What SIM plan are many Insty Connect users using and what plan do I recommend?
This is a hard question to answer as there are many options available for mobile internet. Finding a good plan is tricky, but doable.
In the past, there were 2 major problems to finding good, stable internet on the road. The first hurdle was figuring out what type of hardware you should get. What router will work best? What type of antenna would pair nicely with the router? Where should I put the antenna? What type of wire and how many wires will I need to attach to the antennas?
The second hurdle was figuring out what type of plan you should use with that hardware.
I entered into this industry to take care of the first problem, and so far I think we're doing an AWESOME job at it! :)
That being said, the second problem still exists, but at least you can rest assured knowing you have the best hardware for the job.
That being said, it's time to do some research! One of the best resources on the internet are the folks over at the Mobile Internet Resource Center. They spend lots of time and energy trying plans, keeping track of plans, and alerting their subscribers of changes to those plans.
Also, your current cell phone provider is a great place to start as well. Since you are already a customer, they will most likely be helpful when it comes to inquiring about a new plan.
After this, Google is a great resource.
There are many factors that will affect what plan will work best for you. Your location (if you're stationary, or if you tend to be in the 'fringe' zones quite a bit), how much money you can spend per month, how much data you will use per month, etc.
Verizon and At&t will be the best on the fringe zones. Verizon will usually edge out At&t for long range signal, but At&t will usually have faster speeds overall. Since they have the greatest coverage, any plans with Verizon and At&t will be the most expensive.
T-Mobile has worked hard to expand their network. T-Mobile boasts the most 5G coverage in the U.S.. The Insty Connect 5G now includes T-Mobile band 71, which helps with the long range signal. They have pretty competitive plans, some with unlimited data.*
*Most unlimited plans (no matter the carrier) give you an amount of data at the beginning of your plan cycle where you are prioritized higher than most customers. This data is called Premium Data. Once you have used that data, you are prioritized lower than other customers and you may notice lower speeds in times and places where the network is congested with many user.
Any 3rd party services like Visible, Cricket and others will fall into the category of their parent company above, but with another caveat: when using a third party service, you'll be most likely prioritized under any person that is a direct customer of the parent company. That will translate into slower speeds, longer waits for website loads, and in some cases, less reliable service.
What I recommend is this - take a month and spend some money trying out multiple services.
Reach out to the providers that end up high on your research list and inquire about pay as you go plans. Purchase a few of them, and try them in the Insty Connect. Use that first month to gauge whether that service will work for you as primary, or perhaps as a secondary service.
After your first month, keep the ones that make the cut, and cancel the others.
I have found that personal experience is best. You can quickly find the quirks and see if they are acceptable to you.
Can you use your phone card SIM in the Insty Connect?
This will all depend on your provider and the rules they have set forth on your plan.
I personally have a grandfathered Verizon Unlimited data plan, which allows me to remove the SIM and use it in my Insty Connect whenever I wish. Other Verizon phone sims have 'hotspot data' attached to the SIM plan, and if you remove the SIM from your phone and insert it into the IC, most likely it will be 'seen' as a hotspot and any data that is used over that connection will go against your hotspot data. If you reach your limit, you may be limited or 'throttled'. Please see this KB article for more info: How to know if you are being throttled.
Some phone plans may not allow for hot spot data. In this case, if you put your phone sim in the Insty Connect, it may connect and register to the tower, but the internet may not work - or - it may work for a little bit and then stop working.
So, in essence, most phone sims will work in the Insty Connect, but how they work will generally be controlled by what plan you have.
Can I move a SIM from a tablet or hotspot?
In most cases, you can move a SIM from just about any device that you "own".
The key is that you must own the device outright. Any devices that were given to you for free, or that you purchased in an installment plan (like $25 dollars a month just to have the device), the provider can legally lock the SIM to that device since they "own" it.
If you have a phone, hotspot, tablet that you fully own outright, you can most likely move the SIM to the Insty. Just like above, the provider may 'see' that it's in a router or hotspot and your plan limits may still apply.
Are there ways to 'get around' tethering rules, speed caps and data limits?
I get this question all the time, and unfortunately, we can't help you with any 'work arounds'. Our goal was to build a system that makes it easy for you to connect. We put a lot of time and effort into the design so it can pull in a great signal and in turn, get you some of the best speeds available from the tower.
There are folks that are using phone 'unlimited' plans in all types of mobile routers and changing TTL settings to make it work. Some providers use TTL settings to know what type of device is connecting to their network. Changing this setting may be against your providers terms of service, so you'll want to reach out to your provider and check with them before attempting to do so. Changing any TTL settings may cause unintended results and or connectivity issues with the tower.
As mentioned, we want to provide awesome customer service for our Insty Connect customers, but we will not be able to help or support any custom TTL modifications or the unintended results that might occur.
What plans are working with the Insty Connect?
At this time, all of the major carriers work in the Insty Connect. (At&t, T-Mobile, Verizon). Some third party carriers are working (Visible), but others may have strict device restrictions, so you may want to check with your third party carrier to see if they allow moving the sim to another device.
Are there any Unlimited Data Plans out there?
As mentioned above, the Mobile Internet Resource Center is a great resource for finding plans with lots of data attached to them. A lot of our customers have had pretty good luck with using At&t reseller plans to get either Unlimited, or a LOT of data plans:
https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/gear/att-unlimited-rental-plans/
My provider needs an IMEI number.
Please read this article here. https://my.insty.hosting/client/knowledgebase/359/How-to-find-your-IMEI-number---and-what-providers-MAY-tell-you.html