First, It works. Great feedback from other customers helped along the way, however, if you are using Total Wireless, reseller of Verizon service, the directions are a bit different. But, it works. Double check your LTE channels. My local area uses Channel 5, so, I'm good. Be sure to check your area first.
1. If you have a phone that is compatible with Total Wireless (Check IMEI for compatibility) and is not currently active on the network then all you need to do is buy the CDMA kit that just comes with a SIM card. Note: You may need a SIM NANO to MICRO converter depending on your phone. This hotspot takes sim card MICRO size, most phones are NANO. Total Wireless will not activate a new SIM card using a device that is currently active on their network.
2. If you don't have a phone already, go purchase the cheapest phone Total Wireless has ($35) from most retailers and it comes with it's own SIM CARD. Note: You will need a Nano to Micro converter to use with this device.
TOTAL WIRELESS WILL NOT ACTIVATE A SIM CARD WITHOUT AN IMEI PERIOD. NOT MATTER WHAT, NO MATTER WHEN. THEY REQUIRE ABSOLUTELY AN IMEI NUMBER COMPATIBLE WITH THEIR SYSTEMS.
At this point, both options will be same, you will have a phone and a SIM card ready to activate.
3. Contact Total Wireless and up your plan by 1 device. I had a 2 device plan, and upgraded to 3 device. Treat the hotspot as a phone. Don't mention hotspot, don't mention Netgear, don't mention anything except just activating your new phone. You will get a new number, it's not needed really, but, don't worry, it's a don't care later on.
4. Go to Total Wireless, log into your account, and select "Add new device". Follow the instructions (either Activate your phone or a Total Wireless phone depending which path you are on). When the instructions tell you, Insert your SIM into your PHONE (Total Wireless phones come with sim card pre-installed) and follow the instructions to activate your phone on the network, verify it works, call your main number. It should now be added as the 3rd device on your plan.
5. Turn off the phone and transfer the SIM card from the phone into the hotspot. You will probably need the NANO to MICRO converter at this point. This was confusing at first. On the hotspot, open the door and there's the SIM cover, slide it to the left until you hear the click, it only slides like 1/8 of an inch, it makes a clicking sound. Lift up on cover and one side should lift up, revealing the sim card slot underneath. Put in the sim card, push the cover back down, slide the cover to the right until it clicks. Again, very short distance.
6. Connect the hotspot to a computer via the network cable. Change the IP address on your computer to 192.168.5.10, the hotspot runs on 192.168.5.1. Power on the hotspot. Wait for it to boot. It WILL NOT connect to the LTE network yet, we are going to change this.
7. Connect to the web interface by typing in 192.168.5.1 in a browser, password is printed on label on bottom of hotspot. I changed this right away.
8. Go to APN settings, switch from automatic to manual. Select Verizon. Go to your normal phone and check the APN name, mine was TRACFONE.VZWENTP . In the hotspot, click on the EDIT button for the APN and change the APN to the correct one, for me, it was TRACFONE.VZWENTP. Save and reboot the hotspot.
9. Upon reboot, it will connect right up. It's not a wireless hotspot, so, you either need to connect a LAN cable to the device you want to have internet access or connect it to an external router which has WIFI. This device is not a wireless router.
Why do this, well, several reasons:
-Verizon wants $70 per line, so 3 lines is $210 off the bat each month. Ouch.
- You can add a tablet for $10, however this requires a current Verizon account. If you have two phones your total is $150/month. Ouch
-You can add a hotspot service but Verizon and Total Wireless limits it to 5 GB of data for $50/month and $10 for each Gig you use over 5gig. Yeah, not an option. Serious Ouch.
-Total wireless allows you to add a device for $20 more a month and get shared 60GB of data. So, for $85/month you get 3 lines of service, 4G hotspot access, cheapest solution out there all running on a very reliable and fast 4G network.
-In my area, all other providers stink, I tried them all, Verizon network by far is the best.
Total Wireless reduces speeds after 60GB of 4G data is uses, downgrades to 3G. For me, I needed a backup for work when my current provider goes down, which is a daily occurrence, and I needed to find a quick solution but didn't want to pay out the nose for one.
| Wireless Type | Radio Frequency |
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