I would like to build a router for my car to replace the T-Mobile Home Internet box and such. I’m eyeing the BPi-R3 right now, but I think I need to identify a good mPCIe 5G cellular modem first. The idea is to have an external 5G MIMO omnidirectional antenna on the roof, and a few Ethernet ports for various other devices and to leave room for a possible sat modem later.
So my main question is, which cell modem can I use? And, can I avoid Qualcomm?
If I can work out something clean, slick and easy to use/install, I would love to make this a real project for others, though it’s a bit niche. I sometimes like to road travel and go camping, and if I can do my job while camping and such then all the better.
But I think the main reason I really want to do this is because the WiFi service car companies are offering is just ridiculous, exploitative, and makes me want to be able to curse in every human language!
T-Mobile won't let you use a third-party modem for Home Internet. The service is locked to the IMEI of the supplied box. Some people are selling modems with cloned IMEI, but that is technically difficult (the number is supposed to be permanently assigned by the manufacturer) and not exactly legal.
Also you're not allowed to use it away from home. Though there is a geographic lock in the contract they have not yet been enforcing it.
A Tablet / Hotspot plan has neither of these restrictions but they have limited GB.
The fook!? Wow, that’s very nice to know! Thank you. WTF is wrong with people these days? If I want to pay them for a service, why should it matter if I’m using their equipment or my own? I even a told a number of people I spoke with at T-Mobile support that this is what I was going to do and none of them informed me of this limitation. Then again, none of them seemed to understand what I was talking about.
Now I’m wondering if I can just rip the one out of their box and put it back in when I’m done with their service. This is very helpful to know! It always seems that the more I learn about a company, the less I like them! There’s got to be companies offering descent 5G access for people who would prefer to use their own goddamn devices.
As for using my phone’s "hotspot”, that’s a kind of shitty solution for what I’m wanting to do. But you’re right that it’s what everybody seems to think is the “right” way to do it, it just doesn’t make much sense to me.
PS: Sorry for all of the curse words. I’m just shocked.
Yes, you can arrange for a data only plan with most carriers. Last I checked, your carrier offers this service.
As you mention, they likely didn't know. My inquiring about IPv6 specifics resulted in similar lack of knowledge.
They also failed to mention that they expect you to use that device only at the home address you provided for service (I know because my inquiries to them resulted in that information).
Because your equipment could interfere with service they provide others (or the public, i.e., 9-1-1, public safety traffic, etc.).
TELTONIKA has good mobile devices, based on their own variant of openwrt.
And they have good support. Not so cheap, though.
In case, you more prefere DIY, then it depends on, how much time you will be willing to stabilize your device, i.g. to match the modem to your provider(s), especially in case of using high speed modem.
For a low cost and basic speed solution, easy to be set up, you might have a look at old, but proven devices based on MT7620, and Quectel EC25 modem. I.e. the ZBT we826-q. In case, you require higher modem speed, be prepared to invest quite some time for tailoring
Here are some solid options you can consider for your setup:
Hardware Recommendations:
BPI-R3 Mini + Quectel RM520 / RM530 / RM502 (or any Quectel 5G module you can source easily) — stable, widely supported, and great community backing.
FM350GL — another solid 5G option (Intel-based).
T99W175 — works well for many custom router builds too.
If you want something ready-to-go, the Huasifei WH3000 Pro or even a GL.iNet router + 5G module could be great alternatives — especially if you want something plug-and-play but still powerful.
Each has its own pros and cons, but for a car router setup, the BPI-R3 Mini + RM520N-GL combo is a really strong balance between flexibility, speed, and community support.
Well I plan on installing a Raspberry Pi 5 (or similar) also for experimental GUI purposes and I’m just not feeling like trying to make a single computing device do everything I want. This one is a sedan / normal car and 12V.
Well, that’s supposed to be what the T-Mobile Home Internet is supposed to be, aside from the “using it other places” part. I suppose I’ll just have to spend more time on the phone interrogating them until I can find the people who understand all of their plans, restrictions, etc.
On this bit, I did actually get some good info! I was told that my bandwidth guarantees would essentially be limited to the tower that serviced my home address. I may still get service elsewhere, but if I hit a tower that’s at capacity, my traffic will get “the back seat” and that is indeed what I’ve noticed. Some places I get around 300 Kbps, and others the full 40 Mbps.
Well I don’t know this tech inside and out, but I would put that responsibility in the modem’s firmware. Unless I change that firmware or it has a flaw, I would presume that my system wouldn’t have the ability to cause that type of problem.
Holy shit! GL.iNet Spitz AX (toh, mfg) looks pretty sweet! I like that they're coming with stock OpenWRT firmware. $360 USD isn’t bad either. Two ethernet ports are probably as much as I’ll need in a hacked-up car and the hardware and case all being done is tempting as well.
This board is cute as hell! I had apparently overlooked the “Mini”. I wouldn’t get the I/O pins that the full-sized BPI-R3 has, but this is a huge difference in size.
Well that’s the sweet spot I’m looking for. Thank you for this helpful write up! Now I just need to figure out the provider issues. I’m hoping I can continue to use the $45/mo service with this hardware.
Inside the modem they gave you and you don't wish to use, correct?
...or some random modem unknown to them that you wish to use [on their network] instead?
(Simple tech, nothing difficult there to understand.)
Along with specific tower service, this is also how they ensure you don't use gigabit + service while moving around their network.
Naa...they have service for tablets, hotspots, laptops, mobile modems/routers, and other bring-your-own-devices, long before the home Internet plan/modem. I surmise you know the service is different than home Internet.
Hardware Recommendations: