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Can T-Mobile Really Distinguish Between SIM Card Usage in a Phone vs. a Router? (alien.top)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Hi everyone,

I'm in a bit of a unique and challenging situation regarding internet access and would really appreciate some insights from this community.

I live in an area with limited internet options – no fiber and subpar 5G connectivity. The only available wired internet is via an outdated telephone line, offering a mere 2mb download speed, which is far from sufficient for my needs. My job involves sending and downloading large files regularly, often exceeding 100GB, so a fast and reliable internet connection is crucial.

Currently, I'm using T-Mobile's Mobile Unlimited plan on my phone, which gives me about 50mb download speed. It is called „L Nielimitowana” (I'm from Poland). It's manageable but not ideal, especially since I need to keep my phone constantly connected to my PC. This setup is far from ideal for my work.

I approached T-Mobile about a 5G router plan, but they informed me that they don't offer 5G router plans in areas with suboptimal connections to avoid providing unsatisfactory service. However, they did propose an alternative: getting a second SIM card with unlimited 5G internet at half the price of my current plan. But here's the catch – the representative and the contract clearly state that this SIM card will not work in a mobile router, only in phones.

This brings me to my main questions for you knowledgeable folks:

Is it true that T-Mobile (or other carriers) can distinguish if a SIM card is being used in a router instead of a phone? If so, how do they do it?

Are there any workarounds or specific types of routers that might bypass this limitation?

Having a router with this type of internet would be a game-changer for me, so any advice, insights, or experiences you can share would be immensely helpful.
Thanks in advance!

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (3 children)

But here's the catch – the representative and the contract clearly state that this SIM card will not work in a mobile router, only in phones.

Try it, I bet it will work anyway (it does in the US)

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It works until the vendor does a scan and shuts the SIM off for violation of the terms of service. It's happened more than once to a buddy the has bought this kind of solution from shady dealers that don't mention they are using a phone SIM.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Yes this is likely, which is why using a device that reports voice capabilties to the carrier (ideally a 2nd phone) as the modem is the safest way. The rest is sort of mid level TCP/IP networking fun. I've been running for 3 years with no issues this way.

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