Going to try to use a hotspot for internet at our house for a bit until we can get final internet sorted out.

I stopped by the ATT store and I think the girl there knew less than I did so I figured I'd ask here.

We've got ATT. It looks like we can upgrade our plans to get 40GB of data on a hotspot and we could add two more lines with that same amount.

Couple questions,

Does all of that data drop into a big pile to be used on the hotspot or is it some how regulated by the individual line?

Do I have to use the hotspot deal ATT offers or can I buy something else to use? If I can buy something else, does anyone have any suggestions?

I know too much about this. I've been running a hotspot or two for my main internet for years now.

Each line has its own pool of data and it does not transfer over.

Yes, you can buy your own modem and don't need what AT&T provides as long as it works on AT&T.

I trick a hotspot into looking like an old phone I used to use and then got it a cell phone plan. I get unlimited internet just like a phone would and it does not use the "hotspot" data. Doing this is against the "terms of service" but it is not illegal.

I use open sourced software on a router that has a m.2 modem slot. I put a 5G (mid and low band only) modem in it and have a 4x4 antenna on my roof pointing at the cell tower. It is a deep rabbit hole to go into, but has me with stable internet where my original option 3 years ago was only 3 down 1 up.

I have this router:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224767764016?hash=item345533e630:g:2usAAOSw0r1hzuuu

I have this modem in it:
https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/modems-hotspots/5g-modems/quectel-rm502q-ae-5g-cellular-modem/

I use this antenna:
https://www.streakwave.com/quwireless-ap5g4-hp-5g-lte-mimo-4x4-5m

I am big time overkill. I set up one of my neighbors with one that was under $200 and it works for them.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/133625055803?hash=item1f1cac8a3b:g:GNoAAOSwJPhfBQKt

I have a Mobley on an unlimited plan, along with two other jet pack/mifi/Night hawk type devices and two phones I can tether off of while on the road. I basically have all that for redundancy and to cover all the major carriers and frequency bands in remote places. I also use a booster and various antennas depending on the needs of the location.

And in a Canadian wilderness area I cut down a 30' spruce tree to use as a mast for my directional antenna.

But for a residential setup I would prefer a device with an Ethernet WAN port that I could plug my existing Wi-Fi router into.

Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-LTE-Broadband-Modem-LM1200/dp/B08R813HLW

lb3 said:

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I have a Mobley on an unlimited plan, along with two other jet pack/mifi/Night hawk type devices and two phones I can tether off of while on the road. I basically have all that for redundancy and to cover all the major carriers and frequency bands in remote places.

But for a residential setup I would prefer a device with an Ethernet WAN port that I could plug my existing Wi-Fi router into.


Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-LTE-Broadband-Modem-LM1200/dp/B08R813HLW

---

Is that something you assign it a phone number to use that is on your plan?

I've used hotspots on a phone, never done it with a separate device.

Basically. Your SIM card has the associated phone number/account and if it's not locked by the provider, you just plug that card into the cellular modem.

Nagler said:

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Going to try to use a hotspot for internet at our house for a bit until we can get final internet sorted out.

I stopped by the ATT store and I think the girl there knew less than I did so I figured I'd ask here.

We've got ATT. It looks like we can upgrade our plans to get 40GB of data on a hotspot and we could add two more lines with that same amount.

Couple questions,

Does all of that data drop into a big pile to be used on the hotspot or is it some how regulated by the individual line?

Do I have to use the hotspot deal ATT offers or can I buy something else to use? If I can buy something else, does anyone have any suggestions?

---

Might be cheaper to sign up for T-Mobile's unlimited cell tower home internet for $50/m than it will be to upgrade your data and add 2 lines. No contract required.

https://www.t-mobile.com/isp

FatZilla said:

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Nagler said:

---

Going to try to use a hotspot for internet at our house for a bit until we can get final internet sorted out.

I stopped by the ATT store and I think the girl there knew less than I did so I figured I'd ask here.

We've got ATT. It looks like we can upgrade our plans to get 40GB of data on a hotspot and we could add two more lines with that same amount.

Couple questions,

Does all of that data drop into a big pile to be used on the hotspot or is it some how regulated by the individual line?

Do I have to use the hotspot deal ATT offers or can I buy something else to use? If I can buy something else, does anyone have any suggestions?

---

Might be cheaper to sign up for T-Mobile's unlimited cell tower home internet for $50/m than it will be to upgrade your data and add 2 lines. No contract required.

https://www.t-mobile.com/isp

---

This is the way!

If you have good ATT signal at your house, the Unlimited Elite plan is a good option. It's $45 a month if you buy thru CircledIn.

Get an LTE router, change the IMEI to match an AT&T phone, and enjoy having somewhat decent internet.

FatZilla said:

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Nagler said:

---

Going to try to use a hotspot for internet at our house for a bit until we can get final internet sorted out.

I stopped by the ATT store and I think the girl there knew less than I did so I figured I'd ask here.

We've got ATT. It looks like we can upgrade our plans to get 40GB of data on a hotspot and we could add two more lines with that same amount.

Couple questions,

Does all of that data drop into a big pile to be used on the hotspot or is it some how regulated by the individual line?

Do I have to use the hotspot deal ATT offers or can I buy something else to use? If I can buy something else, does anyone have any suggestions?

---

Might be cheaper to sign up for T-Mobile's unlimited cell tower home internet for $50/m than it will be to upgrade your data and add 2 lines. No contract required.

https://www.t-mobile.com/isp

---

T-Moble isn't an option where we are.

We've built a new house out of town a little ways so I'm trying to figure out what we can do.

As of right now I'm waiting on Xifnity to tell me how much they want to charge to run 700' of line.

Our address isn't in Verizon's system so they can't tell me if we can get their LTE internet service. The house next to me shows available but the house across the street doesn't, so I don't know where we'll fall.

I'm signed up for Space Link but they're showing late 2022.

As of right now I'm trying to find something that will work when we move in next week while we get our other options sorted out.

What town are you moving to?

What speeds are you getting on your phone in and outside of your new house and on what type of phone?

txyaloo has done what I do. The cost depends on the tech of the modem.

That Netgear LM1200 only has a Cat 4 modem in it. That is a low end LTE modem that cannot do a whole lot that other higher end modems can do. The Netgear Nighthawk MR110 is cheap for a Cat 16 modem and can do 4x4 MIMO with carrier aggregation (combines up to 4 signals for faster speed). It can also normally change its IMEI to look like a phone. You can find them for pretty cheap on eBay.

tfunk02 said:

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What town are you moving to?

What speeds are you getting on your phone in and outside of your new house and on what type of phone?

txyaloo has done what I do. The cost depends on the tech of the modem.

That Netgear LM1200 only has a Cat 4 modem in it. That is a low end LTE modem that cannot do a whole lot that other higher end modems can do. The Netgear Nighthawk MR110 is cheap for a Cat 16 modem and can do 4x4 MIMO with carrier aggregation (combines up to 4 signals for faster speed). It can also normally change its IMEI to look like a phone. You can find them for pretty cheap on eBay.

---

Moving to Crosby, outside of Houston.

Not sure on the speeds, haven't checked, will see about doing that next time I'm out there.

I believe the Netgear Nighthawk is what I had originally looked at through ATT but they're showing out of stock.

How does one go about changing the IMEI?

I ran the LM1200 on Verizon for about a month, but returned it. I ran a number of speed tests while I had it. My download speed ranged from 45 to 94. Up was between 4.7 and 14.1 over that time.

I would have been very happy with that, given the monthly price I was paying. However, the LM1200 is having issues with staying connected to the Verizon network. There's a long thread about it on the Netgear boards. Once they get that fixed, I'll probably buy the LM1200 again and use for a backup to my Starlink that just came in yesterday.

Crosby AT&T towers link

Above is a link to where the AT&T towers in Crosby most likely are (it's not 100% accurate). It will also show you what bands the towers have. Typically, the more bands there are, the more a higher rated Cat modem will help.

The MR1100 does not have some of the primary bands Verizon uses, so I could see why a Verizon person would skip it, but there's not much of a point to go LM1200 if you are on AT&T. A MR1100 on eBay goes for about $199 and is a pretty cheap intro price for a cell phone modem with higher end capabilities. There's also a LOT of information about them online.

Here is a LINK to a file on how to update a MR1100's IMEI.

Nagler said:

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FatZilla said:

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Nagler said:

---

Going to try to use a hotspot for internet at our house for a bit until we can get final internet sorted out.

I stopped by the ATT store and I think the girl there knew less than I did so I figured I'd ask here.

We've got ATT. It looks like we can upgrade our plans to get 40GB of data on a hotspot and we could add two more lines with that same amount.

Couple questions,

Does all of that data drop into a big pile to be used on the hotspot or is it some how regulated by the individual line?

Do I have to use the hotspot deal ATT offers or can I buy something else to use? If I can buy something else, does anyone have any suggestions?

---

Might be cheaper to sign up for T-Mobile's unlimited cell tower home internet for $50/m than it will be to upgrade your data and add 2 lines. No contract required.

https://www.t-mobile.com/isp

---

T-Moble isn't an option where we are.

We've built a new house out of town a little ways so I'm trying to figure out what we can do.

As of right now I'm waiting on Xifnity to tell me how much they want to charge to run 700' of line.

Our address isn't in Verizon's system so they can't tell me if we can get their LTE internet service. The house next to me shows available but the house across the street doesn't, so I don't know where we'll fall.

I'm signed up for Space Link but they're showing late 2022.

As of right now I'm trying to find something that will work when we move in next week while we get our other options sorted out.

---

Tmobile says they cover 100% of crosby and they have been adding a ton of towers/band access post sprint merger. Does their website or something restrict your address?

FatZilla said:

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Nagler said:

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FatZilla said:

---

Nagler said:

---

Going to try to use a hotspot for internet at our house for a bit until we can get final internet sorted out.

I stopped by the ATT store and I think the girl there knew less than I did so I figured I'd ask here.

We've got ATT. It looks like we can upgrade our plans to get 40GB of data on a hotspot and we could add two more lines with that same amount.

Couple questions,

Does all of that data drop into a big pile to be used on the hotspot or is it some how regulated by the individual line?

Do I have to use the hotspot deal ATT offers or can I buy something else to use? If I can buy something else, does anyone have any suggestions?

---

Might be cheaper to sign up for T-Mobile's unlimited cell tower home internet for $50/m than it will be to upgrade your data and add 2 lines. No contract required.

https://www.t-mobile.com/isp

---

T-Moble isn't an option where we are.

We've built a new house out of town a little ways so I'm trying to figure out what we can do.

As of right now I'm waiting on Xifnity to tell me how much they want to charge to run 700' of line.

Our address isn't in Verizon's system so they can't tell me if we can get their LTE internet service. The house next to me shows available but the house across the street doesn't, so I don't know where we'll fall.

I'm signed up for Space Link but they're showing late 2022.

As of right now I'm trying to find something that will work when we move in next week while we get our other options sorted out.

---

Tmobile says they cover 100% of crosby and they have been adding a ton of towers/band access post sprint merger. Does their website or something restrict your address?

---

They don't have our address in their system yet because it's new but all of the neighbors pop up and say "Home Internet is not available at your address just yetbut our network is growing fast!"

My guess was you can get phone service but not 5G home internet out there but then again I have no idea what I'm talking about.

Nagler said:

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FatZilla said:

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Nagler said:

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FatZilla said:

---

Nagler said:

---

Going to try to use a hotspot for internet at our house for a bit until we can get final internet sorted out.

I stopped by the ATT store and I think the girl there knew less than I did so I figured I'd ask here.

We've got ATT. It looks like we can upgrade our plans to get 40GB of data on a hotspot and we could add two more lines with that same amount.

Couple questions,

Does all of that data drop into a big pile to be used on the hotspot or is it some how regulated by the individual line?

Do I have to use the hotspot deal ATT offers or can I buy something else to use? If I can buy something else, does anyone have any suggestions?

---

Might be cheaper to sign up for T-Mobile's unlimited cell tower home internet for $50/m than it will be to upgrade your data and add 2 lines. No contract required.

https://www.t-mobile.com/isp

---

T-Moble isn't an option where we are.

We've built a new house out of town a little ways so I'm trying to figure out what we can do.

As of right now I'm waiting on Xifnity to tell me how much they want to charge to run 700' of line.

Our address isn't in Verizon's system so they can't tell me if we can get their LTE internet service. The house next to me shows available but the house across the street doesn't, so I don't know where we'll fall.

I'm signed up for Space Link but they're showing late 2022.

As of right now I'm trying to find something that will work when we move in next week while we get our other options sorted out.

---

Tmobile says they cover 100% of crosby and they have been adding a ton of towers/band access post sprint merger. Does their website or something restrict your address?

---

They don't have our address in their system yet because it's new but all of the neighbors pop up and say "Home Internet is not available at your address just yetbut our network is growing fast!"

My guess was you can get phone service but not 5G home internet out there but then again I have no idea what I'm talking about.

---

May try calling them to see. The website can be a pita to use while the CS agents can get it done easily. If you have a current address where it does allow registration, you could always register it there and then take it to the new house to try. Its not tower locked and just needs a power supply.

So I called T-Mobile about a month ago and the guy said until the address is in there system he couldn't do anything.

It's still not pulling up on their website but I called anyways and they said we could do it. So we're signed up for the T-Mobile 5G. I'm pumped because that was a lot easier than what I was expecting to have to go through.

tfunk I appreciate you taking the time to break everything down for me! Yall are the best.

No problem. This is probably the best possible outcome. Much simpler.

I wish you luck with the speeds. I've seen 355 down and 20 up in College Station with an iPhone 13 and that was with only 2 bars.

You can use THIS website to find what should be the closest tower to you and put it in a window on that side of the house. I've seen that some people hack into the router to add external antennas, but hopefully you will not need that.

tfunk02 said:

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No problem. This is probably the best possible outcome. Much simpler.

I wish you luck with the speeds. I've seen 355 down and 20 up in College Station with an iPhone 13 and that was with only 2 bars.

You can use THIS website to find what should be the closest tower to you and put it in a window on that side of the house. I've seen that some people hack into the router to add external antennas, but hopefully you will not need that.

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Make sure the tower you pick is running the right bands.

T-Mobile is using the following bands for Home Internet: LTE bands 2 (1900 MHz), 4 (1700/2100 MHz), 12 (700 MHz), 66 (1700/2100 MHz) and 71 (600 MHz), as well as 5G New Radio (NR) bands 41 (2.5 GHz) and 71 (600 MHz).

I have 3 of those bands 1/3 mile from my house, but still not able to try out the T-Mobile Home Internet

El_duderino said:

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I have 3 of those bands 1/3 mile from my house, but still not able to try out the T-Mobile Home Internet

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Bandwidth issues on the towers in the area maby? This service will saturate the towers quickly if a lot get added.

That's probably part of it. They want the higher capacity 5G stuff where they offer it. One thing to note is that the home system is 100% deprioritized the last time I checked. The phones will rarely compete since they will normally have 1st priority.

I'm pretty rural, but that's definitely a possibility. Currently on AT&T wireless now and get 150-250 down and 40-60 up (30 ping and sub 3ms jitter) and would be ecstatic if I could have that for home internet.

tfunk02 said:

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That's probably part of it. They want the higher capacity 5G stuff where they offer it. One thing to note is that the home system is 100% deprioritized the last time I checked. The phones will rarely compete since they will normally have 1st priority.

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Ya, that's what I mean. If the tower is loaded up with phone connections already close to capacity, adding internet connections will dry up anything left and those with home internet will have horrible connections/speeds then. With WFH being the new norm for most, bad home internet leads to extremely pissed off customers.

Well, you can if you don't mind breaking the AT&T terms of service. Check out the links I have above and let me know if you have any questions. I've been running on a hotspot modem for my full house for almost 3 years now. Half of that time has been on a hotspot that looks like a phone to AT&T. I have also helped 4 or 5 other neighbors get set up on Verizon or AT&T and have my family lake house running on AT&T for about a year now.

This group has gotten a little watered down, but is one of the better ones for helping out in the search bar.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/imeimagic

tfunk02 said:

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Well, you can if you don't mind breaking the AT&T terms of service. Check out the links I have above and let me know if you have any questions. I've been running on a hotspot modem for my full house for almost 3 years now. Half of that time has been on a hotspot that looks like a phone to AT&T. I have also helped 4 or 5 other neighbors get set up on Verizon or AT&T and have my family lake house running on AT&T for about a year now.

This group has gotten a little watered down, but is one of the better ones for helping out in the search bar.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/imeimagic

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I'm less than a mile to a couple towers according to cellmapper. What's a simple all in one router/modem off Amazon and how do I get a SIM card and plan to use it?

To get this up and running you take an old phone you don't use anymore to your cell provider and tell them to set that phone up with a plan of your choice. I do the top of the line AT&T plan to get the 4K video stream without a VPN. I would not tell them the true purpose of what you are doing since it is against the "Terms of Service".

Once you have the phone setup, change the IMEI on the modem you get to match the phone you just got service on. Change the APN to match the service you have, and then on T-Mobile or Verizon you need to update the TTL in the modem software as well, but with AT&T it does not matter. It's all pretty easy if you are not terrible with computers. Mostly it's just copy and pasting lines in a command box. Once it is ready to go you put the SIM in, fire it up, and you have unlimited internet. On T-Mobile and Verizon you will want to check your plan to make sure your TTL is correct. If you are getting hotspot data usage, you will need to update your TTL in the modem software.


I like the open source software on this style. You will probably not find it on Amazon. People get the parts from China and install custom open source software based on OpenWRT.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ZBT-WE826-Q-Router-with-Quectel-EM12-G-CAT-12-Modem-/124517213159?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

This site is pretty well known and has a forum.

https://thewirelesshaven.com/product-category/router-bundles/

Another option a lot of people choose to do is the Nighthawk M1 I discussed above. I left a file link on how to change the IMEI. The Facebook group I linked above has some pretty good info if you have issues. I have used the search feature there often.

I just put T-mobile's 5g home internet at our place in Surfside. Been happy with it. Kids watch their Disney+ with no issues. And $50/month with no contract is nice

Would the Netgear Orbi modem/router work? It's got a sim slot and is compatible with all 3 carriers

What modem did you end up using? I'm thinking of doing something similar for my travel trailer o get connectivity on the go. ATT has some prepaid mobile hotspot cards but on the fence because my phone plan has unlimited but they say they tether after 22GB.


I don't travel a ton in the camper but would be a nice addition. Wifi is spotty at best at the parks that advertise it.

Coukd you use one of these prepaid hotspot cards with that router/modem combo?

Yes, you can use the Orbi setup, but to give it a phone's IMEI I believe you have to put custom firmware on it. You can search for the model number on that FB group and there is a how to. They call changing the IMEI "magic".

Edit: The Orbi has a Cat 18 modem in it. That's a good modem. From a quick glance it looks like it can only do 2x2 MIMO instead of 4x4 if you use external antennas. I bet there's a hack to add two more somewhere, if it is needed.

If you make the hotspot look like a phone, you can use any phone plan you want. Obviously, you will be limited to what the plan provides. You will also have to have the correct APN and TTL setting depending on what company the plan comes through.

For external antennas, if you go that route... On the move, you will want an omnidirectional antenna. If you are in an RV park, you will want a directional antenna. You can use cell mapper to find the general location and adjust the antenna by doing speed tests to hone it in.

Awesome thanks. Have a recommendation for a directional? Use case for needing anything while moving is pretty low for me but would be nice to have one when parked at state park, national park or private park even ( that says they have wifi but it sucks lol)

This is what T-mobile sent me. I just have to return in when I cancel.

Edit. Don't know why there's a crying emoji