Newbie exploring options...

[shadow6934]

Hi all! I started perusing the forums the last couple of days - found you all when researching LTE options for home internet... Just getting started with all of this, and figured it would be best to discuss my ISP options first. Here's some background:

• looking to replace DSL for home internet in NE PA
  • current cost is ~$73 a month
  • consistent connection, faster (than DSL) speeds, and reasonable price (upfront & ongoing) are all important
  • house isn't a full time residence so data usage isn't extremely high (actual amount unknown), but need always on connectivity for thermostat & IP camera
  • don't want to spend money trying to max out speeds

• available towers from cellmapper
  • the closest tower is: https://goo.gl/maps/GcwJticPQckigEwz7; it is about 1 mile south of the house; available bands are AT&T (12), Verizon (2, 4, 13), and T-mobile (12, 13)
  • the second closest is: https://goo.gl/maps/XAk4y2xdF4a3vNuW7; it is about 5.5 miles to the north east; available bands are AT&T (12), Verizon (13), T-mobile (66), and Sprint (41)
  • the third closest is: https://goo.gl/maps/y9uHKxQjiKtvJVkq5; it is about 6.3 miles to the north east; available bands are T-mobile (4, 66) and Sprint (25, 26)
  • I am not there currently, and have never checked to see which tower I was connected to with my Verizon phone; it is a very hilly area

• we know that, currently, Verizon based (MVNO) LTE cell phones get good LTE reception & acceptable speeds when by a window or outside

• we know that, previously, AT&T cell phones were able to connect to LTE similarly

• options I've considered (and are available to us)
  • FirstNet (AT&T) - seems they have a $40 a month data only unlimited plan (seems I could use the Netgear modem/router if I wanted to 'keep it simple')
  • Visible (Verizon) - at $25/month it's appealing, but would need a router with configurable TTL
  • T-mobile 55+ plans - both Essentials & Magenta seem like reasonable options, would also need a router with configurable TTL

So, where do I start? I would love to test all three and play around, but honestly I'm not sure it's worth my time and energy. Hoping to land on something that's basically plug & play, reasonable entry cost, low monthly, and can provide ~20/5Mbps speeds. I'm leaning towards FirstNet for combination of ease of use and price; I only wish I had more recent speed/LTE data. That, and I wouldn't have to worry about party pay (Visible) or throttling (Visible/TMo) during congestion...

All of this sort of ties into the hardware side of the equation. Would it make sense to discuss here or create a new post in the proper category? Briefly, the Netgear LB1120 and M1 have appeal because of their ease of use, but I wouldn't have a problem going the custom build route if it provides a lot more benefits/flexibility. I have some technical know-how, but no Linux experience. The ability to troubleshoot & reboot remotely would be a huge plus.

Any idea when thewirelesshaven.com should be 're-opened' for business?!

Thanks in advance for your time and help!

-shadow

[Didneywhorl]

Welcome!

This is a good spot for the thread of your general discussion, I would recommend looking into the specific sub categories that pertain to any devices you are looking into as it helps keep that info in the right spots.

thewirelesshaven is currently selling some inventory via a facebook shop at https://facebook.com/netsolution.shop/shop/

They are hoping to reopen in full, minus inventory that is stuck in transit from suppliers, soon.

[shadow6934]

Thanks! Since I submitted my post I've realized I do have a (free) way to test out T-mobile. So, while I would love to start setting things up my next visit to the house, it seems it would be more prudent to test the networks at the desired modem/router location.

Any experience with any of the plans I'm considering? I am missing anything about limitations or potential pitfalls? Any alternate suggestions?

I've already poked around on the fb store, but was leaning towards a (non-PoE) WG3526 setup, which is not currently available. I'll start a separate thread in the appropriate forum to continue discussing.

Thanks again!

[MattB29]

Firstnet seems to be for emergency responders. And there is a lot of other requirements that might not be something that could be used by a ordinary absentee home owner. I am sure it is band 14 from the description and only AT&T approved devices would be allowed.

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

I am sure you have researched your Firstnet eligibility and qualify for it, but the way wireless networks work, I personally request you, for your own safety and that of your community, not to use the Firstnet network for home internet replacement.

Wireless networks have fixed bandwidth and there is no traffic shaping in place due to regulation.

This means that you could easily saturate the complete band affecting everyone on the network and not even know it, while emergency responders are unable to use their tracking and lookup apps, case reporting devices or even reach a loved one while pulling off a triple shift.

You will have no issues using any device on Firstnet, modem or otherwise. It's also the "best value" plan if you discount the disruption you can cause.

How your take this input is at your discretion.

Back to the plans.

Visible: I am struggling with Verizon coverage in my area and Visible has no insight into the information I need to troubleshoot Verizon tower information.

T-mobile 55+ plans: I would experiment with SimpleMobile plans. Easiest would be having BillA here help you. Cheapest would be the eBay plans. I am invested in this experiment myself (see my other posts) so I will personally work with you on this, if you are interested.

[shadow6934]

Hey Matt & CALTE, thanks for the feedback.

CALTE, I appreciate your thoughts on safety, as it wasn't something I had considered. May I ask, do your safety concerns specifically apply to Band 14? I ask because the only close AT&T towers only operate on band 12. We would not pay for 'priority access' (or whatever they call it), so wouldn't the line be similar to any other AT&T postpaid account at that point? Again, thank you for raising this concern.

Matt, can you elaborate on the 'other requirements' that you think could be an issue? I read on a different post (by JimHelms) that AT&T didn't seem to care what device was used after activating the SIM card?

CALTE, did you have Verizon data to compare Visible to? We are currently on VZW prepaid so know the service is acceptable at the house. Next time I'm there I will play around with the T-mobile hotspot (Coolpad Surf 9655) to ensure the coverage is good and speeds acceptable. I haven't looked into SimpleMobile at all, so will start digging around. Any quick links to specific posts with more info?

[MattB29]

I can't elaborate more than the what Firstnet has in their restrictions area where they say that the devices must be AT&T Firstnet approved. I will say that AT&T is cracking down on non-compliant sim card usage. That the days of taking phone sims (with unlimited data plans) and transferring them to router/modems or hotspots are effectively over. They can tell what your device is by the IMEI broadcast regardless of the TTL value you set.

The other issue I spot among you requirements was the always on nature. Here your DSL may be more reliable than wireless. I know that if I had a good high speed DSL available to me it would be my choice. Now if you wanted the wireless for saving money, because of only needing when you were at the home, it would be different but you want to use the wireless 24/7 to run things there like your camera and thermostat. You may find after spending a lot of money that you end up dissatisfied with the results.

All that said I run my home internet from a LB1120 using a Cricket Simply Data plan. It has proven to be quite reliable though not the speeds you are looking for (my area is not great cell reception due to remoteness). I am in the experimental stage of building my own router/modem combo that I have detailed here on the Forum. Not looking good at the moment.

[brad2388]

i have a couple att unlimited plans i can rent you a line from. it allows hotspots.
bradcox5975 at g mail

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

I've already poked around on the fb store, but was leaning towards a (non-PoE) WG3526 setup, which is not currently available. I'll start a separate thread in the appropriate forum to continue discussing.

I have sucessfully tested the following $70 setup myself for a home internet solution voer LTE: the coming week will be handing out ~$10 (used) USB2 routers connected to $60 USB2 LTE modems with GO loaded on them.

If you wanted to be more fancy, order a Quectel (I recommend the EP06-A to you) and any used, modern (< 5 years) GoldenOrb supported router w/ USB2 (not USB3 only) port ($5 - $20 depending on the seller. Locally I get Tplink Archers for ~$10), or even the $35-40 Aliexpress specials, you will be set for the next few months as you research, learn and order better hardware.

They can tell what your device is by the IMEI broadcast regardless of the TTL value you set.

(re)Programming the baseband is not a challenge for those sufficiently motivated. Hence I argued why that motivation would cause harm.

CALTE, did you have Verizon data to compare Visible to?

I did not. However, Visible engineers informed me that they have full access to all Verizon LTE towers by contract.

When I asked them to share with me the list of Verizon LTE towers within a 3 mile radius of my house, they said they don't have that information.

I haven't looked into SimpleMobile at all, so will start digging around. Any quick links to specific posts with more info?

Yes.

Our BillA can get you get started or you can experiment with the ultracheap SimpleMobile plans on eBay.

Easiest would be having BillA here help you. Cheapest would be the eBay plans. I am invested in this experiment myself (see my other posts) so I will personally work with you on this, if you are interested.

Whichever direction you go, I will work with you.

[shadow6934]

I use a Archer C7 at home and have been quite happy with it. I'll see if I can pick up another locally (though a quick scan of FB marketplace & craigslist doesn't leave me with much hope). Looks like the going rate on eBay is ~$40.

It looks like the EM7455 is slightly less than the Quectel EP06-A ($50 vs $70). Any reason to go with the EP06 over the EM7455? They seem to be comparable.

If I understand correctly, I'm looking at initial setup costs of ~$130-140 ($46 for USB to PCIe or M.2 adapter - available on the FB store, $40ish for Archer C7, and $50ish for modem)? You mentioned possibly purchasing better hardware in a couple months. Any reason this setup wouldn't work for the longer term?

When referring to SimpleMobile's cheap 'eBay plans,' are you talking about the 3-month, $50 plan (unlimited LTE) for $50 ($17 a month)? Are people just starting new accounts every 3 months? I've seen a lot of posts from BillA. Is he a reseller or just T-mo guru?

I'd like to order hardware this week. Then in 2-3 weeks I can test out the various services. To confirm, (with the above hardware) I can test all 3 major carriers, correct?
-I have Verizon (prepaid), so will need SIM adapter, Verizon APN & TTL settings. Anything else?
-I have a Tmo SIM from a Coolpad Surf, so will need SIM adapter and Tmo APN - would I need TTL update?
-Still need to pickup some sort of AT&T service to test

Is it as simple as installing GO on the C7, configuring for one type of service, reboot, test? Aside from speed-tests, is there any other testing or monitoring that I should do?

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

I use a Archer C7 at home and have been quite happy with it. I'll see if I can pick up another locally (though a quick scan of FB marketplace & craigslist doesn't leave me with much hope). Looks like the going rate on eBay is ~$40.

I see. In that case, I would consider purchasing the eBay listings with free returns. That way, if you find a better deal locally, you can return it or this might not be worth your time.

I had had poor luck searching for "Archer C7" on FB marketplace, craigslist, offerup etc.

People rarely mention "Archer C7" in their listings.

So what I did is setup feeds for "router" on all these platforms and submit an AWS Mechanical Turk task to extract those items from these feeds that look like an Archer C7. The results have been really good. Since I need to source around a few dozen of these (and eventually hundreds), the cost to setup and review Mechanical Turk is well amortized. For a one off, might not make sense.

It looks like the EM7455 is slightly less than the Quectel EP06-A ($50 vs $70). Any reason to go with the EP06 over the EM7455? They seem to be comparable.

Conventional wisdom is that the EM7455 is "better supported". What that means is unclear to me, so others will have to chime in.

I personally would get the Quectel

If I understand correctly, I'm looking at initial setup costs of ~$130-140 ($46 for USB to PCIe or M.2 adapter - available on the FB store, $40ish for Archer C7, and $50ish for modem)? You mentioned possibly purchasing better hardware in a couple months. Any reason this setup wouldn't work for the longer term?

It's all about managing your expectations.

I would say that this Archer C7 setup you proposed is much better than the super famous MoFi everyone raves about. In my view, the MoFi is just a cheap $45 (new) router with custom OpenWRT, and a basic Sierra Wireless or Quectel modem in it.

Even then, I would personally feel constrained after a few months with this - I would like to do CA, bonding, multiple APs - what not.

I would like to connect the modem directly to the router instead over USB.

USB3 is faster but has interference issues with BT/2.4 Wifi.

Can the C7 support all of this? Probably not!

When referring to SimpleMobile's cheap 'eBay plans,' are you talking about the 3-month, $50 plan (unlimited LTE) for $50 ($17 a month)?

Yes

Are people just starting new accounts every 3 months?

Almost. I will get you a better setup after hooking you up with SimpleMobile rewards where you will get an additional month free!

I've seen a lot of posts from BillA. Is he a reseller or just T-mo guru?

Bill is both a guru and customer focused dealer.

I'd like to order hardware this week. Then in 2-3 weeks I can test out the various services. To confirm, (with the above hardware) I can test all 3 major carriers, correct?

Yes

-I have Verizon (prepaid), so will need SIM adapter, Verizon APN & TTL settings. Anything else?

Registering on Verizon will need some funny business I cannot discuss in public, so email me but that's pretty much it.

-I have a Tmo SIM from a Coolpad Surf, so will need SIM adapter and Tmo APN - would I need TTL update?

Yes. It's there already in GO

-Still need to pickup some sort of AT&T service to test

AT&T $50 unlimited prepaid

Is it as simple as installing GO on the C7, configuring for one type of service, reboot, test?

Yes

Aside from speed-tests, is there any other testing or monitoring that I should do?

Yes. I will inform you once you have the setup ready

I request everyone to jump in and review for any mistakes I've likely made.

[shadow6934]

Thanks again for the help & info. FWIW, it seems a lot of what you're doing is over my head (I had to google mechanical turk, for instance). I'm hoping for a pretty straightforward plug-and-play type solution.

If it makes any difference, I was never looking at the Mofis. Prior to looking at TPLinks I was considering a WG3526. They price out around $90 (shipped from China), but they have the PCIe modem slot built in and avoids using USB. I guess depending on the cost of the TPLink the final cost would be about the same. Just found one somewhat locally being offered at $30. I did forget antennas in my earlier cost breakdown...

I'll revisit simple mobile once I have tested all three carriers, and if I settle on using Tmo.

Aren't PMs currently disabled? How can I reach you directly for Verizon info?

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

Thanks again for the help & info. FWIW, it seems a lot of what you're doing is over my head (I had to google mechanical turk, for instance). I'm hoping for a pretty straightforward plug-and-play type solution.

The specs you mentioned before is absolutely top notch, you have it all figured out there.

The mechanical turk bit can be safetly ignored. It was just how I source routers inexpensively when they are mislabelled or not labelled at all (which is why they sell cheap). Information arbitrage.

Prior to looking at TPLinks I was considering a WG3526. They price out around $90 (shipped from China), but they have the PCIe modem slot built in and avoids using USB. I guess depending on the cost of the TPLink the final cost would be about the same.

Not really. I am unsure whether the WG3526 can support the generic OpenWRT image. I think that manuf. builds their own custom version.

I would like to be corrected and told that you, for example, can load goldenorb onto the WG3526

Just found one somewhat locally being offered at $30. I did forget antennas in my earlier cost breakdown...

If you can get a WG3526 for $30, it's worth a shot. If I misunderstood and you meant a TPLink, which model, because you have to be careful to not purchase one with BC HW.

I'll revisit simple mobile once I have tested all three carriers, and if I settle on using Tmo.

Sure. Depends on your speedtests and data.

Aren't PMs currently disabled? How can I reach you directly for Verizon info?

Ah yes, if you're on reddit, we can connect there, else let me look around.

When do you get your modem etc up and running?

[punkguy00017]

I use firstnet but to save u the headache of just ordering a simcard, purchase a phone and sign up for a firstnet plan if you are able to. Second don't overuse band 14 if I use more than 500gogs on band 14 they will kick u. That's y I only keep connected to band 12 and aggregate with band 2 n 4. I haven't had any issues and guys in here helped me set up my unit.

[shadow6934]

Just a quick update...

I was at the lake house this past weekend and tested Tmo & Verizon. Both had similar, acceptable speeds (40-60Mbps down, 5-10Mbps up) including from inside by a window.

Came back home last night and on the way I picked up a TP-Link Archer C7 v2 yesterday ($15, woot!). Installed GO today and was able to use my Google Pixel 2 (USB tethered, VZW prepaid) as a modem. Knowing this works well I'm leaning towards using a similar cell phone as the modem at the lake house.

ISP-wise I have yet to test AT&T, but not sure I will knowing I have two good options. Still some more testing to do (IP camera, thermostat) before I start service, but I've narrowed it down to Verizon (additional prepaid line on my existing account, or PagePlus through BillA) and Tmo (Magenta 55+ or Simple Mobile through BillA). Bill's been very helpful I highly recommend anyone with questions contact him, but I'm leaning towards adding line to exist Verizon prepaid account for simplicity. Would be $50 a month (w. auto-pay and max loyalty discount - have a line I can donate); also, usually you can buy refill cards at Target for 5-15% off...

Comments? Thoughts?

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

picked up a TP-Link Archer C7 v2 yesterday ($15, woot!)

There ya go!

Knowing this works well I'm leaning towards using a similar cell phone as the modem at the lake house.

Sure, but those $30 - $60 Quectel modems are not bad. If you find a phone (that typically has a beter LTE modem) in the same price range by all means use that.

About plans - have you checked out to TMobile 4 for $100 limited time offer?

I would recommend a choice of PagePlus and Simple Mobile, both through BillA.

I can set you up with referral credits on Simple Mobile that gets you an additional month free for every 2 - 3 months you pay depending on your plan.

Start off with PagePlus and then in a few months add a Simple Mobile would be my simplest solution.

For my community internet solution, I have proposed a mix of TMobile 4 for $100 and Cricket 4 for $100 plans. PagePlus will be provided to those with good Verizon LTE coverage as a redundancy/fall back (at an additional price). A few dozen will be ordered this week for activation over the next few days. I have more Cricket SIMs than the local Cricket store!