Flaws found in T-Mobile’s HotSpot @ Home

We were really, really excited when we heard news last week that T-Mobile would be launching a mobile WiFi service. Once this technology reaches its potential, the landline may be permanently abolished. So we applaud T-Mobile for taking the initiative on this front. However, many ideas are good in theory but never work out in practice. Early reviews of the HotSpot @ Home are placing the service in that category. We’ll go over the gripes.

Apparently — and we cannot confirm this, because we do not own one of these phones — the phones are very basic. The camera is less than a megapixel, and there is — get this — no Web browser. Yes, a phone that routes calls over the Internet does not have a web browser. Genius.

Next:

First, my initial setup of the proprietary Wi-Fi network, based on the carrier’s instructions, added wires to my existing wireless network. To make it work, I had to turn one of my two Wi-Fi-connected laptops into a desktop, tethered to a modem.

Making a home Wi-Fi network less wireless is not a salable feature. Nor is the fact that my secured wireless network was suddenly unsecure, open for anyone to use. Needless to say, I liked things the way they were before.

That sounds like a slight hassle. However, other than making your network unsecured it sounds like a small price to pay for free calls.

The next test by this reviewer was done at a local Starbucks, which has a T-Mobile Hot Spot. A big feature of the HotSpot @ Home service is that calls initiated from WiFi would switch over to the cellular network when out of WiFi range — and still be free. However, this reviewer found that every time he left the Starbucks, the call would drop. So this is either a technical glitch, or T-Mobile just doesn’t want to give you free minutes on its cellular network.

Suspicious is the fact that you can begin a call on a cellular network, enter a T-Mobile Hot Spot, and not lose the call. In that scenario, you’re billed for the entire call, because you had started it on the cellular network, whether you switch to a HotSpot or not. That sounds a bit fishy to us.

The technology will improve, though. And the service will be available on more than two phones. Once this comes around, we can see the HotSpot @ Home being well worth the $20 per month. We’re also sure that the at-home rigging will become simpler (this reviewer was able to get his network back to normal eventually). Until then, though, this seems like a buggy beta. We just hope T-Mobile understands this and doesn’t see low subscriber rates as a reason to completely ditch the service.

[Chicago Tribune]

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3 Responses

1. beth Says
   

   I checked with t-mobile and i was told that (1) you can make the wireless router secure and (2) you do not need to keep the laptop connected to the router.
   Though the phones being crap is completely true. I was about to buy the hotspot@home (even sent my phone back to t-mobile since i had just upgraded less than two weeks before hotspot@home came out), but then I saw the phone. It is seriously a phone outta 2001 with a camera thrown in. I am putting off getting hotspot@home until they come out with better phones. Hopefully, if enough people complain about the phones they’ll rush getting a new phone out (I would recommend adding hotspot@home to the Nokia 6133 – that phone’s screen is amazing).

   
   Posted on July 8th, 2007 at 11:37 am
2. Steve Says
   

   I’m glad to hear about the wireless router being secure. Call me paranoid, but I don’t like turning the password off on it.

   Sounds like there’s plenty of potential here. Which is great, because it takes strides in replacing the landline.

   
   Posted on July 8th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
3. Sesh Murthy Says
   

   I got the phone working with my home router without problems. Yes it is protected by WEP so the reviewer is not correct.

   I have not been able to get the phone to work at my office. If I can do that it is a great deal

   
   Posted on July 17th, 2007 at 1:23 pm

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