3G vs 4G speeds is this right?

Stickershock

I have an iPhone 4S with Verizon's mobile hotspot enabled, plus I got a free MiFi 4G lte to tryout until Jan 15th.  A/B'ing them side by side, I get about 8 Gbps down on the MiFi and only about 800 Kbps on the iPhone's 3G mobile hotspot.  Is this over 10x speed difference normal?  The iPhone hotspot is so slow it feels like surfing with an old POTS phone line modem.  Takes forever for web pages to load.

 

MiFi on the other hand is quite usable, almost as fast as my Road Ripper cable service at home.  Is my experience with tested speeds of the iPhone hotspot (using www.speedtest.net) typically so slow or should I look for a problem with the phone or something else?

John_Getzke

Hello,

 

The speeds that you posted for both 3G and 4G LTE are within the typical ranges when testing on Speedtest.net.  I normally expect 4G LTE to range between 5 Mbps and 15 Mbps, 3G between 0.5 Mbps and 2 Mbps.

 

Thats a pretty amazing evalwindow that Verizon gave you (perhaps due to the holidays?).  Most of us only get 14 days to make a decision before Early Termination Fees will kick in.

Some things to be aware of before you make a decision:

1. The MiFi comes with a Data Cap.  They are not normally a good replacement for home internet as most people tend to not watch thier data consumption when at home.  Staying within your limit will take some discipline, especially if more than one person is connected to it.

2. The MiFi's have a few disconnection issues associated with them.  Many of which can be resolved with configuration steps.  If you notice any temporary or long term disconnects then try to get them resolved immediately through VZW support or these forums.

3. Early Termination Fees are expensive.  Try to squash any doubts before the eval due date.