RV WiFi – T-Mobile 5G Hotspot Router Is The Best Out There
RV WiFi is a topic with endless discussions on every major RV Camping blog and message board you will find. We have tried a LOT of the RV Internet options available and the clear winner, is T-Mobile.
In our previous article about RV WiFi we thought we had found the greatest thing since sliced bread. It turns out that bread sat on the counter too long and got pretty stale as time went on.
We used to recommend RV-4G for mobile wifi, and I will say they WERE a pretty great solution for those of us in the RV Life and Van Life community. Since writing that article, their service has become unreliable, the customer service is now non-existent, and the price is more than DOUBLE what T-Mobile is offering.
T-Mobile supplies the router, so there is no out of pocket cost to purchase your own. Setup is about as easy as anything we have ever seen before, and their app makes router control so intuitive your 5 year old can be your new IT Guy.
With the T-Mobile 5G WiFi there is NO DATA CAP. None.
You want to stream 24/7? Go for it. No need to nervously watch your data meter on a rainy RV Camping day to make sure you can still check your E-mail later.
RV WiFi Speed
Is it fast? In a word, Yes.
The download and upload speeds are so consistently good it is almost like having cable internet. Now, this will depend on how good your signal is, but I can say T-Mobile has the largest 5G network in the nation, and we very seldom had any slow downs.
Is It Reliable
The only time we experienced slower speeds was when we were in the middle of nowhere. Honestly there were a few places that I was surprised we had any service at all.
Consistency is key when working remotely, or even just binge watching your favorite tv show. With other remote internet solutions that we have tried we had consistent drop outs where the service cut out. With the T-Mobile 5G solution, once it connects, it stays that way.
Now, this isn’t to say that we never have issues with RV WiFi. Hell, its an electronic, they all have issues.
There have been times where it wouldn’t connect, or it had a slow connection near a major city. The solution usually turned out to be just moving the router to another counter top so it had a better signal.
The connection issues seem to have more to do with 5G rather than the router or T-Mobile. The 5G signal is a trade off between speed and signal penetration. With the 5G signal you get blazing fast speeds, but it has trouble penetrating some surfaces or winding its way through heavy tree cover.
Generally speaking though, if your cell phone works, so will the router.
Customer Service
Honestly, I have never had to call them. Not once. So I can’t honestly say one way or another how responsive they are if there Is actually a problem with your equipment.
I CAN say however, that when I first called to sign up for the service 6 months ago, that within 5 minutes we were all set up and our new router and sim card were on their way to us.
The customer service rep I got on the phone was as pleasant as could be. She understood what we were going to be using it for. She gave me the standard disclaimer that they check your street address to be sure their router will work at your house, and can not guarantee it will work somewhere else.
Then she said we have so many people using it for RV WiFi. I don’t think you will have a problem at all. Turns out she was right.