4K HTPC Network Setup

[chewspam]

I signed up with Calyx, and that was a failure because their coverage map wrong. I have a pocket wifi MFG975S that I can't use at home, and I'm still stuck on my crappy 3Mbps DSL. Here is the only good thing with my home network that I have to have in a new setup: I can stream 4K from my router across the room to my Roku where my Plex app is connected to my Plex server on my PC that is wired to my router.

I need help knowing what I need, so why don't I tell you what I want? Maybe you can point me in the right direction.

1. At&t prepaid unlimited on the iPad plan (will generate an IMEI and get a sim from a store). What do I ask from when I go in? "Hey can I have a sim for a prepaid device?" Won't they ask me for a number for it?
2. A device that can pull the LTE signal and worked as a wired bridge to my Linksys AC1900. I would like it to be a device that I can later put my Sprint sim in to when they get a tower closer to me mid 2019.

I bought a Verizon Jetpack today, and I was getting much better speed out of it than my DSL. However, I returned it when -- working as a wireless bridge -- it was unable to get my 4K movies from my HTPC to my Roku. I am pretty confident that the At&t tower closer to me than the Verizon one will have just as strong a signal.

I would like to keep it under $500, and I would like to keep it as easy as possible for now. In the future I will work on upgrading the devices and speed with antennas and Raspberry Pi boards and the like unless that's easy to do.

[Jim S.]

I bought my AT&T Prepaid SIM from Best Buy and they didn't offer to activate it for me.

[chewspam]

I bought my AT&T Prepaid SIM from Best Buy and they didn't offer to activate it for me.

What device did you put it in and why?

[swwifty]

I'd recommend a H20 sim card, which can be found on Amazon for a buck. That's what I use with my AT&T service, and activated it easily online via their website.

[reto.sommer]

I signed up with Calyx, and that was a failure because their coverage map wrong. I have a pocket wifi MFG975S that I can't use at home, and I'm still stuck on my crappy 3Mbps DSL. Here is the only good thing with my home network that I have to have in a new setup: I can stream 4K from my router across the room to my Roku where my Plex app is connected to my Plex server on my PC that is wired to my router.

I need help knowing what I need, so why don't I tell you what I want? Maybe you can point me in the right direction.

1. At&t prepaid unlimited on the iPad plan (will generate an IMEI and get a sim from a store). What do I ask from when I go in? "Hey can I have a sim for a prepaid device?" Won't they ask me for a number for it?
2. A device that can pull the LTE signal and worked as a wired bridge to my Linksys AC1900. I would like it to be a device that I can later put my Sprint sim in to when they get a tower closer to me mid 2019.

I bought a Verizon Jetpack today, and I was getting much better speed out of it than my DSL. However, I returned it when -- working as a wireless bridge -- it was unable to get my 4K movies from my HTPC to my Roku. I am pretty confident that the At&t tower closer to me than the Verizon one will have just as strong a signal.

I would like to keep it under $500, and I would like to keep it as easy as possible for now. In the future I will work on upgrading the devices and speed with antennas and Raspberry Pi boards and the like unless that's easy to do.

I am guessing you know how to get the ATT prepaid unlimited data plan. Getting the SIM is easy, you can go to ATT and say that you have a tablet with SIM card slot that you want to activate yourself on a prepaid plan. They don't need to do it there. They will sell you the SIM outright without questions asked.

Any of the WE/WG routers on this site can be used with an MC7455 card installed in them to provision for any of the four major networks. If you want to go cheap and only need to provide internet through a 100M ethernet (so even if your ATT signal would deliver 150M it would be limited to 100M via the ethernet port) connection than I would go with the WE826, add external (outside) antenna's and install the GoldenOrb firmware. You might need a sim card adapter as the sim that you get from ATT may be a nano or micro and the router only takes the original size.

The WG826 would be your router pulling in the ATT signal for internet and connected from one of the LAN ports to your main router (WAN port). The only thing to remember is that the WE826 still acts as it's own router, so IP range needs to be different than the main router if they are both setup with DHCP. Another option would be to put the WE826 into pass-through mode than it will act like an actual modem and only have the external IP address going to your WAN port of the main router. The latter option also prevents that you have to setup two port forwarding rules(WE826 router and main router) if you intend to access your media from outside your network.

[Jim S.]

What device did you put it in and why?

I put it in a WE826/MC7455 setup, because it seemed to be the cheapest option to leave plugged in permanently (I don't want to have to babysit a battery-powered hotspot) and the cheapest option with decent antenna connectors. (The new AT&T hotspots can supposedly be plugged in constantly if you disconnect the battery and upgrade to a USB 3.0 charger, but they only have TS-9 connectors which I really don't like.)

[reto.sommer]

#chewspam

I am going to do something very similar in our RV. I will be using a router, essentially a WE826, as a modem and then a Netgear R6700 as the main router running on DD-WRT connected via ethernet. To that I would hook up the bluray player (thogh not sure that really gives me any benefits), the smart TV (Amazon version with KODI) up by the driver seat, the Synology NAS severing files through SMB and a internet ready Sony 5.1ch amp (internet radio). The WE826 wireless will be off since the R6700 has better coverage and speeds. In the bedroom is another smart TV and a small Beelink mini Windows PC also running KODI, and as backup PC for accessing the internet. Eventually I would also like to add a micasavere and add some automation to the RV, like deadbolt lock/unlock, lighting, alarm (using air horn).

Now wanting to stream 4k content means that you would need a stable 15+Mb/s connection down, not considering overhead or other users on your network bogging you down. I know that all major carriers are well able to deliver that, but you obviously need to be in an area that is close enough to one of the towers with decent signal strength and not over populated that you experience bandwidth sharing with other users (deprioritization).

[chewspam]

Update: I got the nighthawk and set it up on the at&t plan. That has a wired connection to my ac1900 router and is working perfectly. I get a max of 15 down and 15 up, but it's usually about 5 down and 10 up. I'm going to be spending about $300 on an antenna setup in the future as long as the plan auto renews and remains unthrottled.

[reto.sommer]

Update: I got the nighthawk and set it up on the at&t plan. That has a wired connection to my ac1900 router and is working perfectly. I get a max of 15 down and 15 up, but it's usually about 5 down and 10 up. I'm going to be spending about $300 on an antenna setup in the future as long as the plan auto renews and remains unthrottled.

Glad you found a solution. Curious if adding external antenna's to the NH will get you better speeds. Keep us posted.