Reviews:
 ·AT&T DSL Service
 ·Virgin Mobile Br..
| reply to prestonlewis
Re: TMobile@Home Review I went to TMobile (direct, not reseller) this morning to do something to one of my son's phones and I asked a few questions mentioned here. Remember, this is a counter person's answers, not always accurate:
1. Does the @Home Linksys router use the TMobile cell network? No. The clerk stated it works like VOIP. The router connects to a TMobile server via the internet. The router has no ability to connect to the cell network.
2. Why a SIM card? The clerk stated the SIM card is programmable and the router isn't. The SIM card is programmed to be a $10 @Home service. It can be removed, reprogrammed, and used in phones. If they stop your service due to not paying a bill, they tell the SIM card to stop service, not the router. The router is totally independent from TMobile. They can't do anything to the router, only tell the SIM card to stop calls or if they upgrade the service at a later date, the SIM card can be programmed for upgrades. So even if you stop using TMobile, the router will still be fully functional except for the voice ports.
One note: the clerk said if you take the @Home SIM card and put it in a phone it recognizes it's not accessing the @Home server and charges you 40cents/minute for cell use. Conversely, if you put a regular cell phone SIM card in the @Home router, calls via the internet are 20cents/minute. The idea is to never switch out the @Home router's SIM card (or cards if you use both phone lines which requires 2 SIM cards).
3. There appears to be no web face interface. Voice mail is accessed by your wired or cordless phone. Probably if you call your @Home phone number, you can enter a PIN to access your voicemail but I haven't gotten that far yet with it.
4. Yes, the SIM card in the @Home router has it's own phone number. It does not have any cell phone number. Each SIM card, regardless of cell/@Home is independent with it's own phone number and programming on how it is to be used (cell network or internet). It is a separate number not linked to your cell phone or your cell phone number. Simulring doesn't appear to be a feature at this time.
Again, the @Home service seems to work just like a cell phone when dialing. You dial a 7 digit number and it goes through pretty quickly. You can dial 11 or 10 digits also. No need to press the # key as some VOIP adapters require. You're using a wired or cordless phone of course but you can't tell the difference. Dial tone is normal, voice quality is excellent from my location. @Home doesn't use true SIP VOIP. If I understand the technology properly, @Home uses UMA (also called GAN) and is tunneling GSM over IP instead of VOIP's normal SIP over IP. UMA can transmit SIP over IP but TMobile appears to be using GSM over IP which requires UMA. You can read more about UMA at this web site: »umatoday.com/faq.php
UMA supposedly is more secure than SIP and allows the provider to provide more services in the future.
Lastly, CNET's review of the @Home offering states that you have to have at least a $29.99 cell phone plan from TMobile. I had heard it was $40 minimum but CNET says differently.
Basically, the @Home service is an attempt by TMobile to increase sales at the expense of land lines. Using UMA means they can improve the service if it is successful. Simulring and other features should be expected if @Home sticks around. I'd expect to see other cell companies begin to offer the same type of service. Cell growth is slowing and they need to look for new avenues to increase profits and gain more customers. Offering a landline type service, like @Home, is a beginning. If @Home is successful, I'll bet a router with phone/video/internet will be something we'll be hearing about in a few years. I seriously doubt Verizon/Sprint will stand by if @Home is successful. For those of you who can't get TMobile's cell service to qualify for @Home, I'll bet your local large cell provider will have a similar offering within the year. |
