Verizon and Quectel EP06

[gscheb]

At my uncle's been using Quectel EP06 and a unlimited Verizon hot spot plan. Back when they had them for awhile.
Well out of no where the sim card keeps getting deregistered. Starting last night. Put it into a Verizon jetpack and will activate sim again. Them will quickly turn it off again. In the router.
Is anyone seeing this?

[Didneywhorl]

Yep. Not that specific setup, but I think they started scanning the imei on you. The IMEI of the hotspot it must like, then it sees the IMEI of the EP06A and says NO!

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

Well because you you have the Quectel in this case, you can "fix" the issue. THAT'S the most we can probably discuss on the forum openly, so you are still good.

[gscheb]

Yep. Not that specific setup, but I think they started scanning the imei on you. The IMEI of the hotspot it must like, then it sees the IMEI of the EP06A and says NO!

So is this something new they started doing? Didn't have this issue before.
What I don't get is this is a legit Hotspot verizon plan.
Why do they care what device it is in?

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

So is this something new they started doing? Didn't have this issue before.
What I don't get is this is a legit Hotspot verizon plan.
Why do they care what device it is in?

This has been the case for a while AFAIK.

Quectel even has a guide on how to whitelist their devices on Verizon by working with Verizon.

On Verizon, you can't stick in any IMEI that's not "approved" on their network and have it work like you can on ATT/Tmo.

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

I can see why this could get confusing.

1. Could you ask this on Quectel website? Make sure they understand you never explicitly worked with Verizon to whitelist this IMEI
2. In theory, that Quectel should never have registered on the Verizon tower - so for how long did it run? months? years?

I ask because either the information I have is incorrect (On Verizon, you can't stick in any IMEI that's not "approved" on their network and have it work like you can on ATT/Tmo.) or you somehow fell through the cracks until recently (and I am wondering what that could be)

In either case, you know how to get that Quectel modem re-registered pronto so this is all curiosity

[gscheb]

This plan is a Verizon Prepaid Jetpack plan. Been using well over months well over year now. All the sudden it is shutting it down.
Well just called Verizon about this. They won't say that it is being blocked! The words they keep saying is that it is not compatible. That only a Verizon jetpack is compatible. Verizon gets on my nerves with their double talk. It isn't blocked it is just not compatible. It isn't a contract it is a agreement.

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

Quectel actually has a guide on how to whitelist their devices on Verizon by working with Verizon.

It's pretty detailed and walks you through the process. There's no need to send the device in as the device class is already registered with Verizon. I think since these are DIY modules, Verizon would like to "inspect" them before use.

The confusing thing is why they allowed you to use it right away all these months.

Where did you purchase the EP06A from?

An USA reseller or direct from China?

[gscheb]

So for fun tried my Verizon Cell phone sim card in the EP06 and it won't work either. It used to work in those. It wouldn't work in the Sierra Wireless MC7455 but would work in the Quectel EP06. As a Sanity check decided to try the Quectel EP06 with AT&T to make sure nothing wrong with device. And bam connected up immediately.
So Apparently Verizon is Cracking down on the Quectel modems now too.
Can get why they don't want you to use a phone sim card. But this jetpack plan is for data anyway!
Just Verizon being Verizon they are the biggest and just do what they want.

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

Could you help me out with this:

1. Where did you purchase the EP06A from? An USA reseller or direct from China?
2. Is your Verizon Cell phone a postpaid or prepaid or MVNO?

Just Verizon being Verizon they are the biggest and just do what they want.

TMobile has started to do the same.

You cannot plug in a SIM meant for a tablet plan into a non-tablet IMEI or vice versa (phone plan won't work in a tablet IMEI).

By "work" I mean get LTE data > 1Mbps

NOTE: All my TMobile plans have been through Teltik so my observations might not match 100% with another type of TMobile account (retail, prepaid or MVNO) but that would be a bit odd I think?

Still, I would like to collect datapoints.

Any opinions welcome.

[gscheb]

EP06 is from china they all from china.
Verizon cell phone post pay.
Verizon jetpack plan prepay.
T-Mobile post pay is awesome no bullshit.

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

Thank you for the datapoints gscheb!

Here is what I'm thinking based off your input:

EP06 is from china they all from china.

This would mean, no one whitelisted your specific IMEI with Verizon.

That now confuses me - why did the EP06 then work at all?

Verizon cell phone post pay.
Verizon jetpack plan prepay.

Very helpful - so something changed on Verizon side recently that they started to enforce unregistered IMEIs - which is what I assumed (incorrectly it seems), they always did. (Verizon does know about the EP06 block but not your specific IMEI)

The MC7455 of your specific IMEI is known to Verizon and they won't allow it on a phone plan. No confusion there.

The EP06 block (just not your specific IMEI) is also known to Verizon and they shouldn't have allowed it on a phone plan either. That's what I'm confused with. :?

T-Mobile post pay is awesome no bullshit.

Which is why we have/had our own neighborhood on it.

Until after the merger where they are really making some fundamental changes on how they want to do business and who they want to do business with

They were all gaga about rural internet and how they are the only "uncarrier" to respect and take care of the rural userbase.

Now it's become clear it was just a move to monetize their "left over" data and now that a large amount of users are using their towers, instead of installing more towers/capacity, they will just drop service instead until they deploy 5G (coming real soon!)

[Yipzy]

Check my post here to see if it helps your case.

http://wirelessjoint.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1289&p=10327#p10327

[wileydog]

Well because you you have the Quectel in this case, you can "fix" the issue. THAT'S the most we can probably discuss on the forum openly, so you are still good.

How can I get more info on doing this?

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

wileydog, what are you stuck at?

[wileydog]

I have an EM20-G, currently running on an ATT plan, but will be switching to Verizon. I would like to "repair" my modem IMEI so that it matches the phone I will utilize to activate a Verizon plan. My understanding is that it is possible with this modem (AT command??). Is there additional information to do that?

Thanks for the response!

[tvecell]

@LoveMeSomeCALTE: you asked for some data points...
I have two routers with EP06-A modems in SoCal that have been running on Verizon via an MVNO for about a year and a half but are about to get cut off. The modems are direct from China (Gl.Inet) and are not whitelisted in Verizon's DB.
Up to now, I could simply activate the SIMs using a phone and then move the SIMs to the EP06. I had to do this every time my pre-paid account ran out of data and one of the routers has been sitting there unactivated for a while.
The MVNO just notified me yesterday that they got notified by Verizon that "the devices you are using are uncertified with their network and starting [in 3 days] they will restrict us from providing service on those devices."
I temporarily repaired the IMEI on the router that had been sitting unactivated and it connected immediately so it's pretty clear that the issue is just that. Now looking at my options...