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The Muama Ryoko is back! Are they here to redeem themselves, or have things gotten worse?
Original episode ● https://youtu.be/mYly1irRrBE
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👇Lots of cool people helped make this episode possible!
Quantum Infinity
Damian Garcia (@kalimamed41)
@austeregrim
Savvy Sage: Research
Brainiac Brent: Assistant Editing
And special thanks to my amazing Feedback Team!
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❌CORRECTION regarding the School House Rock reference. Congress is comprised of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Krazy Ken didn't do a good job at separating those two things so we're sending him back to school. Sorry!
Read more here: https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/explore/about-congress
0:00 Introduction / Recap
3:18 Video Ads (Overview and Breakdown)
12:21 Ryoko’s Web Presence
16:54 Purchase Process
18:49 Unboxing / Product Overview
21:06 Product Tests
26:56 Did Ryoko Redeem Themselves?
#KrazyKen #ComputerClan
You can support this channel on Patreon! Link below…
The Muama Ryoko is back! Are they here to redeem themselves, or have things gotten worse?
Original episode ● https://youtu.be/mYly1irRrBE
Watch more scam-busters ● https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFWeyvvxf1riKzQK3dHt6c9_6D2lVwr78
Tech flops & fails ● https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFWeyvvxf1rjrzxzjt_6iGeYS0jiBBZfq
Get free wallpapers! ● https://thecomputerclan.com/wallpapers
Follow me on Twitter ● https://twitter.com/thecomputerclan
Facebook ● https://facebook.com/computerclan
😎Shop for cool stuff on my store ● https://thecomputerclan.com/etsy
⭐️Support the Computer Clan on Patreon ● https://Patreon.com/KrazyKen
👆Patrons got early ad-free access to this episode. They also got behind-the-scenes access, Discord VIP access, and their names in the credits! Pledge now to get those awesome perks, and help fund the future of the Computer Clan! Thanks for your support.
👇Lots of cool people helped make this episode possible!
Quantum Infinity
Damian Garcia (@kalimamed41)
@austeregrim
Savvy Sage: Research
Brainiac Brent: Assistant Editing
And special thanks to my amazing Feedback Team!
📱Contact Us ● https://thecomputerclan.com/contact
🎬Get royalty-free stock footage with Artgrid. Sign up with my link to support the channel and get 2 extra months free: https://bit.ly/clan2Dr3M3e
🎵I also use Artlist for the music in my videos. I highly recommend them 👌 Click for 2 extra months free: https://bit.ly/clan2LBaKov
🎥Get film gear I use ● http://amzn.to/2hmJhHU
On a lower budget? ● https://amzn.to/2hLrJBL
Computer Clan is an Amazon Associate. Amazon links are powered by the Amazon Associates Program and the Computer Clan may receive a commission. Artlist and Artgrid links are also affiliate links.
❌CORRECTION regarding the School House Rock reference. Congress is comprised of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Krazy Ken didn't do a good job at separating those two things so we're sending him back to school. Sorry!
Read more here: https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/explore/about-congress
0:00 Introduction / Recap
3:18 Video Ads (Overview and Breakdown)
12:21 Ryoko’s Web Presence
16:54 Purchase Process
18:49 Unboxing / Product Overview
21:06 Product Tests
26:56 Did Ryoko Redeem Themselves?
#KrazyKen #ComputerClan
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00The Muama Ryoko is back, and the ads are popping up everywhere.
00:04But this time, are the claims better and less scammy than before?
00:08Do we maybe have a redemption arc on our hands?
00:11Let's find out.
00:15Hey everyone, how are you all doing?
00:17If you're new here, welcome.
00:18My name is Krazy Ken, and the original Muama Ryoko is a product I debunked in an episode
00:24three and a half years ago.
00:25No, again, unfortunately not Ryuko from Kill la Kill, but Ryoko.
00:30There's been some interesting developments in the last three and a half years, and just
00:34within the last several months, I've received tons of submissions asking me to look into
00:38a product named Ryoko Pro.
00:41So here I am, investigating.
00:43But before we dive into the new stuff, let's recap what happened last time.
00:47In my original episode, I debunked an ad and website which sold a Wi-Fi hotspot device
00:52named Muama Ryoko.
00:54The advertisers claimed this device was invented by two guys who quit their job at a large
00:59cell phone carrier.
01:00They were mad about the company tricking customers into expensive cell phone contracts by hiding
01:05free Wi-Fi hotspots.
01:06These two rebels came together and invented Muama Ryoko, a device which creates a Wi-Fi
01:12network using 4G LTE.
01:14And you can use it anytime, anywhere, with no limits and no contract.
01:19On top of the fake backstory and BS claims, the advertisers were also very inconsistent
01:24with their network speeds.
01:26And despite Muama positioning the Ryoko as some sort of revolutionary device, in the
01:30episode I also talked about hotspot technology and how it's been around for years.
01:35Heck, even your smartphone has hotspot features built in.
01:39So this isn't anything that special.
01:42Quick recap, a mobile hotspot device receives a cellular signal and rebroadcasts it as Wi-Fi,
01:48so non-cellular devices can connect to the internet through said hotspot.
01:53This is helpful if you're in a location with no Wi-Fi access.
01:56Overall, the scam was less about the product itself, which was actually kind of okay.
02:01It was more about the way it was marketed.
02:04The Ryoko was drowning in false claims, particularly regarding no limits and no hidden fees.
02:11Because in reality, there was no unlimited data plan offered for this device, and I'd
02:16argue that there were hidden fees because you don't get hit with the data plan upsell
02:21until after you put in your personal information and hit the buy button.
02:25You only get 500 megabytes included.
02:27Then you have to pay for more.
02:29Maybe they were implying no hidden roaming fees, but they weren't very clear.
02:34I would still say it's misleading.
02:36Deceiving marketing aside, the product actually arrived when I ordered it, so they didn't
02:40just take my money and run.
02:41And it worked fine.
02:43I couldn't test the 150 megabits per second speed claim, but that was merely a limit of
02:48my cell service in my location.
02:50At least that's what I thought originally.
02:52I have since discovered some more variables which could have contributed to the slow speeds,
02:56and I'll talk about those soon.
02:58In short, the product was good, but the claims were misleading and arguably outright lies.
03:03But all of that was three and a half years ago.
03:05Things have changed.
03:06The Ryoko Pro is now on the market, and maybe Muwama and their advertising team can redeem
03:12themselves.
03:13Hey, I'm a believer in second chances.
03:16So let's see what they've been up to.
03:18There's two video ads I have seen for the Ryoko Pro, both from Ryoko's Facebook.
03:23A long ad and a short ad.
03:25The short ad up front says there's a monthly cost to get internet access.
03:29Okay, that's an improvement.
03:31I appreciate the honesty.
03:32As for the rest of the ad, the production value isn't janky, and the claims are reasonable.
03:36The only claim I challenge is connect any device anywhere, because there are some technical
03:42limitations with that, which we will discuss.
03:44Overall, the short ad is pretty good.
03:47The longer ad, on the other hand, it's a problem.
03:52The long ad starts by saying there's no such thing as no internet connection.
03:57And it's an artificially created problem, so internet providers can pocket cash from
04:01roaming fees.
04:02And a former telecommunications engineer presented a groundbreaking invention that allows you
04:07to go online anywhere in the world without contracts or hidden fees.
04:11Ryoko is a high-speed device with an eight-hour battery.
04:14It works in over 110 countries, and it can block ads and phishing scams.
04:18Yeah, we wouldn't want to fall for a scam now, would we?
04:23And the Wi-Fi transmitter is so powerful, it can work in the most remote areas.
04:28Oh, and there's no data usage charges.
04:30And be careful, internet providers.
04:32Oh, they're coming to eat your lunch.
04:34This device threatens to destroy your entire industry.
04:37The ad then circles back to this Richard character, an engineer and former cable internet employee.
04:43He learned that in 2010, Congress passed a law which stops internet providers from encrypting
04:48their signals.
04:49The internet signal was made public, and access was granted to everyone.
04:53Internet providers fought against this, and because of that, Wi-Fi prices have been going
04:57up 5.8% every year.
05:00This is when Richard cracked the ISP's encryption method.
05:04With a music synthesizer, I guess?
05:08And ta-da!
05:09Ryoko was born.
05:10Oh, and now the ISPs are mad.
05:13Oh, they're threatening him.
05:15But don't worry, a team is helping Richard fight against the greedy ISPs and get Ryoko
05:20on the market.
05:21And apparently, Ryoko has sold over a million devices since its launch last year.
05:26But hurry, Ryoko's website could be closed soon.
05:29So buy now.
05:30And thankfully, there's a 70% discount only for the viewers of this ad.
05:36Oh, man.
05:37This ad was 4 minutes and 32 seconds of pain.
05:43Why do I do this to myself?
05:46Oh, yeah.
05:47Because I love it!
05:48You probably saw at least one thing wrong with this ad, right?
05:52So let's have some fun and break it down.
05:54There's a huge problem right at the beginning of the ad where it claims having no internet
05:58connection is an artificially created problem, so internet providers can pocket cash from
06:03roaming fees.
06:04Okay, so roaming fees typically apply to a smartphone, not the other devices they showed
06:11in this ad.
06:12And it certainly doesn't apply to cable internet.
06:14Roaming fees typically only apply to international travel.
06:18And that's if your data plan doesn't have other countries included in it.
06:22But if you're planning to travel internationally, generally it's a good idea to plan ahead
06:26and get a data plan and SIM card or eSIM for the region you're traveling to.
06:31Or get a global one that covers many countries.
06:34The next problem is the fake backstory.
06:36This so-called Richard character is actually British scientist and engineer Chris Tumazu.
06:41And this footage is from a Hooper Haum documentary.
06:44Stealing someone else's footage to make false claims to sell your product?
06:48Oh, I have to punish you!
06:51This proves that the backstory is fake, but I'm not going to stop there.
06:54We can further prove that the story is fake because three and a half years ago,
06:58Muama's advertisers told the story of two completely different people inventing the
07:02Ryoko.
07:03And there's no disclaimers throughout the ads saying these are paid actors or this is
07:07a reenactment.
07:08Nothing.
07:09The timeline also doesn't make sense.
07:11This newer ad said the Ryoko was created about a year ago.
07:15But we clearly saw the Ryoko on sale three and a half years ago during the last investigation.
07:21All right, say it with me.
07:23More inconsistencies equals more red flags.
07:26By the way, special thanks to the folks who helped me identify the source video.
07:29It was a huge help.
07:30Normally, I'd use PixelPeeper3000 for this stuff, but I decided to give her a vacation.
07:35Translated, it means she's been stuck on the Windows Update screen for the last three days.
07:39The next issue is about the technical claims.
07:42The battery life and speed claims are not unreasonable, and we will test them once the
07:46product arrives.
07:47But there is one glaring issue I need to address now.
07:50The advertisers claim the Wi-Fi transmitter is so powerful that it can work in the most
07:54remote areas.
07:56If you are in a remote area and you desperately need that Wi-Fi connection, the transmitting
08:01power of your hotspot is the least of your concerns.
08:04The distance between the hotspot and your laptop, tablet, etc. is usually not that big,
08:08so the Wi-Fi transmitter power is often a non-issue.
08:11What's more important is the receiving antenna inside the hotspot, or outside the hotspot
08:16if it's an external antenna, and the receiver itself.
08:19How good are those components at picking up and processing a signal?
08:23And more importantly, how good is the cellular infrastructure around you?
08:27Similar to a smartphone, the operating system on your hotspot is constantly communicating
08:31with the hotspot's antennas to assess signals in the area using a variety of criteria, such
08:36as RSRQ, Reference Signal Received Quality.
08:39Depending on the criteria, the signal strength is measured in decibels or decibel milliwatts,
08:44and if the strength falls below a certain threshold, the signal is lost.
08:48Ultimately, you can have the most kick-butt hotspot money can buy, but if there's no
08:52cellular reception within range, you're not connecting to the internet.
08:56It takes two to tango.
08:57I may sound like I'm splitting hairs, but this is why I challenged the Connect Anywhere
09:01claim in the first ad.
09:03But to give the second ad credit, at least they said almost anywhere.
09:08And the final issues I have with this ad are the decryption claims.
09:12The ad talks about Congress passing a new law in 2010 that stops internet providers
09:16from encrypting their signals, implying people now couldn't gain access to them.
09:20Sounds like somebody never watched Schoolhouse Rock.
09:23You know, I'm just a bill.
09:24Congress doesn't pass laws.
09:26They pass bills, which then move to the Senate, and then further down the line, those bills
09:31can be signed into law by the president.
09:33That aside, this ad might be mixing a half-truth with a half-lie.
09:38Maybe it's vaguely referring to net neutrality policies, which, for example, prohibit ISPs
09:43from throttling speeds while users try to access certain content.
09:47But net neutrality isn't some magic wand that suddenly makes internet access available
09:51to everyone for free.
09:53ISPs still need to make money to operate.
09:56And the ad also says the internet signal was made public as access to it was granted to
10:01everyone.
10:02But there is no singular internet signal.
10:06The internet is a massive and complex aggregation of network hardware.
10:09It's not just one magical line that provides internet access to everyone.
10:13So saying the internet signal was decrypted and everyone now has access to it is an insane
10:19claim.
10:20That never happened.
10:21But then the ad contradicts itself because it talks about the prices for Wi-Fi rising
10:26by 5.8% every year.
10:28But you just said the signal was decrypted and everyone had access to it.
10:32So why is the rising cost a problem if everyone already has it?
10:38Most of this ad is just complete nonsense.
10:41But we're just getting started.
10:42Coming up next, we'll examine Ryoko's web presence.
10:45But right now, I need to talk about coding.
10:47Because coding is what makes the tech world go round, right?
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12:21Alright, let's take a look at Ryoko's web presence.
12:24Before I dove into this investigation and inspected the main website, I coincidentally
12:29received a marketing email on October 27th, 2024.
12:33Everything in it seemed reasonable, so I didn't bother digging deeper.
12:36But as the viewer submissions increased, I knew something was maybe wrong.
12:41I started getting curious.
12:43And then suddenly, I was bombarded with those horrendous clickbait Twitter ads which promote
12:48lists of gadgets that are great for Christmas gifts.
12:51And of course, the images in those ads never match anything in the lists.
12:55But guess what device I saw on those lists?
12:58The Muwama Ryoko.
13:00Along with a bunch of other products I've debunked in the past.
13:04Suspicious.
13:06To give Muwama credit, the main GetRyoko.com website visually looks decent, and I'm glad
13:11they removed the bogus No Limits claim from before.
13:14Good job there.
13:15This 70% Black Friday sale is still a little concerning because it was up for almost three
13:20weeks after Black Friday ended.
13:22Since then, the banner has been removed, but of course, we still have that special 70%
13:27off discount.
13:28But hey, I guess that's their attempt at scarcity marketing.
13:31You know, come on down quick.
13:33You don't know when the sale's gonna end.
13:35Yeah, it's scarcity marketing.
13:37Further down on the homepage says Ryoko automatically connects to the closest internet
13:41tower in 76 countries.
13:44Hang on.
13:45Your ad says it works in 112 countries.
13:48So which is it?
13:50Further down, there is a feature list.
13:52Ad blocker, data saver, eight-hour battery, high speed, et cetera.
13:56And when my Ryoko arrives, I will test most of these claims to see if they are true.
14:00I'm already concerned about the 150 megabytes per second claim because in the ad, they showed
14:06megabits per second.
14:08I know a lowercase b and a capital B might seem insignificant, but in the computer world,
14:13a capital B represents bytes, which is made up of eight bits, a lowercase b.
14:18So mathematically, they are very different.
14:22I wish there was some way we could get some clarification.
14:25Oh, hey, just like last time, let's ask the chats.
14:30All right, let's see.
14:31Oh my gosh, it's Morgan.
14:33Hey, Morgan.
14:34Remember me?
14:34It's Ken.
14:36You know, the guy from the last episode that you ghosted?
14:39I'm gonna ask you about this bits versus bytes thing.
14:42While we wait for Morgan to respond, let's keep exploring.
14:45Lower on the page, we see this comparison chart challenging your phone's hotspot.
14:50Did you hear that, iPhone?
14:51I'm gonna have to enter you into the ring when I do some of the comparisons.
14:55It says Ryoko connects to the best cell tower, but your phone's hotspot doesn't?
15:00That's not true.
15:02As we discussed earlier, smartphones calculate a bunch of criteria to connect to the best tower.
15:07And in certain operating systems, you can manually select networks as well.
15:11So I don't think this claim is right.
15:13And really, at the end of the day, to the consumer, it doesn't matter what specific
15:17tower the phone is connected to, the consumer just wants a fast and reliable connection.
15:22How that's done behind the scenes?
15:24Most people don't care about that.
15:25We also have these reviews, which are likely fake.
15:28I'm not gonna waste my precious time on Earth debunking every single one,
15:32but we'll take a look at this one right here.
15:35Faye.
15:36A little reverse searching of our sweet old lady reveals she's a model for Italian porcelain?
15:42She's also a Sun Capital mortgage customer by the name of Walkeria,
15:47and a 96-year-old lady named Riva.
15:49So either Faye is a secret agent living multiple lives with different names,
15:53or she's a stock photo that's being used across multiple web pages.
15:57To be fair, the Ryoko Terms of Service have a disclaimer
16:00about protecting testimonial identities.
16:03So I guess they're in the clear with these reviews.
16:05Darn you, legal copy!
16:07You thwarted me again.
16:09If you're gonna make bold claims with big numbers,
16:11and you're gonna show positive reviews all while trying to sell something,
16:16at least back that stuff up with a source or two.
16:19I'm not saying you have to.
16:20Llama, I ain't your daddy.
16:23But it would help validate your brand, right?
16:26I don't know.
16:26The more I look into Ryoko, the more I just don't trust it.
16:30But I know who could maybe put my mind at ease.
16:32Morgan.
16:34Ah, yes.
16:35Just like last time, it appears the chat doesn't do anything.
16:38Ghosting me again, eh Morgan?
16:41I thought we had something.
16:43So there's some things Muwama is doing better,
16:45and a few things that are still kind of sketchy.
16:47But I like to be as fair as possible before I make a final judgment.
16:51So I do want to test the physical product itself.
16:54So you know what I did next, right?
16:57I went ahead and bought one.
16:59It's a new mobile hotspot!
17:02This mobile hotspot comes equipped with 5G,
17:04no, wait, 4G technology,
17:06and has no revolutionary or unique features compared to most stuff you can get on the market.
17:11A prize worth $296.67.
17:16What?
17:17Hold on a second.
17:19These guys are valuing a consumer-grade 4G, not even 5G,
17:234G hotspot at $296.67.
17:30What?
17:31I believe Ryoko is inflating this value price to make it look like you're getting a better deal.
17:36There's faster 5G consumer products out there which are valued around $90,
17:40which is much more reasonable.
17:42And yeah, I got a sponsored Ryoko listing on this Walmart page.
17:46Life is amusing.
17:47In short, the Ryoko is way overvalued,
17:50but at least we get that magical 70% discount, right?
17:54So let's just power through.
17:55I entered my personal information and clicked the big green buy button,
17:59and bam, here's the first post-transaction upsell.
18:02And it's asking me to sign up for a data plan.
18:04But hey, at least we get 500 megabytes free.
18:07I have a feeling I will need to upgrade that
18:09considering each month I use about 500 gigabytes of data,
18:13but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
18:16Wait a minute.
18:17What happened to the no data usage charges?
18:21This certainly looks like a data usage charge.
18:24Some of your other ads are up front about the price.
18:27Why not this one?
18:28I ignored the data upsell for now and got hit with yet another upsell.
18:32And another.
18:33And another.
18:34And another.
18:35Okay, I get it.
18:36Just take a chillaxative.
18:39Finally, the order process was complete.
18:44Wow, look at what arrived in only six days.
18:47Pretty good delivery time.
18:49Let's take a look.
18:50The packaging looks pretty, and I love this warning on the back.
18:53Yeah, can't let your kids play with your hotspot.
18:55Inside the box are more upsells?
18:58What?
18:58I think this is the first time I've purchased a product
19:01and there's physical upsells right on top inside the box.
19:05They're literally the first thing.
19:07I have butterfingers.
19:08Right on top.
19:08They're the first thing you see.
19:10The first one is for the docking station.
19:12Then a language translator.
19:13And finally, a case.
19:15And I forgot to turn them over.
19:17There's even more on the back.
19:18Wow, these are great.
19:19I think, you know, they'll look pretty good on the floor over there.
19:23Okay, what else we got?
19:24All right, here's the enclosed instruction book.
19:27Seems pretty simple.
19:28The QR code leads to an online guide.
19:30And oddly enough, it shows the older unit, which is no longer available on the website.
19:35But despite being out of date, the user guide is still helpful.
19:38And I asked some follow-up questions to the support chat.
19:41You know, the fake Morgan chat.
19:43And if you wait long enough, you actually get someone.
19:46I got Joyce this time.
19:47And I was surprised to actually get answers.
19:50The Ryoko device itself looks quite nice.
19:52I like the smooth roundness of it.
19:54And the light-up logo is also pretty slick.
19:56The bottom has a USB-C port for charging with the included cable.
20:00And the side has three buttons.
20:02Power, select, and navigate.
20:03Ryoko's data is provided by Vyoto, which is operated by,
20:07I have no idea how to pronounce this,
20:09Orieva Incorporated, which also operates Ryoko, by the way.
20:14And the SIM card comes pre-installed.
20:16So it's pretty easy.
20:17Just turn it on.
20:18And in 30, 45 seconds, you're connected.
20:20I decided to upgrade my plan after all, from the stock 500 megabytes to 10 gigabytes.
20:24And you'll see the screen tells you your remaining data and days until your plan expires.
20:30Pressing the navigate button lets you view the Wi-Fi login info and a QR code to instantly
20:34connect.
20:35And it also displays the Vyoto features like ad blocking.
20:39After connecting to the Ryoko, you can go to your browser and type in the default IP
20:42address and access device information, statistics, and you can change settings.
20:47A change I would recommend right away is set the security mode to WPA2 instead of WPA slash
20:53WPA2.
20:55This will ensure your connection uses a beefier security standard.
20:58Then set a password that's more secure than 12345678.
21:03All right, now that we're all set up,
21:05let's take this baby for a spin.
21:07I'll conduct three tests.
21:09First, I'll test the ad block feature.
21:11Then the battery life.
21:12And for the grand finale, I'll run a speed test.
21:15The ad block feature worked on the first try.
21:17This feature is built into the Vyoto services.
21:20And once I turned it on and loaded a page, the ads disappeared.
21:24I think it's sometimes okay to block ads, especially on those fishier websites that
21:29have fake download buttons and stuff.
21:31That is so annoying.
21:32But I do encourage everyone to not block ads on free content they wish to support.
21:38You know, like, hopefully me.
21:41Hey, I'm just trying to feed my family.
21:43You don't even have a family.
21:46You wanna go?
21:47By the way, if you want to get early access to ad-free versions of my episodes,
21:50please support me on Patreon.
21:52Thanks.
21:53Now the battery life claims, say, eight hours, but there's no disclaimer saying
21:57how the test was conducted.
21:59So it's impossible to recreate it perfectly.
22:02But one of the claims says Ryoko's battery life is better than your phone's hotspot battery.
22:07So that's a test we can do.
22:09Your results may vary depending on what phone you use.
22:11But today I will be using an iPhone 14 Pro with 94% max capacity.
22:17I'll stream the 24-7 Mystery Science Theater feed on YouTube at 720p,
22:21and we'll see how long the Ryoko can last.
22:24Then we'll do the same test with the iPhone and see which one lasts longer.
22:28All right, start the clock.
22:32Okay, I'm not gonna make you stare at the clock the whole time.
22:36The Ryoko lasted for nine hours, 18 minutes, and 12 seconds,
22:39which is better than the eight-hour claim on the website.
22:42Okay, you get some points there, Ryoko.
22:45Now let's see how long my iPhone lasts while doing the same task.
22:48My iPhone lasted 14 hours, 53 minutes, and 44 seconds.
22:54And I almost ate up my five-gigabyte hotspot data plan, but I barely made it.
22:59I couldn't have planned that better if I tried.
23:01So the battery life on my iPhone slaughtered the Ryoko.
23:05So I don't agree with that little chart on the website.
23:09Now I want to test the speed.
23:11The website says up to 150 megabytes per second, but thanks to this chat reply,
23:16we now know they meant to say megabits per second, so we'll cut them some slack there.
23:20But one of their ads shows 180 megabits per second,
23:25and another part of the same ad shows 232.
23:28I'm not sure which number is true.
23:29Let's see if we can get close to any of them.
23:31I connected my iPhone to the Ryoko, and we're off to the races.
23:35And, wow.
23:38Okay, 7.51 megabits per second down, and 5.72 up.
23:45Maybe it was just stage fright.
23:48Let's try again.
23:49All right, we're off to the races again, and 7.41 and 4.19.
23:55This is worse than the previous Ryoko I tested three and a half years ago,
23:59which got 33.5 down and 22.5 up.
24:03For the record, I popped the Ryoko Pro's Vyota SIM card into the original Ryoko,
24:08and the speeds were still very slow.
24:10Maybe the service provider for the Ryoko changed,
24:12or it's just the infrastructure in the area changing over three and a half years.
24:16Now, hypothetically, I should be able to put a SIM card in here for a much better data plan,
24:20but I'm trying to test this product out of box, based on how it was advertised to me.
24:26And as you can see, it is being a huge pile of crap right now.
24:29So, I did a little digging.
24:31I discovered my Ryoko, with the stock SIM card installed,
24:34has a public IP address pointing to an internet service provider named TopConnect,
24:39which is based in Estonia, which is about 5,000 miles, give or take, away from my humble lair.
24:45And it turns out, Vyota's data plans are built on TopConnect's infrastructure.
24:50This is a big problem for users of Ryoko in the United States, and possibly other locations too.
24:57The large distance between me and the ISP over 5,000 miles away
25:01is likely why the connection is so slow.
25:04I also ran a trace route command to see how data was traveling to the host.
25:07Once again, I saw Estonia show up in this domain, and lots of long ping times,
25:13which further confirms why I'm experiencing a slow connection with the Ryoko.
25:17For a moment, I thought, maybe this device isn't made for the U.S. market.
25:21But no, that can't be.
25:24Ads were targeted to U.S. prospects, including me.
25:27The website shows the U.S. flag and U.S. carriers they shipped to the U.S.,
25:32these so-called reviews are all in U.S. locations,
25:35and Oriyeva's business address and the return address on my Ryoko package
25:39are both in the United States.
25:42So Ryoko and their advertising team, whoever's pulling the strings here,
25:46are clearly targeting U.S. customers for the product.
25:48Yet the product doesn't work well in the United States.
25:53At least for me, to try and give the Ryoko a more fair shot,
25:57I decided to try a different hotspot plan.
25:59I tried U.S. Cellular, AT&T, and Verizon, and none of them were compatible with the Ryoko.
26:04However, when I looked up my Ryoko's IMEI number with T-Mobile,
26:08their site said it was partially compatible with their network.
26:11I put the T-Mobile SIM in the Ryoko,
26:14and the screen constantly says waiting for network,
26:16and sometimes it says unsupported SIM,
26:19but the Ryoko still lets me connect to it.
26:21I ran a speed test and the results are worse?
26:25How?
26:264.99 down and 5.21 up?
26:29I'm gonna say something bugged out there.
26:31Let's give it a second shot.
26:34On the second test we got, okay, 30.1 down and 6.98 up.
26:39Much better than the Vyota SIM card,
26:42but still nowhere near 150 megabits per second.
26:46But I don't know of any other way to test this thing.
26:48I feel like I gave it a bunch of fair chances.
26:51With the limited network compatibility in the U.S.,
26:54frankly, I don't know what else I can do.
26:56So let's consider everything we examined,
26:58and ask ourselves the question,
27:00did Muama and the Ryoko redeem themselves?
27:04In my opinion, they did some things better than last time,
27:07like being more upfront about the data prices,
27:09and as a bonus, I found their customer service helpful.
27:12And for video streaming,
27:13their battery life actually lasted longer than their claim.
27:16On the other hand, there's things they did
27:18which are the same crap as before, if not worse.
27:21The speeds are slower, the claims are still outrageous,
27:24and they use someone else's likeness
27:26and intellectual property for the fake backstory,
27:28as opposed to using properly licensed stock footage.
27:31So Ryoko, I appreciate your efforts
27:33to make your product and your marketing better,
27:35but I'm still giving you a failing grade.
27:38And to everyone watching, I'm open to your input.
27:41Do you think Ryoko now is better
27:45than they were three and a half years ago?
27:46Have they redeemed themselves?
27:48Redemption arc aside, do not buy the Ryoko.
27:52I do not recommend it at all.
27:54If you truly need a hotspot,
27:56you can use the hotspot functionality built into your phone
27:59already as long as your data plan supports it.
28:01And if you need a dedicated hotspot device,
28:04you can get one from your carrier.
28:05And with your newfound internet connection, guess what?
28:09You can stream more Krazy Ken episodes.
28:12Thanks for sticking with me.
28:14Catch the crazy and pass it on.
28:16Hey, you young whippersnappers and your wireless internet.
28:25Back in my day, we had to call the internet on the phone.
28:28Yeah, just watch this.
28:29Darn, thing's frozen again.
28:32Martha!