Testing a new service - best way?

[dboydboy]

I'm currently on Sprint with a couple months left in my contract. Thinking about switching since my Sprint service sucks.

I got a temporary TMobile phone off ebay and activated it on the $30 Walmart plan to test for a month before deciding what to stay with.

So, I currently have in my hands a Sprint Evo 4G (but there's basically no 4G around me unless I'm on the highway - it's useless indoors) and a Samsung Dart on TMo prepaid (what a crappy little phone - I'm too spoiled by my Evo!)

I've been using OpenSignalMap app to test them out. It's got signal meters and a speed test built in. It seems like the Evo is getting stronger signals in general, usually about 5-10 dBm better than the Dart. However, TMo's speeds win hands down. I generally get around 2000k down on Tmo and 350k down on my Evo with the phones side by side.

I'm honestly not that concerned with voice - I need decent data connectivity INDOORS. Is there anything better I can do to test out and see if TMo will serve me better than what I'm doing?

The Dart is a quad-band EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and dual-band HSDPA 7.2 (1700/2100 MHz) device. If I stay w/ TMo, I'd probably get a Nexus, or maybe a SGIII or OneX. Would they make much difference in my data coverage? The PC World review of the dart seems to indicate that it's sucky at reception. Obviously, a newer phone would have better than HSPDA 7.2, but raw speed isn't that important. I just need to be able to pull up a web page here and there, but do it reliably.

[luther349]

well if you stick with t mobile and you hit the data cap rember to turn off 3g when you do. there 3g throttle is far slower then just using edge.

[JDubTrey]

This is slightly off topic (I don't have any knowledge of good data test methods other than what you're already doing).....

I too am trying to choose between Virgin, Sprint and TMo prepaid. How will you squeeze your Simply Everything/Data habits into the TMo 100 minute plan? VOIP? I'd love to use a TMo $30 plan but 100 minutes just isn't enough. I'm also looking at the $45 Family Mobile level (even though it is only 250MB of 3g).

[cmstlist]

Well one thing you can count on is that Sprint's WiMAX is not going to get any better. What you get today is the best you'll get, because they're focusing on LTE going forward. Whereas T-Mobile is still continuing to build out HSPA and also refarming PCS spectrum for more HSPA (which will be helpful on any of the newer T-Mo devices and the Galaxy Nexus).

My own experiences with T-Mobile indoors are a mixed bag. There are some places where you will get zero bars indoors and maybe drop down to EDGE. There are other places where you'll get a good signal indoors. Neither T-Mo nor Sprint own any of the lower-frequency spectrum that provides better indoor coverage, and T-Mo does not seem to be too concerned with filling the indoor dead zones. In another thread it was speculated that when an HSPA tower is reaching capacity it reduces power a bit so it'll cover a smaller footprint while another tower takes up the slack. But the problem is, indoors you may only be within reach of one tower, and if that tower shrinks its footprint you're boned. So then it drops down to the EDGE network which does not have these capacity problems, and you get full signal.

Honestly if your top criterion is indoor connectivity, you need to look at who owns the low-frequency spectrum in your area - and typically this will be AT&T and/or Verizon.

[Mr. D.]

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Honestly if your top criterion is indoor connectivity, you need to look at who owns the low-frequency spectrum in your area - and typically this will be AT&T and/or Verizon.

Depends on how close the "indoors" one frequents are to the towers. Inside my offices at two different locations, and at my home, T-Mo has stronger (or equal) signal than VZW or ATT. Plus the T-Mo smartphones and a few other have wifi calling that can be used in low signal buildings.

[PL1]

This is slightly off topic (I don't have any knowledge of good data test methods other than what you're already doing).....

I too am trying to choose between Virgin, Sprint and TMo prepaid. How will you squeeze your Simply Everything/Data habits into the TMo 100 minute plan? VOIP? I'd love to use a TMo $30 plan but 100 minutes just isn't enough. I'm also looking at the $45 Family Mobile level (even though it is only 250MB of 3g).

If 100 min is not enough, it's only .10 per minute after that, the same as PAYG. Text and data would still be within the $30/mo.

[luther349]

or you can indeed use goggle voice and groove ip for viop and only use the cell minutes when your really traveling.i was gonna go with that plain myself because t mobile does have better coverage. but as always walmart fails to carry the phone i want. but that's how i use my boost phone. during the week when im at home its a voip phone then when i work on the weekend i use the 2$ a day plain.