Search results for "Verizon 5G Home Internet: The Good and the Bad"
| Results 1 - 50 of 73
|
Page 1 of 2
|
|
Sorted by: Relevance | Sort by: Date
|
Results per-page: 10 | 20 | 50 | All
|
[…]fiber or 5G wireless home Internet. In this article, I’ll talk about my experience with Verizon 5G Home Internet, a wireless solution for home Internet access. Note, this is NOT the same as Verizon FIOS, which is a fiber optic cable solution. I want to stress that THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST! I paid for Verizon’s 5G Home Internet service myself because I wanted to find a cheaper, more reliable alternative to cable Internet and share the experience with y’all! What Is Verizon 5G Home Internet? With Verizon 5G Home Internet, you get your Internet access through an Internet […]
I’ve compiled all of the questions I’ve received on my blog and YouTube channel about Verizon 5G Home Internet here in one handy place for you to reference! Is it reliable and fast? For most people, including myself, it is reliable and fast. I’m on a plan that maxes out at 300 Mbps and I typically see download speeds of 220 to 280 Mbps, and sometimes even over 300 Mbps! Regarding reliability, I do occasionally have my Internet access go down, maybe once a month. A power cycle of my gateway fixes this in a few minutes. What should I […]
Probably the most common problem I see on the various Verizon 5G Home Internet forums and social platforms is that the gateway cube will lose Internet connection, requiring a reboot to restore, or will reboot itself. For me, this happens a few times a month, max, so not a big deal. But for others, it happens once a week, once a day, or even every few hours, which is completely unacceptable! While I don’t have a magic fix for every situation, here are some tips that have helped folks with this problem. 1. Reposition Your Gateway This is easy to […]
If the built-in Wi-Fi router on your Verizon 5G Home Internet gateway is not reaching all of the devices in your home, you may need to use your own Wi-Fi router to get better range. In my case, the Verizon Gateway’s built-in Wi-Fi was sufficient for both floors of my condo, but it didn’t reach my outdoor Ring cameras. So, I found it necessary to plug in my trusty Netgear Wi-Fi router into my Verizon 5G Home Internet gateway. The Easy Way Technically, you could simply plug your router into one of your Gateway’s Ethernet ports. As long as the […]
You would think that displaying your 5G signal strength would be a necessary feature of any 5G home internet system. Unfortunately, the web portal for Verizon 5G Internet Gateway models that begin with ASK-NCQ1338 (see the bottom of your unit for your model number) with firmware version 222656 do not display signal strength. If you have an ASK unit with version 3.2.0.21 or later, this hack is not necessary. To see signal strength with that firmware, go to Advanced -> System -> System Status, the scroll down to Modem where you can see values for 4G LET Signal Strength and […]
[…]I believe we are at a point where prices will stabilize due to new technologies like fiber and 5G home Internet. If you live in or near a big city, I believe you shouldn’t be paying more than $50 per month for unlimited high-speed internet. If you’re paying more than that, keep reading for ways to save. 1. Check out 5G Home Internet It’s only available in a select list of major cities, but if you’re on cable Internet now, you might be able to increase your bandwidth and lower your costs. This service runs wirelessly from your closest 5G […]
[…]better service and lower prices! I’ve cut my monthly cable bill from $80 to $50 by switching to 5G Home Internet: Similarly, I was paying $55 per month for my cell phone service. At the time I thought it was a pretty good deal. Then, I found a carrier that got me more monthly data at the insanely low cost of $15/month! My Story I was a loyal cable TV customer for all of my adult life, paying about $34/month for basic cable (which sounds ludicrously cheap now). Then I moved to a different city where the cost was $52/month […]
[…]its content from your home Internet connection, not an antenna. You can use either one without the other. Q: I heard about a box that gives you all of the latest TV shows and movies for free. Is that for real? A: There are services that provide the latest movies and TV shows for free or some low cost, but if it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably illegal. For various reasons, I don’t recommend using those services. Q: How can I watch sports without cable or satellite TV? A: If you are in or near a major city, […]
[…]ENDC is a transitional technology that makes it possible for mobile devices to access both 5G and 4G LTE networks at the same time. To see 4G towers that have 5G transmitters, select “4G – NR” and close the menu item. Then go to “Filters” in the menu and check “Only Show 5G ENDC capable towers”: You should see a bunch of towers disappear; those are the ones that only have 4G on them. Now, not all of the cells on the remaining towers are 5G. To find which ones are 5G, click on the tower and look through the […]
[…]live far from TV transmitters. Or, you might be a sports fan who wants to see teams other than the home teams broadcast on your local stations. In these cases, you probably need cable or satellite. But, all is not lost. You can still negotiate to lower your monthly cable/satellite/Internet/phone bill, sometimes with no decrease in channels or services! 1. Cut the Extras (movie channels, DVR, etc.) First, scan your bill and look for any premium services that you don’t need like movie channels, DVR, and so forth. If you can live without these, cut ‘em. Are you paying to […]
[…]to have physical stores, try Metro by T-Mobile. Metro works with the latest unlocked iPhones and Android phones. Individual service starts at $30/month, pre-paid, for unlimited calling and texting and 2GB of data on the T-Mobile cell network. I moved my mom to Metro and it’s been great! She now pays $36/month (including $6 phone insurance) saving her over $40/month compared to Sprint! And, there was a special for new customers, so she saved $150 on the iPhone XR! She’s had the service for a year now and noticed no problems with reception or coverage. They even gave her a free case […]
[…]so close that ash fell from the sky. This year we had riots and looters blocks away from our home and then more fires. Then there was the pandemic of course. In all of those cases, we relied on free broadcast TV to get the latest local and national news in real-time. Live local TV coverage was key for keeping us immediately informed of the situation. How to Set Up Your Antenna So, as part of good disaster preparedness, I’d recommend first visiting the Station Finder to see if there are broadcast strong TV signals in your area. If there […]
[…]access (as well as cell phone service). I personally switched from cable Internet to Verizon 5G Home Internet, saving $30 per month! Interestingly, the phrase “Disable My Cable” fits in this context as well! For my mobile phone service, I switched to Mint Mobile, saving $40 per month! About Me I love tinkering with technology and sharing tips on how to spend less money on TV content, Internet access, and cellular plans! I have a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. I worked as an electrical engineer for over twenty years designing industrial […]
[…]your computer to it using a monitor cable and you’re ready to go! Unlike Apple TV, Roku, and other set-top boxes, a real computer will have access to completely free video on the Internet like Hulu (which is free, as opposed to Hulu Plus, which you have to pay for), the network websites, and more. So, recycle that old computer! Personally, I love doing this because the selection of free TV on the Internet is huge. Your DVD/Blue Ray Player In the age of instant video, it’s easy to forget about DVDs. Did you know that your public library probably […]
[…]was a great cell phone deal from T-Mobile, I’m now paying $15/month for unlimited talk and text and 5GB of data on the same T-Mobile network! That’s a savings of $480 per year! Is This For Real? In the old days, you’d get your cell phone plan from one of the Big Four: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, or T-Mobile. This is now the big Three since Sprint and T-Mobile have merged. Then came the MVNOs, or Mobile Virtual Network Operators. These carriers lease cell phone infrastructure from the Big Three or regional carriers like U.S. Cellular. In other words, they don’t […]
[…]that is possible in your dwelling. A rooftop or attic antenna will get you the best signal quality and the most channels. An outdoor or attic antenna will be better than an indoor antenna. Before doing any of this, I recommend buying a single antenna and trying it out at each TV location. Here are my recommended tools and supplies if you want to run your own cable: To Sum Up Which solution you choose depends on your situation. The simplest thing to do is to get a separate antenna for each TV. But, each TV may not get equally […]
[…]TV? The Apple TV box (as opposed to the streaming service) is a good device, but it’s expensive and the Roku can do most of the things that Apple TV can (i.e., mirror your iPhone screen to your TV, play iTunes content, etc.) So, I no longer recommend Apple TV. Get a Roku instead unless you are big Apple […]
[…]you want to watch these sites on your TV, you can do it using a Google Chromecast and a computer. The bad news is that more and more of these sites are starting to require you to sign in using a cable provider login. 3. YouTube Along with viewing broadcast TV using an antenna, I personally watch a lot of content on YouTube for free. Check out this article on how to find professional content on YouTube. You can watch YouTube on your TV using almost all of the set-top boxes and Chromecast (although searching on some of these devices is […]
[…]of service. When an illegal service gets shut down, they usually just stop answering the phone, and they delete all social media accounts, leaving subscribers with little recourse for reimbursement. 2. You Could Get Sued You might think that it’s not worth anyone’s time to sue a consumer who occasionally watches a movie for free instead of paying $5 or $10. Well, that may be true, but it’s also true that the studios are losing millions of dollars on illegal viewing and just might want to make an example of some people, no matter how small the infraction. I don’t […]
[…]the CBS.com website. Once I got there, I pressed the “Chromecast” icon in my Chrome browser, and the video appeared on my TV screen! I was watching “The Big Bang Theory” in no time! Picture quality was excellent, in full HD. Next, I tried YouTube with no problems. After that, I watched some Amazon Instant Videos I had purchased previously. It worked great! That is why I like Chromecast so much. It lets you watch almost anything that you can see in a computer’s browser window (but not a phone or tablet, more later). You don’t have to worry about whether there […]
[…]service called Vimeo that is similar to YouTube. You can also watch movie trailers for free and there is a Wall Street Week app with videos as well. Apple TV launched with just a handful of channels, but now they have almost four pages filled with apps for you to explore: If you want a selection of top movies and TV to watch, you’ll have to either subscribe to Netflix or purchase shows and movies from the iTunes store (top-release moves are around $4.99, compared to $3.99 on Amazon). If you don’t already have purchased movies on iTunes, then Amazon with Roku […]
[…]same location! UPDATE: Some months after writing this article, I re-tested the Tablo Dual Lite and the AirTV 2 tuners, and this time Tablo found more channels. It’s possible that Tablo’s firmware was updated to bring in more channels. Watching Live TV The Sling app offers some good free streaming content in addition to your broadcast TV channels. I found their free channels similar to Pluto TV’s. I was stoked to be able to watch The Walking Dead on one of these channels. The channel guide is what you would expect with each row being a different channel and the […]
[…]the recording format is proprietary. Among the many cheap tuner boxes with recording, I recommend the Homeworx DVR Digital Converter: Homeworx Pros Homeworx Cons PlayOn – Requires Subscription, Records Internet Video, Not Live TV This service (not a hardware box) lets you movies and shows from Internet streaming services, as opposed to broadcast TV. For example, say you want to record a TV episode from Hulu, or a movie from Netflix or Disney+. PlayOn lets you do this. Cost starts at $39.99 for 350 cloud recordings or unlimited recordings to your computer. You install the software on your computer and choose from channels […]
[…]down from the upper right corner. Once you see the Control Center, tap the Screen Mirroring button and then select your Apple TV. If you don’t see your Apple TV in the Control Center, try power cycling your Apple TV. If still nothing, check the troubleshooting guide at the end of this article. Note that you will might have to adjust the zoom setting of your TV if you want it to fill the whole screen. This sacrifices some resolution, but it’s not that bad at all on most sites I checked (much better than old SD-quality TV still). On my Sony […]
[…]looking for into the remote mic instead of having to select each letter with the remote control and the Roku will find out which streaming services it is on, i.e., Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc. Amazon Fire TV also has this feature. Note, the Roku Express and Premiere models do not have remotes with built-in voice search microphone. But, if you don’t have a model with voice search, you can use the Roku app on your phone to and speak your commands into the app instead of the remote. Roku gives search results without playing favorites to particular streaming services, while Amazon heavily emphasizes Amazon […]
[…]LA service. Watch NFL Games on the Mobile App For Free You can download the NFL App for iOS and Android, and watch live local and primetime games on your phone for free! For more information on watching the NFL on mobile devices, check this article: How to Watch NFL Games on Android. Watch the NFL, NCAA Basketball, and PGA Golf on Paramount Plus You can watch the NFL, NCAA Basketball, and other sports on CBS’s streaming service, Paramount Plus. Plans start at $4.99/month with limited commercials (as of this writing). Note that the sporting events on Paramount Plus are […]
[…]few minutes so I left to do something else and came back later. Next was the channel scan process, and then the channel guide download process. Again – these take a while. After that, I was up and running watching live TV! Overall, it was a very painless setup process, on iPhone, at least! Watching and Recording TV on iPhone/iPad I like the simplicity of the new Tablo app. It has three modes: Library, which shows your recorded shows, Home, which shows suggested shows, and Live, which shows the channel guide. The 14-day channel guide is simple and well-designed. I […]
[…]blown away at some of the features Samsung packed into it. Here are some surprising things (good and bad) that my Samsung (and many other manufacturers’ modern TVs) can do. 1. Get more broadcast TV channels (using your antenna) The first thing I did when I got my new TV set up was to see how many broadcast TV channels it could pick up compared to my old Sony when using my indoor antenna. To my surprise, it got more channels than my Sony, which previously had the best reception out of the tuners I had tested. After scanning four […]
[…]Tivo service account. This seemed like it would be pain, but luckily TiVo support answered quickly and they were able to get me set up. The TiVo iPhone App Next, I installed the TiVo app on my iPhone. When I tried to log in, I would get either a Sign In Error or a spinner that would go on forever.? Inexplicably, when I tried logging in the next day I was able to get in with no problem. Perhaps the phone needed rebooting? The channel guide on the app is very similar to the TV version. However, when you click […]
[…]app or Android app). That’s how Tablo (network-connected versions, not HDMI versions), AirTV 2, and the HDHomeRun DVRs work. You can watch broadcast TV from one antenna on all of your TVs! 2. Getting More Channels Due to Better Antenna Placement Using one of the DVRs I mentioned above also gives you a lot more flexibility on where you can put your antenna without having to run a lot of coax cable in your home. For example, you could stick your antenna in your attic and attach it to a Roku one foot away. Otherwise, you’d have to run a […]
[…]Subscriptions Many pay services offer free trials. I tried Hulu for a month and binged-watched “The Handmaid’s Tale”, which was amazing. There were also some good original movies like “Becoming Bond” and “City of Gold”. After I bought a new Mac laptop, I got Apple TV+ free for three months, so we enjoyed two seasons of Ted Lasso for free. If you have AT&T for your cell phone service, you get HBO Max for free. Some T-Mobile plans include Netflix for free. I also did this with YouTube Premium to watch the entire first season of “Cobra Kai”, which was […]
[…]you actually get will depend on your exact location, type of antenna, height of your antenna, and other factors. Press the button below and enter your zip code. Wait a few seconds, and it will show you how many potential free TV channels are available in your area. You should be able to get most of the green and yellow channels using a good indoor antenna. Click on the station’s call letters to see what direction the signal is coming from on the map to help you orient your antenna. THE RESULTS OF THE STATION FINDER ARE BASED ON THE FCC […]
[…]TV (Dish) is actually pretty cheap for the first year (about $40 per month, as of this writing), and then it goes up like crazy after the first year. But, you can get at least one year of cheaper TV, then cancel when the price goes up. By then, there may be other options. Consider a Cheap Flat Screen TV I know this whole article is about what to do if you have an old tube TV, but the cost of modern flat LCD/plasma TV’s are so low that you might want to consider it. You can get a 32″ […]
[…]Network-Connected Tablo was easy to set up. I plugged in power, an antenna, and a hard drive and then started the Wi-Fi setup process. I used an iPad to connect to Tablo’s Wi-Fi network, then entered my home Wi-Fi name and password (note I had to use my non-5GHz network). I also had to do two firmware updates, but that wasn’t difficult. After that, I let the Tablo scan for broadcast TV signals. I used a ten-year-old USB hard drive I had lying around, and Tablo worked just fine with it. So for me, the hard drive was virtually “free”. […]
[…]discovering free and cheap ways to watch TV is a good thing, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. In 2017, the average American spent almost four hours a day watching television! That’s a HUGE amount of time to spend staring at a TV screen! What could you accomplish with that time? When you look back on your life, will you wish you did something else with that time? Giving Up TV for Lent This year, Lent runs from Wednesday, March 2nd to Thursday, April 14th, 2022. That’s 40 days x 4 hours = 160 hours that […]
[…]get solid reception for all of the stations in my area at the same time. In one position, PBS and the upper channels would be good, but the lower ones would be flaky. In another position, the lower channels would be good, but the upper ones would be bad. If you’ve done your own antenna experiments, you know what I’m talking about. I was getting desperate, even considering an outdoor antenna, when I tried something crazy: putting the antenna on the inside of my front door. This gave a tremendous improvement in reception! My front door is further out than my […]
[…]just search for the name of the show. I love the old Discovery Channel “Wings” documentaries and there are tons of full episodes available on YouTube! There are many other military documentaries to choose from. Fan Commentary Whatever your interest, you’ll find someone with a YouTube channel willing to talk about it. For me, that’s Star Wars or Star Trek. Oh, and I’ve been into videos that talk about the Marvel Avengers lately. Stand Up Comedy YouTube is a great source of full-length free standup comedy concert shows. I mean, really good ones! These are full-length and professionally-produced, not bootlegs. […]
[…]at 1080p as well. When I’m viewing my TV from my couch, I can’t really notice the difference. And there’s still a lot of content out there that is not 4K. Definitely do not pay for an 8K TV at this point unless you really have money to burn. There’s not that much 8K content out there yet. While I spent a bit extra to get a higher-quality QLED display (about $700), I’m so glad I didn’t spend twice that or even $2000 for a “better” quality screen at the same size. It just isn’t worth it. 2. If you’re […]
[…]you can rewind and fast-forward live TV (within the limits of when you started watching that show and the current time). On the Recast, you can jump head in 30-second increments or back in 10-second increments using the directional buttons. If you use the FF and Rewind buttons, you can seek. You’ll see a small preview window that updates every second or so, along with a time counter showing the time stamp of where you’re seeking to. So, you won’t see the main image speed up or go in reverse when seeking, but the little preview window helps you figure […]
[…]own one of these “displays”, you can buy a TV tuner separately. Here’s my full review of the Homeworx Digital Converter Box, one that I recommend. The other bummer is that now you’ll have yet another remote control in your pile of remotes on your coffee table. That’s why having the tuner integrated into the TV is so much better. But if you want broadcast TV DVR capabilities and are willing to spend more money, then you can go with a Tablo. It has the tuner built-in, so no need for a separate tuner box. What If You Don’t Need a […]
[…]a lot better than plastic, so as long as there isn’t an air gap between the plastic case and the foil, I don’t think heat will be a problem (the foil might even act as a heatsink of sorts). But, it’s another thing to keep an eye out for. 2. Use a Long Male-to-Female HDMI Extender Cable A less “hacky” solution is to get a long HDMI extender cable (like six or ten feet) and use that to plug your Stick into your TV. That will allow you to place it far away from your antenna. You will need to […]
[…]almost paper thin and tiny compared to a metal antenna. To give you an idea, Here is a photo of the the big DB4 metal antenna next to the Mohu Leaf on the right: The Mohu antenna itself is just a little larger than a sheet of paper, at 11″ x 9″ and feels like thin plastic (the one shown above is an older version that feels like laminated cardstock; the new version is more sturdy plastic). The connector area is a about 3/8″ thick. It is white on one side and black on the other. I also have their powered […]
[…]
[…]internal storage. You can watch and record shows using their app, which is available for Mac, PC, and the most popular streaming boxes and mobile devices. But the apps won’t work outside of your home network. These devices do not have HDMI output; you do not connect them directly to your TV. The DVR functionality requires a $35/year fee, however, you can use third-party recording software like PLEX and NextPVR some of which are free or have lifetime deals. However, you won’t get any help setting these up from SiliconDust. The Product Line – Confusing SiliconDust historically has had a […]
[…]Top Pick! Pluto TV is one of the best free streaming TV services around, offering both an on-demand and a live TV-like viewing experience. You can watch on their website or on a streaming device. The movies are older, of course, but they’re better quality than what most other free streaming services offer. There are commercials of course. 2. YouTube (the free version) Don’t forget about plain old free YouTube.com! It’s a great source of free older TV shows, concerts, documentaries, and quality original content. My Mom keeps it on all day. For free movies, click the “FREE WITH ADS” link. […]
[…]update your Roku or not. The Contenders In this test, I’m comparing the Roku 2XD, the Roku 3, and the latest top-of-the-line unit, the Roku Ultra. Each unit accomplishes its basic mission: streaming media from the Internet via Roku channels. But, each subsequent generation has more features and improved performance. 1. Roku 2 XD The Roku 2 XD was introduced in July 2011 and is among the second generation of Roku players. It can output up to 1080p resolution, so it’s still usable today in most TVs today. Roku has announced that it is no longer supporting the Roku 1 […]
[…] Just remember that you need to have the Roku Express+ 2018 to use a Tablo with your old tube TV. The other advantage of a Tablo is that you can still use it when you get a new TV. Most new TVs have tuners, so you probably won’t need your tuner box if you get a new TV. More Options If you are interested in more alternatives if you have a tube TV, check out this […]
[…]feel, or like this one, the need to aim precisely. If (or when) your remote breaks or gets lost, the good news is that the remote for this model is available separately on Amazon for only ten bucks. If you have the HW-150PVR, this is the remote on Amazon. Mediasonic also told me that their unit works with the Logitec Harmony remote control (now discontinued, but you may be able to find them on eBay). Setting Up a USB Drive or Stick There’s a USB port right on the front of the box where you can plug in a USB […]
[…]or a government agency). Other legal requirements The Company may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: Comply with a legal obligation Protect and defend the rights or property of the Company Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service Protect the personal safety of Users of the Service or the public Protect against legal liability Security of Your Personal Data The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While […]
[…]there is more to life than work. 9. Help your kids (or grandkids, nieces/nephews) with their homework Or, just play with them. 10. Re-arrange your furniture or re-paint a room How long have you lived with the same furniture arrangement? Is there a better, more efficient way to arrange things? Rearranging your furniture once in a while makes it feel like you’ve moved into a new and better home! Same goes for painting a room a new color! Here’s the before and after for my condo after I got married. 11. Organize your garage, basement, or closet […]
