Database Users

Have questions for StraightTalk/Net10/Tracfone?

I was once a tech/sales/fraud/CustSvc support for ST/NET10/TF
then im now on AT&T tech
anyways, if you want to have some clarifications, questions about the said brands, you can ask me, i cannot guarantee to answer everything but go ahead
I do not represent nor am I anymore connected with Tracfone Wireless Inc on xda nor do my posts and opinions reflect those of the company, management, and or its subsidiaries
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The most obvious one, what is the true data limit to the "unlimited" data. How do they determine if you're using too much data, or how do they determine if you're streaming or tethering?
Sent from my GT-N7000 Samsung Galaxy Note "Go big or go home" using XDA app

it actually depends upon the network of the area,
we have tools to check how much bandwidth is allocated in the area
if we detect serious network impact then we know what phone number caused such,
we dont own a network we "rent" from other large telecom companies
but mostly its 2GB - 3GB before it was 5GB but due to complaints recieved by TMO/AT&T/Sprint/Verizon about our subscribers affecting the performance of their network we reduced it to 2GB - 3GB,
some though get away with having as much as 8-10GB per month, im not sure how that happens
and analyze thier marketing strategy its unlimited "web browsing" they never said downloading, tethering, streaming, internet just "web browsing"
one funny experience was when a customer said, "whats the use of having one of your android phones if im prohibited to download stuff from internet with my 'unlimited' plan"

deathnotice01 said:
if we detect serious network impact then we know what phone number caused such
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Knowing this, any idea how much tethering one can get away with before ST takes action?

about 2GB - 3GB actually,
depends also on the bandwidth you are allocating

Does Straight Talk using AT&T's network have the same speed as AT&T? Or does it cap it at 500kbps like AT&T GoPhone does?

ST SIMs run in ATT & TMO towers based on what i know we have HSPA+ for our contracts, you can have as much as 1-1.7Mbps

deathnotice01 said:
ST SIMs run in ATT & TMO towers based on what i know we have HSPA+ for our contracts, you can have as much as 1-1.7Mbps
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Hm. Well in my area AT&T gets me around 3.5-4Mbps downstream and 1-2Mbps upstream. T-Mobile was much faster most of the time but unfortunately they started compressing all images through mobile data so...

synaesthetic said:
Does Straight Talk using AT&T's network have the same speed as AT&T? Or does it cap it at 500kbps like AT&T GoPhone does?
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Hi, I just signed up because this is the same question I 've been searching for.
I'm now looking for a prepaid to save money since I'm just a student so cannot afford to try both straight talk and gophone. which one between these two has the fastest download speed? I have a 4G capable phone and just signed up for att's gophone service today with 1GB data, but the speed I'm getting is 1.7 to 2mb/s at best. would straight talk be faster than this speed?
I just heard the gophone offers throttle 3G, so it's around 2 or 2.5G, whereas straight talk does not throttle, so they are around 3.5G, is that true?
the only reason why I chose to try gophone because straight talk's 45 dollar plan doesn't allow international sms. but I can think of an alternative if straight talk is faster.
Thanks in advance!

ST now actually has a unlimited international voice/sms + local unlimited web browsing for $60, and ST runs on AT&T HSPA+ network so you can have as much as 1-1.7Mbps (at least thats what we know but some can get 4g speeds)

iPhone 4S on Straight Talk
I am very curious about using an Iphone 4S on Straight Talk. Hubby's contract with AT&T is up next month and I really want to get all the iTards off my plan So, what am I going to have to do to his phone to get as many (hopefully all) of the features he currently uses to function?
#1 requirement is tethering. He tethers (& yes, I pay AT&T their F***ing extortion fee) so he can telecommute--no downloading--just connecting to his work pc.
#2 requirement is the "Find my Friends" feature so he can keep track of all his iTard buddies & kids. Why anyone would want this, ahem, feature is beyond me.
#3 is there going to be any problem with iTunes or the Ap Store? He and the iTard kids will throw the biggest hissy fit ever seen if they can't get to the latest American Idol downloads & Tap Tap Revenge.
Thank you!

How can I keep my number when switching from AT&T to Straight Talk using my own phone? The only number transfer option they offer requires I purchase a Straight Talk branded device.

Thanks for answering my earlier question.
Since the amount of data you can use seems to vary from location to location, is there any way to check exactly how much one can use - *before* getting warned?

BKrenning said:
I am very curious about using an Iphone 4S on Straight Talk. Hubby's contract with AT&T is up next month and I really want to get all the iTards off my plan So, what am I going to have to do to his phone to get as many (hopefully all) of the features he currently uses to function?
#1 requirement is tethering. He tethers (& yes, I pay AT&T their F***ing extortion fee) so he can telecommute--no downloading--just connecting to his work pc.
#2 requirement is the "Find my Friends" feature so he can keep track of all his iTard buddies & kids. Why anyone would want this, ahem, feature is beyond me.
#3 is there going to be any problem with iTunes or the Ap Store? He and the iTard kids will throw the biggest hissy fit ever seen if they can't get to the latest American Idol downloads & Tap Tap Revenge.
Thank you!
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1.) if you are on our BYOP plan, you can tether all the hell you want, as long as we don't detect major bandwidth allocation affecting the carrier
2.) any feature that uses the internet inside your phone is compatible, you don't need to unlock your phone since you will have a AT&T sim under StraightTalk
3.) nope not at all,
synaesthetic said:
How can I keep my number when switching from AT&T to Straight Talk using my own phone? The only number transfer option they offer requires I purchase a Straight Talk branded device.
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LOL, who told you that?, you can keep a AT&T number and still use the same device, we just give you a SIM (we need to program the SIM to your number and re-register it in the AT&T network), call ST and tell them to activate the SIM, the process takes 24hrs-2 business days, or maybe they have a new policy about phone number change, it was 2 months since i worked there, but that was the process before i left
luftrofl said:
Thanks for answering my earlier question.
Since the amount of data you can use seems to vary from location to location, is there any way to check exactly how much one can use - *before* getting warned?
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there was a code entry before, darn i forgot the code, it was used by us to check data/voice/SMS usage using the subscribers phone incase our tools go down. we use manual check to inform about the data changes

Nobody told me, but the website didn't allow for a number port option when buying just a SIM.

synaesthetic said:
Nobody told me, but the website didn't allow for a number port option when buying just a SIM.
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I just got my sim card yesterday. I phoned straight talk to activate it. They can port a number over when you call them or on there website. I however did not port my number over yet because I want to test there service before canceling my att
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium

I use on average around 1-1.5GB per month with AT&T. Occasionally I come close to my 3GB cap. I've never gone over it. Would this be a problem for ST? I know they say "unlimited" but I am pretty sure it's not actually "unlimited" since nothing really is anymore.

synaesthetic said:
Nobody told me, but the website didn't allow for a number port option when buying just a SIM.
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yeah, they don't disclose that unless customer requests, because ST pays AT&T or other carriers to port the number into our database
synaesthetic said:
I use on average around 1-1.5GB per month with AT&T. Occasionally I come close to my 3GB cap. I've never gone over it. Would this be a problem for ST? I know they say "unlimited" but I am pretty sure it's not actually "unlimited" since nothing really is anymore.
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in thier marketing its not unlimited internet its unlimited web browsing
its hard for us to detect bandwidth usage, but we can easily detect bandwidth allocation,
stupid terms and conditions are as follows
Straight Talk Unlimited talk, text and data plan Features cannot be used: (1) for access to the Internet, intranets, or other data networks except as the device’s native applications and capabilities permit, or (2) for any applications that tether your device to laptops or personal computers other than for the use of Wireless Synch.
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the system of ST (provided by tracfone wireless) rely on AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, TMO systems, we sync data together with thier systems
and its f****** slow to sync with thier databases using our system

I know this is not about the pre paid, but I have a unlimited data non-smart phone plan and I would like to know if AT&T just does not care that I use 5+GB a month on it or if I am just lucky?
The best part is, my speeds are the same as the store phone's with the right plan's. I even have LTE were I live and when I went to a store to run some speed test I got 6.5 down and 1.5 up on H+ vs the store S2 geting about the same thing and the one x geting 8 down and 7.5up on LTE.
Thanks

well if your phone is not a smartphone under a AT&T plan we do give unlimited data with no caps, just for ordinary and classic phones,

T-Mobile / Nexus 4

Hi all.
I'm currently a Verizon customer and I hate the fact that their network is locked down because it's tied to CMDA. I like the idea of buying unlocked phones and popping in a SIM. Now that Google is selling unlocked Nexus phones at a ridiculously low price, I'm tempted to switch.
What I do like about Verizon's network is the quality. I've only been on at&t and Verizon and I can say that Verizon has a much better network than them in my experience. I'm also in a solid LTE area with grandfathered unlimited data.
Are there any people out there that have experienced both Verizon and T-mobiles networks? I know comparisons will vary from location to location - I'm in San Diego. Any advice on whether or not I should switch? I'd hate to switch only to learn that the network stinks and then lose my unlimited data when I go back to Verizon.
Thanks!

There will likely be a "cool off" period with the Nexus 4 as there was with the Galaxy Nexus, meaning you could get your money back after 2 weeks (or 30 days, I can't remember now). That's under the assumption you bought from the Play Store.
Then you could get the T-Mobile Prepaid $30 plan and test out T-Mobile's network for however long you have to return the Nexus 4. You'd just keep your Verizon line open while you are experimenting with T-Mobile.
The worse that you'd lose is a month's of prepaid service and maybe some repacking fees. The best is you'd be happy with T-Mobile and lower your monthly bill. Oh and there are plenty of people willing to take your Verizon Unlimited Data Plan for free and you could turn around and sell your Verizon phone.
That's what I did with the Galaxy Nexus and I was able to keep my number while being under contract (there's a Google Voice trick) . Verizon's LTE is faster than T-Mobile's HSPA but it's definitely suitable for my needs. I happen to think LTE is more than what average users really require.

CaptainStrange said:
There will likely be a "cool off" period with the Nexus 4 as there was with the Galaxy Nexus, meaning you could get your money back after 2 weeks (or 30 days, I can't remember now). That's under the assumption you bought from the Play Store.
Then you could get the T-Mobile Prepaid $30 plan and test out T-Mobile's network for however long you have to return the Nexus 4. You'd just keep your Verizon line open while you are experimenting with T-Mobile.
The worse that you'd lose is a month's of prepaid service and maybe some repacking fees. The best is you'd be happy with T-Mobile and lower your monthly bill. Oh and there are plenty of people willing to take your Verizon Unlimited Data Plan for free and you could turn around and sell your Verizon phone.
That's what I did with the Galaxy Nexus and I was able to keep my number while being under contract (there's a Google Voice trick) . Verizon's LTE is faster than T-Mobile's HSPA but it's definitely suitable for my needs. I happen to think LTE is more than what average users really require.
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Thanks for the input! That's a great idea.
What do you mean by "plenty of people willing to take your Verizon Unlimited Data Plan"?
I was also thinking about porting my number to google voice, but I realize I'd be losing MMS.
How would you compare Verizon and T-mobile in terms of building penetration and service in congested areas?

skinien said:
Thanks for the input! That's a great idea.
What do you mean by "plenty of people willing to take your Verizon Unlimited Data Plan"?
I was also thinking about porting my number to google voice, but I realize I'd be losing MMS.
How would you compare Verizon and T-mobile in terms of building penetration and service in congested areas?
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I would double check if the Play Store will allow returns for the LG Nexus 4, although I wouldn't see why not. I can't look up the site at the moment.
I was assuming that you are still in a contract. If you are, you can let someone assume your contract. It's called an assumption of liability and people will snatch up a contract that has unlimited data, especially with Verizon.
As far as building penetration, I don't notice much difference at all. I get better reception at my job and that is a 5 story building.
I think that the higher frequencies can become problematic if you are far from the tower, if there are many people using the same tower, the weather, etc. I don't believe in saying T-Mobile has bad building reception because it uses higher frequencies. But, it does play a factor.

You can also go prepaid on atts network. There are a bunch of mnvos, most notably straight talk.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

jordanishere said:
You can also go prepaid on atts network. There are a bunch of mnvos, most notably straight talk.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Thanks. I'm going to try t-mobile's first. Their HSPA+ speeds are great according to this:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2405597,00.asp

^ And according to me
I'm on a T-Mobile mnvo and I get the same speeds as I did on their network, with their data gateway.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Id be interested in your granfathered unlimited data plan with verizon.

Verizon
I'd say stick to Verizon. They have more cell towers and what not so reception is very good. Also, they had a better selection of phones in my opinion.

I just switched to T-Mobile from Sprint. I have an original Xoom on Verizon. T-Mobile has excellent voice coverage and pretty good data. If you are going to be traveling out of the US (which I do). T-Mobile is the way to go. It is hard to beat Verizon's coverage and speed domestically. You can't go wrong with either. I had a Galaxy Nexus on Sprint and it was a bad experience. Phone was great, but the network was horrible. My phone drained in about 2 hours when not on Wi-Fi. Hope this helps.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

noesilva said:
Id be interested in your granfathered unlimited data plan with verizon.
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Do you know how this works? I've never heard of the ability to do hand off a contract until this thread.

skinien said:
Do you know how this works? I've never heard of the ability to do hand off a contract until this thread.
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You call Verizon Wireless assumption of liability department at 1-888-832-4540. You give them the first and last name of the person taking over the contract. Also, make sure you get your phone number ported to Google Voice beforehand. If you have questions about porting to Google Voice under contract see this thread:
https://vzwsupport.jive-mobile.com/#jive-discussion?content=/api/core/v2/discussions/779321

CaptainStrange said:
You call Verizon Wireless assumption of liability department at 1-888-832-4540. You give them the first and last name of the person taking over the contract. Also, make sure you get your phone number ported to Google Voice beforehand. If you have questions about porting to Google Voice under contract see this thread:
https://vzwsupport.jive-mobile.com/#jive-discussion?content=/api/core/v2/discussions/779321
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Thanks. I was thinking about porting to voice but don't want to deal with MMS not working.

To be honest I just got switched from Verizon to t-mobile and though Verizon has more coverage T-Mobile network is still very good at least in Ohio, data isn't as fast as LTE but that's a given. Still HSPA+ is still quite fast.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

skinien said:
Hi all.
I'm currently a Verizon customer and I hate the fact that their network is locked down because it's tied to CMDA. I like the idea of buying unlocked phones and popping in a SIM. Now that Google is selling unlocked Nexus phones at a ridiculously low price, I'm tempted to switch.
What I do like about Verizon's network is the quality. I've only been on at&t and Verizon and I can say that Verizon has a much better network than them in my experience. I'm also in a solid LTE area with grandfathered unlimited data.
Are there any people out there that have experienced both Verizon and T-mobiles networks? I know comparisons will vary from location to location - I'm in San Diego. Any advice on whether or not I should switch? I'd hate to switch only to learn that the network stinks and then lose my unlimited data when I go back to Verizon.
Thanks!
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I have several T-mobile phones, and my husband has a T-mobile phone and a Verizon phone. He's says there's really no difference in speed or coverage (we live in Jersey City, NJ....And to those of you that would like to dispute this claim...Note: this is my experience and opinion and I'm entitled to it. Thank you.)
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[Q] Solavei or Straight Talk

I am currently on net10 and noticed that during peak hours my data is almost non existant. I learned that att mvno dont have priority on the network so I think that might explain why despite having full bars my data speeds are horrible during peak hours of the day. I heard that Tmobile doesnt deprioritize mvno so I was thinking of trying Solavei. I already have the sim card and free service for a month. I am just worried about coverage on tmobile's network. So my first question is how are people fairing with tmobile or solavei? I know tmobile is working on their network has anyone seen improvements in coverage? Also I was wondering if people are having the same issue with straight talk on the Att side during peak hours in large populated areas? I live in the bay area but i noticed the same speed issues over the holidays when I was in Memphis, Tn with net10.

IM loving it! i work in the bay area and get great speeds here! and at home also which is in fresno! coverage has gotten allot better and its only getting better! if i were you i would join before the 31st cause you get the free month of service and free sim card... if you want to join hit me up [email protected]...

asqwrd said:
I am currently on net10 and noticed that during peak hours my data is almost non existant. I learned that att mvno dont have priority on the network so I think that might explain why despite having full bars my data speeds are horrible during peak hours of the day. I heard that Tmobile doesnt deprioritize mvno so I was thinking of trying Solavei. I already have the sim card and free service for a month. I am just worried about coverage on tmobile's network. So my first question is how are people fairing with tmobile or solavei? I know tmobile is working on their network has anyone seen improvements in coverage? Also I was wondering if people are having the same issue with straight talk on the Att side during peak hours in large populated areas? I live in the bay area but i noticed the same speed issues over the holidays when I was in Memphis, Tn with net10.
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tmo/solavei coverage ain't bad if you live in a big city or populated area. once you leave the city it usually craps down to edge or you lose signal altogether. but when your getting good signal the data is pretty fast, and no they don't prioritize, you'll get the same speeds on any tmo mvno as actual tmo. only thing I hate about T-Mobile is the indoor signal strength sux. but seeing as how I just got throttled down to .23 mb/s by st at&t halfway thru my billing cycle, I'll be switching back to tmo (solavei actually) next month
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

lowrider262 said:
tmo/solavei coverage ain't bad if you live in a big city or populated area. once you leave the city it usually craps down to edge or you lose signal altogether. but when your getting good signal the data is pretty fast, and no they don't prioritize, you'll get the same speeds on any tmo mvno as actual tmo. only thing I hate about T-Mobile is the indoor signal strength sux. but seeing as how I just got throttled down to .23 mb/s by st at&t halfway thru my billing cycle, I'll be switching back to tmo (solavei actually) next month
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
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were you having data issues during peaks hours where you couldnt use data or it was really slow? Also how long ago did you have tmobile im waiting on my sim from solavei but i have been trying to gauge how much of an improvement tmobile has made on their network as far as coverage. Seems like its not much based on research no one has out right said they are experiencing better coverage

Use T-Mobile's coverage map on their website.

asqwrd said:
were you having data issues during peaks hours where you couldnt use data or it was really slow? Also how long ago did you have tmobile im waiting on my sim from solavei but i have been trying to gauge how much of an improvement tmobile has made on their network as far as coverage. Seems like its not much based on research no one has out right said they are experiencing better coverage
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no my data was fine during peak hours on tmobile. I was on tmo up until the 9th of this month then I switched to st at&t

xdviper said:
Use T-Mobile's coverage map on their website.
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I have used the coverage map but user experience is better than looking at a map. Those maps arent always accurate and i feel sometimes the carriers embellish a little bit about their actual coverage. I guess ill just have to wait and see when the sim comes

asqwrd said:
I have used the coverage map but user experience is better than looking at a map. Those maps arent always accurate and i feel sometimes the carriers embellish a little bit about their actual coverage. I guess ill just have to wait and see when the sim comes
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bump

I use att.mvno with H2O Wireless and don't get no peak slowdowns AFAIK. I don't stream videos and in general i view mobile sites rather than full sites as well so maybe that's part of why i don't notice much of a difference. Then again certain parts of AT&T's network are slammed, doesn't matter if it's prepaid of full post paid contract plans.

asqwrd said:
I have used the coverage map but user experience is better than looking at a map. Those maps arent always accurate and i feel sometimes the carriers embellish a little bit about their actual coverage. I guess ill just have to wait and see when the sim comes
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This may sound weird, but I've found T-Mobile's coverage map to be superbly accurate. It's inside buildings where it gets hazy.

To the OP, Straight Talk and Net10 use the same service ..just Net10 charges $5 more for it.
You go with these for the unlimited talk or data? Which is more important? If you can live with 100anytime mins try T-Mobile prepaid they have a 100 anytime min, unlimited text and 5GB of 4G speed then throttled but still unlimited, for $30/month.
Sent from my Nexus 4 16GB using Tapatalk 2

I have been with Tmo for 9 years and 3 months ago cancelled and started a Solavei plan on the Tmo network. I went from a $180/month to $110/month month (2 phones). 4gb (per month) 3G/4G before throttle to 2G was the selling point for me. Tmobile is great if you don't travel out of cities/off the interstate. I've never had problems even when I traveled for my job 100% across America, but I was in cities and rarely went to rural/redneck areas.
The only downside (if its a downside) is that the Solavei website is fairly stripped of information about your phone plan. You really just log in and pay your bill (or setup auto-pay). There is no statistics (minutes/data/call log/etc...) like Tmobile had so you will have to use apps to track that stuff. I re-Rom a lot so it is tough for me to track statistics smoothly but this is really trivial and not a big deal.

The data being used on Straight Talk with TMob is a hairy one..on HowardForums some say they get capped at 4gb then some say at 7-10gb, but supposedly tmob is cracking down on the mnvos for data usage..
Atat on the other hand will straight up kick your ass off data completely on mvnos. But tmobiles own prepaid offerings aren't bad and you know what they say is what you'll get. And the T-Mobile my account info app on the play store works for their prepaid.
Sent from my Nexus 4 16GB using Tapatalk 2

ztmike said:
To the OP, Straight Talk and Net10 use the same service ..just Net10 charges $5 more for it.
You go with these for the unlimited talk or data? Which is more important? If you can live with 100anytime mins try T-Mobile prepaid they have a 100 anytime min, unlimited text and 5GB of 4G speed then throttled but still unlimited, for $30/month.
Sent from my Nexus 4 16GB using Tapatalk 2
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FYI - Straight Talk operates on both AT&T and T-Mobile and even Verizon in some places. You can get SIMs for either service depending on your phone (excepting Nexus and other unlocked devices where you can use both - even swap around if you want to).

ztmike said:
To the OP, Straight Talk and Net10 use the same service ..just Net10 charges $5 more for it.
You go with these for the unlimited talk or data? Which is more important? If you can live with 100anytime mins try T-Mobile prepaid they have a 100 anytime min, unlimited text and 5GB of 4G speed then throttled but still unlimited, for $30/month.
Sent from my Nexus 4 16GB using Tapatalk 2
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I wanted to try Solavei because I heard it has data roaming while T-mobile prepaid doesnt. I figured that would help a little with coverage for data also 100 mins is too little for me I can run through that easily in a day( I work remotely from home 2 days out of the week so meetings can run over)
Thanks for the reply patiently waiting on the sim card hopefully I get good results on tmobile i just think Net10 and I guess Straightalk are pointless if i cant use data well during certain times of the day despite having full bars. It happened to me on too many occasions this past month in two different cities.

I've been using Straight Talk (with ATT Sim) for about a month and haven't run into any issues with using data throughout the day. I haven't reached the throttle point yet though.. Speeds with ATT are consistently 3mbit (yes, a lot slower then TMobile, but better coverage).

madferretx said:
I've been using Straight Talk (with ATT Sim) for about a month and haven't run into any issues with using data throughout the day. I haven't reached the throttle point yet though.. Speeds with ATT are consistently 3mbit (yes, a lot slower then TMobile, but better coverage).
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Do you live in the bay area or similar place with a lot of people?

Don't do Solavei. I had it for a few days and data is very jumpy. I'm right outside of Dallas and my speeds were worse than Metro PCS. I think at one point it got down to 100-200 kbps. Way worse. And when I tried to set up my APN settings to get MMS and Solavei Web to work when only one or the other was working I went through two customer service reps and they didn't know what the hell they were doing. I got a refund and just went with a tmobile contract plan where I'm getting unlimited everything with no caps for $64 a month. I hate caps. Just stay away from Solavei.

Had AT&T ST, now T-Mobile prepaid, switching to Solavei soon.
For me on AT&T my phone gets decent reception in buildings, but T-mobile's HSPA+ is very fast outside big corporate buildings, which I prefer actually for streaming media. T-Mobile prepaid doesn't offer conditional call forwarding, so that's the main reason I'm switching to Solavei since I can't use Google Voice as my voicemail without that feature. AFAIK they are the only T-Mobile MVNO that offers it.

Did a bunch of reading.
I use/need:
1. ~800 minutes
2. ~1.5GB of data (was using 500MB on sprint, assume I'll use more on faster network)
3. Mostly urban, rarely rural. Willing to forego data when out in the wilderness
4. Google Voicemail
5. Would like to be less than $50/mo and/or 'contract free' (don't want to pay phone subsidy when I own my phone)
T-mobile $30 prepaid plan: Ruled out by 1.
Straight Talk - T-Mobile SIM: Ruled out by 4.
T-mobile $60 prepaid plan: Ruled out by 5. ($10/mo+ * 24 = a new nexus phone)
AT&T $65 plan: Ruled out by 2, 5.
Looks like my options are:
A: Solavei - T-Mobile Network
Pros:
1. Faster when data works
2. Same priority as T-mobile customers
3. 4GB on 4G data before throttle
4. Voice+Data roaming
5. Possible to save $20/mo if I refer 3 subscribers and they're sure to use my referral code (I already have 2 possible)
6. Seems to be better in congested areas (from visually reviewing data on rootmetrics)​
Cons:
1. $ more than ST
2. Smaller overall network
3. Weaker building penetration
4. Expects me to become a network marketer to save, new users most likely won't properly attribute my referral
5. If you do sign up 3 referrals, you're basically on-contract and won't want to leave because of the savings, even if quality starts to suffers​
B: Straight Talk - AT&T Network
Pros:
1. $5-8 less than Solavei
2. Bigger overall network = better voice+data coverage
3. Better building penetration
4. Easy to switch​
Cons:
1. Slower data
2. Random throttling. Is it 70MB/day? Is it 2GB/mo? What is it? You'll end up asking: "WHY DID YOU THROTTLE ME?" They'll end up saying: "Dunno, see if it's faster next month. Everything is fine on our end."
3. Lower priority voice+data in congested areas/times. Network is getting beat up by iPhones+iPads.
4. No data or voice roaming​
I looked at:
http://www.airportal.de/
http://www.rootmetrics.com/
I've read several reports of poor T-mobile service in Buffalo, NY, but the fresh maps (-90 days) on these sites say otherwise. Willing to try magenta first, then fall back to random throttling and low priority on ST-ATT.

[Q] Which MNVO to use?

So I'm currently on the T-Mobile $30 plan, which is great, but I'm left wanting for more minutes. So I use nearly all my data allowance each month, so being on a plan that doesn't have unlimited data with caps lower than 5 GB isn't acceptable. I'd also like to keep my H+ speeds. My budget is $45. My knee-jerk reaction is to go with GoSmart, since they meet all the criteria, and they aren't a subsidiary of tracfone. I'm a tad worried at their definition of High Speed Web, which is 3G. I know that H+ is technically 3g, but many companies have taken to calling it 4g.
My 2nd choice would be to go with Net10 or Straighttalk, but I've heard that data caps are unpredictable, and I'd rather not have to deal with that.
I'm not sure what else is out there...I'd like to go with AT&T due to their superior coverage, but I can accept that they may not have plans that appeal to me.

Sounds like you're out of luck. You can't get much out of prepaid services. Only T-mobile's $70 unlimited prepaid plan offers all you can eat minutes, text and data. But that's way out of your budget.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Use voip for the extra minutes. In you price range you won't be able to find what you are looking for. For what it's worth, net10 is a subsidiary of tracfone and their service reflects that, they sucked big time for me.

I don't think Straight Talk or Net10 throttle as much if you have their T-Mobile SIM. It's AT&T that's screwing over the MVNO's, not the MVNO itself. In fact, I think on Net10's Terms Of Service it even states that if you have an AT&T SIM you'll be capped at 1.5GB of data and it doesn't apply if you have the "pink" net10 T-Mobile SIM.

Not first hand experience but it seems to be the gist from everything I've read... StraightTalk on TMO is a lot more relaxed than on ATT.
GoSmart's data will be slower than you're looking for. If you read closely you'll find the "3G" speedcap (can't remember off the top of my head but there is one. 3mbps?).
Do consider VoIP. If you're looking for something straight forward that works pretty well, download the Vonage app. Since an app update recently, you're now able to dial from the native dialer and choose Vonage (or set it to always). Works over wifi and cell data. If you're fine making your longer phone calls outbound calls, you'll do alright.

I was in a similar place. I just got my Nexus 4 and am testing out the TMo 30 plan. A good alternative is Solavei. If I remember correctly, they are $45 a month. You get unlimited call/text/data. 4G data is capped at 4GB - best I've found from an MVNO that offers decent minutes. I also read they allow TMo LTE. Again, not first hand experience. Just what I found while digging. If I find VOIP imperfect (which it was on the 35 Virgin plan before), I'll probably switch to Solavei.
Bonus: Taxes are NOT included. A lot of users reported approx $50 bills total.
Bonus 2: GoSmart does not offer H+. This has been reported by several users. Kept me away from their plan.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

ziddey said:
Not first hand experience but it seems to be the gist from everything I've read... StraightTalk on TMO is a lot more relaxed than on ATT.
GoSmart's data will be slower than you're looking for. If you read closely you'll find the "3G" speedcap (can't remember off the top of my head but there is one. 3mbps?).
Do consider VoIP. If you're looking for something straight forward that works pretty well, download the Vonage app. Since an app update recently, you're now able to dial from the native dialer and choose Vonage (or set it to always). Works over wifi and cell data. If you're fine making your longer phone calls outbound calls, you'll do alright.
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I have tried that, but I had a lot of people complain about an echo. Is that fixed?

sailerboy said:
I have tried that, but I had a lot of people complain about an echo. Is that fixed?
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Click to collapse
With Vonage? Others always complain about echo when I use sipdroid/pbxes/gv, but over Vonage, everyone stops the conversation at some point to say that I sound way better than I usually do.

ziddey said:
With Vonage? Others always complain about echo when I use sipdroid/pbxes/gv, but over Vonage, everyone stops the conversation at some point to say that I sound way better than I usually do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm quite pleased with Spare Phone vs Groove IP.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

swagstr said:
I was in a similar place. I just got my Nexus 4 and am testing out the TMo 30 plan. A good alternative is Solavei. If I remember correctly, they are $45 a month. You get unlimited call/text/data. 4G data is capped at 4GB - best I've found from an MVNO that offers decent minutes. I also read they allow TMo LTE. Again, not first hand experience. Just what I found while digging. If I find VOIP imperfect (which it was on the 35 Virgin plan before), I'll probably switch to Solavei.
Bonus: Taxes are NOT included. A lot of users reported approx $50 bills total.
Bonus 2: GoSmart does not offer H+. This has been reported by several users. Kept me away from their plan.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I think Solavei would be his only choice. I have Simple Mobile now, but they screwed me on the data. They throttled me a little after I passed the 2 gig mark, so I wouldn't recommend them. I'm tired of dealing with these MNVOs and all their bull, so I'm switching to the $70 unlimited plan from T-Mobile.

Review: VZW Note 4 on Straight Talk

Please forgive me if my post is hard to understand, as I am on strong meds for my epilepsy.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am an avid supporter of Straight Talk, as I find it has the best overall bang for my buck at $45 a month. Now that ST is offering Verizon sim cards to be used on their network (unlimited talk, text, 3GB data, throttled after 3GB,) I have decided to jump onto their towers. Coming from a Oneplus One with an AT&T sim, needless to say, I was very used to flashing nightly CM builds. The OPO is a good phone, another bang for my buck purchase, but in my rural area Verizon seems to just have better service. I picked up a new in box VZW Note 4 from Swappa for $565 tax free, and have some impressions I'd like to share.
The service:
The service is superior on Verizon. At the VA hospital, at home, and at the mall, I get seamless simultaneous data and voice service. With the OPO on ATT, this was not the case. On the OPO, I would be stuck without the ability to load a web page in many areas, even though the phone stated that it had a 4g LTE connection. I have not run into this issue on the VZW note 4. Neither ATT nor Verizon offers roaming on straight talk, but the VZW towers are so extensive, that I have yet to run into an issue. On ATT, I was unable to get service in some of the more rural areas of my state (nevada.)
The hardware:
The hardware is far superior on the Note 4 than the OPO. It sports a higher res screen, IR blaster, Wacom stylus, and all the fun features that make a note 4 what it is.
The price:
The OPO had a much better price point, but I was satisfied with the increase in services for the note 4 that I got for $200 more than what the OPO costs.
The software:
The note 4 is capable of software that has good practical use, such as a universal remote and drawing software. The OPO is not capable of such things as the hardware does not support it, however, it does have root, and CM, so all the Titanium Backup and Wifi tethering you can handle (as long as you have good service.) The VZW Note 4 is capable of wifi tethering through PDA Net, which luckily I still had a key for from when I had PDA net on my T-Mobile G1 back in the day, but it is obnoxious and makes me utilize a lockscreen pin number which serves as an inhibitor of my device since I like to casually pick it up and turn it on.
The bloatware:
Oneplus One has no bloatware, and even if it did, you could remove it with Titanium Backup. VZW Note 4 has much bloatware, and a lot of it is incompatible with straight talk. Things that will not work on Straight Talk include Caller Name ID, My Verizon Mobile, stock wifi tethering, and visual voicemail. As most of these are premium services, I don't have a use for them and hide them from my menu. VZ Navigator does work on Straight talk, and I find it a very useful GPS software.
Overall, I am satisfied with the Note 4 on Verizon. I will not revert to the OPO and/or ATT ST, and I will not move to Verizon Wireless for prepaid service as it offers less data, and I will not pay for a post-paid Verizon Wireless subscription as it makes no sense now considering the cost and the fact that I own my late model phone outright. I am disappointed that it does not have root, and I should have certainly checked that with this specific device before purchasing, but I do not believe I would have purchased any differently in hindsight. The things I need like wifi tethering have work-arounds, and I surprisingly don't miss downloading new CM updates every night in hopes that it would squash bugs in my service.
Thank you for reading

So maybe I am missing something, but where do you get Verizon Sim cards for the Note 4 on StraightTalk?
Update: Now I see where Walmart is selling them, but can't find them on Straight Talks site. Interesting. Maybe I will try one.

just wondering not that I am planning to switch to ST but how are speed tests? I helped someone move from T-Mobile to ST but that was on AT&T tho. with Moto G LTE and speedtests were around 6-8 mbps usually.

dlang123 said:
So maybe I am missing something, but where do you get Verizon Sim cards for the Note 4 on StraightTalk?
Update: Now I see where Walmart is selling them, but can't find them on Straight Talks site. Interesting. Maybe I will try one.
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Click to collapse
http://www.straighttalkbyop.com/shop.php has sprint and vzw activation kits
patt2k said:
just wondering not that I am planning to switch to ST but how are speed tests? I helped someone move from T-Mobile to ST but that was on AT&T tho. with Moto G LTE and speedtests were around 6-8 mbps usually.
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I just got 6mb down 2mb up when I tried speedtest. I can't remember what the ATT ST was, but I am pretty sure it was significantly higher
One hiccup that I'm looking to fix is that I cannot receive MMS from my girlfriend who has ATT. I can receive MMS from myself, so perhaps verizon senders will work. VZWINTERNET APN settings are also grayed out, so I can't screw with APN settings. Any suggestions? I don't have developer edition so no root apn managers will work

I'm using mine on straight talk (tmobile) and I get download speeds of 25mbps in my area
Sent from my SM-N910V

dogredwing1 said:
I'm using mine on straight talk (tmobile) and I get download speeds of 25mbps in my area
Sent from my SM-N910V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TMO is very generous with their data, and there are even better priced TMO MVNOs than Straight Talk. I definitely wish they had the towers in my region to provide good service, but unfortunately they don't work in much of the state.

ST has instructions for creating a new APN network when you activate the phone, in order to receive MMS and have a solid connection for data to their network. If you go to ST's website, and log into your account, it should be under one of the tabs. Alternatively, you could Google the Verizon ST APN settings, or search ST's site for them.
Hope this helps!
Kelly
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (Verizon)
Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2

rykatemom said:
ST has instructions for creating a new APN network when you activate the phone, in order to receive MMS and have a solid connection for data to their network. If you go to ST's website, and log into your account, it should be under one of the tabs. Alternatively, you could Google the Verizon ST APN settings, or search ST's site for them.
Hope this helps!
Kelly
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (Verizon)
Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It started working yesterday, must have just been a network issue from the switchover

FYI Straight Talk is a MVNO utilzing Verizon's network...
FYI Straight Talk is a MVNO* utilizing Verizon's (for CDMA phones) or AT&T's and T-Mobile's network (when using GSM phones)... assuming Verizon doesn't throttle Straight Talk, you should get identical performance, range and results since you are on the same towers.
* MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) ... essentially they are a sophisticated reseller.

jmcturnan said:
FYI Straight Talk is a MVNO* utilizing Verizon's (for CDMA phones) or AT&T's and T-Mobile's network (when using GSM phones)... assuming Verizon doesn't throttle Straight Talk, you should get identical performance, range and results since you are on the same towers.
* MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) ... essentially they are a sophisticated reseller.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know it's an MVNO. Apparently Verizon throttles 4g to 5mbps on Straight Talk. I wish I knew that before hand, but 3 gigs of 5mbps is more important to me than 1 - 1.5 gigs of full speed LTE on the Verizon branded prepaid for the same price. It's an unnoticeable trade-off as I haven't found anything that won't stream through Straight Talk.
The higher-speed alternative with 3 gigs would be PagePlus at $55 a month. I'm saving the $10 with ST and am still satisfied.
http://www.bestmvno.com/verizon-mvnos.html

Thanks for posting this thread. I've been considering jumping over to Straight Talk with my Note 4, and your experience with the device and the service is helpful.

I'm also using a VZW Note 4 on ST VZW SIM and find it more than satisfactory. The process of getting it on the network was a bit convoluted but I got it working. I purchased my Certified Pre-Owned Note 4 through VZW's and didn't realize they start an activation process when they ship it. I was unable to immediately use it on ST because of this. I actually had to use a month of VZW prepaid before they'd let me off. Stupid stuff man...

rickyray9 said:
I know it's an MVNO. Apparently Verizon throttles 4g to 5mbps on Straight Talk. I wish I knew that before hand, but 3 gigs of 5mbps is more important to me than 1 - 1.5 gigs of full speed LTE on the Verizon branded prepaid for the same price. It's an unnoticeable trade-off as I haven't found anything that won't stream through Straight Talk.
The higher-speed alternative with 3 gigs would be PagePlus at $55 a month. I'm saving the $10 with ST and am still satisfied.
http://www.bestmvno.com/verizon-mvnos.html
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I'll stick with ST on AT&T. I just ran a test and got 23.96 Mbps down and 13.54 Mpbs up. And I live in mountainous WV.

Thanks for the info on this. I am going to buy out the rest of my contract with VZW as soon as I can and save over half on my monthly bill while getting 1 more gig of data. No ringbacks or VVM but it's a good tradeoff.

treyjazz said:
Thanks for the info on this. I am going to buy out the rest of my contract with VZW as soon as I can and save over half on my monthly bill while getting 1 more gig of data. No ringbacks or VVM but it's a good tradeoff.
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Google Voice is a great alternative for VVM.

wesside123 said:
Google Voice is a great alternative for VVM.
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Click to collapse
I tried it but it really screwed up my VM and it ended up rejecting all VMs from missed calls. I tried at least 3 times to set it up and no dice. I just hope when I switch I have no problem.

patt2k said:
just wondering not that I am planning to switch to ST but how are speed tests? I helped someone move from T-Mobile to ST but that was on AT&T tho. with Moto G LTE and speedtests were around 6-8 mbps usually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have galaxy note 4 n910v The speed test are not that great on straight talk using Verizon towers like 5-7 download.. 1 our less upload and 90-150 on ping test I think Verizon keeps Straight talk throttled.. I put in a metro PC's sim and was getting 25 download 3-4 upload and 35 on ping test. I currently have a sim card on way from T-Mobile and will be switching to them because T-Mobile throttles metro PC's during heavy use times .

I use ST on my note 4, only gripe I have is no OTA's so I'll have to flash these updates myself.

LTE-Verizon internet is unlocked i don't why hence my phone does not support 4g even though it's note 4 SM-N910V

Litomaro said:
LTE-Verizon internet is unlocked i don't why hence my phone does not support 4g even though it's note 4 SM-N910V
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Click to collapse
Who is your network provider? Your issue is probably just apn.