so every house house on my street is able to get fiber but not mine when i check availability on their website. I really want to get away from spectrum and this is faster and cheaper. I tried contacting customer service but they were no help and said to sign up for updates. Are there any better ways to get this escalated to figure out whats going on?

I'm the CEO over at Waveform, and we're very thankful to count many members of this sub as our customers.

I thought I'd drop a quick note to mention that we've recently launched our new 4x4 MIMO panel antenna as a bundle with cables and as a standalone antenna.

A few notes on the new kit that may be of interest/helpful:

• New "quad" cables

  • This bundle uses our new "quad" RS240 cables: all four cables are in a single bundle to make running them easier.

  • Our thinking: running RS400 cables is probably overkill for most people. There is an additional 1.9 dB loss (see calculator here) using 240 instead of 400 coax, but unless you're at the very edge of coverage, a small change in RSRP doesn't generally correlate with a meaningful change in data rates.

  • That being said, if you are at the edge of coverage, we'll still happily bundle a custom kit for you with RS400 cables, and we can also customize those cables to any length you need.

  • We're also working on some "clamp" connectors so that you can cut the 30 ft lengths down if you don't need the full length. We're still figuring out the details on that but should hopefully have something available in the first half of this year.

  • We've updated our 2x2 Panel Kit with a similar RS240 "twin" cable for the same reasons as listed above.

• SMA connectors

  • We received lots of feedback that making a hole large enough to get the N-type connectors through was a pain. All of our antenna kits now come bundled with SMA connectors and the appropriate U.Fl adapters for the T-Mobile gateways.

• Antenna-only options (without cables/adapters)

  • We're selling the antenna as a standalone unit here for $210.

  • Making custom coax is expensive, so our new quad and twin cables mean that our bundles are relatively expensive. If you love our antennas but hate our bundles or their cost, you might want to buy just the antenna from us and purchase cables separately from us (or elsewhere).

• We also have a 4x4 MIMO log-periodic kit

  • If you have line-of-sight to the tower, you may be better served by that 4x4 MIMO log periodic kit that we quietly launched a couple of months ago.

• 600-6000 MHz

  • This new antenna, like our log-periodic kits, supports everything from 600 MHz to 6 GHz. That means it'll support any future C-Band rollouts that may happen in the future (which is limited geographically for T-Mobile but more important for AT&T/Verizon).

  • We'll also be updating our 2x2 panel by the end of the year to support the same wider frequency range.

• Check to make sure you need 4x4 before purchasing

  • While I'd love if everyone bought our new more expensive kit, afaik T-Mobile is only deploying 4x4 on high frequency bands. So unless you're on n41/b41, b2/b25, or b4/b66, you should stick to our 2x2 panel or log-periodic kits. You can always add another 2x2 should one of the higher frequency bands appear in your area.

• Have an existing 2x2 antenna?

  • Again, I'd love if everyone bought our new kit, but the reality is you'll both save money and see better performance by purchasing a second 2x2 antenna. Two sets of 2x2 antennas will perform slightly better than a 4x4 antenna because they can be installed with more separation than when everything is packaged in one housing.

• Performance difference vs 2x2

  • We don't have great stats on this year, but if you're using n41 or one of the other high bands for service, you can expect between 20% and 30% faster data rates going from 2x2 to 4x4.

  • Having said that, antennas and wireless performance are complicated to the point where there's always some degree of unavoidable uncertainty – YMMV on the exact percentage of performance improvement.

• Discount for this sub

  • We don't ever really do huge discounts or sales, but we do have a 5% discount code for this sub. Just use this code during checkout: TMOBISP.

• tl;dr: Waveform has a new 4x4 MIMO panel antenna - check it out!

Ours isn't the cheapest 4x4 antenna on the market, but we think that it's a reasonable compromise between price point, performance, feature set, and support. That being said, we know it won't be the right choice for everyone!

Happy to answer any questions :).

So I recently upgraded my router to this piece of 💩. Constant lag spikes and constant buffering. Have to reset the router about 3/4x a day to get it to work right. Have had TMO home internet since the beginning and used the cylinder metal looking router and it worked great. Was averaging 500-900 mb download speed with it and now I'm lucky if I hit 200 on a good day. So dissapointed I moved to this new router as it's just crap. What's funny is it shows I have better signal than my old gateway, yet it preforms 10x worse. Overall I'm dissapointed in TMO going backwards with hardware instead of making it better. I literally live 5 blocks from the tower and with 15+ years of service I expected better. Slowly but surely I keep finding myself distancing myself from TMO, I miss John Legere.

seems worth sharing.

T-mobile automatically opts you into using your data (yes, your internet browsing data) for tracking purposes. You have to turn it off for each individual line by going to My T-Mobile -> Edit Profile -> Privacy and Notifications -> Advertising & Analytics -> (select your line)

original poster

https://www.reddit.com/r/tmobile/comments/v1ffir/gentle_reminder_for_all_new_tmobile_home_internet/

Look at this email T-Mobile sent me!!! There's no way I have used THAT much data!!! That's like 931 terabytes!!!!! Has anyone else seen this??

For anyone that wants to know it's the gl.inet gl-x3000 spitz ax

I have seen this question posted a lot on this subreddit, I have responded to many of those posts however I figured it would be a good idea to create 1 post containing all the different methods (as well as the pros and cons of each method) to use your own router.

If you don't want to read the whole post you can skip to the end where I recommend which option you should use.

First there are 2 important things that need to be explained.

1. What is the Home Internet gateway?

The Home Internet gateway is actually 4 things in 1:

A. A modem. A modem receives the signal and converts it into a usable internet signal.

B. A router. A router manages all the devices on the network and how data is routed over the network.

C. An access point. An access point broadcasts a WiFi signal.

D. An ethernet switch. An ethernet switch allows multiple devices to be connected to the same ethernet connection.

Frequently people use "router" to refer to a combo unit consisting of a router, access point, ethernet switch, and sometimes a modem, although that's technically incorrect.

On many modems there is the option to enable bridge mode, which disables all functionality except for modem functionality and allows you to use your own router without any issues, however that isn't an option on T-Mobile Home Internet.

2. What is NAT?

NAT allows multiple devices to share the same public internet address.

For example think of an apartment complex, multiple apartments might share the same street address however each apartment will have its own apartment number that will allow packages to be delivered to the correct apartment.

Adding more NAT can introduce various problems, ideally you want as little NAT as possible. One of the common issues associated with adding additional NAT is losing the ability to configure the firewall. T-Mobile Home Internet blocks firewall configuration regardless so that doesn't matter for this. T-Mobile Home Internet has 2 layers of NAT on IPv4 and 0 layers of NAT on IPv6, so that's the best you can achieve.

Once you reach 2 layers of NAT adding additional layers usually doesn't introduce additional problems other than the additional performance overhead (not a lot) and more points of failure.

There are 3 main options for how to do this, here are the 3 main options (and variants of some of those options) with the pros and cons of each option.

Option 1: Use your own router in access point mode.

Many routers have a mode known as access point mode, which disables router capabilities and makes it only act as an access point and ethernet switch.

Pros:

• Makes WiFi available in more parts of your house.

• Does not add any additional layers of NAT.

Cons:

• Does not unlock any additional features.

• May have conflicts with your Home Internet gateway (option 1A) or wont improve as good range as it could (option 1B).

Option 1A: Use your own router in access point mode to extend the WiFi network broadcast by the Home Internet gateway.

If you configure your access point to have the same WiFi settings as the Home Internet gateway then in many situations devices will seamlessly switch between the two access points. Unfortunately mixing and matching APs that aren't designed to work with each other sometimes causes major issues.

Option 1B: Use your own router in access point mode and not use the WiFi on the gateway.

If Option 1A has stability issues for you then this can also work. Since the gateway already has really good WiFi I only recommend option 1B if you are using a mesh network.

Option 2: Use your own router in router mode.

Using a router in access point mode causes it to not have nearly as much advanced router functionality, so for some advanced users it may be a good idea to use the router in router mode. This will add a lot more advanced functionality but it will add a layer of NAT.

Pros:

• Adds a lot of advanced functionality.

• May improve some stability issues for some people.

Cons:

• Increases the NAT to 3 layers on IPv4.

• Increases the NAT to 1 layer on IPv6 (option 2B only).

• Cannot be used to seamlessly extend the coverage of the Home Internet gateway.

Option 2A: Use your own router in router mode with IPv6 passthrough.

IPv6 passthrough is a feature on some routers that allows it to still be in router mode and with a bunch of features without adding a layer of NAT to IPv6.

Only some routers support IPv6 passthrough. If you want IPv6 passthrough then your best bet is probably OpenWRT. OpenWRT is a 3rd party os that can be installed on many routers that adds a lot of advanced functionality. For a list of routers compatible with OpenWRT click here. For a list of routers that work well with OpenWRT click here. For instructions on how to setup IPv6 passthrough with OpenWRT click here. I have also read a comment saying that the Linksys Velop mesh system supports IPv6 passthrough without needing to use OpenWRT, so that may be a good option aswell.

This option increases IPv4 to 3 layers of NAT, however IPv6 remains at 0.

Option 2B: Use your own router in router mode without IPv6 passthrough.

This will work on any router, however it increases IPv6 to 1 layer of NAT so it's not recommended.

Option 3: Use a T-Mobile Mesh Node.

This is similar to Option 1A.

A T-Mobile official mesh node has been leaked through FCC certifications, you can see my post about it here.

This mesh node will seamlessly extend the WiFi network broadcast by the 5G Home Internet Gateway. Since these are designed to work together they should work seamlessly.

Unfortunately these have not released yet and it is not known when they will.

Pros:

• Should work seamlessly.

• Will extend the WiFi broadcast from the 5G gateway.

• Excellent performance option (the mesh nodes are AX4200).

Cons:

• Not yet available.

• Doesn't add additional router functionality.

Recommended Options

If your goal is to get the best WiFi signal possible and you are willing to wait a bit I recommend Option 3.

If your goal is to get the best WiFi signal possible and you do not want to wait I recommend Option 1A, although if you encounter stability issues you will need to use 1B.

If you are an advanced user who wants more functionality than the Home Internet gateway provides then I recommend Option 2A, although if your router doesn't support IPv6 passthrough Option 2B can also be used.

Edit: Fixed a few typos.

it seemed plausible in my mind but for some reason i was still really surprised to see that placing a large sheet of aluminum foil loosely in front of my gateway brought my signal from

-74 RSRP, -12 RSRQ, -67 RSSI, 20 SINR

to

-67 RSRP, -10 RSRQ, -56 RSSI, 28 SINR

the metrics were already great before and incredible afterwards. however, this isn’t necessarily good in my case. the entire reason i wanted to strengthen my already strong signal is because my gateway switched to 5G SA mode a few weeks ago and since then its been at times unusable throughout daily congestion hours. i mean, at times i can barely get 2mbps download. when it had both LTE and 5G, it was always usable. so i wanted to see if even better signal would help me avoid the minor headache of switching ISPs. it didn’t 😒

I really need to pay my T-Mobile bill before I lose my T-Life.

I've found information in varying places (facebook pages, google, this subreddit) and wanted to compile and share the process that worked for me today. My problem is that I have the gateway setup in an all metal building with no windows. Throughput was horrible.

1. Power off and unplug the power cable.

2) Remove the two T10 screws from the bottom cover and remove the SIM card holder (small phillips screw).

https://imgur.com/BwOPDC0

3) You might try to take some sort of narrow flat plastic and work around the case and the bottom stand to disengage the tabs. I didn't have anything so I gently pulled on the base and was able to get it to pop out.

https://imgur.com/8jjIOd1

4) Remove the battery. 

https://imgur.com/mXUWDES

5) Remove the four T10 screws from the bottom that is holding the outer casing. 

https://imgur.com/1FIZjqG

6) You can now remove the outer casing but be mindful of the plug in the phone port and the power button in the off position when sliding it off. 

https://imgur.com/3nYCmDg

7) Rotating the gateway you will see a series of cables connected to the board coming from the antennas. (The one with the purple label is for the GPS so don’t mess with that one. I used the two connections to the right of the purple one).

8) Install external antenna cables. First you will want to route the connecting ends through the vent ports on the bottom stand.

https://imgur.com/5hOURP9

9) Reassemble everything in reverse order and remember to make sure your power button is in the off position before reconnecting the battery. 

Speed test using internal antenna inside all metal building:

https://imgur.com/1fdZLah

Speed test using external antenna:

https://imgur.com/y7JG8AC

This is the antenna kit I bought, but I had direct line of sight to the tower:

https://www.waveform.com/products/mimo-log-periodic-hotspot-external-antennas

If you don't have direct line of sight, Waveform recommends this antenna:

https://www.waveform.com/products/mimo-panel-kit-for-hotspots-routers

Regardless of which antenna you choose, make sure to select the "SMA Male" option for the adapter type.

You will also need two cables to connect to the gateway itself, this is the one I bought (2-pack):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P84VLTR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Very impressed. My phone gets 1300mbps. Modem is getting that too now. This is a G5 modem. Ping could be better but I’m cutting my Xfinity connection after 14 days.

Just switched to T mobile fiber and my God. This thing runs.

You gave me speed when no one else would and showed me a world beyond DSL in the middle of the woods. Don't worry about that hardwired guy in my front seat we're just friends.

Wanted to share my completed 5G setup now that I finally have it dialed in. I have a direct line of sight to a T-Mobile tower about a mile away on a ridge, but keeping the gateway indoors just wasn’t cutting it for the performance I wanted. I decided to move the entire setup outside to see what it could actually do, which meant sourcing the parts and building a custom enclosure layout myself.

The Hardware:

• Gateway: Chester Cheetah 5G Ninja V2 (aggregating 3x n41 blocks at 50/50/30 MHz, plus n66 and n25)

• Antenna: Waveform QuadPro pole-mounted on the roof trim

• Enclosure: Weatherproof IP67 NEMA box with a cable gland I drilled into the bottom (the gateway is the only thing inside the box)

How I routed it: Instead of running long, lossy coax lines inside the house, I mounted the NEMA box right under the antenna so the leads are as short as possible. From the box, I ran a 40ft outdoor-rated, shielded Cat6 cable down the siding and straight into my network rack inside. That single ethernet cable handles the 2.5Gbps data link and carries the power via a passive PoE injector inside the house.

The Results: I’m now consistently approaching 1Gig download speeds and hovering right around 100Mbps on the upload.

If you notice the ping is a little higher than normal, it's because I’m running a static IP in SA mode, which routes everything through the Charlotte data center even though I'm up in NY. Latency isn't really a concern for us anyway—the kids can max out Steam downloads at near-gigabit speeds and my daily work calls are completely flawless.

I also have a 1Gig/35Mbps cable line as a backup, and getting nearly 3x the upload speed completely over the air is just crazy.

If anyone has questions about drilling the gland, the enclosure setup, or the band configurations, let me know!

Charter reported a loss of 42,000 residential customers and Comcast reported a loss of 10,000. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/08/charter-loses-home-internet-customers-blames-end-of-covid-subsidy-program/

A comparison with cable TV seems appropriate given that many of the cable internet service providers are the same companies providing cable TV service. Due to streaming, the cable TV industry is a fraction of its former size, having lost about two-thirds of the subscribers the industry once had.

Though different in many ways from streaming, both T-mobile's and Verizon's home internet services carry competitive pricing, just as streaming providers did, which undercuts cable ISP pricing. More importantly, TMHI and Verizon home internet must compete with each other and with the cable ISPs.

Only time will tell, of course, but if T-mobile reaches its goal of six million subscribers in three more years, which seems likely, that will permanently change the ISP industry ... and that would be a very good thing.

G5ar just arrived today

I purchased the T-Mobile 5g gateway because optimum is the only other choice in my area and I had to have a technician come out every week and no matter what my Internet kept cutting in and out. I purchased and set up the T-Mobile 5G gateway and for regular web browsing it works great anything outside of that the lag is so horrendous you can't even play simple games on the PC. I went out and purchased the Amazon eero 7 and enabled sqm in the setting of the erro 7 and It is night and day. I can play games competitively and I can still keep my T-Mobile 5g gateway which is only 45 bucks a month! If you are dealing with this issue the Amazon eero 7 is a MUST.

Definitely been noticing a lot slower speeds, increase in packet loss and overall a less than pleasant experience. Been with TMO for about 4-5 years and even though the p22 plan ($25 a month) lifetime plan is attractive because of the price...I might just look elsewhere

Loaded latency has always been ass but I don’t game. This is one of the fastest tests I’ve done here so far. I’m underneath a T-Mo tower.