[PLUG] Problem using a T-mobile Z915 Hotspot on a Linux machine

[Richard Owlett]

On 06/15/2017 03:13 PM, John Jason Jordan wrote:
> On Thu, 15 Jun 2017 14:40:58 -0500
> Richard Owlett <rowlett at cloud85.net> dijo:
>
>> About a year ago my local ISP terminated dial-up service and was not
>> marketing wideband to home users. I decided against any type of
>> fixed
>> point of service (i.e. telco, cable, or satellite). I looked for a
>> "cell network modem" (proper term?). The closest thing I could find
>>from a provider with a physically local presence was the Z915. Having
>> only 1 machine I have no use for its WiFi capability. For connecting
>> to the internet the hardware aspects are fine. My OS is Debian
>> Stretch.
>
> I have a Note 3 phone, originally T-Mobile, now MetroPCS. MetroPCS has
> always had a deal with T-Mobile to use their network, and now MetroPCS
> is owned by T-Mobile.
>
> It used to be that you had to pay extra to use your phone (or modem)
> as a hotspot, but about a year ago someone told me that there is no
> longer an extra charge.

The Z915 is explicitly a Hotspot - It has *NO* voice capability.

> I pay $30 a month for 5GB of data, and using my phone
> as a hotspot is included.
>
> Recently I had a problem with my new Centurylink gigabit fiber
> connection - no connection at all. Of course this occurred on a Friday
> night, too late to get anyone by phone. Have you ever tried to
> communicate with Centurylink when you have no net connection?
>
> Eventually I figured out how to turn my phone into a hotspot.
> My laptop saw the hotspot, but could not connect to it. I was tearing
> my hair out
> when it dawned on me to try a physical connection. I charge my phone
> with a USB cable from my laptop, so I just plugged it in. Voilà! I was
> on the net. And it wasn't even terribly slow. I never did figure out
> why my laptop couldn't connect to the hotspot by wifi.
>
> Once I had a connection I was able to get Centurylink to schedule a
> service call, although the earliest they could do was Monday. Knowing
> that I had only 5GB of high speed data I turned off everything that
> might use a lot of data. Over the weekend I used the connection just
> for e-mail and browsing the web. Once my fiber connection was restored
> I turned off the hotspot and checked my data usage on the phone - I
> had used only 400MB over the weekend.

I typically use approximately 800-900 MB per *MONTH* ;/

>
> The point I want to make is that I did it with just my now several
> years old phone. So why do you need the Z915? Does it give you extra
> benefits?

Yes, I've a real computer with a real screen and keyboard. YMMV LOL
And no one has convinced me that a smart(sic) phone is an adequate 
substitute for a telephone.