Using the TMobile ISP Box sim in a Netgear LB1120

Ret60sp wrote:

I have the unlimited TMobile ISP internet modem, and it works ok, but it has limitations that I can solve by using a different modem.  The TMobile ISP box does NOT have a bridge mode and it does NOT have external ports for external antennas.  For those of us in rural areas this means we get maybe 1 bar of service.  The NO bridge mode means I either intend to let the TMobile modem be a router as well as a modem, and I don't like this idea for several reasons: 1) The firewall sucks.  2) no masquerade 3) No detail configurable firewall with subnets, 4) No embedded GPS for location & 5) the 2.4 & 5 Mhz Wifi is not powerful enough to reach the far corners of the home and those emitters interfere with the cellular signal at 1 bar, making upload speeds suck for a Plex server.  So I prefer my Mikrotik router, and my Mikrotik AP's stanmding alone on the network - which means I need the TMobile ISP modem to be in bridge mode, (but they don't have a bridge mode) or I'll encounter a double NAT issue.  There are too many ports to attempt to forward on my network and opening the DMZ is counter intuitive to the purpose of a true masquerading firewall.  So using the TMobile modem as a DHCP server/firewall is not an option I'll consider. 

So I purchased the Netgear LB1120 modem and proceeded to transplant the sim from the TMobile modem into the Netgear 1120.  I set the APN to fbb.home and - nothing.  It will not connect to the TMobile network.  No bars.  I installed a generic TMobile sim card in the Netgear LB1120 and it comes right up - with 1-2 bars.

So how do I configure the Netgear LB1120 to use the sim card out of the TMobile ISP modem?

If I can get it to work I can install the L400 cables to the external grid antennas outdoors, pointed at the nearest cell tower, and I should get 5 bars and a truly descent internet experience.

You CANNOT use the SIM from inside the gateway.  It is locked to that device only.  I know because my neighbor just sent theirs back.  As a retired network engineer I helped them set up a secure home network that includes a NAS acting as a media server.

That said, Tmo has an equivalent plan.  They find it under their Hotspot section (that I haven't found) and it has "Unlimited Data" (i.e. 100GB) for $55.00 or I believe $50.00 if you enroll in "autopay".

It hasn't arrived yet so I can’t say how well it works in their LB1120 (4G LTE) modem.