Cheap $20 a month Stand Alone Unlimited Rural Internet through AT&T Wireless

[Xfaxman]

I took my Mobley and laptop to my Mother's house to show her something on the internet. AT&T just turned on a new tower about 1-1/2 miles from her house. Before they did this your phone might ring in her house if you were standing in a certain spot on one foot with your left index finger touching your nose. You had to go outside to have a conversation. Now I can plug in my Mobley and surf away at some amazing speeds considering being out in the sticks. Who would have ever thunk it

Did you check the signal strength?

When I first got mine I used the AT&T Wi-Fi Manager (192.168.1.1) to move the mobley around the window frame looking for the strongest signal. Three bars was the best I could get in this rural location. Sometimes the speed wasn't good.

Then I used a speed test site looking for the fastest speed while moving the mobley around the window frame. Moving it just a quarter of an inch can drasticaly effect the speed.

The fastest speed was with one bar, this was at -116 dBm:

 

[cqaigy2]

Did you check the signal strength?

When I first got mine I used the AT&T Wi-Fi Manager (192.168.1.1) to move the mobley around the window frame looking for the strongest signal. Three bars was the best I could get in this rural location. Sometimes the speed wasn't good.

Then I used a speed test site looking for the fastest speed while moving the mobley around the window frame. Moving it just a quarter of an inch can drasticaly effect the speed.

The fastest speed was with one bar, this was at -116 dBm:

View attachment 532183

I'd be tickled to get that. :thumbsup:

 

[Soundguy]

We have been enjoying our hotspot till this pay cycle. They throttled it back to barely 4g. I called and asked why. She said we exceeded 22gb. I told her it was only supposed to be throttle back in congested networks and we aren稚 in one. She pulled a screen shot showing as such and sent it to the escalation team. They never called and the new cycle started today. So much for unlimited fast internet. If it happens again I値l call with a different tone. We have exceeded 22gb every month we have had it and no issues till now.

Brett

that's how these things begin... the noose tightens slowly..

 

[TractorGuy]

We have been enjoying our hotspot till this pay cycle. They throttled it back to barely 4g. I called and asked why. She said we exceeded 22gb. I told her it was only supposed to be throttle back in congested networks and we aren’t in one. She pulled a screen shot showing as such and sent it to the escalation team. They never called and the new cycle started today. So much for unlimited fast internet. If it happens again I’ll call with a different tone. We have exceeded 22gb every month we have had it and no issues till now.

Brett

What do you mean by throttled back to barely 4g?

Mine hasn't been throttled and they haven't turned the stream saver back on. I definitely exceed the 22 gb every month. At 66 now and sometimes go over a 100.

 

[BigBlue1]

What do you mean by throttled back to barely 4g?

Mine hasn't been throttled and they haven't turned the stream saver back on. I definitely exceed the 22 gb every month. At 66 now and sometimes go over a 100.

That is an interesting catch. What AT&T says is that they will throttle to 2G speeds (128kbs) if/when they throttle you for overuse and while on congested towers. Obviously AT&T is playing fast and loose with this topic and isn't following any specific ruleset. But I would expect if they did apply a throttle (or deprioritize) it would be harsher than 4G speeds.

Rob

 

[kf4uda]

Did you check the signal strength?

When I first got mine I used the AT&T Wi-Fi Manager (192.168.1.1) to move the mobley around the window frame looking for the strongest signal. Three bars was the best I could get in this rural location. Sometimes the speed wasn't good.

Then I used a speed test site looking for the fastest speed while moving the mobley around the window frame. Moving it just a quarter of an inch can drasticaly effect the speed.

The fastest speed was with one bar, this was at -116 dBm:

View attachment 532183

Checked it again just now at the same location. My signal strength is -103 dBm.

 

[BigBlue1]

Dredging this thread up again to see whether the plan is still available from ATT or totally gone? Also, anybody have reports of slow-downs? Mine is still working happily for me at full speed all the time, even when I'm much above the 'max' data.

Rob

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Over 45gig with 11 days to go, no slowdown.

Plan is gone, checked yesterday. Mobleys were in stock.

 

[fordmantpw]

Yes, it is still available, but it is $25 and doesn't appear to be unlimited anymore. It is a 5 GB plan, but says "$0.00 for additional GB over 5 GB".

Who knows, and I'm sure AT&T won't if you call them.

 

[TractorGuy]

Have had a couple of speed hiccups but nothing to indicate they were throttling. Haven't looked to see if the plan came back but I assume it's gone for new customers. Still getting billed $22 here and very happy. Hope it holds out for us.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Yes, it is still available, but it is $25 and doesn't appear to be unlimited anymore. It is a 5 GB plan, but says "$0.00 for additional GB over 5 GB".

Who knows, and I'm sure AT&T won't if you call them.

Which means its NOT available.




The unlimited connected car plan is NOT available. Mobleys are available, and they now have another audiovox ODB device available, similar to mobley.

The 22GB plan is now $60 month.

They have 2 connected car plans
1GB, 5GB with limits.

 

[Dutch445]

Have had a couple of speed hiccups but nothing to indicate they were throttling. Haven't looked to see if the plan came back but I assume it's gone for new customers. Still getting billed $22 here and very happy. Hope it holds out for us.

i have noticed a loss of speed at certain times, but i think it's just something to do with the weather, been super cold here for a few weeks,
even my old dsl line (contemplating disconnecting) has had some down time lately.

 

[Xfaxman]

-------------------
Also, anybody have reports of slow-downs? Mine is still working happily for me at full speed all the time, even when I'm much above the 'max' data.

Rob

No slowdowns here. We are over 9 miles from the tower and the strange thing is the fastest speeds happen with just 1 bar signal strength. If I move it around for max signal, the speed is always slower.

-116 is what it is getting now with max speed of 15 Mbps down if no "tower congestion".

Speed right now:

"tower congestion":

If the tower is real busy, upload will be faster than download.



Previous signal strength posts here: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...onth-stand-alone-post4756325.html#post4756325

 

[BigBlue1]

No slowdowns here. We are over 9 miles from the tower and the strange thing is the fastest speeds happen with just 1 bar signal strength. If I move it around for max signal, the speed is always slower.

-116 is what it is getting now with max speed of 15 Mbps down if no "tower congestion".

Speed right now:

View attachment 536435

"tower congestion":

View attachment 536436

How do you determine if there is 'tower congestion'?

 

[Xfaxman]

You replied while I was editing the post and adding the answer to your question before you asked it!

For me it starts after 8 am and upload will be faster than download. Early morning and late evening are the fastest.

Also if you rerun the speed test, speed will be higher because the congestion decreased.

 

[aeblank]

Re: Cheap $20 a month Stand Alone Unlimited Rural Internet through AT&T Wireless

Congestion and throttling could look and act identical. The only way to prove one over the other is having a non throttled device simultaneously run a speedtest.

Then again, I run two tests at the same time with to devices and never get the same speed, even connected to the same wifi.

 

[Xfaxman]

Best Speedtest: most accurate speed test - Google Search

 

[kcflhrc]

Speed tests are at best a crap shoot. Lots of variables, device, time of day, speed test used, and the list goes on an on. Once you leave the serving ISP all bets are off. And running a speed test over wifi is a joke, you need to be wired to the router to get an accurate test.

 

[newbury]

Speed tests are at best a crap shoot. Lots of variables, device, time of day, speed test used, and the list goes on an on. Once you leave the serving ISP all bets are off. And running a speed test over wifi is a joke, you need to be wired to the router to get an accurate test.

If I want an accurate test of my wifi/router internet speed I need to include all variables. And I no longer operate any "hardwired" computers.

 

[kcflhrc]

If I want an accurate test of my wifi/router internet speed I need to include all variables. And I no longer operate any "hardwired" computers.

But that's not an accurate test of your true internet speed by using wifi. That's all I'm saying. A wired test is a more reliable test.. When you include all variables? Not sure that's even possible.