http://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/ Engadget Mobile Comments for T-Mobile bringing HotSpot @Home to your landlines http://mobile.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://mobile.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/http://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/Aug 9th 2007 12:24PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/http://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/Aug 9th 2007 4:02PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/http://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/Aug 9th 2007 6:53PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/http://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/Aug 9th 2007 8:41PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/http://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/Aug 14th 2007 10:40AMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/http://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/
From what I gather, for an additional 9.99 and expenses associated with setting this up, I'll be able to have unlimited phone usage on my cell at home (when going through the hotspot), along with my normal usage charges while I'm away from home (on the normal cell network).

Is this correct? For someone like me who has NO home line and uses their cell for all calls, this would be a great tool.]]>Aug 15th 2007 1:02PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/http://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/
You have to sign up for a T-Mobile cellular contract (minimum $39.99/month plan) then add the HotSpot@Home service, currently on promotion for $9.99/month, but, will go up to $19.99/month at end of promotion period. You have choice of 2 WiFi-enabled handsets (Samsung ? or Nokia 6086). You can use a T-Mobile router (LinkSys or D-Link, which have a rebate promo that makes them free) that is optimized for voice packets, has one button WAP security set up, and, maximizes battery on handset, or, you can use an existing wireless router.

If you don't have a land line, and, particularly, if you don't have great cellular signal at home, then this would provide VoIP telephony capability at home and if ISP service goes down, you have T-Mobile network as "backup". All your domestic calls are free (I'm not sure about international LD charges) as long as you initiate calls on WiFi network. If you move away from router, call should transfer to T-Mobile cellular network and the call will still be considered as WiFi/VoIP call and you won't get docked for any cellular minutes (conversely, if you start a cellular call and connect to a WiFi connection, its still considered a cellular call and will burn up your cell minutes). One of the benefits is that if you are at any T-Mobile HotSpot (Starbucks, Borders) or open WiFI network (e.g., our local county libraries have free WiFi and I've made calls using my Nokia from these locations), you can make free calls. Beauty is if you're overseas, you find a Starbucks with HotSpot network and you can call home for free.

I had problems with dropped calls initially and T-Mobile has replaced my handset. But I am still getting dropped calls. I received another call today from Tier 2 Tech Support and he had me "reset" the T-Mobile router and I think this may resolve my dropped call problem, but, jury is still out.

If you already have a T-Mobile $39.99/month plan, I would hope you could add the HotSpot@Home service at the promotional rate, and, you can add WiFi VoIP service in your home, assuming you already have some sort of high speed internet service (cable or DSL). If not, you'll have to add that to the mix.

Hope that helps.
]]>Aug 16th 2007 8:11PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/http://mobile.engadget.com/2007/08/08/t-mobile-bringing-hotspot-home-to-your-landlines/Sep 10th 2007 5:13PM