T-Mobile Home Internet Service - BYOD?

Yep, this is exactly my issue with T-mobile home internet too: the signal on the gateway they sent was 1 to 2 bars so I got mediocre speeds and high packet loss.  If I could have used a different gateway that supported putting an antenna outside the house it probably would have been great, but that isn't an option.

I ended up cancelling it when I could get fiber instead.

Is there an update on this issue May 9, 2022

Big Buoy wrote:

I understand the push to use their gateway since it simplifies support on their end. However, I absolutely agree with Tmblehomeuser21 that we need a BYOD plan for those of use who have used MoFi's for years with other carriers. I too have a MOFI5500-5GXeLTE-EM9191-COMBO and was looking forward to being on the bleeding edge since I am rural and work from home with high data usage. I even am more than willing to pay for the home internet plan and as long as it is unlimited without their gateway.

Unfortunately I live on the edge of our 5G coverage with no copper or cable options and would get 1 bar at best when trying to use the 5G bands. The gateway would grab the 5G for a few moments then drop back to LTE causing a glitch or full on drop in internet connectivity multiple times in an hour. Streaming was almost impossible and work video calls was simply an embarrassment for me.

I like T-Mobile and have 6 phones still on their military plan even though I took the gateway back nd dropped that line. Although, I have visited the store(s) multiple times since in the hope of finding an unlimited BYOD plan that I could use for my MoFi (tablet, phone, or hotspot) it is all just a crap shoot since the risk is that at anytime their network police could decide to block my IMEI because it is not the correct device for that plan.

One would think -T- would want to lead the charge for 5G in all areas and at least match what the other carriers are doing with their BYOD Internet plans….. one would think.  

 Sort of? Whats even crazier is their *next gen* gateway **still** does not have external antenna connection. It's utterly baffling.

Whats more, the overhead reduction on selling sims to people willing to bring their own devices is so obvious it beggars belief that they aren’t doing it.

I understand the push to use their gateway since it simplifies support on their end. However, I absolutely agree with Tmblehomeuser21 that we need a BYOD plan for those of use who have used MoFi's for years with other carriers. I too have a MOFI5500-5GXeLTE-EM9191-COMBO and was looking forward to being on the bleeding edge since I am rural and work from home with high data usage. I even am more than willing to pay for the home internet plan and as long as it is unlimited without their gateway.

Unfortunately I live on the edge of our 5G coverage with no copper or cable options and would get 1 bar at best when trying to use the 5G bands. The gateway would grab the 5G for a few moments then drop back to LTE causing a glitch or full on drop in internet connectivity multiple times in an hour. Streaming was almost impossible and work video calls was simply an embarrassment for me.

I like T-Mobile and have 6 phones still on their military plan even though I took the gateway back nd dropped that line. Although, I have visited the store(s) multiple times since in the hope of finding an unlimited BYOD plan that I could use for my MoFi (tablet, phone, or hotspot) it is all just a crap shoot since the risk is that at anytime their network police could decide to block my IMEI because it is not the correct device for that plan.

One would think -T- would want to lead the charge for 5G in all areas and at least match what the other carriers are doing with their BYOD Internet plans….. one would think.  

tmo_mike_c wrote:

That's a tough one. Sorry you're not happy with the gateway device. There's not a restriction on the SIM, however, when using a device we don't send you, there's a chance it may not work with the plan or hardware (i.e. SIM) for that service. We can have our gateway device connection troubleshot, and even have the hardware replaced if there's an issue with it. Our Tech Care team can escalate a Trouble Ticket too if needed if you're not getting the service you're expected to get in your area.

This appears to be incorrect. I spent hours on the phone with tech support and no one could get my 3rd party MoFI modem working with the SIM. It appears as if the fbb.home apn is blocking IMEI's not associated with the Nokia gateways.

This is an utterly baffling decision, since that gateway has mediocre network firewall and antennas, relatively poor cellular antennae, and no means to add external antenna without literally disassembling the device.

This product is so close to being an almost perfect rural internet solution that falls flat due to several baffling decisions.

khenze wrote:

I just switched to the T-Mobile Home Internet; received my gateway device; and  I am not happy with signal strength of the device.  I am put on Band 12 most of the time and speeds are terrible.  With my previous provider I used a MOFI 4500 modem on AT&T network and I could lock in to Bands 2 & 4 exclusively and I had no speed issues.  I ordered myself a MOFI 5500 model which includes the 5G bands to use instead of the T-Mobile provided device.  When I moved the sim card from the T-Mobile device to the MOFI 5500 it registers on the network but no internet connection.  If I move the sim card from my phone to the MOFI 5500 it registers on the network AND I have internet connection.  Is there a restriction on the sim card for the T-Mobile gateway device?  How can I make this work?

Did you ever get support here? Having the same issue

User1 wrote:

Does the device of t-mobile home internet provide 2.4 Ghz and 5.0 Ghz bands at the same time? 

This thread is not about Wi-Fi, but yes the T-Mobile Gateway supports simultaneous 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi connections.

Does the device of t-mobile home internet provide 2.4 Ghz and 5.0 Ghz bands at the same time? 

I have the T-Mobile home internet service also. Signal is typically 2 bars. I don't always have a secondary signal. The internet connection drops at times. Speeds are good when a secondary signal is available. I believe t-mobile should allow byod such as the mofi 5500. The Nokia gateway is very limited. There are no external antenna options unless you open the case (I have not done this.) The mobile application crashes and the interface stinks. You cannot lock bands.

   Rural America, including myself, have used Mofi and other similar devices with external antennas for years. A BYOD option would be an excellent T-mobile public announcement to keep T-Mobile home customers and attract new customers. It would be win win since T-mobile still gets paid. 

That's a tough one. Sorry you're not happy with the gateway device. There's not a restriction on the SIM, however, when using a device we don't send you, there's a chance it may not work with the plan or hardware (i.e. SIM) for that service. We can have our gateway device connection troubleshot, and even have the hardware replaced if there's an issue with it. Our Tech Care team can escalate a Trouble Ticket too if needed if you're not getting the service you're expected to get in your area.