Full Review of Verizon's 5G Home Internet in 2023 - The Good and The Bad

[@tomshellydemoss8070]

Got the box and installed it a couple weeks back, but the signal was too weak in a couple areas of my home. I called Verizon and they sent me an extender - free of charge. I just installed that and I'm getting 240 Mbps. Not nearly as good as I was getting through Xfinity, but WAY cheaper. The verdict's out until the enfire family is gaming, streaming, working... Thanks for the info, Brian!

[@disablemycable]

Thanks for sharing! I didn't know Verizon would send out a Wi-Fi extender for free! Good to know. - Brian

[@MrTomengle]

Got this and two new iPhones after the first of the year. Had T Mobile and we couldnt make a phone call from our home without using our Spectrum cable WiFi. Went to check out Verizon and found out that they had recently installed two new cell towers near our home. Easy set up for sure. Not one issue. Just did a speed test and it is 285 down and 25 up while typing this on line. My Iphone 14 Pro Plus on only cell, no wifi, is 409 down and 47 up. Hard to beat. I have the wifi connected to two desk computers and two smart tvs. One downstairs in my Man Cave Basement. Zero complaints and I hope it works as well for you.

[@disablemycable]

Hi Thomas, fantastic! Thanks for sharing your experience! - Brian

[@stevesiefken6432]

We installed our Verizon box almost a week ago. We live about a block from a 5G tower, so our performance is really good. It is soooo much faster than cable! Our Verizon box looks different than yours. In fact, they said it has to be mounted to a wall or window. Our house is 2850 square feet, but the wifi coverage is way more than cable. We can even use it sitting on the patio in the back yard. We are going to cancel our cable account next week. We just wanted to make sure the new box was going to work out first. Thanks for the video!

[@disablemycable]

Hi Steve, wow, thanks for sharing! It sounds like you have the faster mm-wave gateway vs. the C-band box that most people have. Yours requires line-of-sight to the tower but is much faster. Congrats - you're lucky to be able to get this service as most people can't! - Brian

[@stevesiefken6432]

@@disablemycable Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good 😂

[@chrishampson]

Great video Brian. Keep up the good work!

[@disablemycable]

Thank you Chris!!

[@christinecarter7831]

Great Video,Thank you. I currently have Verizon 5G Home Plus.I want to switch to 5G Home to save the extra $20 a month.Do you think they would still honor my price guarantee ? Thank you CC

[@disablemycable]

I would hope so but you should call then to confirm. I’ve actually called many times and not had a problem reaching them.

[@Istandal0ne1]

Does anyone know if you Can travel with the cube to like a hotel?

[@BrianShim]

I haven't tried it myself, but lots of folks online are doing it and say it works anywhere there is a Verizon cell signal. Doing so is not endorsed by Verizon, but there seems to be no consequences.

[@Istandal0ne1]

@BrianShim thank you! I think I'm going to try it out. I really can't beat the price. Cable prices are getting out of hand. At least we have 30 days of trial before Locked in.

[@hallov3256]

i got one a year ago and its got 7 mbps and .25 up wth did i do wrong

[@disablemycable]

Something was very wrong. First thing to do would be to use the onboard signal strength meter to see if the signal was weak. The signal may have been blocked by a building, etc. - Brian

[@darkxsacrificex]

Good video cut cable went t mobile just nightmare the box I got just keep reboot it switch same thing called tmobile tech there working fix problem knowing problem newetc boxers or at least that lady talk too When game ,watch some it late reboot 2 am reboot multiply times a day every 5 mins or so or every 2-4 hours enough of it so today verizon If the boxes have problem engineers working fix when that be even so basically 50 beta test box lol

[@chadherzog998]

my cable lrovider is way faster then verizons going to return it

[@disablemycable]

Thanks for sharing!

[@rfink222]

Same here, Verizon 5G home internet is also unstable in speed and signal.

[@0akk1]

Great review! I’ve had my 5G home internet for about a month now and I love it. Had no issue setting up my device or account but I attribute that to being an existing Verizon Wireless customer. Been getting around 800 mbps down and 60 mbps up. Love it so far!

[@disablemycable]

Wow, great! Thanks for sharing! - Brian

[@oscarsanchez7435]

How are you getting those numbers my wifi router only hits 115? Do you have a different equipment or am I just doing something wrong

[@Overlybroke]

Lucky for both of you I live in Phoenix Arizona with a ip address in Connecticut and have the worst internet with Verizon for the past 2 years they are trash

[@disablemycable]

@@oscarsanchez7435 What is your 5G signal strength like? If you have the ASK model, check out this article on how to see your signal strength: www.disablemycable.com/blog/verizon-internet-gateway-5g-signal-strength-meter/

[@raylewis2121]

This is he first V 5g home Wi-Fi review that I wholeheartedly believe. Imma give it a shot!

[@bryandice1155]

I just tried T-Mobile 5g gateway which also uses a 5g cell tower. 5g has very little range or penetrating ability. (walls or roof) Internet was spoty and kept buffering streaming video. I read the troubleshooting guide which said it must be near a window to function. It improved slightly but was nowhere near cable internet. I then put the receiver inside a plexiglass waterproof box and placed it on the roof. I ran a CAT5 cable from the gateway into my apartment to a switching device. SUCCESS! It is as fast as any cable connection, and it is only $50 a month compared to over $200 from the local cable company for a package with internet included.

[@BH-cy9tb]

I’m on T-Mobile also I had their wireless internet for maybe 10 days. I live in a small ranch house and it just did not work. I went to Verizon today and ordered there 5g and hope it works better. When I called T-Mobile tech they said I should put box on an upper floor. Maybe they ment roof like what you did😂.

[@disablemycable]

Congrats, thanks for sharing!

[@not_me3286]

@@BH-cy9tb Same as I posted elsewhere for the Verizon box, it's possible to add external antennas to the T-Mobile box too, if signal was the cause of the poorer performance.

[@pedellbills130]

Wow way extra lol! But sweet!

[@BonanzaPilot]

we swapped. Old provider was 70 down/70up Verizon is consistently 300 down/ 20 up. The downside is the unloaded ping is roughly 10ms worse than the old service to the same server I commonly connect to but the loaded ping with verizon is significantly better. So if 4k netflix is running in one room, gaming doesn't get bad in the other. The price of the verizon is 1/5 what the old provider was making the switch to verizon a no-brainer

[@disablemycable]

Great, thanks for sharing!

[@chrisnkath241]

I have the Verizon 5G little white box - pros = easy set up if you are a current cell user. Cons = everything else. Don’t do it! Look for other options. They Say no upfront fees and charges - lie. Initial bill was about $65 more and their billing is so convoluted who knows where the extra came from. I honestly feel like I’ve stepped back into the dial up age. Numerous drops and buffering FOREVER! Then, if you opt in on the “free” Samsung notebook … there is a penalty if you decide this service sucks - and it does suck. Stuck now, thinking of just biting the bullet and doing the AT&T fiber. Spectrum was no joy, but this is terrible!!

[@disablemycable]

Well, my neighbors just reported that their cable Internet went down again today, while my Verizon 5G is going strong. Score 1 for Verizon 0 for cable Internet so far!

[@googlereviewer4610]

Have you tried t mobile 5g

[@disablemycable]

@@googlereviewer4610 I haven't. Let me know what you think if you try it. - Brian

[@thelandonm1357]

@@googlereviewer4610 t-Mobile 5G is arguably the best, the only thing holding it back is that the latency is quite a bit higher than Verizon

[@lonelyman1967]

I have t mobile 5g and it's awesome. Just cancel my cable all together. T mobile for the internet and youtube tv for my TV service.

[@jamesjones1822]

I love my 5g box. What crazy in my area I live on plant farm and at shop it has high speed internet but where my house is it said it wouldn’t cover. I went to Verizon and told them the situation. Said try it if doesn’t work bring back. Man I was so happy it work works great for my gaming

[@WingZero223]

I have Verizon 5G and the tower is on my block. I consistently get 1500Mbps which was crazy. It started acting up the past week and now I only get 80Mbps.

[@disablemycable]

Interesting, thanks for sharing! - Brian

[@rfink222]

You will probably continue to have problems because of heavy traffic on the tower at certain times of the day among other things.

[@Kaiser187]

Spectrum internet wifi drops connection in one day more than At&t did in 16 years of use. If At&t had fiber around me I would of never switched because At&t was only 6 mbps speed while Spectrum has up to 1gb. Only had Spectrum for 3 days and it's a living nightmare with how bad it is.

[@rfink222]

I've had Spectrum internet (300 mbps plan and getting about 360 mbps)and it has been flawless for at least 2 years. Verizon Home 5G loses signal about 2 times a day, probably because other Verizon customers have priority over home users. I have heard AT&T fiber drops signal a lot. I can get AT&T fiber for half price but Spectrum is numero uno around here.

[@tonykeltsflorida]

I use my visible by verizon phone hotspot.

[@n3rdoutmedia]

I’m curious what everyone’s cell reception is for those that have Verizon mobile phones? I have marginal 5G reception in my house and it switches from 4G LTE to 5G depending on where I’m at in my house. And my Speedtest on my phone are around 24-30Mbps. Verizon told me today that my address is now eligible for 5G home internet. I’m very suspicious on the speeds I’ll get. I get almost 400Mbps with Spectrum now and I’d hate to give that up for 25Mbps.

[@disablemycable]

Yeah, generally, 5G home speeds are less than that of 5G mobile speeds since home is de-prioritized by Verizon. Therefore, I don't think your area would be good for 5G home. You could always try it and return it within a month, but I wouldn't have high hopes. - Brian

[@n3rdoutmedia]

@@disablemycable thanks. That’s exactly my thought as well. My wife works from home and has several video calls per day, so I think I’ll stick with Spectrum for the time being. That said, I could just do the trial for research purposes, and not disconnect my Spectrum.

[@artkaboom]

Excellent video and review! all I have now is a cellphone through Tracfone for 25/month... it works through Verizon. This looks like my best bet for internet, l like that you referenced a built in router and the two ethernet ports. I haven looked at the plans, but have heard 25 to 50 per month, if I already have an account with Verizon. If I drop tracfone and get a Verizon phone that might be the best plan? anyway, many thanks!

[@disablemycable]

Thank you! Before dropping Tracfone, make sure the combined cost of Verizon cellular + $25 for internet is indeed cheaper! Only certain Verizon cell plans give you the $25 cost for Home internet. Here are some of the terms I got from the Verizon website: Save $25/mo. when combined with an existing 5G Do More, 5G Play More, 5G Get More or One Unlimited for iPhone plan. With Auto Pay and paper-free billing req’d. Add’l $10/mo. w/o Auto Pay. Best, Brian

[@joegillespie6315]

Instead of buying a router. Try to disable SON and connect Ring cameras to 2.4 ghz.

[@disablemycable]

Hi Joe, that is great advice but I did try that and still wasn’t able to get them to connect using WiFi on the Verizon gateway. Still kind of baffled but I have a working solution with the external router. Thanks, Brian

[@userwest626]

doe it include home phone ?

[@disablemycable]

Hi Bo, unfortunately not. That would have been pretty cool if it did! - Brian

[@pctechandgaming6585]

Cable tv is pretty much a thing of the past now, only a matter of time before the same thing happens to hard wired internet connections.

[@disablemycable]

I still think fiber is good for home internet, but yeah, I agree with you about coax cable internet. - Brian

[@Mistrrn2011]

Thank you for a great review. Just received the gateway today, and sure enough, spent 40 minutes with customer service on setup, and lo and behold, I am waiting for password reset in the snail mail, just like you said. I am going to remain optimistic and once I get everything set up it will be great!

[@disablemycable]

Thanks for sharing. Yeah, truly a pain. Unbelievable that they run their business like this. But you should be good to go once you get that password in the mail. Only took a few days to get it for me. - Brian

[@Overlybroke]

I live in Phoenix Arizona have had Verizon for about 2 years my ip address changes and never is even around my location it’s always across the country my internet speeds are never above 100 Mbps unless it’s 1 am when everyone is sleep I don’t know what I’m doing wrong but I never have seen the numbers you guys are

[@thehonestman26]

Interesting to read some of the comments. For some reason, some of you guys have really slow cable internet speed. Not sure if there's a better option or if you live remotely. I just decided to give it a try too while hanging on to my Spectrum cable. The difference here, however, is my basic speeds with cable are 300 down and 10 up. It even goes higher than 300 from time to time. I believe the price is the same for me, but I need to look into it more. We'll see.

[@rfink222]

You get what you pay for, Verizon 5G Home will occasionally go down on a regular basis and the speeds are all over the map.

[@ajvochoa26]

I just got mine. We just got the 5g tower in my new division. Verizon offer it for me for free for 12 months for being a great customer it saves me $100 a month from spectrum. So I said why not it doesn't hurt to try. So far so good

[@disablemycable]

Wow, that is an amazing deal! Awesome! - Brian

[@rfink222]

I thought the same thing however you get what you pay for. Verizon 5G Home is not reliable like Spectrum. You will have down time with wireless.

[@disablemycable]

Reliability varies according to location. In my building, Verizon 5G has been more reliable than Spectrum. I've had no down time with Verizon 5G so far after 5 months. Other people may have different experiences.

[@mikep95133]

Is there fixed IP address setting so my cameras around the property can always find the router? Our dsl provider randomly changes our ip address so I cannot view the cameras when I"m out of town. No way to change the ip address remotely.

[@disablemycable]

Hi Mike, I'm not sure but here are the manuals for the two possible gateway models that you could receive if you get Verizon 5G: scache.vzw.com/dam/support/pdf/user_guide/verizon-internet-gateway-arc-xci55ax-user-guide-6-22.pdf and scache.vzw.com/dam/support/pdf/user_guide/Verizon-Internet-Gateway-User-Guide-2023.pdf

[@jjdjknoxx912]

i just switch to this and i love it!

[@disablemycable]

Great, thanks for sharing! - Brian

[@petefausone2839]

Could you do a Speed test and tell us the ping speed?

[@disablemycable]

Sure, from speedtest.net: 35ms Idle Latency, 222ms Download Latency, 37ms Upload Latency

[@NickAbatino]

Liked, subscribed. Great review! Verizon internet is finally available in my area and I would love to get rid of Charter.

[@disablemycable]

Many thanks! I would just say, don't cancel Charter immediately; try out Verizon first, then you can cancel when you're sure it works well in your area. - Brian

[@oscarsanchez7435]

I’m only getting 115mbps. I’ve had it for months now and I see don’t see the 300-1000Mbps they promote. Do you guys have a different wifi router or am I just doing something wrong.

[@disablemycable]

Try repositioning the router near different windows in your home, facing different directions. You're probably not doing anything wrong; it might be just a matter of signal strength in your area. - Brian

[@marbleeyes7308]

I want to get the cube, but do I just plug it in or do I need a router? What do I need exactly. I want to get away from having any cable whatsoever. Is that possible with this cube?

[@disablemycable]

The Verizon 5G cube gateway has a built-in Wi-Fi router that also has two Ethernet ports. The Wi-Fi range is fine for a small home or apartment. If you have a larger home, you will need a separate Wi-Fi router. Yes, you can completely get rid of cable; that's what I did. - Brian

[@apt221bbakerst]

I also had problems setting up my account and with the way they set up their customer service. I was about to call it quits at one point out of frustration. I am still dealing with the account set up, but so far no complaints about it working.

[@disablemycable]

Yeah, their account setup process can be truly awful. Such a shame since the actual service works well. - Brian

[@FanOfAllGreatMusic]

I just got my Verizon 5G yesterday. I tried the quick setup guide. But the Gateway didn't connect. After a call to Verizon, it got setup after a system reboot on their end. It took about 10 minutes. I've been using it since without issue. I have mine connected to my wired/wireless router. The Verizon 5G automatically deactivated the wireless. Which is great. I ran a few Speed tests and Verizon 5G ranged between: 70.06 - 198.6 Mbps DL & 3.60 - 20.20 Mbps UL While my Spectrum Cable ranged between: 200-300 Mbps DL & 10-15 Mbps UL Any suggestions to improve the DL speed? You mentioned having trouble setting up your Verizon account. I could use some help doing that also. What are the steps to create my account? Where do I find my device phone number or my account number?

[@disablemycable]

Hi, The device phone number is printed on the invoice that came in the gateway shipping box. To improve your speed, I'd suggest using the onboard signal strength meter to find the best location in your home for the router. If you have the ASK model router, here's a trick to see your signal strength: www.disablemycable.com/blog/verizon-internet-gateway-5g-signal-strength-meter/ Another thing you can do is try to find the nearest 5G cell tower and put your gateway in the closest window to that. Here's how to find 5G cell towers: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKuYkq2toLGbptU Hope this helps, Brian

[@mondairojones]

Your cams are running at 2h everything else is running at 5h gateway. Can hande both if setup correctly.

[@disablemycable]

Thanks, but I had both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi running.

[@JohnLussier-cn4jf]

Thanks Brian! Very Helpful. I have AT&T Air 4921 WIFI extenders ... any issues connecting them with Verizon Home Internet ?

[@disablemycable]

Hi John, looking at the Amazon page for that extender, it doesn't look like it is compatible with the Verizon gateway router. - Brian

[@pedellbills130]

Also how many devices can you have on 1 box? Last count I think I had 15

[@disablemycable]

I haven't been able to find an official limit to number of devices. I have about 15 as well though and don't have any problems. - Brian

[@stans5270]

I checked the contract for Veizonon 5G and they have numerous additional fees/costs tacked onto this service. What are the fees that you are charged to use this?

[@disablemycable]

Hi Stan, they have not charged me any additional fees. I pay exactly $50 per month. - Brian

[@matthewtrinh4872]

My fee was an extra $4. Which is not bad compare to my previous AT&T dsl fee.

[@disablemycable]

@@matthewtrinh4872 So weird. What was the fee for? They charge me exactly $50 each month, no fees.

[@kbkb117]

​@@disablemycable I'm just guessing, but perhaps the fees are related to additional services. My mobile plan has some small fees

[@matthewtrinh4872]

@@disablemycable balance of $103.57 Jan 29 - Feb 28 One time charges and credits $53.57 Newplan © 5G Home (Feb 4- Feb 28) Charged for 25 days: Feb 04 - Feb 28 $53.57 Monthly charges $50.00 5G Home (Mar 1 - Mar 31) $10/month Auto Pay and paper - free billing discount included Manage Plan $50.00

[@djohnson2477]

We got Verizon phones and are currently trying this internet. It seems to be okay but randomly it'll act like it's getting a update. It'll reset and all my devices will disconnect which I understand that. I like the service so far but does anyone know if there's a fix for the random reboots??

[@disablemycable]

This is a tough problem that has happened to some users. For some folks, the problem was fixed when they got a new (different model number) unit from Verizon. For others, that didn't help. Best bet is to call Verizon tech support about it. - Brian

[@djohnson2477]

@@disablemycable okay awesome thanks 👍

[@Swit70]

Thank you so very much for your review and honesty. Do you think I should get an extender if my wifi doesn't reach my back porch?

[@disablemycable]

Yeah, I just plugged in my existing Wi-Fi router into my Verizon gateway. That worked for 99% of my devices. The only thing that didn't work for me was watching recorded video on my Tablo DVR when away from home. Regular internet browsing and even security cameras like Ring worked fine for me with this setup. - Brian

[@pedellbills130]

Great video

[@disablemycable]

Thanks! - Brian

[@pedellbills130]

I can’t seem to get my home security attached to it. Any suggestions.

[@disablemycable]

Are you using a Wi-Fi router? Please give more details on what is going on and what type of security system you're using.

[@pedellbills130]

@@disablemycable no router I have two boxes and it has attached to one of the cubes . I have a Vivint security system.

[@pedellbills130]

@@disablemycable also can I hook this directly to my old router and blast it through the house?

[@disablemycable]

@@pedellbills130 Yes! Just hook it up and it should work. It's a good idea to disable the Gateway's onboard Wi-Fi when doing that. For best compatibility, it's even better to put the gateway in Passthrough mode, though not required for most normal web browsing (it may be required for your security system though). Here's how to do it: www.disablemycable.com/blog/wifi-router-verizon-5g-home-internet-gateway/

[@invadernador9516]

You also got to remember about using an Ethernet cable because it gets like steady 300 Mbps

[@disablemycable]

Yes, I use Ethernet for my speed testing (no Wi-Fi).

[@electronicsonsite3276]

Do you know if the box is waterproof if I want to install the box outside?

[@disablemycable]

It’s definitely not waterproof!

[@paulstein9258]

I read an article that they have a waterproof box made to be installed on a pole outside.

[@not_me3286]

It'd be far better to leave the box inside and add on antennas outside. Here are instructions. You are free to get antennas anywhere, this is just the best guide I've seen. Pretty easy. www.waveform.com/a/b/guides/hotspots/verizon-arc-xci55ax

[@disablemycable]

@@not_me3286 Wow, this guide is amazing! Not sure if I'm brave enough to open up my gateway, but I like this. Thanks for sharing! - Brian

[@not_me3286]

@@disablemycable Dumb they don't include ports on the outside.

[@MichaelBerlin-zc4oq]

Are the upload speeds adequate for Zoom and Teams?

[@disablemycable]

Yes, I get over 200Mbps which is plenty for Zoom and Teams. I do video meetings all of the time. Best, Brian

[@luistuxtla6201]

How do i about returning the product ? Verizon sent me a box to put it in but im unclear as to where to drop it off

[@disablemycable]

The box should have a pre-paid shipping label on it already: www.verizon.com/support/verizon-5g-home-legal/

[@Bloofk8]

Need help on where to find the settings for this.

[@disablemycable]

Hi Andrew, in a browser, visit 192.168.0.1/udm/login.html

[@ihateithere9298]

Mine has a red light and doesn't work

[@disablemycable]

Sounds like the gateway is either defective or the signal is weak... - Brian

[@tedthilly1934]

Three weeks so far very happy no more Xfinity only had to move the box once on first day

[@ronniekeys1946]

Can I put my mesh system on it

[@disablemycable]

Yes, you'll just need to put your Verizon gateway into passthrough mode. Here's how to do it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6Kac2ejmJqmh6c

[@StringerNews1]

I wish I could get it where I live, but Verizon is still 4G here. I tried T-Mobile, and while it worked, even the cheap 200 Mbps cable plan is faster. And then the price gouging! The hidden fees and price increases in only two months were ridiculous. But I get the magic feeling of getting (relatively) high speed Internet from a little box. Where I disagree is in the belief that wireless must be more reliable. Wireless signals are prone to fading in adverse weather conditions, cables aren't. And in a power outage, a cell site may or may not have a backup generator, while cable is powered from the headend. I've lost power for days, and while cellular has gone out, cable never has.

[@disablemycable]

Yeah, we'll have to see about reliability. So far, the cable internet in my building has gone out once already this year. 5G, not yet.

[@not_me3286]

I live in a rural area. Rural as in actually rural not suburban, houses averaging miles apart, closest town 15 miles away with 200 people, closest 2 stoplights 30 miles away, closest Walmart and 4 lane highway 75 miles away. Although none of the cell carriers offer their home internet in my area at all, even close to the towers it isn't offered, I've been using cell internet through other plans for over 10 years. Cable, fiber, DSL have never been available here. The village DSL is 10Mbps (same speed as Verizon maxes at on these band 13 only towers) for $85 and barely functions, not reliable. I'm 13 miles from the cell tower. It's never cut out due to weather, or any reason for that matter. And, power has been off days, and a few weeks before, never lost service.

[@disablemycable]

@@not_me3286 Wow, thanks for sharing! - Brian

[@s.c.360]

This is slow and unstable. It is not working good.

[@Ourpetsheadsarefallingoff]

Slow as shit in the Outter Mission in SF. I have 180° view of Glen Park and Outer mission and get sub 60 mbps. It other parts of the city are are 200+ mbps. Horse shit.