Mexiconina
Guest
Does anyone have experience or ideas about alternatives to TelCel for a Wi Fi hotspot in a motor home?
Mobil Wi Fi Hotspot
- Thread starter Mexiconina
- Start date
GV Jack
Snorin God
Don't know what your problem with Telcel is, but I used a MIFI Hotspot with Telcel Amigo last trip down and it worked great.
I bought an unlocked MIFI on the net and got a Telcel Amigo SIM card. It took a little trial and error to get the properties set up
but once I did, it worked great. There is a service called Movistar, or something like that and they may have something to offer, but
their coverage isn't as good as Telcel. With the MIFI, just about any place you get phone coverage, you will connect to the net.
I bought an unlocked MIFI on the net and got a Telcel Amigo SIM card. It took a little trial and error to get the properties set up
but once I did, it worked great. There is a service called Movistar, or something like that and they may have something to offer, but
their coverage isn't as good as Telcel. With the MIFI, just about any place you get phone coverage, you will connect to the net.
Mexiconina
Guest
GV Jack -- I don't understand where you get your service -- is it through TelCel? In order to get a service contract at Telcel, we were told we needed an FM3, a street address, and electricity bills (among other things), the latter two of which don't work for an RV. Can you get a pay-as-you-go plan with the SIM card? And if the answer is yes, can I put the SIM card in a T-Mobile hotspot? Thanks,
How did u get the usb modem to work with the router? I brought a usb modem but I could not get the settings to work. Customer service was not help... And right now that router is a paper weight.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
First you need to check to see if your USB modem is supported by your router. Check it's website for a list of supported USB modems. I think mine is a ZTE-MF 180 Both the Zoom 4501 and 4506 support the USB modem that I got from TeCel. The 4506 can be used either with it's included power cube or by it's rechargeable battery. The 4501 only works with it's power cube. Hope this helps
GV Jack
Snorin God
Well, Mex...I wish it were cut and dry. I do get my service through TelCel. It is Telcel Amigo which is a "pay as you go" service. No FM3, etc required. I have a Telcel Amigo USB Modem which works in a lap top and I take the SIM Card out and put it in my Mobile Hotspot. You can get a Sim Card at Telcel for Amigo. Now as far as your T-Mobile hotspot is concerned, is it unlocked? If so, you can use the Sim Card in it to access Telcel. If not unlocked, it won't work. To further confuse the situation once you put the Sim Card in an unlocked hot spot you will need to go online with the the hot spot attached through an USB connection and change the properties to match the Telcel properties. It took me a few hours to figure that all out but once I did it worked slick. There are varying charges for the Amigo plan and they go by MB and GB. Max is around $35.00 USD for 3 GB and 30 days service. If you proceed and you need more info let me know and I will try to help.
Mexiconina
Guest
GV Jack -- Hmm . . . I have a TelCel USB modem. It is a ZTE MF180, just a USB stick (same as Sonora's) -- is that an Amigo? I can't see where a sim card would go, doesn't look like it is made to come apart. If I understand this, your solution is similar to Sonora's -- Sonora is using a wifi router with the USB stick connected to a laptop. You are buying just the sim card and putting it in an unlocked Mobile Hotspot. (unfortunately my T-Mobile is not unlocked). Am I right??? BTW, with a contract, $35 buys you 5 GB/month!
Roberto
Guest
I need that set up too so why not do a buddy a favor and just sell me the whole rig , minus the laptop !!! Hey, might be a good business for you in your dottage, a prepackaged Mexico Hotspot kit !!
playaperro
El Pirata
You could call Memo and have him set you up and save you allot of grief, I don't have his number handy, some people on here have it like Terry, or you could call Ely at Rocky Point Beach Home and Condo Rentals | Puerto Peñasco and have one of his tec's do it too..
GV Jack
Snorin God
OK Mex....First of all, if your T-Mobil Hotspot is locked, it is useless with Telcel. Second, your ZTE MF180 stick, if it is a Telcel, appears to work either with the
Amigo program which is a prepay program, or I believe, with their continuos monthly program. The reason your price of 35.00 for 5 gig is cheaper is because
it is a monthly program. I use the Amigo program because I only go to RP two or three times a year for a short stay. (They usually find me if I stay too long)
If you take the cap off your MF 180 and look at the USB connector you should see a little ledge on the edge of the plastic body. That should be the door that
lifts and opens up and is where the Sim card is kept. That's the way it works on my Novatel 760 unit. They don't sell that anymore.
Now if you go to the Zoom router, make sure it is compatible with the ZTE MF 180. Zoom's web page has a listing of all the USB modems that work with it.
Now, as for you Roberto, I'm glad to see you got out of New Mexico before they caught up with you or did you have an escort? For both you and Mex, Telcel
shows on their web page two MIFI hotspt models, Huawei E5 & ZTE MF 30. They may not sell them as Amigo units. They may come with a Sim Card that is
for their regular monthly program, but I would GUESS that if you put in an Amigo card it would work. By the way when I asked the people at Telcel in RP
about those they just shook their head. Maybe if you speak Spanish they may be more receptive.
One can buy unlocked MIFI's on the net. I got my Novetal 2373 there and it was a pain in the butt to get programed but worth it in the end. Now if one wants
to pay my exorbitant hourly rate, Time & Material, keeping in mind I did that in the defense industry for almost 60 years, I'll be glad to set it up.
I'm sure this is clear as mud and I haven't even had a beer yet. I am open for questions now. :lol:
Amigo program which is a prepay program, or I believe, with their continuos monthly program. The reason your price of 35.00 for 5 gig is cheaper is because
it is a monthly program. I use the Amigo program because I only go to RP two or three times a year for a short stay. (They usually find me if I stay too long)
If you take the cap off your MF 180 and look at the USB connector you should see a little ledge on the edge of the plastic body. That should be the door that
lifts and opens up and is where the Sim card is kept. That's the way it works on my Novatel 760 unit. They don't sell that anymore.
Now if you go to the Zoom router, make sure it is compatible with the ZTE MF 180. Zoom's web page has a listing of all the USB modems that work with it.
Now, as for you Roberto, I'm glad to see you got out of New Mexico before they caught up with you or did you have an escort? For both you and Mex, Telcel
shows on their web page two MIFI hotspt models, Huawei E5 & ZTE MF 30. They may not sell them as Amigo units. They may come with a Sim Card that is
for their regular monthly program, but I would GUESS that if you put in an Amigo card it would work. By the way when I asked the people at Telcel in RP
about those they just shook their head. Maybe if you speak Spanish they may be more receptive.
One can buy unlocked MIFI's on the net. I got my Novetal 2373 there and it was a pain in the butt to get programed but worth it in the end. Now if one wants
to pay my exorbitant hourly rate, Time & Material, keeping in mind I did that in the defense industry for almost 60 years, I'll be glad to set it up.
I'm sure this is clear as mud and I haven't even had a beer yet. I am open for questions now. :lol:
Mexiconina
Guest
GV Jack -- I thought I had this figured out. Got my T-Mobile Hotspot unlocked (yes, it is possible but not quick) and bought an Amigo SIM card and a month's worth of service. All great, except my computer doesn't connect to the internet. Took it to TelCel and they can't figure it out either. Started out with, well you have to activate the service, after about a 1/2 hour said the SIM card works fine in one of their modems so it must be the hardware. How did you get online to refigure the hotspot? Can we talk -- my US number is 206-920-1550. Would sure appreciate your advice! Happy to thank you with a margarita or two when you are in town -- that goes for anyone else reading this thread who is actually in town! Thanks,