willbeeind

Hi all, Does anyone know if the basic TechConnect plan runs at full speed (limited to 12 mbps as I recall) on video sites like Netflix? Some services throttle the speeds on video to limit usage. for example my Visible smartphone hotspot runs about 60 mbps download, but only 3 mbps for video. I tell the difference by using fast.com to check video speed, and speedtest. net for general speed. I"m considering going back to TechConnect next year and this is a consideration. Thanks Will

I would have been happy to get 12 Mbps on the T-mobile device. I tested the T-mobile speed with Fast.com and get around 3 Mbps download. Interestingly when I test with speedtest.net I get 25 -30 Mbps download. Some references say that Fast.com tests video download speeds since it is a Netflix website. I never could get faster results on fast.com. I don't have the AT&T hotspot yet; it would be interesting if someone would test it on fast.com.

Ha! Just answered my own question. I found another statement on the FMCA website: "All Sprint hotspots will be shut down on 6/30/2022 and T-Mobile hotspots will be shut down by 7/7/2022" That's pretty definitive!

Does anyone have any authoritative info on when the T-Mobile hotspots will be turned off? (not the old Sprint ones). The emails from Techconnect are not very specific. We are traveling in early July then off the road for 4-5 months so it's not worth my money to change over to AT&T now, with the new lower limit on Seasonal service. The first email said: "This new plan will take effect on June 7, 2022, and you will need to decide if you want to transition to AT&T or to cancel your subscription to the Tech Connect+ benefit. .... Note: If you do not fill out this form, it is the same as choosing “No,” and your account will be deactivated within 45 days. 45 days from when? The second email said: "If you have a Sprint hotspot, it will be shutdown on 6/30/22 when T-Mobile deactivates all Sprint towers, if you have a T-Mobile hotspot it will be shut down in under 30 days. " When does the 30 days start? I expect it could be anytime after June 30 but would be nice to know.

I had some long standing questions pending with Tech Connect Support so I thought I'd try again after the first of the year, via a customer service email. I received a complete email response in just a few days from Jackson. Hopefully that is an indication that their Tech Connect Support capability is catching up to demand. Here are the questions they answered, in case they help someone else: Q: I have had trouble with no or slow connection in roaming areas shown as "partner" areas on the T-Mobile coverage map, even though I have a good 3 or 4 bar connection. What data connectivity should I expect in those areas? I only get up to something like 15k data rate (K not meg). I realize I am getting a new hotspot device soon and that might affect my service in partner areas, but I want to know if it should work as well there as in normal T-Mobile areas. That might affect my choice of campgrounds. A: Tmobile has recently bought Sprint and has been shutting down and switching towers over to tmobile. We are sending new sims out to alleviate the issue please check your email for that. I take that to mean that service in those areas should improve with all T-Mobile sim cards and towers. I will test it! Q:In order to put my system in Seasonal Status I had to input a date as to when I would turn it back on again (take it out of Seasonal). Is there an option to take it out of Seasonal at a different date, earlier or later? Or is it automatic? A: Regarding the seasonal setting you will have to give us a call so we can help reset that. I expect that means they can take it out of seasonal status at any time. Editorial: I have some friends that work for T-mobile (Deutsche Telecom) in Germany and they really are working hard to expand their capabilities and take over the world of mobile internet. Hopefully if FMCA can continue to work with them to improve the Tech Connect plan it can continue to be a good service. It has worked great for me, except in the "parter" areas.

FYI, I did get the new hotspot to work on the T-mobile plan. It is an Alcatel Linkzone 2 4G hotspot. We received it less than a week after confirming our address. Apparently not 5G compatible but we don't need much speed so it should work for us. Ours is on Seasonal status as we are at our sticks and bricks home, so we'll have to wait a few months to see how well it works.

I got an email today from FMCA asking for an address confirmation so they can send a new hotspot to replace my Inseego M8000 for the TechConnect plan. I'm interested to know what hotspot is currently being provided with this plan? Can anybody tell me what is being given out currently? Thanks!!!

I understand this change, but what frustrates me is the lack of communication from FMCA on a program for which we are paying $50 a month. Why couldn't they at least send an email to all Tech Connect + members informing us of this change? Or is there some communication that others are receiving that I am missing out on? I am happy to be part of FMCA, plan to be a member for many years, and believe it is a great organization trying to do the right thing. But it is disappointing that FMCA may be getting a bad name due to poor communication and poor tech support.

We had good experience with the FMCA Roadside when we had a blowout on a 5th wheel trailer tire on I-74 in Illinois, not far from Galesburg. The technician on the phone was competent, and located a really good truck tire service company. The guy showed up in a half hour and quickly changed to the spare. We were back on the road within 90 minutes of when I made the call. Overall a good experience. I will keep the FMCA roadside. By the way, I got all 4 tires changed to new Goodyear Endurance at the next opportunity!

I have the Sprint Tech Connect plan using the Mifi 8000. When I am in an Extended Network area the display shows Sprint but is exceedingly slow, with download speeds up to 110k (that's right, 110k, not 110 M). I have a strong signal of 4 bars. Does anyone know if this is the best that can be expected in the extended network areas? I've ran into this in a few locations and it is disappointing. The system works great when we are in a genuine Sprint coverage area. Thanks!

Just in case someone looks at this topic in the future, I will provide an update. I got in touch with FMCA, and they are sending me the Inseego MIfi 8000 hotspot as expected, and I will return the Franklin T9. They said in the future it would need to be changed out for the Mifi 2000 which is 5G compatible, but at least I have a higher end hotspot for a while. As always, it is good to work with the capable support persons at FMCA.

I just initiated my FMCA Tech Connect plan this week and the hotspot I recieved is the Franklin T-9. Reviews I have seen on it are lukewarm. Has anyone else been using this on the FMCA plan? How is the performance? In particular we are interested in reception in fringe areas. Unfortunately it does not have antenna connectors. When I called in they said we'd get the Mifi 8000 but that didn't happen. Thanks!