Forum Discussion
Unable to use T-Mobile Home Internet with work VPN, any suggestions?
I've recently been told by work Information Services that I cannot use my work laptop with T-Mobile Home Internet. Here is there response to my support request.
T-Mobile's primary service called "5G Broadband" is not true wire-to-site broadband. While Cisco AnyConnect can work over 5G and other wireless connections, MTS does not recommend its usage unless absolutely necessary, and if you utilize a phone line such as Cisco Jabber call quality cannot be guaranteed.
The issue is that while 5G can provide broadband level speeds and bandwidth wireless solutions, such as 5G, have a higher tolerance for "packet loss." Packet loss is when individual pieces of data are dropped/lost during transmission. For most applications this is a minimal issue that 5G speeds may render unnoticeable, but a live connection, such as the AnyConnect VPN or Voice Over IP phone services, will experience connection degradation or be completely disconnected forcing you to reconnect.
This is not an issue MTS can mitigate. For this reason the only recommended Internet service types are fully wired based connections including DSL, Broadband, Cable, and Fiber Optic services.
Does anyone have a suggestion on a way to work around this issue? It does not need to be perfect, but being able to work from home is essential, and if I can't use TMHI to do that… it would be a deal-breaker for me.
- mob_ucbNetwork Novice
As a workaround, change your WiFi interface to a static IP with a netmask that isn't /32:
Something like:networksetup -setmanual Wi-Fi 172.20.10.3 255.255.255.240 172.20.10.1
And when you disconnect from your hotspot and reconnect to regular wifi you would need to revert with:networksetup -setdhcp Wi-Fi
- kattud1Network Novice
I have been working on T Mobile for a year through my company's Sonic Wall Net Extender VPN. No issue at all. UNTIL May 1st 2024, it broke. My IT department has tried everything. They are trying all sorts of things. Between the time they have lost, and the time I'm behind in my work, I've just about resigned myself to having to get rid of TMobile. It's really been a great service, but if I can't work from home, it's useless. T-Mobile doesn't even try to answer. I experienced what y'all did, four different calls, four different answers. I can't understand why it all went haywire just like that.
- 4TheMiddleNewbie Caller
We have had two different employees for two different companies who both happen to be using using the Sonicwall Global VPN client have a similar issue.
They both tried various troubleshooting and tech support calls, but nothing worked.
Upgrading to the newer router/modem solved the issues.
https://www.t-mobile.com/support/home-internet/5g-gateway-g4ar
- ElmojomoNewbie Caller
So I’ll just throw my hat in the ring here as someone having issues.
My setup is slightly different. I have the InseeGo FX3100 gateway/router. For any not familiar, it's the business device TMO sends out for users who have more technical needs. I'll be connecting mine to a hardware firewall, if I ever get it working properly standalone. The basic internet is fine, but like all of you, my "VPNs" (Tailscale and Zerotier) are refusing to connect and/or transfer files with any usable speed. I've spent the past 2 weeks doing not much but troubleshooting everything under the sun, including isolating the TMO service from my network completely and plugging it directly into my desktop, with no improvement. This confirms to me that it's 100% on the TMO side. I've set my MTU to everything from 1280-1500, with no improvement. I've disabled IPv6. Nothing has helped.
I was really hoping this service would be the solution to terrible DSL, but it just may not be.T-Mobile, please listen to your customers, and provide some real support for this obviously widespread issue.
- IDRNewbie Caller
Elmojomo wrote:
I have the InseeGo FX3100 gateway/router.
Oh no! I wish I saw this comment before calling up support. They are sending me this device. Has there been any improvements since you last post?
- 4TheMiddleNewbie Caller
I should clarify my previous comment. The basic connectivity issue with VPNs was solved by the new G4AR gateway as I mentioned. However the speed issue with a VPN was not. For those locations with T-Mobile that needed more than 10-15Mbps of performance over a VPN we had to switch to other carriers. We spent a solid month trying to get reasonable performance out of the VPNs and T-Mobile and failed.
Several hours of tech support, multiple devices, multiple tower assignments, provisioning changes, etc.. We were going to try the 3100 gateway as mentioned, but they said the services under the hood are the same for all T-Mobile gateways now and it would not help so we did not try that one too.The 3100 does give you access to run bridge mode with static IPs (sort of anyway) but the VPN issue they said was the same.
We never had success so I cannot comment on what happened earlier this year for others when it apparently was working.
- KatsperNetwork Novice
4TheMiddle wrote:
I should clarify my previous comment. The basic connectivity issue with VPNs was solved by the new G4AR gateway as I mentioned.
I just want to add that this is not the case for me, across two different VPN services. I have that gateway and I'm lucky if I can stay connected for more than 30 minutes at a time. I've also tried a myriad of issues as well as have talked multiple times to support.
This is such a pain. I'll be troubleshooting this further before switching back to Xfinity, if I find anything I'll be sure to update my comment, I just wanted to add another voice to the choir. Will absolutely be advising against TMHI because this issue in itself is just absurd, let alone how pervasive and long standing it is.
- ElmojomoNewbie Caller
Katsper wrote:
...before switching back to Xfinity...
If you had Xfinity as an option, why on earth were you even considering cellular internet?
- MichelleEnglerNewbie Caller
Your sales team LIES! This is not a true broadband solution as it does not support VPN connectivity. I am forced to cancel and go back to xfinity which I HATE but have no choice since I was lied to about how this t-mobile service works.
- Ketch22Newbie Caller
Gfiz247 wrote:
AJ1234 wrote:
My company uses Cisco AnyConnect VPN. I've been having all the same issues mentioned in this thread and gone down the IT rabbit hole trying to remedy this issue. Finally found a knowledgeable T-Mobile technician that explained if personal or work VPN or systems are operating on IPv4 then you need to go into your T-Mobile home internet app > select network > click "+" to add network > name network > create password > select 2.4 GHz band > select WPA/WPA2 > WPA "TKIP & AES" > then save the new network and connect. Worked out my VPN issues and my security cameras are working now.
THANK YOU!!! My company uses the same VPN and it worked perfectly until Monday, 1/22, probably the same change you experienced. I followed your guidance and it works perfectly. I'm back to the same full speed I had previously, maybe even faster, and now I have a second home network dedicated to work from home.
Trying this now, Makes sense and I can see this working. Similar to others that have posted about this, I have been on T-Mobile for 2 months and have not had an issue until a couple of days ago. I used this at our cabin and don't have traditional internet as an option. Previously I used a Verizon hot spot. That worked fine, but wanted to be able to use this to stream tv as well and there just isn't enough data with a hot spot. I won't be convinced otherwise, T-Mobile had to have changed something and doesn't like VPN's on their network.
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