Router Cellular Data Plans
Finding suitable cellular data plans to meet home and work needs is always a challenge. This becomes even more challenging for cellular embedded routers, like Peplink. Routers need cellular data plans designated specially for use in data-only devices.
This article goes over the considerations for finding cellular plans for use on a Peplink or other cellular-embedded routers like Insty Connect, MoFi, InvisiGig, Cradlepoint, GL.iNet, Winegard, and more.
This guide covers our current top pick plans, using 3rd Party Reseller plans, using non-router plans, and Peplink's own plans for their eSIM capable devices.
We also have a full guide going over our current top pick data plans that also includes mobile hotspot devices, smartphones and tablets:
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Peplink Cellular Data Plans Video
Cherie of MIRC and Erik of MobileMustHave.com joined up to present on finding cellular data plans for Peplink Routers in an exclusive member webinar. The first 20 minutes of the webinar archive are available to the public below (members, please be logged in to see the full content of this article, including the entire webinar archive at the end of this article).
Shopping For Router Cellular Plans - Carrier Direct
Cellular embedded routers at a prosumer caliber are only worthwhile if you can get data plans suitable for your needs. So carefully consider the current options out there before investing in expensive cellular routers.
Gear made by companies like Peplink/Pepwave, Cradlepoint, Insty Connect, GLi.Net, WiFiRanger, Winegard, and more are considered routers, and thus to be legit with the carriers you need cellular data plans designated for data-only devices.
Below are cellular data plans amongst our Top Pick Data Plans that are designated as for use in routers, which can help you narrow down the options. Click through to learn more about the details of each plan in our Gear Center.
We also have other plans in our Data Plan Gear Center (use the 'Routers' filter) and our Data Plan Pricing Grid (member exclusive) that are suitable for use in routers. These haven't made our top pick classification, but might be options to consider as well.
Activating Cellular Data Plans on Routers
If you go direct with the carriers, it's not uncommon for a router's modem to not be in their IMEI database for easy activation. You may encounter carrier reps who interpret this as your device not being compatible with their network - which is not true.
All of Peplink's modems are unlocked, carrier certified, and support all carriers. Other manufacturers may or may not have gone through the process of being fully carrier certified. But they should work with any cellular data plan SIM card authorized for used in routers, or not otherwise tied to a specific device.
To activate a plan directly you may need to find a carrier representative who knows how to activate on a device not in their database. Some stores have an internal IMEI they can use, or are willing to use a store display hotspot unit to activate on.
And worst case, if you a select a cellular data plan that is not locked to a specific device or device type - you can always purchase a hotspot and swap the SIM to your router. You can then return the hotspot (minus a restocking fee) or keep the hotspot as a back-up option. Having a back-up hotspot can be handy in the unlikely scenario your router has an issue, or if you want a mobile internet option away from your RV/boat to pop your SIM into.
We have notes in our top data plan pick overview pages with tips for many plans and using them in routers.
Tip: Receiving SMS/TXT Messages on a Peplink Router
Some cellular data only plans require the carrier sending you a TXT/SMS to activate the plan or online account to manage it. Peplink routers are actually able to receive SMS messages, and they can be accessed via the dashboard under Advanced -> SIM Tools. Other devices may have this feature as well.
Legacy Cellular Data Plans for use in Routers
Over the years we have tracked many awesome cellular data plans that are no longer available, but have been grandfathered in. If you're fortunate enough to have one of these, here's a list of those that are known to be usable in a Peplink or other router:
- Verizon gUDP - Postpaid unlimited smartphone plan that retired in 2011 that works in hotspots and routers. This plan does work in a Peplink and other routers, but you will get a message from Verizon about a new device (just ignore it). Check the linked guide for care and feeding of this plan.
- Verizon pUDP - A prepaid unlimited Jetpack plan that came out in 2018 and retired in mid-2019. It works in all Verizon compatible data devices, including a Peplink router.
- AT&T Connected Car "Mobley" - A postpaid plan for connected car devices that was unlimited for just $20/mo. Swapping the SIM from the Mobley device into a hotspot or router just works, even though there's no official stance on this. These plans however are provisioned only for AT&T's LTE network, no 5G coverage is included.
- AT&T Unlimited Plus LTE/Hotspots - Available for a short time in 2017-2018 these unlimited hotspot lines could be added on to smartphone lines. The SIMs work in all AT&T compatible data devices, but are also not provisioned for 5G at this time.
- T-Mobile Mobile Internet 100GB - From when the plan launched in December 2020 until about mid-2021, the 100GB version of this plan was SIM swappable into any T-Mobile compatible hotspot or router. Plans purchased after this are locked to a 5G T-Mobile branded hotspot device.
Using Non-Router WAN Sources
A Peplink and other routers typically have the ability to bring in multiple internet sources - so be sure to think outside the modem embedded in your router.
Your router might also be able to use an Ethernet WAN source (such as Starlink or a cellular internet source with Ethernet out), USB tethering to a hotspot or phone or connecting over Wi-Fi to another source.
All of these give you the ability to use data plans designated for hotspots, smartphones, home internet gateways and tablets with your router.
For more on using Peplink's Multi-WAN features:
Peplink & Multi-WAN: Using Multiple Internet Sources – Cellular, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Starlink
3rd Party Resellers / Vendors Warning
Using a 3rd Party Reseller data plan is sometimes the only way to get high amounts of data - so they are a tempting option. Usually the primary risk is that the plan can be shut down or changed with little to no notice.
However, we have been tracking some reports of the carriers getting more aggressive when shutting down 3rd party resellers - especially those sold without authorization.
In particular, in 2022 AT&T shut down several reseller accounts - and blacklisted the modems using these plans. That meant the modem could no longer be activated on that network - even when using legit plans.
In the case of high end routers like Peplink, having a modem blacklisted is a major investment that can turn a device into a paperweight.
While we haven't seen this sort of aggressive action being taken often, it is definitely a consideration when using any non-direct carrier plan with a high priced router. With AT&T in particular getting more aggressive with this, it might be wise to be extra cautious using 3rd Party AT&T based plans.
Our Education & Action Partner, MobileMustHave.com, does offer data plans to their customers who have purchased devices from them. While all resellers have risks as they are not the carrier themselves - and the carrier can change things - we feel that MobileMustHave has gone to great lengths to provide a lower risk threshold than some other resellers out there. And at the very least, they go out of their way to help their customers have a less frustrating experience when things out of their control happen. But that in no way implies that their plans aren't subject to all of the risks of reseller plans - including blacklisted devices.
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Member Exclusive Content Below
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If you're one of our members, please do log in to continue with this resource article. The further topics we explore include:
Complete Webinar Archive
Deeper Dive into Third-Party Plans
Using Non-Router Cellular Data Plans
Peplinks’s eSIM Celluar Data Plans
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Member Webinar
Members, here is the entire webinar that goes deeper into 3rd Party Reseller Plans, Non-Router plans and Peplink's own data plans (just skip the first 20 minutes if you already watched the public video above).
Using Non-Router Plans
If you want to stay legit and have a plan that you know will work in your router, stick with carrier direct data only plans authorized for this usage.
However, there are plans known to work in routers if you're willing to go around terms of service of smartphone, tablet, and mobile hotspot plans. Just note, it may work today - but there's no guarantee it will continue tomorrow. The carrier can and likely will make moves to block these practices.
Some terms are actively enforced by the carriers, and others are there as guidelines that they can use as an excuse later should they find you in violation of them. And some carriers let some terms of service violations fly under the radar until they become so widely exposed that plans are being abused, and then they start getting aggressive in cracking down. This is a big reason why we here at the Mobile Internet Resource do not actively cover ways to misuse plans ...and ask that you don't share tips we provide members.
Here at the Mobile Internet Resource Center, we focus on educating you on the ins and outs of these plans. We don't necessarily condone violating terms of services, but we're not here to tell you what not to do. There's a lot of content out in the open web about how to get around a carrier's policy. We leave it up to you to make your own assessment of the risks you're willing to take and will do our best to point out methods that are at risk.
There are risks to each of these methods should the carrier choose to enforce their terms of service which can range from simply blocking your data usage, account termination, blocking future use on their network to even blocking your device.
Be sure to follow up with our guide on selecting data plans that addresses this: Terms of Service Considerations
Here are some common methods used to get around plan terms that are available on a Peplink router:
This is most definitely moving into a grey area of the terms of service of your data plans.
- It just works if you Swap SIMs - some plans just work if you stick them in a router like a Peplink. As you browse plans in our Gear Center, you'll find notes in the member areas for plans known to work on routers (at least for now). We do have these plans also marked in our member-exclusive Data Plan Pricing Grid (look for Router* in the device types column).
- Adjusting the APN on a device, which is just telling your device how to route the traffic to your carrier's server - which can enable you to get around device type restrictions (ie. smartphone and hotspot traffic may be routed differently by a carrier). Many devices easily allow the end user to make this modification on the dashboard, and this is often a change needed to legitimately use a plan anyway. Some carriers more actively do IMEI sweeps to ensure that device types and plans are matched up, and others don't - so this method is highly variable in how well it works to use a smartphone plan in a hotspot/router.
- Adjusting the TTL (Time To Live) setting, which can prevent hotspot data from being treated as such - allowing unlimited smartphone plans to work as an unlimited data plan when used in a router (or tethered device) that supports adjusting this setting. There are legitimate reasons to adjust the TTL, so this is generally considered low risk - especially since carriers also actively do IMEI enforcement if they want to restrict device usage. Our special member forum thread covers this option.
- Using VPNs can sometimes mask hotspot usage on a smartphone plan. While a VPN masks that type of traffic, the carriers can detect VPN usage and choose to restrict it. And many video streaming services block VPNs in general, as many are used to get around geo-locked copyright protections.
There are even more extreme workarounds one can take to get a plan to work in a router, but you're then moving into areas of questionable legality, and that become much more difficult with a business-class device like a Peplink. Generally, folks who pursue these paths tend to go with more DIY-level equipment.
Peplink eSIM Data Plans
Peplink eSIM Data Plans allow you to buy cellular data directly from Peplink without needing a carrier plan (or SIM card) of your own. They are available only on newer devices with virtual SIM cards.
The eSIM plans automatically work across many carriers around the world - giving Peplink devices that support it a quick and easy way to get online.
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eSIM plans are primarily intended to be used for devices that only need a little bit of data, or as an on-demand backup to another (much cheaper) primary plan.
eSIM plans are available for some, but not all Peplink products - including the MAX Adapter, MAX Transit Pro, MAX BR Pro series, Balance 20X and Balance 310X. It will eventually be built into many or all of their future cellular routers - allowing for an always-available on-demand backup data plan that works across multiple carriers, and around the world.
These plans can be purchased on the Peplink online store. It comes bundled with SpeedFusion Connect (formerly Cloud) data, plus an allotment of between 10GB and TBs of LTE/5G data, for time periods ranging from 90 days to 1 year. Data pricing is very expensive as compared to many other options available - but might make sense for those who want some data in reserve across all carriers, or for those who cross borders.
Their larger plans offer pooled data, which allows use across multiple Peplink devices - primarily aimed at larger scale fleet installations. However, this might be useful for those with multiple devices as well.
This data works in 35 countries, and in the USA it claims Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are all supported for connectivity.
Related Resources
Here is a related MobileMustHave Knowledge Base Article to Explore:
Peplink & Multi-WAN: Using Multiple Internet Sources – Cellular, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Starlink
Also check out our guide on Top Pick Data Plans
Finally, our Gear Center entry on Peplink eSIM Data Plans
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