Free trial of T-Mobile network

I received mine today too. I plugged it in. The signal level indicator is not "x" number of bars, but Green for strong and yellow for poor. Red indicates not connected. I get yellow in a fair number of locations in my house. Not sure if T-Mobile is going to be my fix for poor and inconsistent signal from ATT. Neither of our phones have wifi calling, so I can't check that out. Hmmmm?
 
Be sure to grab your reading glasses to read the WiFi password printed on the inside back cover.

My results were about 20 down, but under 2 up.
 
Here’s a little more information about the hotspot device (the “getting started” insert pointed me to it).

It has some details about capabilities/specs. I was happy to see it runs Linux!

https://coolpad.us/surf/

[ADDED] Poking around a little more led me to this user manual. I was curious about a mention of a web management interface. Since I haven’t activated my hotspot yet I’ve got no idea if it works.

https://support.coolpad.us/hc/en-us/article_attachments/360030191354/Surf_User_Manual_English.pdf
 
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Received mine today, order 8/30. Didn't help that UPS sent it to the wrong distribution hub.

I'll give it a try in a week when my current data plan runs out.

Assuming this hot spot is like others that I've used it most likely will work best if left near a window that has good cell coverage and a plug then connect to the WiFi signal while no more than a room or two away.
 
I noticed that the terms covering eligibility to participate in Test Drive are that a) you’re not a current T-Mobile customer and b) you haven’t used Test Drive in the past 6 months.

I read that as saying that you can sign up again in the future (assuming the program continues). There might be coverage improvements or newer hotspot devices (the current one doesn’t support 802.11ac for faster wi-fi speeds).

[ADDED] Aside: a Sprint/T-Mobile merger might change the picture over a 6 month time frame.
 
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Make sure the phone you are trying the SIM in supports the latest t-mobile bands.

Some coverage is dependent on having a newer phone with the latest band/range support.

That seems to be the challenge with the free offer. If you have a new/higher end/unlocked phone, you should be fine.
 
bloom2708 said:
Make sure the phone you are trying the SIM in supports the latest t-mobile bands.

Some coverage is dependent on having a newer phone with the latest band/range support.

That seems to be the challenge with the free offer. If you have a new/higher end/unlocked phone, you should be fine.
Click to expand...

T-Mobile is sending a SIM card to be inserted in the Hot Spot device included in the box. The SIM is NOT inserted to a phone. The device they send provides a WiFi signal to be used by phones, laptops or any other device that will pickup the WiFi signal.

Info page here:
https://www.t-mobile.com/news/testdrive

Intro video here
 
Ah. Interesting. So just "testing the network" signal inside your home.

T-mobile and Sprint are tied for last place for coverage. If you are in a populated area and don't go off the beaten path, it should be fine.

We stick to AT&T or Verizon. I know coverage varies in certain areas based on terrain.
 
This morning I tried connecting to the web management interface to the hotspot and it worked even though the SIM had not yet been inserted into the hotspot device.

There’s some interesting information listed, including reference to a 5 GHz band only supporting 802.11 a/n.

Progress so far is only installing the provided battery, charging it (took longer than I thought!) and getting a peek at the web management. The device collects statistics about itself that should be interesting once used for a while after activation.

[ADDED] The most challenging thing so far was removing the back from the hotspot to insert the battery (and remove the desiccant). It seems pretty flimsy and prone to breakage. I’ll only have to do this once more to install the SIM.
 
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My t mobile service has been spotty lately I originally switched when I moved to Maui as it was one of like 2 service providers and ATT was too expensive.

Our plan is cheap for veterans they are running a $110 /5 line deal right now, tax included. $22/line. :)
 
kgtest said:
My t mobile service has been spotty lately I originally switched when I moved to Maui as it was one of like 2 service providers and ATT was too expensive.

Our plan is cheap for veterans they are running a $110 /5 line deal right now, tax included. $22/line. :)
Click to expand...

Cheap isn't a bargain if the service isn't reliable. If T-Mobile isn't working for you and the AT&T network is better, consider Cricket which is an AT&T MVNO. 5 lines for $125, all taxes and fees included.
 
Coverage can vary so much by location. I understand that TMobile generally has poorer coverage than AT&T, but if it works well for me at my house and in my area, that makes it better. That's why this trial is a useful thing, to see whether it really works like that map says it should.

The tricky part is the rural roads I often travel. If I get into an emergency situation, I'd really like my phone to work. It'd be a lot less often than using it at home, but far more critical. I can work around poor coverage at home with a land line if I had to, but in a broken down car my options are much more limited.
 
Received it a couple of days ago, and I'm looking forward to trying it out in our house that is under construction. Historically, cell coverage has been horrible on all networks in that location, but maybe they have new/better towers that have improved their signal. This is a great way to test things.
 
I wonder if anyone will switch after this trial? I just tried mine. The signal is Yellow (poor connection), which does not surprise me since I usually get just a bar or two on AT&T. But the data speed is 1/3 or less what I get from AT&T mobile data. So I won't be switching.
 
Mine has been shipped. I'm not very confident since there's basically no TMobile coverage around me. But free trial, might as well try, right? 2 gig for $10 per month is a decent deal, I'm hoping the signal works. Please give me 6 megabit, so I can stream HD video :)

Sprint/TMobile merger will completely change the cellular landscape where I live. Sprint works great here, but I don't have Sprint.
 
Up in my high-country boondocks home, neither AT&T and T-Mobile work well, although I am in line of sight to the local cell tower.

The network there is Cellular One. I think they give priority to their own subscribers, and roaming users just have to wait. At night, the data is fast, but during the day it is totally unusable.
 
YoungSaver said:
You need to check what bands they operate on and what bands your device supports. It's possible your device isn't compatible with their towers.

Tower data is here:
https://www.cellmapper.net/map

Phone info can be found here:
https://www.gsmarena.com/
Click to expand...

If they are not compatible, then the phone will not work at all.

At night, it works well enough for me to tether the laptop to it to surf the Web.

During the day, the service comes and goes, as there are too many users.

PS. On occasions, I downshifted my phone to 2G mode, and was able to connect to send out an SMS. If set on LTE, no data connection.
 
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I don't think you're getting my point. Your service provider might operate on 5 different bands at your house. Your phone might only support one of those bands. That might be the lowest signal strength band. It's possible a newer phone might connect on a stronger band and then your issues would be gone.
 
I received an email from T-Mobile today asking for survey input about my experience with Test Drive. In return, I’d get an e-gift card of some sort.

Oops. Not yet although I do have the little box ready to roll.

I do hope they are now or soon offering a solid network with great coverage. Competition helps everyone.
 
CRLLS said:
So what do I do with the TestDrive unit after the month trial is done?
Click to expand...

T-Mobile says give it to a friend (who can contact T-Mobile for their own test drive), return it to a T-Mobile office (some who did report they saw the employee who accepted it throw it in the trash) or throw it away.
 
CRLLS said:
So what do I do with the TestDrive unit after the month trial is done?
Click to expand...


I don’t want to throw mine in the trash. I know a few people who might be curious and will offer it to them to try. I think (but am not sure) you can return it.
 
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