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The Merkinman
Apr 22, 2007

I sell only quality merkins. What is a merkin you ask? Why, it's a wig for your genitals!

Stick100 posted:

Seems like you can only ever sign up for the $30 plan once when you activate a sim. If you switch off they tell you you can't switch back. As it happens you can get another sim for free to $5 and port over.

Why do you think it's poo poo? The 100 minute limit?
I think GrooVe IP is poo poo, not the plan.

hotsauce posted:

It's not perfect, but try the Vonage app. You can set any caller ID you want (after confirming it). I've found it works better than Groove IP. You can't receive calls on it without paying for Vonage but placing outbound calls over VOIP free via WiFi or 4g. I just call people right back after they call. It's not incredibly convenient but works fairly well.

I talked with my wife yesterday while in the Newark airport via 4g VOIP for an hour and it was perfect. I have the $30 Tmobile plan.
Thanks for the suggestion of Vonage

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tater_salad
Sep 15, 2007


Want cheap home phone? Get an obi100 and tie into Google Voice, free VoIP, I've had no trouble with mine, its like $30 from Amazon.
I got I when I started working from home and was on conf calls blowing through my virgin mobile 300 mins in no time flat.

Don Lapre
Mar 28, 2001

If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

tater_salad posted:

Want cheap home phone? Get an obi100 and tie into Google Voice, free VoIP, I've had no trouble with mine, its like $30 from Amazon.
I got I when I started working from home and was on conf calls blowing through my virgin mobile 300 mins in no time flat.

GV support on obi may not work in the future as google is abandoning the way the obi connects to GV.

hotsauce
Jan 14, 2007

Don Lapre posted:

GV support on obi may not work in the future as google is abandoning the way the obi connects to GV.

News to me...unfortunate.

Hope Google offers a similar device as GV + Obi at home is just incredible.

Don Lapre
Mar 28, 2001

If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

hotsauce posted:

News to me...unfortunate.

Hope Google offers a similar device as GV + Obi at home is just incredible.

Its the whole google talk replaced with hangouts thats causing it.

tater_salad
Sep 15, 2007


Hangouts is new and for the time being I'm not upgrading because yes the talk connection gets broken.
Obi can connect to a lot of other low cost voip that will beat vonage for cpar

IuniusBrutus
Jul 24, 2010

I didn't see anything in the OP, so question time:

I am on TMo pre-paid. Will they boot me if I am tethering or using my phone as a WiFi hotspot?

hotsauce
Jan 14, 2007

IuniusBrutus posted:

I didn't see anything in the OP, so question time:

I am on TMo pre-paid. Will they boot me if I am tethering or using my phone as a WiFi hotspot?

You will hit a paywall real fast but being pre-paid they won't boot you. It just won't work for long. One option is to use Chrome as your browser with the "Chrome UA Spoofer" extension and set it to Android. You will get mobile optimized pages, but it should work without fuss.

Or you could pony up an extra $15/month, effectively doubling your data to 10 gigs and allows for full unrestricted tethering. For $45/month (assuming you have the $30 plan) this is a pretty good deal.

roffels
Jul 27, 2004

Yo Taxi!

IuniusBrutus posted:

I didn't see anything in the OP, so question time:

I am on TMo pre-paid. Will they boot me if I am tethering or using my phone as a WiFi hotspot?

I was only able to use it for a few days before I was cut off from tethering and redirected to a page to pay for their tethering service.

hotsauce posted:



Or you could pony up an extra $15/month, effectively doubling your data to 10 gigs and allows for full unrestricted tethering.

When I did this, I was throttled once I hit 5gb to abysmal dial-up like speeds.

hotsauce
Jan 14, 2007

roffels posted:

When I did this, I was throttled once I hit 5gb to abysmal dial-up like speeds.
That's weird. When you add the $15 additional plan, it's supposed to stack on the normal 5gig allowance, giving you a full 10gig 4g data allowance.

Had you perhaps used your standard 5gigs up first?

TLG James
Jun 5, 2000

Questing ain't easy
One month left of my sprint contract, so I'm looking around at a GSM phone.

I need micro sd support. I go on way too many roadtrips, multi-hour plane rides that I need to have hours worth of music/podcasts/movies, whatever. Is my best choice a used SIII off of ebay or a Note 2 or something?

Duckman2008
Jan 6, 2010

TFW you see Flyers goaltending.
Grimey Drawer

TLG James posted:

One month left of my sprint contract, so I'm looking around at a GSM phone.

I need micro sd support. I go on way too many roadtrips, multi-hour plane rides that I need to have hours worth of music/podcasts/movies, whatever. Is my best choice a used SIII off of ebay or a Note 2 or something?

S3, S4 or note 2 would probably be the best bets.

delfin
Dec 5, 2003

SNATTER'S ALIVE?!?!
Pennsylvania goons: I'm currently on T-Mobile and looked around at their data coverage should I choose to get a less-than-seven-year-old phone. Outside of little green blips around a handful of cities, PA data coverage between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia is a sea of 2G yellow. Any prepaid carriers likely to improve on that, as I spend a fair amount of time around Williamsport?

Also, I saw a previous pick-of-the-thread (Samsung Exhibit II) went down to $157 on clearance. Is it still a reasonable pick for that T-Mobile $30 plan or is it quite outdated by now?

FAUXTON
Jun 2, 2005

spero che tu stia bene

delfin posted:

Pennsylvania goons: I'm currently on T-Mobile and looked around at their data coverage should I choose to get a less-than-seven-year-old phone. Outside of little green blips around a handful of cities, PA data coverage between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia is a sea of 2G yellow. Any prepaid carriers likely to improve on that, as I spend a fair amount of time around Williamsport?

Also, I saw a previous pick-of-the-thread (Samsung Exhibit II) went down to $157 on clearance. Is it still a reasonable pick for that T-Mobile $30 plan or is it quite outdated by now?

You're probably looking at having either an ATT carrier (ST with a ripoff-price SIM from eBay, Net10, Red Pocket, ATT's Aio) or a Verizon one (I think ST carries Verizon, and Verizon has prepaid service but it seems pretty lovely)

goku chewbacca
Dec 14, 2002

delfin posted:

Pennsylvania goons: I'm currently on T-Mobile and looked around at their data coverage should I choose to get a less-than-seven-year-old phone. Outside of little green blips around a handful of cities, PA data coverage between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia is a sea of 2G yellow. Any prepaid carriers likely to improve on that, as I spend a fair amount of time around Williamsport?

Also, I saw a previous pick-of-the-thread (Samsung Exhibit II) went down to $157 on clearance. Is it still a reasonable pick for that T-Mobile $30 plan or is it quite outdated by now?
Central and Northern PA is Verizon country. Avoid all prepaid no contract carriers that run on Sprint. T-mobile doesn't have native coverage in the rural areas or most of the small towns. AT&T probably has much of the region on 2G Edge, where Verizon has 3G everywhere and LTE expanding well into rural areas.

tonic
Jan 4, 2003

hotsauce posted:

Or you could pony up an extra $15/month, effectively doubling your data to 10 gigs and allows for full unrestricted tethering. For $45/month (assuming you have the $30 plan) this is a pretty good deal.

Wait so you can use the additional 5gb on your phone or only for tethering? Is this an add on you can cancel at any time?

sweart gliwere
Jul 5, 2005

better to die an evil wizard,
than to live as a grand one.
Pillbug

hotsauce posted:

That's weird. When you add the $15 additional plan, it's supposed to stack on the normal 5gig allowance, giving you a full 10gig 4g data allowance.
I don't think that's the case for prepaid. Maybe there's a bonus feature for the remaining contract plans or the new "simple choice" plans. It looks like the +5GB policy formerly applied to contract/value/legacy plans; is this the deal you meant?

The tethering rider language on my settings page for my $30 prepaid dork plan makes no reference to bonus data:
Service details: Smartphone Mobile HotSpot
Allows you to use your phone as a Mobile HotSpot. Share your phone's high-speed Internet connection with up to five Wi-Fi devices, including your laptop, tablet, e-reader and more. Select devices only; may not be available on your device. Plan data allotment applies; use of connected devices subject to T-Mobile's terms & conditions.

edit: http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-2384 last modified by tmo_josh on Apr 29, 2013 8:50 AM
Does not provide any additional data beyond what is included in the required Web add-on feature (if you have a 5 GB data feature, you have 5 GB for tethering).




tonic posted:

Wait so you can use the additional 5gb on your phone or only for tethering? Is this an add on you can cancel at any time?
I asked a T-Mobile store rep about the $15 tethering rider last year, she confirmed it's separate from any monthly plan (opt-in and opt-out whenever desired). You can still get away with free tethering to mobile-OS devices for now, though :ssh:

sweart gliwere fucked around with this message at 20:13 on May 27, 2013

cage-free egghead
Mar 8, 2004
I've been with Ting for over a month now and unless something similar for AT&T or Verizon comes out, I don't think I'll be leaving them anytime soon. I wish more companies would make a more competitive usage-based service like these guys.

FAUXTON
Jun 2, 2005

spero che tu stia bene

Lblitzer posted:

I've been with Ting for over a month now and unless something similar for AT&T or Verizon comes out, I don't think I'll be leaving them anytime soon. I wish more companies would make a more competitive usage-based service like these guys.

I'd leave Delorean-style fire skidmarks if someone made something like Ting on GSM.

ThermoPhysical
Dec 26, 2007



The Entire Universe posted:

I'd leave Delorean-style fire skidmarks if someone made something like Ting on GSM.

From what I've noticed about AIO, it's operating on postpaid AT&T coverage and the throttle doesn't hit me much since I only get 3 down on ST AT&T anyway so 4 down would be even better. :v:

I'm hoping it comes to Omaha at least.

FAUXTON
Jun 2, 2005

spero che tu stia bene

ThermoPhysical posted:

From what I've noticed about AIO, it's operating on postpaid AT&T coverage and the throttle doesn't hit me much since I only get 3 down on ST AT&T anyway so 4 down would be even better. :v:

I'm hoping it comes to Omaha at least.

It'll come to Omaha. It'll be the universe's very last pinch of energy and disorder succumbing to entropy as it arrives, but it will, as advertised, make it here.

So be sure to save the date.

ThermoPhysical
Dec 26, 2007



The Entire Universe posted:

It'll come to Omaha. It'll be the universe's very last pinch of energy and disorder succumbing to entropy as it arrives, but it will, as advertised, make it here.

So be sure to save the date.

At least I'll maybe have a decent wireless carrier before oblivion. :v:

Also, we have AT&T LTE so maybe they'll give us this too (even though this has no LTE...but GoPhone does...what the gently caress).

FAUXTON
Jun 2, 2005

spero che tu stia bene

ThermoPhysical posted:

At least I'll maybe have a decent wireless carrier before oblivion. :v:

Also, we have AT&T LTE so maybe they'll give us this too (even though this has no LTE...but GoPhone does...what the gently caress).

I can only assume they'll bend and throw in LTE at some point. VZW may be holding their breath, but with Sprint's NV creeping along and T-Mobile's surprisingly competitive LTE-inclusive pricing, ATT's got fuckall for value soon if they want people to just toddle along on H+ for more money and lower caps than T-Mo. Coverage is about all they've got right now and that's not an unassailable position by any measure.

Frozen Pizza Party
Dec 13, 2005

Have any of you guys successfully unlocked a Verizon iPhone 4S for use with a GSM network (AT&T specifically)?

If so, what method did you use, I'm looking at the GPPs, the R-Sims, and IMEI Unlocking, which is way too loving expensive.

Don Lapre
Mar 28, 2001

If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

SaNChEzZ posted:

Have any of you guys successfully unlocked a Verizon iPhone 4S for use with a GSM network (AT&T specifically)?

If so, what method did you use, I'm looking at the GPPs, the R-Sims, and IMEI Unlocking, which is way too loving expensive.

You are better off selling your vzw 4s and buying an unlocked or att one.

MAJOR STRYkER
Jan 2, 2008

FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE USED TO LIVE HERE...
Sooo... my Triumph finally died and I've decided that it's time to move from Virgin Mobile and the piss poor data speeds that come with it. I just bought a Nexus 4 but I'm not entirely sure what plan to go with. I'm guessing I'll pick up the Straight Talk on t-mobile towers. It seems like the best bet. 45$ for unlimited everything is something that can't really be beat. The $30 T-mobile plan looks like it would run out of minutes too fast. And apparently ATT straight talk is dying? Any thoughts?

Mister Fister
May 17, 2008

D&D: HASBARA SQUAD
KILL-GORE


I love the smell of dead Palestinians in the morning.
You know, one time we had Gaza bombed for 26 days
(and counting!)

MAJOR STRYkER posted:

Sooo... my Triumph finally died and I've decided that it's time to move from Virgin Mobile and the piss poor data speeds that come with it. I just bought a Nexus 4 but I'm not entirely sure what plan to go with. I'm guessing I'll pick up the Straight Talk on t-mobile towers. It seems like the best bet. 45$ for unlimited everything is something that can't really be beat. The $30 T-mobile plan looks like it would run out of minutes too fast. And apparently ATT straight talk is dying? Any thoughts?

You can buy an AT&T straight talk card off ebay (kinda expensive though).

I would still go for the $30 t-mobile plan and just pay for voice minutes on top of that unless you use an ungodly amount of voice minutes.

SB35
Jul 6, 2007
Move along folks, nothing to see here.

MAJOR STRYkER posted:

Sooo... my Triumph finally died and I've decided that it's time to move from Virgin Mobile and the piss poor data speeds that come with it. I just bought a Nexus 4 but I'm not entirely sure what plan to go with. I'm guessing I'll pick up the Straight Talk on t-mobile towers. It seems like the best bet. 45$ for unlimited everything is something that can't really be beat. The $30 T-mobile plan looks like it would run out of minutes too fast. And apparently ATT straight talk is dying? Any thoughts?

I like ST on Tmo. As long as Tmo has decent service in your area. I tend to spend several hours on the phone a week so the 100 min doesn't do it for me. I consistently keep it under 2GB a month so never have any issues with getting throttled or anything.

d[-.-]b
Aug 1, 2004

my fav champ that hero who cats a spell that make all bad guy fall down and say my dick BIG

SB35 posted:

I like ST on Tmo. As long as Tmo has decent service in your area. I tend to spend several hours on the phone a week so the 100 min doesn't do it for me. I consistently keep it under 2GB a month so never have any issues with getting throttled or anything.

I thought they don't throttle for Tmo anyway.

MAJOR STRYkER
Jan 2, 2008

FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE USED TO LIVE HERE...

Mister Fister posted:

You can buy an AT&T straight talk card off ebay (kinda expensive though).

I would still go for the $30 t-mobile plan and just pay for voice minutes on top of that unless you use an ungodly amount of voice minutes.

Sounds like that might be a good idea, I'll have to check and see how many minutes I was using a month on Virgin Mobile per/mo. I would like AT&T because I currently live in a smaller town and AT&T has much better coverage.

Is there any plans to cancel AT&T Straight Talk in the near future? I don't want to get on the plan and pay a ridiculous price for a sim card for a service that looks like it is going to get canned. I haven't kept up with this thread recently, I guess I'll have to read back to see what happened with ATT and ST.

ThermoPhysical
Dec 26, 2007



MAJOR STRYkER posted:

Is there any plans to cancel AT&T Straight Talk in the near future? I don't want to get on the plan and pay a ridiculous price for a sim card for a service that looks like it is going to get canned. I haven't kept up with this thread recently, I guess I'll have to read back to see what happened with ATT and ST.

Right now, there are no plans to stop AT&T service. They just don't sell the cards anymore for reasons that no one really knows the answer to.

Net10 is Straight Talk without Walmart so if they do get rid of AT&T on ST, you can go there.

Or, if you're lucky, hop on AT&T's own AIO carrier. It's actually pretty good since it does have the same post-paid coverage as ST and Net10 have.

Tedronai66
Aug 24, 2006
Better to Reign in Hell...

ThermoPhysical posted:

Or, if you're lucky, hop on AT&T's own AIO carrier. It's actually pretty good since it does have the same post-paid coverage as ST and Net10 have.

Sans LTE. Which might be a deal breaker for someone looking for a faster network.

ThermoPhysical
Dec 26, 2007



Tedronai66 posted:

Sans LTE. Which might be a deal breaker for someone looking for a faster network.

If you want AT&T LTE, then go for GoPhone. However, you won't get the postpaid coverage.

Prepaid coverage for AT&T is apparently so bad that, when I was researching AT&T coverage before I got Straight Talk, I had both an AT&T rep and Best Buy rep tell me to my face in their respective stores that I would be better off with ST than GoPhone as the prepaid AT&T coverage is a lot worse on purpose.

(Edit: Wow. What the gently caress. This post needed a lot of fixing. Never post when half awake.)

ThermoPhysical fucked around with this message at 16:54 on May 29, 2013

SB35
Jul 6, 2007
Move along folks, nothing to see here.

"d[-.- posted:

b" post="415923839"]
I thought they don't throttle for Tmo anyway.

Maybe they don't... I've never used enough to find out.

Stick100
Mar 18, 2003
FYI we might want to add life wireless to the OP.

http://www.lifewireless.com/phones.php?sec=plans

It's mostly for people with lifeline (take a gov program or make less than 21k per year) you can get totally free phone + minutes. If you don't qualify though it looks like its $20 once + $12.50 for 250 minutes or 125 with rollover. From the maps it looks like ATT towers. Texts cost 1/3 a minute.

They say you can use any GSM unlocked phone if you don't want their flip, this honestly looks like a pretty good deal for anyone that doesn't want a data plan. A N4 + this would be hell of a deal for cheap asses with great WIFI.

http://swappa.com/devices/unlocked/us

Frozen Pizza Party
Dec 13, 2005

Don Lapre posted:

You are better off selling your vzw 4s and buying an unlocked or att one.

Looks like there's a thing, neter pro sim that will do verizon iphones. For $13, worth giving it a shot. If not I'll sell it, it's for the girlfriend anyway so I don't really care if I have to get rid of it.

MAJOR STRYkER
Jan 2, 2008

FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE USED TO LIVE HERE...

ThermoPhysical posted:

Or, if you're lucky, hop on AT&T's own AIO carrier. It's actually pretty good since it does have the same post-paid coverage as ST and Net10 have.

So why are people paying for ATT ST sims instead of getting Net10?

ThermoPhysical
Dec 26, 2007



MAJOR STRYkER posted:

So why are people paying for ATT ST sims instead of getting Net10?

Because Net10 is more upfront with their cap thanks to AT&T's forced changes. Since ST still advertises unlimited data, people are flocking to it.

MAJOR STRYkER
Jan 2, 2008

FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE USED TO LIVE HERE...
Net10 only seems to have T-mobile SIMs as well.

e; Found some cheap ones on ebay.
Also the plan is 50$ as opposed to $45 for straight talk. However the price differences b/w the sims makes up for that.

MAJOR STRYkER fucked around with this message at 17:24 on May 30, 2013

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Empress Brosephine
Mar 31, 2012

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
How do you tell if you have a T Mobile or AT&T Net10 sim card? I bought a activation kit from Amazon for $1.00 but it didn't say anywheres on it.

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