Home Networking

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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]

16 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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 The only available wired internet is via an outdated telephone line, offering a mere 2mb download speed, which is far from sufficient for my needs.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] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Have you considered spinning up a virtual machine in the cloud and just using your home internet to connect via a remote desktop and do all of your work from there?

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

That's a interesting approach. However, I've already invested a lot of money in setting up my home workspace and equipment. I'd prefer to find a solution that allows me to make the most of what I've already established.