I'm considering signing up for basic-internet.com's $10/month plan. My provider would be t-mobile. They want me to buy a new Sonic 2.0 mobile hotspot modem for $37 + $20 shipping + tax. I can buy another t-mobile hotspot modem for $15 on eBay, free shipping, no tax (or a Sonic 2.0 for $30). Would it work? These have SIM cards, which personalize them.

I can't an answer from basic-internet or t-mobile.

It'll come down to a few things:

1. Does basic-internet.com require you to buy a hotspot from them? If so, then if you can use your own or not is a moot point.
2. What type of sim does the $15 hotspot take? If it takes full size sims, then there's at least a chance, as the sonic 2.0 takes full size sims.

Technically, the sim doesn't personalize them, they prorgram them. The MDN is technically tied to the SIM, not the device, and so all you'd really need from the company is the sim, which they may or may not charge for.

Never mind. I need to work on my reading comprehension.

Those companies are not going to answer that form of question. You're asking if you can buy something from a third party, not them, to get a cheaper alternative to use on their network when they have an existing support organization and set of canned answers they'd provide for you if you can't get it working. I would guess that if you bought those modems from eBay, they "might" work but you'd get zero support from basic or t-mobile in attaining that goal. A think to double check is whether or not they claim Linux support. Because a lot of the cell providers acknowledge that they work on Linux but don't support it per se and that's where you can run into trouble.

These are Mobile Hotspots. If the wifi card in his laptop is compatible with linux, they'll work with linux as they aren't directly hooked up to the laptop, they're simply broadcasting a wifi signal for up to x devices can connect to and share it's cellular connection. Used to use them quite often (when providers could charge more for hotspot services on the phones), and they're all compatible with any device that has a working wifi signal.

Like I stated, the biggest thing is if the company requires you to buy from them, or if they charge for their sim card. If they allow BYOD (bring your own device) but charge $30 for a SIM, it's useless to buy the $15 hotspot since you're paying very nearly the same amount as you would buying the hotspot from them to begin with.

Also, forgot to mention, is the $15 hotspot 4G LTE? If not, you'll definitely want to get the Sonic 2.0 as it is 4G LTE, and the speed difference between 3G and 4G is HUGE (even if it's T-Mobiles 3.5G, still a sizable difference).

Support this stuff for a living, so fairly well versed in wireless telecom necessities and possible pitfalls. In the end, you just need to ask if they allow bring your own device, and find out what support the $15 hotspot has, or just go with the Sonic 2.0 regardless.

I know the vendor has an incentive not to answer this question: why I asked here. I mentioned that they didn't to forestall those who would tell me to ask.

The alternative hotspot modem is indeed a 4g t-mobile.

t-mobile sells sim cards, but they won't let me shop unless I have an account.

It'd be easy to make an account depend on the presence of a sim card they provide with the account. I asked here in case someone knew.

T-Mobile CAN provide whatever type of SIM one needs depending on the product. The Sonic 2.0 you were looking at, for instance, uses full size SIMs. A Galaxy S6 requires a micro-SIM w/ NFC. An older Apple iPhone 4S would require a micro-SIM (non NFC). So the SIM is entirely dependent upon the device.

As far as the vendor, if they don't say they require you to purchase from them to sign up for that service, then that means they don't require it. Did they say you HAVE to buy from them (or they only provide 1 type of SIM)? If not then you can buy your own device and sign up with them. I've never heard of basic-internet.com, so it will depend on their agreement with T-Mobile as to what types of SIM that company can/will provide. They may only buy full size SIM's from T-Mobile, so if it requires another you couldn't use it when signing up through them.

Any hotspot that is unlocked that has the frequencies that T-mobile uses can generally be used. (gsm)

Any T-mobile hotspot that is legally owned can be used.

The latest t-mobile hotspot sold in the usa also has a new frequency to help inside homes.

Yes, of course, but whether it's cheaper to buy a modem on eBay then a SIM from T-Mobile I can't know until I know the price of a SIM

They don't say. They don't respond to my queries. The sign-up page asks if I want to purchase the modem, not if I want to sign up for the service. They could either be trying to bully me or require that they make money on the modem as part of the deal. That they won't tell me, that the contact page tells me that it won't work because I don't have Javascript and/or cookies enabled (which I do), makes them seem fishy.

I finally got through over the phone (difficult because I don't have one). One can use one's own modem but one needs a new SIM, which they sell for $5.45. One cannot sign up on the Internet but must sign up by phone with one's own modem.

Not overly bad. Much cheaper than companies used to charge for new SIMS.

Get the $20 1G data plan and just let it fall back to the 2G speeds. T-mobile will block a number of things when they slow it down even though they don't disclose it in agreement.

Might consider Boostmobile $50 10G plan.

I can choose between a plan that gives me 1 GB/month of 4G access, unlimited traffic at 3G for $10 and a plan that gives me 2 GB/month of 4G access for $20. I don't need the speed so I'll get the first.


If I wanted to spend $50/month I'd pay for cable.

How could I know you could get cable? I can't cause I live in sticks.

Where do they offer unlimited 3G for $10????
I'd buy that instead.

A bunch of smaller, local companies do. I think there's like 3 different companies that offer unlimited data here in Phoenix, 2 that operate on T-Mobile, 1 on Sprint. Maybe not all $10, but I think the most expensive of the 3 is $30, and one of them is $10.