(Part 3) Top products from r/tmobile

Install pfSense. It’s free, open-source, regularly updated, and private, because you skip the middle-man servers by establishing your own endpoint at home. It does the job, even when running off an old computer/laptop and will be better than any $300 SoHo router you buy, which likely only allows certain types of VPN passthrough (no VPN generation, and passthrough is often limited to cracked protocols like PPTP), i.e. you need to pay for 3rd party VPN service or live with their ads and hope they don’t look at your traffic. pfSense allows you to generate the VPN connection. pfSense is a total router replacement and does everything: QoS, encryption, can take many ISP connections as input, load balancing, multiple VPN types (including the safer OpenVPN), customizable firewall rules, add-on packages that sniff malicious traffic, allows you to hand out guest vouchers that expire, etc. If installing on a laptop that has only one wired NIC, you can split that with any spare old router or switch. If that router or switch has no Wi-Fi, you can use the laptop’s built-in wireless NIC as a wireless AP. If installing on a desktop with no Wi-Fi capable accessories, wireless NICs are cheap. If installing on a desktop with only one wired NIC and no router or switch, PCI-E quad-port NICs are cheap. Because your hardware likely exceeds the recommended system requirements, you likely can handle millions of simultaneous connections and never be forced to reboot your rig.

There was a point a time when T-Mobile let you walk into any
T-Mobile store, risk-free, and they would let you try their network out (with unlimited data, calls, and texts) with an iPhone 5s for 7 days. Back then, I was already a T-Mobile customer and it was just a nice way for me to toy with an iPhone for a week. :)

Take a look:
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626015356/http://explore.t-mobile.com/test-drive-free-trial?icid=WMM_TM_RVR_STKIIK1HFV364

I wish they'd bring this back with maybe a cheap Android or another iPhone to test out their new coverage areas with Band 12.

I would tell you to just buy a sim on Amazon and run speedtests, but that doesn't work anymore, as Speedtest isn't whitelisted any longer.

The absolutely last way that you could get a "taste" of T-Mobile's native network was the free data for life with the tablet offer (you could always swap the sim into a phone to test once you activated it on an iPad or something), but they literally killed that like 10 days ago. :( It was a such a great way to do network testing with people unsure about T-Mobile service for all these years...sigh.

There's no "free" option anymore. Cheapest way now would probably find someone with an LTE tablet (hint: Apple Store :) and activate a sim https://www.amazon.com/T-Mobile-Micro-iPhone-Galaxy-Note/dp/B00HQ2DTCG and get a $5 day pass.
https://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-internet

Amazon has the Unlocked US Version A50 on pre-order for $349. It is released the 20th. If you pre-order you get a free Galaxy Fit with it. https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Unlocked-Smartphone-SM-A505UZKNXAA-Compatible/dp/B07XHDZ527/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=galaxy%2Ba50&qid=1568835753&rnid=2941120011&s=mobile&sr=1-6&th=1

Moto G with LTE if amazon doesn't charge sales tax in your state is $220 new or you can get a "Like New" for a little less, usually just buyers remorse open box type stuff. The phone came out just a few weeks ago so it won't be used very much and quality for amazon like new is usually good. Important to note no wifi calling for this phone as it's unlocked.
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Moto-Universal-Unlocked-Black/dp/B00K0NRZSW/

Samsung Galaxy Light $130 http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Light-T-Mobile-Brown/dp/B00H50DVPE/

http://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Folder-Needle-Wallet-Anytime/dp/B00HSOUQXM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1463812690&sr=8-4&keywords=sim+adapter I keep a set of these around. Super helpful the few times you need it.

But that's a portrait keyboard and they just aren't the same.

Landscape keyboards were the shit! Even the Samsung slider phone was dope.


Samsung Gravity T459 T-Mobile Cell Phone White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KZHEFI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_kj4PBb5CGTT1K

Another good option is the GoGroove FlexSMART X2. It has the advantage of doubling as a hands free bluetooth adapter, but it's a bit over 2x the cost of the adapter /u/nk1 posted.

I've used those power wireline adapters too... they are a lot easier to set up than WiFi extenders, IMO.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008F537KC/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004D9V8C8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1GC5EKTNA0T00QW0Y2V5

With a USB to USBC adapter, any USB keyboard will work on a phone. Bluetooth ones probably work too! I'm typing this right now on my Pixel 3a using a desktop USB keyboard.

I bet something like this would work.

Yeah I figured. Turned out I found something to try - fingers crossed. https://www.amazon.com/ZTE-Altair-QWERTY-Keyboard-Phone/dp/B00B4HO91O

Funny thing about that: When hurricane Sandy hit, I tuned in to the local FM radio station (which I usually don't listen to because it's a lot old guys waxing ignorant about politics, and repetitive music).

The first thing I heard when I switched on the radio? "Well, if you're tuning in to us to find out what's going on... we don't know either. Our internet is down, our cable TV is down, and our phones are down. And that's all of the ways we get our information."

So, it was pretty useless.

Also, a cheap battery powered AM/FM radio or even a crank-powered model, is going to be a lot more efficient and reliable in an emergency than a smartphone sucking down battery searching for a cell signal, that also happens to have an FM receiver in it.

Ah, they must have raised it to $15 then. TMobile like to pretend it doesn't have any activation fees, and while they are cheaper than others they just have an activation fee in the form of paying for your sim card.

I believe that sim cards are very, very carrier specific. You have to buy an actual TMobile sim card, so you basically have to buy it from TMobile.

As someone said you can apparently cut your card, but I'd just buy a new one. I actually bought a nano sim, then bought a sim adapter kit on amazon -
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CF5ETH8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So I could move around my sim card without needing to buy a new one. Doesn't help much on the cheap front right now though.

Is this router basically the RT-AC66U?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008ABOJKS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479453053&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=rt-ac66u&dpPl=1&dpID=41KWJcCkZcL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BT50ZEG/ref=sxts_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496192944&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65

http://www.amazon.com/LG-Optimus-Logic-White-Net10/dp/B009YL1IOS/ref=sr_1_8?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1411090714&sr=1-8&keywords=NET10

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Centura-Android-Prepaid/dp/B00C442VNO/ref=sr_1_9?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1411090714&sr=1-9&keywords=NET10

CHEAPEST
http://www.amazon.com/LG-Optimus-No-Contract-Touchscreen-Prepaid/dp/B006EXT5TO/ref=sr_1_12?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1411090714&sr=1-12&keywords=NET10

In fact, that is exactly the setup I'm using. It has been fantastic for the ~3 months I've been using it.

For my in-home setup:

1x Proxicast antenna

2x AX400 cables (25’ - you may need longer, but buy as short as you can for your setup)

2x N female to SMA male adapters

2x SMA female to TS9 adapters

You'll also need some sort of mounting for the antenna, but that will depend entirely on what you have to mount it on where you install it.

Before the antenna, I was getting maybe 3Mbit down and 0.4 up with latency 350ms to 600ms, and with the antenna I am consistently hitting 25Mbps down and 15 up with around 40ms to 80ms latency. I've seen peaks of up to 45Mbit down.

Of course your setup will depend on your proximity to the tower... and what bands it offers and the congestion. I'm very rural, so the tower I'm on most of the time has low congestion with decent speed.

You can find this phone unlocked for $435 on Amazon right now, no shenanigans required.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HIW5WW4/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_ZzlVtb0D58692

The difficulty is that it must be a Verizon phone to work on their Network. However i believe the Casio gzone 2 provides what you need..

https://www.amazon.com/Casio-GzOne-Ravine-Verizon-Rugged/dp/B00KSQ88U0/

Could potentially get it cheaper on eBay idk. Mind you it doesnt come with any gsm 3g bands only 2g. You'll also want to confirm the band correspond to those in Canada.


Edit: Nevermind it's locked to Verizon international plans only

The Ravine 2 is a true world phone this time around, with both dual-band EV-DO Rev. A (850/1900 MHz) and quad-band EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) compatibility. There's no Wi-Fi. Its SIM card slot is locked to Verizon's own international calling plan.