MiFi device that identifies available cellular signals?

[fisherman]

I've been looking a a MiFi hotspot device to use as backup when my Internet goes down. It seems most MiFi devices require a provider's SIM (and contract) but at least Glocalme makes one https://www.glocalme.com/product/duoturbo/ that does not require a SIM. I have surfed and surfed and watched YT videos on this device, and nowhere can I find the details of how it might work in my situation. I want something that will tell me: "you have AT&T or T-Mobile or Verizon or etc. signals available". All I've found it that the duoturbo device does auto-connection but then I can't find how you tell what you are connected to. Have even emailed their Support to no avail.

I've had my cellular provider go down, and want a MiFi gizmo to tell me what cellular provider is NOT down. Anyone?

 

[Tech Junky]

That's impossible unless you have more than one. They use different tech and bands. Att and TM though should be able to tell you status since the underlying tech is the same. Vzw is different and would need a different box to tell you status.

The voice side is regulated by the FCC and has backup power for calls to go through. The data side isn't a priority service for emergency communication though. But the two go hand in hand as the voice service needs data to get back to the provider and complete the call. There might only be a t1 for voice backup which kills the data side while it's down or degraded.

 

[sfx2000]

That's impossible unless you have more than one. They use different tech and bands. Att and TM though should be able to tell you status since the underlying tech is the same. Vzw is different and would need a different box to tell you status.

Verizon CDMA is gone, so like ATT and TMO, VZW is LTE and 5G now... different bands, but same tech...

VZW is a bit more strict about what they allow on their network, they do support OpenMarket devices, but only ones on their valid device list...

The voice side is regulated by the FCC and has backup power for calls to go through. The data side isn't a priority service for emergency communication though. But the two go hand in hand as the voice service needs data to get back to the provider and complete the call. There might only be a t1 for voice backup which kills the data side while it's down or degraded.

Not sure how Voice is related to OP's question here as he's just looking for a backup/failover connection...

There are multi-carrier SIM's out there - but most of them are either targeted towards international travellers or IoT applications - the IoT applications are typically very low data capacity and high overage costs...

@fisherman - it's a nifty idea, but it could be expensive - more than a handset with a dataplan that allows for tethering - alternate would be to check if you have coverage available for one of the 5G-FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) such as T-Moble Home Internet (which is my fallback if cable goes down) or Verizon 5G Internet...

And there, if you have a mobile account already, bolting on 5G-FWA usually will get a discount...

 

[Tech Junky]

Not sure how Voice is related to OP's question here as he's just looking for a backup/failover connection...

In an attempt to detect an outage the tower will still broadcast due to voice still working but data not.

 

[sfx2000]

In an attempt to detect an outage the tower will still broadcast due to voice still working but data not.

Not really - Cellular/Wireless has been all-IP since about 2003 - so your statement might be accurate 20 years ago...

All-IP includes voice...

 

[drinkingbird]

I've been looking a a MiFi hotspot device to use as backup when my Internet goes down. It seems most MiFi devices require a provider's SIM (and contract) but at least Glocalme makes one https://www.glocalme.com/product/duoturbo/ that does not require a SIM. I have surfed and surfed and watched YT videos on this device, and nowhere can I find the details of how it might work in my situation. I want something that will tell me: "you have AT&T or T-Mobile or Verizon or etc. signals available". All I've found it that the duoturbo device does auto-connection but then I can't find how you tell what you are connected to. Have even emailed their Support to no avail.

I've had my cellular provider go down, and want a MiFi gizmo to tell me what cellular provider is NOT down. Anyone?

This may or may not help your question but I can fire up my unlocked phone and see all carriers and networks available in the area. Now whether there is a router that can do that, no idea but you'd have to have a stack of SIM cards laying around anyway so wouldn't be that hard to check your phone to see which SIM to use.

Considering Tmo and Verizon are the two common 5G Internet providers why not just get service from both and set up dual WAN failover? Or have one as your Internet provider and one as your phone provider, make sure the plan includes hotspot or tethering, and use your phone as the backup. I know ATT has it too, not common near me but may be near you. Historically ATT and Tmo had sharing agreements and I sort of considered them to have about the same coverage and reliability, at least around here. I don't know if that is still the case but that would probably make me lean away from using those two as backups for each other.

If Google FI still does multicarrier switching maybe a dedicated tethered phone with their service? Not sure if they support tethering or what their hotspot limitations are, but a consideration worth looking into.

 

[Tech Junky]

Google FI still does multicarrier switching

Only in certain areas since they use TM and uscc since the merger of sprint and TM. And I think they restricted the function to only Google phones at this point. Not the greatest deal on data either at $10/GB. Other mvno providers give you unlimited for $30/mo where fi for the same price is 1gb/mo.

 

[Ripshod]

Wouldn't something like Network Cell Info on a mobile phone do the necessary? It shows all the local cells, much better than sim swapping.
Poor image attached due to forum restrictions, but you get the gist. I understand the OP's requirement, but does it really have to be down to the mifi device to do the scanning and gathering the info?

 

[sfx2000]

And I think they restricted the function to only Google phones at this point.

Google Fi is limited to certain handsets - all of the Pixel's obviously, and they do support a few others...

As mentioned, not the best deal for data - they are nice for international roaming...

 

[fisherman]

This may or may not help your question but I can fire up my unlocked phone and see all carriers and networks available in the area.

What kind of phone does that? My iPhones do not, afaik.

To be perhaps a bit clearer, we've twice now lost not only our Spectrum digital cable, but also our Spectrum Mobile iPhone service, which seems to ride on Verizon towers. Elsewhere I've learned that Spectrum probably does "backhaul" service for VZW and that's why we not only lost Internet but also had No Service on our phones.

The Glocalme duo turbo device apparently has two modems and can connect with anybody, but of course if in this area Spectrum is the backbone of each and every cell tower, then it would be useless as well.

@Ripshod and @drinkingbird I'm tempted to get one of yins (apparently) non-Apple phones just to learn what towers I have, but I suppose I also could just pop for the Glocalme device and wait for another outage. It purports to connect to "the strongest available signal" which would be great, but I'd also like to know from it WHO IS PROVIDING the "strongest available signal" as I might just then get a phone to use with it during Spectrum outages.

Spectrum Mobile is (for the two of us) just $28/month zero taxes/fees/etc which is just wildly cheap compared to the AT&T service we had before.

 

[drinkingbird]

What kind of phone does that? My iPhones do not, afaik.

To be perhaps a bit clearer, we've twice now lost not only our Spectrum digital cable, but also our Spectrum Mobile iPhone service, which seems to ride on Verizon towers. Elsewhere I've learned that Spectrum probably does "backhaul" service for VZW and that's why we not only lost Internet but also had No Service on our phones.

The Glocalme duo turbo device apparently has two modems and can connect with anybody, but of course if in this area Spectrum is the backbone of each and every cell tower, then it would be useless as well.

@Ripshod and @drinkingbird I'm tempted to get one of yins (apparently) non-Apple phones just to learn what towers I have, but I suppose I also could just pop for the Glocalme device and wait for another outage. It purports to connect to "the strongest available signal" which would be great, but I'd also like to know from it WHO IS PROVIDING the "strongest available signal" as I might just then get a phone to use with it during Spectrum outages.

Spectrum Mobile is (for the two of us) just $28/month zero taxes/fees/etc which is just wildly cheap compared to the AT&T service we had before.

I'm using an Android (Pixel 4A 5g) with Mint Mobile (T-Mobile MVNO). With my original SIM if I went in and turned off automatic network I could see all the other carriers in the network selection. The new SIMs they're using now (T-Mobile released a MVNO SIM) show all the networks as Mint but the other carriers like AT&T and Verizon show up as "forbidden". I'm pretty sure if I remove my SIM those other networks show up as the actual carrier name. It is been a while since I toyed with it and I've updated SIMs a couple times. There are a few good apps out there for accessing detailed mobile radio data, to get all the info you have to root your phone but even without that it gives a lot of info on surrounding networks (I don't remember if it tells the carrier or not, I uninstalled them a while ago).

I have an old Samsung with no SIM in it but it is locked to AT&T so that's the only network that shows up.

How does this Glocalme device work, do you pay them and they in turn pay the various mobile carriers for the data, or do you have to buy a bunch of prepaid SIM cards?

If you have good T-Mobile in your area, Mint's 15GB plan (which includes 15G of hotspot) is like $20 per month, but I guess if you only want it "as needed" that is probably steep. But a cheap used phone with tethering/hotspot ability and a pay as you go plan with hotspot/tethering might work as a good backup. Plenty of T-Mo and ATT MVNOs out there.

 

[sfx2000]

The Glocalme duo turbo device apparently has two modems and can connect with anybody, but of course if in this area Spectrum is the backbone of each and every cell tower, then it would be useless as well.

No, it does not have two discrete modems... It timeshares across different carriers, similar to what Dual-SIM handsets do...

If you like the Glocalme device, just use it...

 

[sfx2000]

Anyways - if you're looking for a decent WWAN/WAN device, GL-Inet might service your needs...

Homepage

We bring secure network hardwares and softwares to homes, office buildings and industrial facilities, inspiring a smarter lifestyle for the world.

www.gl-inet.com

 

[fisherman]

...How does this Glocalme device work, do you pay them and they in turn pay the various mobile carriers for the data, or do you have to buy a bunch of prepaid SIM cards?
...

I believe it's the former; some sort of proprietary "cloud SIM" magic which sorts available carriers and picks the strongest one. You buy data for it according to the country you want to use it in. It does also have a SIM slot so I guess if their cloudSIM doesn't work you can buy one locally...

BTW we have tried multiple carriers up here including T-Mobile but the most reliable network in Northern WI is AT&T fwiw.

I should probably have a non-iPhone for grins but do not. And Apple of course hides all the good stuff from the user, unless I suppose you hack it--I'm blanking right now on what that's called.

 

[fisherman]

Anyways - if you're looking for a decent WWAN/WAN device, GL-Inet might service your needs...

Homepage

We bring secure network hardwares and softwares to homes, office buildings and industrial facilities, inspiring a smarter lifestyle for the world.

www.gl-inet.com

The Glocalme device is less than $150--I guess I will give it a go and see for myself how its "magic" works.

Thanks to all for helping me with this.

 

[fisherman]

I believe it's the former; some sort of proprietary "cloud SIM" magic which sorts available carriers and picks the strongest one. You buy data for it according to the country you want to use it in. It does also have a SIM slot so I guess if their cloudSIM doesn't work you can buy one locally...

BTW we have tried multiple carriers up here including T-Mobile but the most reliable network in Northern WI is AT&T fwiw.

I should probably have a non-iPhone for grins but do not. And Apple of course hides all the good stuff from the user, unless I suppose you hack it--I'm blanking right now on what that's called.

Jailbreak. That's it. I did it to an iPhone many years ago but not recently.

 

[fisherman]

Got the GlobalMe Duo Turbo and its auto-connection capability told me the best available connection was AT&T. It worked.

But it doesn't afaict show other carriers that AT&T might have won-out over, which was something I was curious about. For sure the next time I have a complete failure i.e. both digital cable and Spectrum/VZW mobile loss, I will turn the thing on and see what-if-anything it might find for me.

 

[sfx2000]

Got the GlobalMe Duo Turbo and its auto-connection capability told me the best available connection was AT&T. It worked.

But it doesn't afaict show other carriers that AT&T might have won-out over, which was something I was curious about. For sure the next time I have a complete failure i.e. both digital cable and Spectrum/VZW mobile loss, I will turn the thing on and see what-if-anything it might find for me.

Since they're wholesaling service - it's always going to be the best cost for the SIM provider...

All the smarts are actually in the SIM card - they're little Java Based computers and tell the radio where to go once it figures out where it is.