobile’s router, included a colour display at the head. It measures 8.5 inches high by 4.75 inches in diameter, and is powered by a wall-wart-love go with a really without problems prolonged six-foot wire. That’s to hand, as you’ll are looking to space the gateway as shut to an launch air wall or window as imaginable to internet the maximum signal available. Internal is a Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) radio with four antennas to make the wireless network your consumer gadgets will join to. You would possibly perhaps per chance per chance per chance additionally additionally faucet its dual gigabit ethernet ports for wired network connections.

Impress Hachman / IDG

T-Mobile’s gateway does like some quirks: There’s a USB-C port, a UPS port for an unterruptible energy provide, and an RJ-11 phone jack on the again of the router. but none of them are functional—as a minimum as far as I could perhaps per chance per chance additionally expose. I tried plugging a USB energy provide in, but that didn’t work. I didn’t like a neatly matched UPS to study.

The 5G21-12W-A does like an internal battery, which permits the gateway to be faded cable free—successfully, build of. Setting up the router requires first turning it on, letting it boot up, after which strolling it across the dwelling or apartment to internet presumably the most efficient signal. The LCD display conceal on top communicates this signal data in precise time, even supposing this would per chance additionally merely turn off after a variety of seconds unless you faucet it conscious. You would possibly perhaps per chance per chance per chance additionally additionally “swipe” by a variety of screens, which expose you the different of gadgets related, any service messages from T-Mobile, and additional.

Right here’s one other quirk: While on battery, neither the ethernet nor the Wi-Fi connections would per chance also be faded. That’s routine, since as I drove round my neighborhood with the 5G21-12W-A gateway to study signal strength, the battery stage most efficient dropped by a share level or two, which technique that it would possibly perhaps per chance per chance additionally merely aloof realistically provide internet connectivity in case of a energy outage. That’s merely no longer the case. 

You would possibly perhaps per chance per chance per chance additionally merely additionally have confidence that a “wireless” gateway would be situation up anyplace, not like a wired cable gateway that can most efficient be situation up approach the coaxial cable’s entry to the dwelling. Unfortunately no longer. On the final, the supreme thunder will seemingly be approach a window, particular person that isn’t partly blocked by a mesh display conceal. And thunder does topic, bigger than it’s probably you’ll per chance per chance have confidence: your wireless network must even be organized to grab the gateway’s thunder into tale. 

While the 5G21-12W-A gateway reported that my home is bathed in a “frail” (2 out of 5 bars) signal all over, I was as soon as most efficient ready to save a “exact” (3 out of 5 bars) signal in a corner of my son’s room, subsequent to his window. And that, precise within the heart of his Legos, grew to vary into my contemporary wireless gateway thunder! 

Impress Hachman / IDG

Setup took moral a minute or two, overseen by T-Mobile’s smartphone app. Once the  fashioned niceties were executed—deciding on an administrator password, setting an SSID, and so forth—the gateway was as soon as up and running. T-Mobile’s app gives a like a flash and uncomplicated dashboard exhibiting most up-to-date signal strength, which gadgets are related, and so forth. The on-line interface (which, by default, would per chance also be accessed by approach to http://192.168.12.1 while the gateway is hooked up) gives worthy extra ingredient, albeit without worthy within the model of motive within the again of folks less accustomed to 5G and networking tech in fashioned.

Efficiency and day to day use

I faded T-Mobile’s 5G21-12W-A gateway for roughly three weeks, wirelessly connecting leisure gadgets love the Xbox sport console, plus my sons’ tablet and PC. Given how worthy they’re in use right by summer season vacation, I figured that they would per chance per chance be an glorious test of whether or no longer the T-Mobile signal remained fixed. The signal dropped three conditions in that duration, in line with my teenagers—customarily moral about a seconds, but as soon as for a chunk longer. 

Impress Hachman / IDG

I also examined the velocity, for certain. With all gadgets disconnected, speeds ranged from a maximum of 180Mbps to about 120Mbps downstream—again, on what T-Mobile’s app considered to be a “exact” signal, or three out of 5 bars. Upstream speeds, which topic whilst you happen to’re uploading video to YouTube or backing up recordsdata or photos to the cloud, reached moral under 50Mbps, which is aloof worthy, worthy sooner than the 14Mbps my cable provider, Comcast, gives, with its 400Mbps service idea. These tests were conducted with a wireless consumer shut to the router, with no assorted gadgets related to the gateway.

My teenagers absolutely didn’t report any concerns while gaming or speaking to their guests by approach to Zoom or Facebook Messenger, they usually were ready to download sport updates customarily. I also streamed 4K/60fps video from YouTube without concerns. At supreme, I re-ran my video-traipse test while simultaneously performing a bustle test and observed download speeds of 111Mbps, this while Home windows updates were wirelessly downloaded to a definite PC. The video traipse dropped 102 frames out of 18,000—nothing noticeable. Google’s Stadia gaming service also reported a connection of 59Mbps (again, while streaming video) and popular the connection as a candidate for the service, even supposing I didn’t are trying it.

It’s price noting that my T-Mobile gateway was as soon as no longer related to 5G. The T-Mobile app’s “More” tab will give an explanation for you which of them frequency band your instrument connects to, which was as soon as customarily Band 4 (defined by T-Mobile as a 4G LTE band). A cell signal app on my 5G-capable T-Mobile phone also showed that the phone (no longer the router) customarily related to bands 2, 66, or 71—again, all 4G LTE bands. T-Mobile does purpose 5G products and companies on cell towers aligned alongside Bay Condominium interstates, but that tower was as soon as on the many side of town, and I doubt that the router ever related to it. There’s no formula of forcing the router to use a explicit LTE or 5G band, both.

The router component of T-Mobile’s gateway works successfully, within motive. In my home, a sever up-stage tucked exact into a hill, Wi-Fi signals are seemingly to get misplaced within the maze of walls, floors, and ceilings. My former ISP gateway constructed into the basement struggles to push signal all over the dwelling without repeaters. I was as soon as rather vastly stunned to behold my phone’s signal app report a 65Mbps Wi-Fi hyperlink from the router on my own, but my notebook PC struggled to join.

I had far better perfect fortune connecting T-Mobile’s gateway to a discrete mesh router. Coincidentally, I also got Vilo’s ultra-low-cost mesh networking machine for review, so I merely related the puny exiguous mesh nodes round my home. That was as soon as an efficient, cheap complement to what T-Mobile provided, blanketing my home with Wi-Fi protection.

T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi products and companies and administration tools, on the opposite hand, are decidedly missing. While T-Mobile does a nice job of telling you which of them gadgets are related, you’ll waste up looking by the app’s UI to both disconnect each instrument personally, or else agenda a time to turn them off. I also couldn’t internet any alternatives both within the app or internet interface to make a guest network, which is merely desk stakes for home networking for the time being.

Impress Hachman / IDG

At supreme, I couldn’t join to my save of enterprise VPN, GlobalProtect, by approach to the T-Mobile router. This computer virus, as a minimum, is successfully documented and attributed to an IPv6 configuration self-discipline. While I was as soon as ready to join by adjusting some networking parameters on my PC, a protracted-term fix involves rolling again the router’s firmware. The router also doesn’t appear to work with Hulu + LiveTV, in line with T-Mobile’s buyer-beef up forums.

Who would possibly perhaps per chance per chance additionally merely aloof join T-Mobile’s home internet service? 

I approached my fingers-on with the T-Mobile Excessive Tempo Net Gateway (5G21-12W-A) from what now is a extremely timely level of view—breaking the stranglehold cable providers like on American shoppers. The Biden administration is already taking scheme at broadband monopolies, but this would be as much as the FCC to achieve commerce. 

From my skills, I will be able to’t convey what the rotund skill of T-Mobile gateway would be. I imagine there are few locations the build 5G is available, but cable isn’t. For now, the efficiency profit presumably lies with cable broadband (or the worthy extra strong-to-get fiber broadband service). Of us residing in rural areas, meanwhile, presumably won’t like any longer of an opportunity to get 5G broadband than they create cable broadband or fiber, leaving them to the mercy of DSL or satellite tv for computer service providers or—if they’re fortunate—an cheap, high-performing WISP (Wireless Net Provider Provider).

Serene, no longer every person desires ultrafast broadband. While you’re a exiguous household that streams video, tests email, and downloads Home windows updates within the background, T-Mobile’s router is certainly price checking out. Most broadband connections can already accommodate these desires, and high-bustle broadband (elevated than 200Mbps) is extra of a requirement for better households with a variety of packed with life streaming gadgets or laptops in use.

And then there’s pricing, for certain. Right here, issues commerce dramatically. A value of $50 monthly is terribly beautiful, in particular when put next to cable funds that can without problems top $100 monthly (collectively with TV service). Add data caps and imaginable overage costs, and costs also rapid climb there, too.

Endure in thoughts, T-Mobile isn’t asking you to execute your cable, or even change broadband providers. For $50, it’s probably you’ll per chance per chance additionally merely name or contact T-Mobile and signal up for a month’s price. A T-Mobile representative acknowledged that after a month’s time, whilst you happen to make a choice to execute, T-Mobile will send you a prepaid tag to approach again the T-Mobile Excessive Tempo Net Gateway (5G21-12W-A), and credit ranking your bill accordingly. Even with T-Mobile’s most up-to-date boundaries, that’s an beautiful provide.

As PCWorld’s senior editor, Impress makes a speciality of Microsoft news and chip technology, among assorted beats.