Home Internet Choices For Seasonal Users

[Jim1348]

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law each have homes in Laughlin Nevada and winter there. Each may be in the market for a home internet plan that is reasonably priced and easy to cancel for a few months.

I did some quick research and the two that I found most quickly are:


T-Mobile Home Internet for Metro

https://www.metrobyt-mobile.com/home...net-plans.html


Straight Talk Home Internet Plan

https://www.straighttalk.com/5g-lte-home-internet


It looks like the device is $99 or $99.99 for either plan.

The monthly fee is $45 for Straight Talk and $50 per month for Metro by T-Mobile.

Assuming that service was available for both services in a given area, can anybody here recommend one over the other?

It looks like Straight Talk speeds may be capped at 100 Mbps upload speed.

It looks lie Metro by T-Mobile speeds may be capped at 115 Mbps upload speed.

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are current postpaid T-Mobile customers, but I am not sure that makes a different in this case.

[robbyrobby]

the Metro product is only available if added to a Metro by T-Mobile account with voice service, same pricing but with a free 'rented' modem is available from postpaid mobile side and would probably make more sense since they already have t-mobile service. straighttalk can be stand alone and may actually be the best option especially for intermittent service.

i would see how each network performs at the location it will be used at as well.

[robbyrobby]

many places also have prepaid cable internet available that has reasonable pricing and can be cancelled and re-activated as needed at prices competitive to the 5G offerings you mentioned.

Laughlin, NV seems to be covered by Optimum which google search indicates does have a prepaid product. just something else to consider.

[sillyette]

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law each have homes in Laughlin Nevada and winter there. ....
Straight Talk Home Internet Plan
https://www.straighttalk.com/5g-lte-home-internet

I entered the address for the Laughlin library on the website. Looks like ST internet isn't available in Laughlin? Screenshot below.

[zapjb]

Should be interesting.

[Jim1348]

Thank you for the replies. We still have some time on this, too. I am also wondering if an AT&T MVNO might offer something, too. Say, Cricket Home Internet, but who knows.

[rpz1]

Unless you're in a larger metro area good luck getting any networks Home Internet. ATT has it too but none of the networks have it in most areas. Especially ST since they're on Verizon and Verizon is only interested in providing service to larger metro areas. It's about having enough capacity for super large data use. Generally only ultrawide 5G has that ability.

[october262]

I entered the address for the Laughlin library on the website. Looks like ST internet isn't available in Laughlin? Screenshot below.

try it with this library address -

14 W 10th St, Kansas City, MO 64105
it says service is currently available
for your address

[Orlimar1]

Do they know anyone in Vegas? Maybe they could use their address to order the $20 per month Project Genesis hotspot? I ordered one on my brothers address in Indy and I live in rural southern Illinois.

[kaZZoo]

Why not go thru T Mobile home.

[rpz1]

Do they know anyone in Vegas? Maybe they could use their address to order the $20 per month Project Genesis hotspot? I ordered one on my brothers address in Indy and I live in rural southern Illinois.

Mobile hot spots are different. With the Fixed Wireless Home Internet being touted it can only be used at the address you give where it's available.
You can't order it using the address in an area that allows it, then use it at another location unless the tower it pings off is the same.

[thu1227]

StraightTalk just announced their service a few days ago, so maybe check availability a bit later. Like Verizon's home service, could be they sometimes don't allow it where Fios is also available.

You don't mention the amount of data per month required, but if you can keep it to 50-100GB or so by limiting video streaming, have a look at the data plans (not the home internet plans) from Verizon Prepaid, T-Mobile Prepaid, Metro, Cricket, and ATT Prepaid. You'll probably need to buy a hotspot device. These mobile data plans aren't tied to a specific address.

I know T-Mobile Prepaid lets you pause your account for up to a year. The others ... check their Terms on their web sites. If you have to get a new SIM and reactivate (usually free) so be it with the others.

Your speeds in the first post are probably download speeds, not upload. While you might get 300+ Mbps download from the likes of T-Mobile Prepaid 5G, which I have, uploads will probably be on the order of 10 Mbps.

[zapjb]

I read at ST site this can be used anywhere. I can't find it or else I'd link it. I believe though it has to be activated at the registered address.

[robbyrobby]

another option that might be worth considering a phone with a Visible SIM in it, Visible has unlimited hotspot. this is likely the least expensive monthly option.

[jet1000]

another option that might be worth considering a phone with a Visible SIM in it, Visible has unlimited hotspot. this is likely the least expensive monthly option.

I'd be concerned that visible caps their hotspot speed at 5Mbps. That might not be fast enough for home internet use.