Bryan J Smith
2015-11-18 04:15:32 UTC
Just wanted to note and confirmed the _USB_ connection to the T-mobile
branded (ODM: ZTE) HotSpot Z915 LTE (T-Mobile) _works_ out-of-the-box
on Fedora x86-64 release 22 (and likely other distros). That's a nice
option for those of us who can't fire up the 802.11 AP mode at work,
although it has that function too.
It also does the new Band 12 (700MHz) T-Mobile bought from Verizon,
which is a lot of rural towers and coverage. I'm now getting LTE in
my hotel (had it at work, but not hotel), instead of 21/42Mbps HSPA+
on my (circa late 2013 non-carrier) phone Tether (which does
T-mobile's initial LTE Bands 2 and 4).
o More Details (curious what everyone is using?)
As the PC Mag review from last year details [1], the ZTEZ915 is a
straight-forward, no frills HotSpot that is cheap. Normally I buy
direct from the vendor**, never the carrier**, but I made an exception
at the local corporate T-mobile store, given the reviews. T-mobile
reps confirmed it worked in Linux in their forums, and were quite
forward about that. In fact, once T-mobile enabled Tethering for
everyone by default, and no longer charged $5-15/month, that was that.
Before then, you either had to have one of their branded phones, or
flashed your own firmware on one of them (or were able to remove their
app -- especially after they unlocked it for you, which they do after
3+ months), you could still tether, at least with Linux and Android
devices.
I've always had direct from the vendor devices to avoid any issue.**
T-mobile now, as of 2-3 months ago, tracks most usage _regardless_ of
OS though (at the provider side -- it's accurate, and almost real-time
too). Hence why I got a dedicated, 22GB/month HotSpot for $85/month
($95 - $10 if you have an existing phone plan). That's still a
crapload cheaper than others. After 22GB it just slows you to
2G/EDGE, no overages. Last year, being all over Europe, I was
surprised how often I could get 192Kbps (2G/EDGE is free in 140
countries on T-mobile), when AT&T couldn't get jack (even with a
"world phone" LG G3 model by HP provided me). So I won't carry
anything else, at least not by default (only as a backup).
One major factor that keeps me T-mobile is that they have been using
the same AT commanding seemingly forever (they had one change about 5
years ago that was easily accommodated). So it has "Just Worked" in
Fedora's NetworkManager for the last 5+ years with _0_ configuration.
The first time DeviceMapper sees the device (at least since Fedora
15-16), NetworkManager presents an "Auto Ethernet" option. Once I
select that ... after the first time ... it _always_ re-connects when
I plug it in, unless I go to "Edit Connections" and tell it to forget
it. Most carriers (I've confirmed T-Mobile) have improved in this
regard too ... but I still run into AT&T locked crap/odd commanding,
especially Windows 8 only stuff, that has to be downgraded to work on
not just Linux, but Windows 7 or 10.
You should see similar with most distros. In the worst case, if your
distro doesn't have a configuration for T-mobile (there are, or at
least were, 3 types, almost everyone is using the default now), it's
not difficult to configure the NetworkManager settings from a Google
search.
o Why Did I Go With (Back To) a Dedicated HotSpot Device?
I haven't done this for years. I mean, I had AT&T unlimited from
2007-2009 ... until it wasn't. Heck, even T-mobile 3G was better in
the Big Apple for awhile.
This gives me 22GB/month, in addition to the 7-14GB/month on my phone.
I use 0.5-1GB/day on the VPN (more later), so it should be enough.
The phone now becomes a backup. I used to Tether a good 40-50GB/month
(half work, half personal) on my phone before T-mobile used to track
Linux better in just more recent months. They up'd the 3G/4G Tether
from 5GB to 7GB, and tomorrow -- at least for some plans (with a
significant price increase for non-Family plans) -- it will go to
14GB.
My client's client gives me a "guest wireless" login, but it's become
unusable. Originally I could neither IPsec nor OpenVPN to my client's
network on their client's "guest wireless," which means I had to
Tether to speak with my client's engineers any way. And now they've
implemented a transparent proxy with man-in-the-middle SSL. So that
_breaks_ (and _hard_) every freak'n HSTS, so basically Google, my
client's sites, etc... So I cannot even read some articles and other
info that I cannot get publicly ... and even some that are!
At the same time, their client's issued notebook/network has latency
so bad, my 2-factor logins timeout 4 out of 5 times when I'm just
trying to read a support article. Hence why I finally gave in.
o **ODM Devices and T-Mobile Tethering
As I mentioned, normally I don't go to the carrier to get my
equipment. I've also "given up" on Google as they cannot keep their
"script kiddies" from roasting the platforms every 6 months (don't get
me started). That's fine for development, but not for me as a 100%
traveling consultant that needs to get on when the crap hits. Same
goes for the Nexus 6P, even though it's ODM'd by Huawei.
BTW, my current device set is ...
- nVidia Shield Tablet LTE (tablet)
- Huawei Ascend Mate 2 (phone)
As you've probably seen in other posts, the nVidia Shield Tablet LTE
was the best freak'n tablet of 2014 (and still tops in 2015). It was
$200 cheaper than the equivalent Google (ODM: HTC) Nexus 9 that used
almost the same nVidia K1 (dual-core 64-bit, instead of quad 32-bit),
didn't have any MicroSD (sorry, but so tired of this -- 32+128GB =
160GB, better and faster than a Chromebook), speaker speakers, stylus,
more compact (8" is perfection), etc...
The Huawei Ascend Mate 2 was my quest to solve my 100% travel battery
issue, and it delivered. [2] I go up to 48 hours without charging,
with 15+ hours of heavy usage. I always joke, I can download 10GB on
LTE, fly, work all day, download another 10GB on LTE, fly home, and
still have 25-35% battery after such a 24 hour day. And despite the
battery size, the low-power 1.5GHz (instead of 2.2-2.5+) quad-core
results in a faster charge because there's amps left over, even while
it's being used. I'm waiting for Huawei to create a low-power version
of the Nexus 6P ... let alone one with a MicroSD, and you know they
_will_. All Huawei devices I've bought have been very clean, and not
loaded with crap.
Huawei is big enough ... just like ZTE ... to tell carriers and
others, even Google, what to do. Hence why I'm waiting. ;)
SIDE NOTE: Yes, I'm not ignorant of Huawei's backend equipment
non-sense -- that's another division, and on Cisco, HP, et al. for
using them as an ODM and not expecting such. And it's not like they
cannot load up their own crap with carrier branded phones, who don't
let you modify things, let alone bloat. Huawei offers a service for
unlocking phones, for those purchased directly from them, like the
Ascend Mate 2. I'm looking forward to the "6P lite," as I'm calling
it. ;)
-- bjs
[1] http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2473970,00.asp
[2] http://www.anandtech.com/show/8031/huawei-ascend-mate-2-review/2
branded (ODM: ZTE) HotSpot Z915 LTE (T-Mobile) _works_ out-of-the-box
on Fedora x86-64 release 22 (and likely other distros). That's a nice
option for those of us who can't fire up the 802.11 AP mode at work,
although it has that function too.
It also does the new Band 12 (700MHz) T-Mobile bought from Verizon,
which is a lot of rural towers and coverage. I'm now getting LTE in
my hotel (had it at work, but not hotel), instead of 21/42Mbps HSPA+
on my (circa late 2013 non-carrier) phone Tether (which does
T-mobile's initial LTE Bands 2 and 4).
o More Details (curious what everyone is using?)
As the PC Mag review from last year details [1], the ZTEZ915 is a
straight-forward, no frills HotSpot that is cheap. Normally I buy
direct from the vendor**, never the carrier**, but I made an exception
at the local corporate T-mobile store, given the reviews. T-mobile
reps confirmed it worked in Linux in their forums, and were quite
forward about that. In fact, once T-mobile enabled Tethering for
everyone by default, and no longer charged $5-15/month, that was that.
Before then, you either had to have one of their branded phones, or
flashed your own firmware on one of them (or were able to remove their
app -- especially after they unlocked it for you, which they do after
3+ months), you could still tether, at least with Linux and Android
devices.
I've always had direct from the vendor devices to avoid any issue.**
T-mobile now, as of 2-3 months ago, tracks most usage _regardless_ of
OS though (at the provider side -- it's accurate, and almost real-time
too). Hence why I got a dedicated, 22GB/month HotSpot for $85/month
($95 - $10 if you have an existing phone plan). That's still a
crapload cheaper than others. After 22GB it just slows you to
2G/EDGE, no overages. Last year, being all over Europe, I was
surprised how often I could get 192Kbps (2G/EDGE is free in 140
countries on T-mobile), when AT&T couldn't get jack (even with a
"world phone" LG G3 model by HP provided me). So I won't carry
anything else, at least not by default (only as a backup).
One major factor that keeps me T-mobile is that they have been using
the same AT commanding seemingly forever (they had one change about 5
years ago that was easily accommodated). So it has "Just Worked" in
Fedora's NetworkManager for the last 5+ years with _0_ configuration.
The first time DeviceMapper sees the device (at least since Fedora
15-16), NetworkManager presents an "Auto Ethernet" option. Once I
select that ... after the first time ... it _always_ re-connects when
I plug it in, unless I go to "Edit Connections" and tell it to forget
it. Most carriers (I've confirmed T-Mobile) have improved in this
regard too ... but I still run into AT&T locked crap/odd commanding,
especially Windows 8 only stuff, that has to be downgraded to work on
not just Linux, but Windows 7 or 10.
You should see similar with most distros. In the worst case, if your
distro doesn't have a configuration for T-mobile (there are, or at
least were, 3 types, almost everyone is using the default now), it's
not difficult to configure the NetworkManager settings from a Google
search.
o Why Did I Go With (Back To) a Dedicated HotSpot Device?
I haven't done this for years. I mean, I had AT&T unlimited from
2007-2009 ... until it wasn't. Heck, even T-mobile 3G was better in
the Big Apple for awhile.
This gives me 22GB/month, in addition to the 7-14GB/month on my phone.
I use 0.5-1GB/day on the VPN (more later), so it should be enough.
The phone now becomes a backup. I used to Tether a good 40-50GB/month
(half work, half personal) on my phone before T-mobile used to track
Linux better in just more recent months. They up'd the 3G/4G Tether
from 5GB to 7GB, and tomorrow -- at least for some plans (with a
significant price increase for non-Family plans) -- it will go to
14GB.
My client's client gives me a "guest wireless" login, but it's become
unusable. Originally I could neither IPsec nor OpenVPN to my client's
network on their client's "guest wireless," which means I had to
Tether to speak with my client's engineers any way. And now they've
implemented a transparent proxy with man-in-the-middle SSL. So that
_breaks_ (and _hard_) every freak'n HSTS, so basically Google, my
client's sites, etc... So I cannot even read some articles and other
info that I cannot get publicly ... and even some that are!
At the same time, their client's issued notebook/network has latency
so bad, my 2-factor logins timeout 4 out of 5 times when I'm just
trying to read a support article. Hence why I finally gave in.
o **ODM Devices and T-Mobile Tethering
As I mentioned, normally I don't go to the carrier to get my
equipment. I've also "given up" on Google as they cannot keep their
"script kiddies" from roasting the platforms every 6 months (don't get
me started). That's fine for development, but not for me as a 100%
traveling consultant that needs to get on when the crap hits. Same
goes for the Nexus 6P, even though it's ODM'd by Huawei.
BTW, my current device set is ...
- nVidia Shield Tablet LTE (tablet)
- Huawei Ascend Mate 2 (phone)
As you've probably seen in other posts, the nVidia Shield Tablet LTE
was the best freak'n tablet of 2014 (and still tops in 2015). It was
$200 cheaper than the equivalent Google (ODM: HTC) Nexus 9 that used
almost the same nVidia K1 (dual-core 64-bit, instead of quad 32-bit),
didn't have any MicroSD (sorry, but so tired of this -- 32+128GB =
160GB, better and faster than a Chromebook), speaker speakers, stylus,
more compact (8" is perfection), etc...
The Huawei Ascend Mate 2 was my quest to solve my 100% travel battery
issue, and it delivered. [2] I go up to 48 hours without charging,
with 15+ hours of heavy usage. I always joke, I can download 10GB on
LTE, fly, work all day, download another 10GB on LTE, fly home, and
still have 25-35% battery after such a 24 hour day. And despite the
battery size, the low-power 1.5GHz (instead of 2.2-2.5+) quad-core
results in a faster charge because there's amps left over, even while
it's being used. I'm waiting for Huawei to create a low-power version
of the Nexus 6P ... let alone one with a MicroSD, and you know they
_will_. All Huawei devices I've bought have been very clean, and not
loaded with crap.
Huawei is big enough ... just like ZTE ... to tell carriers and
others, even Google, what to do. Hence why I'm waiting. ;)
SIDE NOTE: Yes, I'm not ignorant of Huawei's backend equipment
non-sense -- that's another division, and on Cisco, HP, et al. for
using them as an ODM and not expecting such. And it's not like they
cannot load up their own crap with carrier branded phones, who don't
let you modify things, let alone bloat. Huawei offers a service for
unlocking phones, for those purchased directly from them, like the
Ascend Mate 2. I'm looking forward to the "6P lite," as I'm calling
it. ;)
-- bjs
[1] http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2473970,00.asp
[2] http://www.anandtech.com/show/8031/huawei-ascend-mate-2-review/2
--
Bryan J Smith - http://www.linkedin.com/in/bjsmith
Bryan J Smith - http://www.linkedin.com/in/bjsmith