Won't connect to AT&T. We826 Ep06-a

[RuralinternetSucks]

Ok so I purchased a prepaid AT&T SIM card using the $2 a day plan. In my phone I actually got nearly equivalent speeds/signal as my Verizon thanks to that new tower(mini on top of building I think. Still couldn't find it yet) they must have put up recently.

Because I spent days changing settings in my router and adding a bunch of AT commands to get it to work with Verizon, it wasn't surprising that it didn't work when I popped in my AT&T SIM(after changing the APN). So instead of trying to fix everything I just decided to use the system/reset command in the router to take me back to a blank slate.

I refollowed the beginning tutorial for the router. Set the APN to broadband, set TTL to 65, changed my timezones etc.. but it won't work. One time after it seemed to connect to ATT but I still didn't have internet (even though the signal was plenty good enough).
But now it it just says Provider: Connecting..
Under Modem/Network Status

I've been trying to figure out why it won't connect to ATT and I'm hoping it doesn't have anything to do with my SIM being prepaid. I also double checked and made sure I had sufficient data and I have 160MB left from what I added.

Can anyone help? I'm basically internetless in the house without this lol. I feel like I've been spamming this board, sorry. Just trying to figure this out so I can stop bugging y'all.

Edit: I checked my system log and this is basically repeating

Fri Mar 19 10:09:19 2021 user.notice MBIM Connect: Register with network
Fri Mar 19 10:09:19 2021 user.notice MBIM Connect: Subscriber registration failed
Fri Mar 19 10:09:19 2021 user.notice root: mbim bringup failed, retry in 15s
Fri Mar 19 10:09:34 2021 user.notice MBIM Connect: Stopping network
Fri Mar 19 10:09:37 2021 daemon.notice netifd: wan1 (8591): Command failed: Permission denied
Fri Mar 19 10:09:37 2021 daemon.notice netifd: Interface 'wan1' is now down
Fri Mar 19 10:09:37 2021 daemon.notice netifd: Interface 'wan1' is setting up now
Fri Mar 19 10:09:37 2021 user.notice URL-DEBUG: hotplug (iface): action='ifup-failed' interface='wan1'
Fri Mar 19 10:09:37 2021 user.notice MBIM Connect: Query radio state
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 user.notice MBIM Connect: Reading capabilities
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 user.notice MBIM Connect: Check PIN state
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 daemon.notice netifd: wan1 (8625): required pin: 3 - pin2
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 daemon.notice netifd: wan1 (8625): remaining attempts: 3
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 user.notice MBIM Connect: PIN unlocked
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 user.notice MBIM Connect: Checking subscriber
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 daemon.notice netifd: wan1 (8625): uci: Entry not found
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 daemon.notice netifd: wan1 (8625): uci: Entry not found
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 daemon.notice netifd: wan1 (8625): uci: Entry not found
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 daemon.notice netifd: wan1 (8625): uci: Entry not found
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 daemon.notice netifd: wan1 (8625): uci: Entry not found
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 daemon.notice netifd: wan1 (8625): uci: Entry not found
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 user.notice Get Profile: Default Profile Used
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 daemon.notice netifd: wan1 (8625): uci: Entry not found
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 daemon.notice netifd: wan1 (8625): uci: Entry not found
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 daemon.notice netifd: wan1 (8625): uci: Entry not found
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 user.notice MBIM Connect: Register with network
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 user.notice MBIM Connect: Subscriber registration failed
Fri Mar 19 10:09:40 2021 user.notice root: mbim bringup failed, retry in 15s

[MattB29]

If you are attempting AT&T why did you not buy a Data plan? Sounds like you are trying to use a phone plan.

https://www.att.com/prepaid/mobile-hotspot-tablet/

[Dr-BroadBand]

Think it could be your APN

[RuralinternetSucks]

Think it could be your APN

Yes, apn is set to broadband

[RuralinternetSucks]

I was curious so I tried to set it to QMI using

AT+QCFG="usbnet",0

Now the Status>System Log says this repeatingly. Also it says Provider: Failed to connect. Retrying. Instead of being hung up on Connecting

Fri Mar 19 10:51:28 2021 user.notice port change: dwn
Fri Mar 19 10:51:30 2021 user.notice Create Connection: Pincode in script
Fri Mar 19 10:51:30 2021 user.notice Create Connection: Attempting to Connect
Fri Mar 19 10:51:32 2021 user.notice port change: dwn
Fri Mar 19 10:51:38 2021 user.notice port change: up
Fri Mar 19 10:51:40 2021 user.notice port change: up
Fri Mar 19 10:51:43 2021 user.notice QMI Connect: WDA-GET-DATA-FORMAT is "raw-ip"
Fri Mar 19 10:51:44 2021 user.notice QMI Connect: Waiting for network registration
Fri Mar 19 10:51:44 2021 user.notice QMI Connect: Starting network broadband
Fri Mar 19 10:51:44 2021 user.notice QMI Connect: Connection returned : "Call failed"
Fri Mar 19 10:51:44 2021 user.notice QMI Connect: status is "disconnected"
Fri Mar 19 10:51:44 2021 user.notice QMI Connect: GET-CURRENT-SETTINGS is "Out of call"
Fri Mar 19 10:51:55 2021 user.notice Create Connection: Retry Connection

[Dr-BroadBand]

Is your SIM for a data hot spot??

[RuralinternetSucks]

If you are attempting AT&T why did you not buy a Data plan? Sounds like you are trying to use a phone plan.

https://www.att.com/prepaid/mobile-hotspot-tablet/

Should that matter? I just wanted to test signal strength and speed before I went all in on a plan. My Verizon was a phone plan so I didn't think that would be an issue.

[RuralinternetSucks]

Is your SIM for a data hot spot??

This is what I bought

[Dr-BroadBand]

I have see Magic happen by removing the Sim card and do a factory hard reset on modem

[RuralinternetSucks]

I have see Magic happen by removing the Sim card and do a factory hard reset on modem

Will this wipe the firmware and I would have to reinstall?

[MattB29]

Should that matter? I just wanted to test signal strength and speed before I went all in on a plan. My Verizon was a phone plan so I didn't think that would be an issue.

Phone plans are often a problem with using in data only devices. People have came up with various work a rounds but the Cell phone companies are constantly working to squelch those. So yes it does matter.

[RuralinternetSucks]

Phone plans are often a problem with using in data only devices. People have came up with various work a rounds but the Cell phone companies are constantly working to squelch those. So yes it does matter.

Sorry I'm new to the ATT thing. So I assume the "unlimited" data that phone plans have doesn't work on a data plan and you're simply buying the data (25gb for example) and once you run out you either need to buy more or go without? Because data only seems like you wouldn't be able to bypass the cap as hotspot since technically that's all it is?

[MattB29]

Unlimited phone data is based on the fact most phone users will not use a lot of data if confined to the phone. It is more marketing than factual since de-prioritization and soft caps do apply even then.

Data only plans do not rely on bypassing caps and yes you do not need a hotspot work around. They are generally limited to a set amount and you can buy more if you exceed that amount. Some data only plans like AT&T IPad tablet plan was unlimited and many people moved the sim to a cellular router to take advantage of unlimited data. At&T canceled that due to abuse.

There are a couple of unlimited plans out there like T-Mobile's wireless home internet and Verizon's offering. They provide the device and they are fixed location. They suffer from lower prioritization than phones.

Incidentally there are a couple of MVNO's that sell data only plans relying on AT&T as the network. I am presently on Crickets Simply Data for my internet needs but I have used Red Pocket's data only plan in the past. Big problem with Cricket is they no longer accept many cellular routers as being incompatible. The one (WG3526 with EM7565) I use is no longer compatible come next February. I do not see any restrictions for Red pocket's data only plan listed but that does not mean your router would work. For that matter I do not know if AT&T prepaid data plans will now work with unapproved devices. There is a lot of stuff happening and changes all the time to what will work versus what used to work.

[mtl26637]

From past experiences with ATT setups here are the following APN that have worked:

ATT old "ipad/tablet" plan 35/mo. through their "buyasession" system = "broadband"
ATT current "tablet" plan 20/mo. = "broadband"
ATT 65/mo. prepaid phone plan = "nxtgenphone"

Try "nxtgenphone" for the APN.

[RuralinternetSucks]

From past experiences with ATT setups here are the following APN that have worked:

ATT old "ipad/tablet" plan 35/mo. through their "buyasession" system = "broadband"
ATT current "tablet" plan 20/mo. = "broadband"
ATT 65/mo. prepaid phone plan = "nxtgenphone"

Try "nxtgenphone" for the APN.

Thanks. Tried but unfortunately didn't work.

Tmobile home internet says it's available here but their only tower is 8 miles away. So I don't know if that's a mistake or not to begin with but it looks like it may be my last resort. Though their test drive (which I think has a tiny cat1 modem) got like 5mbps down in an area near my house so I may luck out, who knows. At this point I'm so deflated on all of this that I just want to lock myself away and pretend the problem doesn't exist lol.

[Dr-BroadBand]

Not familiar with this modem but

On my MOFI and M1 NightHawk I am able to get a cell ID number from the tower and signal strength without a Sim installed.

My need to do a factory reset Will not affect the firmware.

Last option reinstall the firmware to your modem.

Would also be nice if you could test your Sim card in an iPad