T-Mobile home Internet towers 20 miles away

[MOSTLY_LOST]

Hello, new to the platform, so please be kind to help a brother out.

I have read over the rules and have found some forms that were insightful but did not help for exactly what I needed.

I recently purchased a T-Mobile home internet plan along with the router that is included. Furthermore, I used my home address even though my residency is an area in which T-Mobile does not provide service for. I was still able to purchase it, however I have had no luck in obtaining signal.

I received an error code Wan002, but once moved to a different area of the house and plugged into a different outlet, the code went away. Would buying a different router from wirelesshaven.com help me, or would it be better to get an external antenna and hook that up to the router itself?

I am about 11 miles away from the nearest T-Mobile tower.

I'm not sure if my sim for the internet is provisioned? Not only that, but I did receive somewhat of a hard time at T-Mobile store trying to buy the plan, I'm not sure if that matters, I did use my address that is not in their service area provided by T-Mobile.

All help is appreciated, thank you in advance.

[Didneywhorl]

Lowest cost would be to modify the TMo router and add antennas like this one: https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/anten ... onnectors/

or two of these: https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/anten ... laster-5g/

If you want more control, then a whole router system would be the boss way to go: https://thewirelesshaven.com/product-ca ... r-bundles/

[MOSTLY_LOST]

Lowest cost would be to modify the TMo router and add antennas like this one: https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/anten ... onnectors/

or two of these: https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/anten ... laster-5g/

If you want more control, then a whole router system would be the boss way to go: https://thewirelesshaven.com/product-ca ... r-bundles/

Would this option ( https://thewirelesshaven.com/product-ca ... r-bundles/ )help as well, or are the only options the routers you mentioned above. If I may ask, what would be the difference with the routers I mentioned vs the ones you mentioned?



Also thank you for taking some time to reply.

[gscheb]

Hello,

Have you tried taking the gateway outside with a extension cord to see if it will connect at all? Even if it is up a tower or even away from the house in a yard or field? Or even in the the car a quarter of mille down the road?
Reason why I ask is if you can get any signal like that no matter how bad the service is it is a identifier that a outside antenna is possible to work.
In your situation an antenna is your best solution to get it to work. Then from there you can upgrade your router. But first you need to prove you can connect to that signal.

[MOSTLY_LOST]

Hello,

Have you tried taking the gateway outside with a extension cord to see if it will connect at all?

Actually no I have not I was under the impression since my phone sim (T-Mobile) works then I would be able to use the router but I could definitely give this a shot. Thank you.

[Didneywhorl]

Lowest cost would be to modify the TMo router and add antennas like this one: https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/anten ... onnectors/

or two of these: https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/anten ... laster-5g/

If you want more control, then a whole router system would be the boss way to go: https://thewirelesshaven.com/product-ca ... r-bundles/

Would this option ( https://thewirelesshaven.com/product-ca ... r-bundles/ )help as well, or are the only options the routers you mentioned above. If I may ask, what would be the difference with the routers I mentioned vs the ones you mentioned?



Also thank you for taking some time to reply.

Technically any of them would work, the difference would be how much modem do you want to buy? From a category 6 modem that can do real world speeds of over 100Mbps on a good cell tower, up to the latest 5G modem in the Diamond Tier one that can do over a Gigabit technically.

gscheb is right, though, you really need to find your signal source and see how well it gets to you. It'd be good to get an app on your phone that can identify what cell tower you are on. There are many, for Android, not a ton for apple but they exist I believe.

[gscheb]

Hello,

Have you tried taking the gateway outside with a extension cord to see if it will connect at all?

Actually no I have not I was under the impression since my phone sim (T-Mobile) works then I would be able to use the router but I could definitely give this a shot. Thank you.

Hello again,

Maybe I am confused. Are you able to connect to the internet with this T-Mobile gateway as of now?

[MOSTLY_LOST]

Lowest cost would be to modify the TMo router and add antennas like this one: https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/anten ... onnectors/

or two of these: https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/anten ... laster-5g/

If you want more control, then a whole router system would be the boss way to go: https://thewirelesshaven.com/product-ca ... r-bundles/

Would this option ( https://thewirelesshaven.com/product-ca ... r-bundles/ )help as well, or are the only options the routers you mentioned above. If I may ask, what would be the difference with the routers I mentioned vs the ones you mentioned?



Also thank you for taking some time to reply.

Technically any of them would work, the difference would be how much modem do you want to buy? From a category 6 modem that can do real world speeds of over 100Mbps on a good cell tower, up to the latest 5G modem in the Diamond Tier one that can do over a Gigabit technically.

gscheb is right, though, you really need to find your signal source and see how well it gets to you. It'd be good to get an app on your phone that can identify what cell tower you are on. There are many, for Android, not a ton for apple but they exist I believe.

I see okay so basically if I understand this correctly some will offer more speed than others right? Sorry I'm completely new to all this still trying to understand the lingo.


Yes I've actually been wanting to do it but today their is a storm and it's pretty nasty so I'll have to wait until it dies down.

I have android definitely don't like the restrictions of apple. What app would you recommend?

[MOSTLY_LOST]

Hello,

Have you tried taking the gateway outside with a extension cord to see if it will connect at all?

Actually no I have not I was under the impression since my phone sim (T-Mobile) works then I would be able to use the router but I could definitely give this a shot. Thank you.

Hello again,

Maybe I am confused. Are you able to connect to the internet with this T-Mobile gateway as of now?

Hello,

As of right now no I have not been able to connect but I do want to try what you recommended I have yet to do it because of the storm we are having here where I live.