Tmobile business data plan hotspot vs on device data usage w/peplink br1 mini

Product Discussion
1

Cutting to the chase:
Isn’t Tmobile supposed to consider Peplink BR1 mini’s usage as “on-device” not hotspot data?

Longer version:
Hi, I’ve got a BR1 mini HW3 using a tmobile business sim with data plan “Bus Unl Tablet 10 GB HS TI” which is supposed to come with the items below and Tmobile recognizes the hardware as Sierra EM7411 (the modem in the br1 mini hw3):

  • Unlimited high-speed on-device 5G/LTE data (5G device required for 5G access), deprioritized after 50GB of usage
  • 10GB of mobile hotspot data, then unlimited mobile hotspot at 3G speeds (600 kbps) for the remainder of the month

After about 6-8GB of usage on the BR1 mini, Tmobile sent a txt saying “You’ve used 80% of Smartphone Mobile Hotspot high speed data on your T-Mobile plan. At 100%, your Smartphone Mobile Hotspot speed will be limited to 600 kbps until 01/31/2024. Data on your smartphone will still be high speed.”

My question is isn’t Tmobile supposed to consider Peplink BR1 mini’s usage as “on-device” not hotspot data? If not, how do I correct this as it’s going to break my design setup apart?

Thanks!

2

Consider the name of the data plan [quote]Bus Unl Tablet 10 GB HS TI[/quote]

The keyword here is most likely the word “tablet.” I.e., the device (and thus the notion of “on-device” data) pertains to the communications by the tablet (in your case, the router pretending to be a tablet) by and for itself. Any communication performed by other devices through the router would count as hotspot data (i.e., data transmitted to or from other devices through the router).

If it were a tablet then the on-device usage would be such applications as movies, email and the like, watched/accessed on the tablet. Your BR1 does not engage in any of that. It simply serves as a router, i.e., a hotspot.

Cheers,

Z

3

if you get a data plan meant for a router/data device that is the “right” way. you use a phone/tablet plan its YMMV .