First look at the T-Mobile @Home service

T-Mobile @Home HiPort router

(Credit: T-Mobile)

The news has broke that T-Mobile will be offering a VoIP service called T-Mobile @Home in select cities nationwide. However, yours truly had a chance to get some hands-on time with the specially built T-Mobile HotSpot @Home HiPort wireless Linksys router made especially for this service. T-Mobile also sent me an optional VTech cordless phone so I can test it out.

Setting up the router is the same procedure as setting up any other router, save for one difference: You need to install a SIM card. T-Mobile provided me with one, which I then snapped into place in the back of the router. There are two SIM card slots and two phone jacks, so you have the capability to use this with up to two lines. After installing the SIM card, simply attach the Ethernet cable from the modem to the router, and then connect the router to your computer. You can now attach your home phone (or cordless phone in my case) to the router. Note: If you inserted a SIM card in the Line 1 slot, you should connect your home phone to the corresponding Phone 1 jack. If you wish to change settings, such as passwords and WPA security, you can do so via a Web browser. Voila! You're ready to go. The process took maybe five minutes, if not less.

Making calls feels just like any other plain old telephone service. Just pick up the phone, dial, and you're on your way. Call quality was about the same as landline, though we did pick up a tiny bit of hiss the further we moved the cordless phone away from the base. As we mentioned, the VTech cordless phone system is completely optional; according to T-Mobile, you can use the router with any touch-tone phone. If you do wish to get the VTech phone, it's about $59.99.

Overall, we thought it was a great deal. The router does cost $149.99, but you can get it for $49.99 if you agree to a two-year contract. You also have to pay $10 a month for the @Home service, which really isn't too bad. The fee includes unlimited nationwide long-distance, caller ID, voice mail, call waiting, three-way conferencing, and more. You can also port over your home phone number if you like.

[webgrafix]

I just picked this up last night from my local TMO Store. I am anxious to try it, as I have not really had a "land based" home phone in over two years. I used to pay for a Skype account. For $10 per month for unlimited everything was too good to pass up. Vonage is charging $24.95 for the same service.

My only issues were in the initial setup. I tried using the install CD and kept getting errors when trying to connect with the router. It was late, I was tired, so I gave it up for the night. I never did get the "blue" light to say the phone part was working.

I will try tackling this again this weekend when I am more awake!!!

[bjsinn]

Were you able to complete the setup? I have done everything, but I cannot get the blue light/phone connection to work. I have spent quite a bit of time with support, but to no avail. They transferred me over to Lynksys, but they said the receoption was poor and would call me back...never heard back. The router page indicates the SIM is Inserted, but Not Registered???
Any suggestions?

[in2heat]

I was also having the same problem with the registration and I was unable to get a blue light. Finally after talking to tech support I realized the problem stemmed from the fact I was porting a number over and there was a 10 day wait and mine wasn't set to change over until those ten days had passed. I will see if everything works is a few days. If you were getting a new number this would not be the case.

[nothappy08]

Be warned that this service can cost you more than 10.00 a month. Here is what happened to me. In September of 2007 the service was issued in my area. I signed up on the recommendation of the sales person to avoid any future overages. I work at home so this was going to keep my minutes from going over ever again. WRONG! The first month there was a problem where roughly 500 minutes did not go as VOIP calls and created a large overage of over 200.00
I called T Mobile and spoke to many levels of service and they refused to credit my account.
I paid the bill and now almost a year later it happened again. I went over 507 minutes and have another huge bill. The technology is not perfected so when a call drops from the VOIP and goes to regular billing you will not know and eventually all of the free VOIP minutes you thought you were getting will be added as regular minutes. I am cancelling my service and will NEVER use T Mobile again.
I would return the router and phone or you will be sorry like I am.

[aneftp]

Were you using UMA VOIP features? Or were you using the new @home features where you put your SIM into the router? The UMA features had a ton of dropped calls on my BB Curve but you do not have to use a UMA GSM phone with this.

[kjcx1]

they did not have @Home service last year, his just came out in June of 2008. they had a similar service where mobile phones could connect to ANY router in order to give stronger service and the option of free calling while connected via wi-fi, this is completey different

[birdonwire223]

I am having the "no blue light" issues too. I am using a new number (which I confirmed was registered along with Sim card) so I could make sure everything was working well before canceling my other line. Could this be the issue -- having two phone numbers coming through the single line? If not, other thoughts?

Thanks!

[bowillin]

I too am also having an issue with the blue light not lighting up. I ported over an existing number from AT&T. And because I previously had my residential Lan line and DSL service with them they mentioned that they had to totally cancel all service then setup DSL on a separate number. At any rate I have spoken with approximately 5 different T-Mobile @ Home Tech Reps and 1 Linksys Tech Rep in an attempt to resolve my problem...Unfortunately I have had no luck and I am extrremely frustrated. I have been told by friends that the process for them went a lot smoother and only took 10 minutes or so. However I have not spoken with anyone who had the same setup I had with AT&T. If anyone has any real life experience with resolving this issue please respond with any thoughts. Thanks in advance!

[spunk32]

bowillin have you had any success? I also have AT&T and went to a DSL stand alone account. (that was a nightmare, 2 weeks with no internet, but that's another story) I can get the blue light to come on, but for some reason my DSL cuts off then back on (take about 30-40 seconds) at least 8-10 times a day. Each time it does this "cycle" i loose the Blue light and the only way to get to get it back is to power cycle the Tmobile router. I have had AT&T out to my house 5 times in the last 2 weeks. Each time they think the "problem is solved". Just curious if you have any any luck.

[kjcx1]

you need to called AT&T and request a "dry loop", they should come to the house a bring separate line in for your cable, usually they have one line coming into the house that controls cable and phone

[Blessed4610]

Please do not sign up for the T-Mobile @home service. The service is not reliable and there are too many technical issues that have not been resolved by Tmobile. The Linksys router causes interference with other modems and has to be reconfigured to work properly with most ISP. The customer service staff at T-Mobile is not knowledgeable about their own product and keeps transferring you to another number with no resoloution to the problem. I have cancelled this service. It has been more trouble than it is worth.

[osloctopus]

Anyone tried taking their TMoble@Home functioning router to an internet connection outside of a GSM mobile network area? How about non-Tmobile GSM coverage areas? How about T-Mobile network areas in non-US territories (i.e., Germany, etc)?

[javifais]

We switched from Vonage to Tmobile. Voice quality is better; however, call waiting doesn't work right.
I am using a Panasonic cordless phone. When someone calls while I am on the phone I don't hear a beep or anything; only the handset flashes the info on the caller ID for a short time. Then the information is gone. If I don't happen to see the caller ID in the short five second window, I won't even know I missed a call. With Vonage, I could always hear the call in waiting. If I chose not to pick up the other call, my cordless phone's caller id would log missed calls.
I can't afford to miss calls like that. I called customer service to no avail. I am going back to Vonage.

[royalbayplus]

T-Mobile Hotspot is a complete rippoff! They designed their month to month unlimited service to make it easy for T-Mobile to fraudulently bill you on a continuous basis after you have terminated the account. If you are at a hotel and they charge $10 per day and if you stay a week, it is cheaper (or so you would think) to sign up for 30 days at $39.99. Unfortunately, even when you inform them that they are to cancel and not resume beyond the month, it falls upon deaf ears and they continue to bill you. If you have it on a bank card, the crooks at T-Mobile think they have it made because the bank automatically pays the charges. In fact, T-Mobile will keep billing your bank card and this nonsense is very hard to stop. There ought to be a law prohibiting such unethical billing schemes. If someone wants to have repeated periodic billing, it should have to be affirmatively requested, and not be the default. It is far too convenient for T-Mobile to say, we didn't know you canceled and continue to rip you off. ie: steal your money; bill for services not rendered; bill you for services never utilized; bill for services never requested; bill for services never authorized. As it stands right now they have charged me for over $200.00 in services I never received. Since I overlooked the charges in my statement until this month when the automated larceny hit it has over drafted my account for over $100.00 plus another $70.00 in overdraft charges. 100% it's a felony fraud!

[royalbayplus]

T-Mobile Hotspot is a complete rippoff! They designed their month to month unlimited service to make it easy for T-Mobile to fraudulently bill you on a continuous basis after you have terminated the account. If you are at a hotel and they charge $10 per day and if you stay a week, it is cheaper (or so you would think) to sign up for 30 days at $39.99. Unfortunately, even when you inform them that they are to cancel and not resume beyond the month, it falls upon deaf ears and they continue to bill you. If you have it on a bank card, the crooks at T-Mobile think they have it made because the bank automatically pays the charges. In fact, T-Mobile will keep billing your bank card and this nonsense is very hard to stop. There ought to be a law prohibiting such unethical billing schemes. If someone wants to have repeated periodic billing, it should have to be affirmatively requested, and not be the default. It is far too convenient for T-Mobile to say, we didn't know you canceled and continue to rip you off. ie: steal your money; bill for services not rendered; bill you for services never utilized; bill for services never requested; bill for services never authorized. As it stands right now they have charged me for over $200.00 in services I never received. Since I overlooked the charges in my statement until this month when the automated larceny hit it has over drafted my account for over $100.00 plus another $70.00 in overdraft charges. 100% it's a felony fraud!