Setting up 3G/4G in car Wi-Fi. What is needed? Best value data?

Forums › New Zealand Mobile and Wireless › Setting up 3G/4G in car Wi-Fi. What is needed? Best value data?

Supercolor

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#217958 20-Jul-2017 02:31

So I'm wanting to setup a wifi hotspot in my car using a 4g Sim. What kind of modem/router would be needed to work with a skinny Sim?

Could I just buy one of these and put a skinny Sim in it? https://m.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETTPL7300/TP-Link-TL-M7300-LTE-Advanced-Mobile-Wi-Fi-Share-4

Or is there more to it than that?

If so what would be a good way to go about doing this?

I'll probably use 1-2gb per month, and I like the idea of having the roll-over data with skinny.

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2514 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1825595 20-Jul-2017 05:59

Maybe a silly question but is there any reason to not just hotspot to your phone?

SATTV

1642 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#1825612 20-Jul-2017 07:48

Have a look at these, when I found them last year I ws supprised at how cheap they were considering their features.

http://www.glynstore.com/robustel-r2000-4l-4g-lte-router-with-band-28-700mhz-wi-fi/

Will work best with a shark fin on the roof ( I think Glyn sells those too )

John

I know enough to be dangerous

Supercolor

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1825752 20-Jul-2017 10:48

dickytim:
Maybe a silly question but is there any reason to not just hotspot to your phone?

Yeah I probably could but I thought it would be neat to have a seamless wifi transition for devices between home car and work. I also thought that it might give faster data speeds/better coverage? And I'm thinking about trying a few mods that would require wifi in the car.

Supercolor

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1825758 20-Jul-2017 10:55

SATTV:
Have a look at these, when I found them last year I ws supprised at how cheap they were considering their features.

http://www.glynstore.com/robustel-r2000-4l-4g-lte-router-with-band-28-700mhz-wi-fi/

Will work best with a shark fin on the roof ( I think Glyn sells those too )

John

That looks pretty cool but I don't really want to spend $400+. I was hoping for something in the $100-150 range. Something like this would be perfect https://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/2d/mobile/ols/consumer/browse/tablet/details/tablet-details.jsp?productId=1-54DD75&planType= except their price for data is just too high and I really would need sparks network coverage.

Supercolor

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1825767 20-Jul-2017 11:05

I've just found this: http://s.aliexpress.com/VjymANbY which looks like it supports all of sparks frequencies including 700mhz. Is there any reason I couldn't just buy this and slap a skinny or spark Sim in it?

tripper1000

1609 posts

Uber Geek

#1825786 20-Jul-2017 11:40

Supercolor: I've just found this: http://s.aliexpress.com/VjymANbY which looks like it supports all of sparks frequencies including 700mhz. Is there any reason I couldn't just buy this and slap a skinny or spark Sim in it?

I notice the band isn't stated in that listing.

Just be cautious buying 700 MHz LTE gear from Aliexpress. A lot of it is band 17 which is no good in NZ - you need band 28 here.

I have had a little bit of trouble with sellers advertising a product as having band 28 then sending me a version that didn't.

Edit: Wiki Link.

Supercolor

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1825791 20-Jul-2017 11:49

tripper1000:
Supercolor: I've just found this: http://s.aliexpress.com/VjymANbY which looks like it supports all of sparks frequencies including 700mhz. Is there any reason I couldn't just buy this and slap a skinny or spark Sim in it?

I notice the band isn't stated in that listing.

Just be cautious buying 700 MHz LTE gear from Aliexpress. A lot of it is band 17 which is no good in NZ - you need band 28 here.

I have had a little bit of trouble with sellers advertising a product as having band 28 then sending me a version that didn't.

Edit: Wiki Link.

It looks like it's a made for Telstra product and from what I can find their 700mhz network in oz is band 28. If I'm correct in that is there any reason why it wouldn't work?

Sharesies

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Spyware

3729 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1825798 20-Jul-2017 12:01

Yep, you can't use the Skinny SIM in third party hardware.

Spark Max Fibre using Mikrotik CCR1009-8G-1S-1S+, CRS125-24G-1S, Unifi UAP, U6-Pro, UAP-AC-M-Pro, Apple TV 4K (2022), Apple TV 4K (2017), iPad Air 1st gen, iPad Air 4th gen, iPhone 13, SkyNZ3151 (the white box). If it doesn't move then it's data cabled.

Supercolor

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1825826 20-Jul-2017 12:21

Spyware:
Yep, you can't use the Skinny SIM in third party hardware.

Would a Spark Sim work? Or is it just their terms and conditions and not an actual limitation?

tripper1000

1609 posts

Uber Geek

#1825836 20-Jul-2017 12:40

Spyware:

Yep, you can't use the Skinny SIM in third party hardware.

Are you talking about a specific SIM or Plan?

I've successfully used Skinny Sim's in 3G wifi routers in the past. You can buy the Sim's on their own, which strongly suggests they are supposed to work in non-Skinny hardware.

Supercolor

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1825837 20-Jul-2017 12:42

tripper1000:
Spyware:

Yep, you can't use the Skinny SIM in third party hardware.

Are you talking about a specific SIM or Plan?

I've successfully used Skinny Sim's in 3G wifi routers in the past. You can buy the Sim's on their own, which strongly suggests they are supposed to work in non-Skinny hardware.

That sounds close to what I'm after, what router did you use and what plan?

coffeebaron

6213 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1825840 20-Jul-2017 12:46

Grab a cheap B315 from somewhere. It will also run off the car 12v.

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DarkShadow

1647 posts

Uber Geek

#1825864 20-Jul-2017 13:12

Spyware:

Yep, you can't use the Skinny SIM in third party hardware.

Why can't you use a Skinny SIM in third party hardware?

tripper1000

1609 posts

Uber Geek

#1825868 20-Jul-2017 13:26

Supercolor:
tripper1000:

Spyware:

Yep, you can't use the Skinny SIM in third party hardware.

Are you talking about a specific SIM or Plan?

I've successfully used Skinny Sim's in 3G wifi routers in the past. You can buy the Sim's on their own, which strongly suggests they are supposed to work in non-Skinny hardware.

That sounds close to what I'm after, what router did you use and what plan?

I can't remember the 3G router but I think the LTE was a E5573s-606 which theoretically did 3G 850 MHz and 4G B28 which is right for Spark/Skinny.

It was a voice SIM with a data pack on it as I was testing which network was best in my area so I wasn't using GB's of data.

If you want 700 MHz be sure to confirm band 28 before you buy.

Jase2985

13420 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#1825877 20-Jul-2017 13:41

im just curious why you actually need something like this in the first place, that you couldn't just use a hotspot on your phone for?

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