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robrj's profile

Tutor

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6 Messages

Thursday, August 4th, 2016 9:18 PM

Unlimited Data with an AT&T Beam USB Modem

I know you can't tether with your phone or a hotspot device on the Unlimited Data Plan but  can you use the AT&T Beam USB modem as an extra device? 

 

The reason I ask is you could buy a Surface 3 4G LTE tablet and add that as a tablet device to the unlimited plan.

 

I have a Surface 3 (Wifi Only).  Adding the modem would make it function the same as the tablet with 4g.

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ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

8 years ago

No (because then you could tether anything to it).

 

They don't allow you to tether/hotspot with tablets either, so it's not really the same.

 

When solved / helped, please mark your question as solved by clicking "Accept solution". This helps other people to find an answer more quickly.

ACE - Expert

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64.7K Messages

8 years ago

 @Gary L He's not saying he would be tethering. He would be using the usb modem to make a wifi only tablet capable of using cellular data. 

 

@robrj I am not positive but I see no reason why you couldn't. 

Tutor

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6 Messages

8 years ago

Sandblaster is correct.  I'm not looking to tether with the tablet or make it into a hotspot.  I just want it to function like a 4g tablet device.

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

8 years ago

I shouldn't have said "anything", you could plug in things other than the tablet, like a laptop which you could then tether other things to it or a desktop; they even made wireless routers with USB ports on them which could become instant unlimited hotspots.

 

This just seems like too easy of a way to circumvent AT&T's no tethering with Unlimited, I don't think it'd work. I'd be happy to be wrong with this, I'd like to plug it in my laptop, get the unlimited plan and ditch my home internet...

 

 

Tutor

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6 Messages

8 years ago

Looks like it won't work.  I just tried to add it to my plan but it gives me an error:

"2.  You've selected a device that isn't compatible with your available plan(s)"

 

 

Employee

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago

Nah it detects the Beam and those devices as hotspot type devices. Even though the Beam is a USB device that connects to a single device the issue is that with Windows ICS and things like that it's possible to "share" that connection with a multitude of devices.

ACE - Sage

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117.3K Messages

8 years ago

@Gary L was correct, it's still tethering.  The only permitted is the connected car.

 

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