Sure, I understand that but that’s significantly different to the blanket statement you said earlier.
Rightly or wrongly, there are people regularly doing many hundreds of GB per month with a phone plan in a router.
I don’t think the word “enterprise” is significant here. The same applies to putting a phone SIM in any cheap router.
Let’s keep this productive.
I have not had a chance to test more with the ATT sim, but the nxtgenphone and broadband APN would get IP’s and not pass health check. Even with health check off, I was unable to ping the default gateway or resolve a name.
Is there anything else to try?
Also, I’ve pretty much had to power cycle the max transit when I’m changing sims. Rarely can I change sims back and forth without doing that. It will just sit at “resetting” or “obtaining an IP address” forever.
What I said is right, a [AT&T] phone plan will not work in an enterprise router. Prove me wrong. If you find one that works, that would be fantastic.
I’m not trying to pick an argument. Maybe I misunderstand the definition of enterprise router.
Is a MAX BR1 MK2 considered an enterprise router?
An AT&T Unlimited Elite phone plan definitely works on a MAX BR1 MK2. I know that because I’ve used it. It’s obviously not an approved usage by the carrier but it does work.
Rumors are that a lot of plans you can get from LTE resellers are really phone or tablet plans. The reseller just gives you plausible deniability.
Yes, the MAX BR1 MK2 is an enterprise router.
Look at the carrier websites and what they offer to consumers. You will see some small tiny battery powered MiFi/hotspot devices. Very different than a Peplink.
Yes I’m aware of those.
I don’t really understand our discussion here. I’m just disputing you when you say a phone plan won’t work in one and invited me to prove you wrong.
I drove my RV from New Hampshire to Texas with a MAX BR1 MK2 sitting on top of the microwave oven with two SIMs, one for AT&T Unlimited Elite and the other T-Mobile Magenta, both consumer phone plans. It worked very well.
Recently? In the past 6-12 months?
Until mid November 2020. I pulled them out when I got nervous reading about IMEI blacklists etc.
I no longer have those phone plans to try it again although I tried Visible a month or so ago and it worked.
There’s nothing particular special about this device to the carrier is there? I think it’s a Sierra Wireless MC7455 modem. I haven’t heard anything on the likes of ltehacks etc to say that has stopped working with AT&T phone plans. I have a plan from a reseller now where I pay $79 for 400 GB per month. For all I know it could well be a phone or tablet plan. I’d like to think it’s not but lots of people say I’m kidding myself to think a reseller plan is a genuine hotspot plan.
Just the defaults for AT&T as I recall. APN is broadband. I’ve had some conflicting advice but my understanding is that AT&T doesn’t care about TTL. Devices use a different APN when they tether.
By the way if you try Visible, the main setting needs to be “Generic”, not “Verizon”.
Building on that point re. Visible: some devices do have a “generic” and “auto” choice, some only “auto” (e.g., the 20x). When “generic” is available then pick that (in our experience “auto” does not work for Visible under those circumstances), for the 20x, select “auto.” “Generic” availability is also dependent on the firmware version - make sure you have the latest.
Just my $0.02
Z
Will throw in my $0.02 here. I have two (2) AT&T plans from a reseller I’ve been using since May in two (2) different CAT-18’s. Set up & configuration was accomplished without any issues with the default settings from the factory on both of them. I also have Verizon SIMs (30gb/mos) in the ‘B’ slot on both of them. They also work, without any issues, with factory default settings. Plug in the SIMs, power up the device up & they just work.
I would suspect that whatever AT&T plan you have, it’s not compatible with the CAT-18. I can’t speak to plans other than the AT&T reseller plan I have & the Verizon 30 gb/mos data only plan, but, what I have works.
Ignore the MTU and leave it at 1428 for LTE connections. As mentioned, TTL will not affect AT&T, I leave mine in auto. It sounds like prepaid is causing the headache.
whispers softly…just get the postpaid tablet plan and be done with it…
I just got a Max Transit cat 18 and successfully activated with the AT&T Prepaid data plan, had to go into the store, gave them the IMEI and everything worked great when I got home and popped it in. I proactively set the APN to ‘broadband’
“Yes, they said the IMEI came up as supporting 3g only and was block and the line was disabled (couldn’t even make a phone call). They had to do something on their end to “renable” the line, works now.”
That is interesting. Cricket which runs on ATT is denying my Cat-18 with the same 3G bull crap. And that was with their prepaid 100 GB Hotspot plan. Makes no sense as its a 100 GB Hotspot plan. -Bill
Did you provide them with your peplink IMEI or a tablet IMEI?
The peplink IMEI
I just got a bill from them for $193. This included data overages. Turns out they detected the IMEI wasn’t a tablet and switched it to a hotspot plan, a whole 15gig for $75 with $10 / 2gig overages. What a joke that this even exists in this day and age.
Luckily when I called they understood and said they’d reverse the charges. But to me, it looks like any new AT&T plans are out, since they go off IMEI and not TTL or something else.
Hopefully I’m wrong.
Dang! Was this pre-paid or post-paid? I assume your peplink was set at broadband and stuff as well
In the store I gave them the peplink IMEI
Eric Larson
so you are criticizing them for identifying correctly that it wasnt in a tablet and it was in a hotspot?