Ask HN: What downsides for replacing WiFi with an unlimited mobile hotspot?

3 pointsbitsinthesky2y ago7 comments

7 comments

7 comments · 4 top-level

PaulHoule2y ago· 2 in thread

It's not the WiFi you're replacing, it's the wired connection behind it, right?

Removing the wifi router, and connect everything to personal smartphone instead

How about remove the wifi router and connect everything to Ethernet instead? That will perform a lot better than either of those.

(Sorry... it's just I'll be hanging out at some house in a bad neighborhood watching cable and the people will be highly aware of very expensive and low performing plans from Verizon and AT&T but not seem to know that you can get better, faster, stronger, cheaper, harder internet from... the cable company.)

bitsintheskyOP2y ago· 1 in thread

Lets say I live alone with somewhat infrequent guests. Is there any real reason to pay for two internet services, when my phone could do all the heavy lifting?

teekert2y ago

I did this for some time when my fiber was out for some reason. My then 4G connection provided me with about 50 mBit download and formed the heart of our network for some time. I guess you will find out if unlimited really is unlimited... Also, It could be that your provider doesn't allow it? On iOS for example I can't run hotspot tethered traffic through my iOS wireguard VPN, it turned out tethered devices get their own IP. So that's easy to detect for your provider and may be against their terms?

Also: No more wired network devices, right? Unless you do something fancy.

opendomain2y ago

Phone data service is not really unlimited- they will throttle after a while.

Also, the data latency and packet size are much worse over mobile networks.

potamic2y ago

Cellular interference is subject to so many things from the buildings around you, population density and even the weather. Imagine the volume of space between you and your mobile tower and how many things might disrupt your signal from reaching the tower. It's like the difference between riding a bicycle on a city road versus a dedicated bicycle lane.

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