Incredible deal from AT&T - Unlimited data for $20/month

rollerbearing said:

That could well be. I had a habit of using the reset button on the side of the Mobley to restore connection when it was lost on the road. Now, when you use it, it will reset the max time back to 30 minutes from 2 hours. It may be that I unwittingly shot myself in the foot by using it after the update.

Maybe the moral of the story is don't use that button!

I have another mobley that I bought used but never had ATT provision. I wonder how dumb it would be to put the SIM from one of mine into it. They seem to make a big deal of the EMEI (spelling?) numbers being matched to the SIM these days.

Click to expand...

That never occurred to me (do not reset the unit) but it's a good thought... if you reset the unit then everything goes back to factory default, and without a GUI option to reset to unlimited then... you're not going to be able to set to unlimited ever again. I'm going to be sure to not push that button!

Regarding the SIM/IMEI match, up to this point AT&T has not chosen to enforce that and you can pretty much swap a Mobley SIM into any device you want, at least on the network side that is, but note that there is one thing to watch though... with the latest Mobley firmware update AT&T secretly adds a SIM PIN to the Mobley SIM and doesn't tell you what it is, preventing you from moving the SIM. Sneaky bastards. But you can get around this by either:

1. If your Mobley hasn't updated yet, install a SIM PIN yourself, other than 1111 (the default.) If you set your own SIM PIN then the Mobley firmware cannot change it.

2. If your Mobley has updated you can call AT&T and get the PUK ('PIN Unlock Key') code for your SIM (all they need is the phone number assigned to your unit.) With the PUK code you can reset the PIN to something other than 1111 and then the Mobley cannot modify it again.

I picked up a used Mobley today. I'm hoping to find the last person had it set to never time out before the update, and it won't time out.

Just activated the used Mobley. I was able to get the $20 deal with it too. This is going to be great for traveling this year!! I'm glad I found this thread before it got moved to the "off topic" section, or I would have never seen it.

This Mobley seems to be timing out at 2 hour intervals. I'm going to try the method of shaking it ever so often to see if it keeps going.

As vfar I know there are only two things that will prevent the timeout, one is activity (if you are actually using the Wifi link then the unit won't time out, it only times out after two hours of inactivity, not simply two hours) and the other is if the voltage varies on the input (rising to above 13 volts or so, indicating that an alternator is online), in which case the unit will think that the vehicle has been started and that will reset the timer. I don't think it actually has an accelerometer inside but if you want to test this make certain that nothing is connected via WiFi, which will cause the timer to reset and thus may give the false impression that movement of the Mobley is doing it.

So I've done a good bit of testing this weekend in regards to the time out timer. The following observations were from a Mobley with Hardware version VM6200MD_C and Software/Firmware version VM6200V1.0.3

The unit is also being supplied by an AC power supply (converting to DC for it), so the voltage is staying up and not dropping below the MFG stated value of 11.5 volts DC (which will shut it down).

The Mobley I received had already been factory defaulted before being sent to me. So that removed the possibility of the NVRAM bit being set for a "Never" timeout before a pushed update. However, I found it set to the 2 hour period for timeout in the GUI, rather than the 30 minute default setting????

I find that this unit will timeout while data is being used.
This morning I turned it on about 8:03am. I used some data for about 20 minutes, and then just left my cell phone connected, but idle. I then came back to my phone about 9:55am and started pulling data again (surfed this site and others). While I was using it...... the unit timed out a little after 10:00am (which would have been real close to the two hour mark). The unit sat still, and wasn't moved or shaken any during this time.

I find that the "shake it method" works with this unit.
All day yesterday I tested this over and over and got the same results. Actually ran the unit for many hours without it shutting down based on shaking it routinely, yet using data from it randomly (in amounts and times). I shook the unit every so often and made note of the new time, and did it again before the new two hour window expired. I found that it kept working every time and never timed out (while using data from it or not).When I realized this actually worked.... I was able to use it all afternoon and throughout the evening without it ever timing out, just by shaking it every hour or so when I walked by or whatever.

The unit must have at least a tilt switch.
My conclusion thus far is, the only way I can keep it going is to move it ever hour or so before it reaches the current two hour time out window. I was not able to prevent it from timing out any other way. So, I'm going to build a timer circuit (out of a 555 IC) and use a vibration motor like listed below. Hopefully I will never have to shake it myself.

something like this......
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1PCS-DC3V-5V-1027-Flat-Button-Type-Micro-Vibration-Motor-For-Cell-Phone-Pager/173746975279?hash=item287420722f:g:jI0AAOSwrm5cQWOU:rk:2:pf:1&frcectupt=true

Thanks for the test results, very interesting. It's difficult for me to test since mine does not time out and hoping that it stays that way

No problem. I want to understand this thing for when I travel.

I'm doing the test you suggested right now.

I disconnected all devices and shook it at 12:05pm...... going to go back and shake it about 1:05 or so and see if it goes past 2:05pm (which would have been 2 hours since the first shake after all devices were disconnected).

See the results in my following posts......

BTW it's worth noting that if the timeout issues causes anyone any insurmountable problems you do have the option of just using another AT&T hotspot, either a low cost unit or upgrade to something like the Unite Explore which has things like Band 30 support, 3X carrier aggregation, external antenna inputs, 2 and 5 GHz Wifi, etc. Many people have done this an AT&T does not seem to care.

I went back and shook it at 1:01pm. We'll see if goes past 2:05pm.

If the shaking is indeed resetting the timer.... then the 1:01pm shake should let it run until 3:01pm.

I noticed you're in North Carolina smiller. I am as well. I'm in western NC. Howdy neighbor!

Did not read whole thread so someone may have mentioned this and why won't work: a watch winder for automatic winding watches.

Presumably could make your own. Could an old windup alarm clock provide enough movement? Can you set an old alarm clock to go off periodically and then stop? How about an old kitchen timer.

F2ca170 said:

No problem. I want to understand this thing for when I travel.

I'm doing the test you suggested right now.

I disconnected all devices and shook it at 12:05pm...... going to go back and shake it about 1:05 or so and see if it goes past 2:05pm (which would have been 2 hours since the first shake after all devices were disconnected).

Click to expand...

I went back to the Mobley at 1:01pm and shook it (basically tilted it from side to side). It's now 2:20pm and it's still running with no devices attached (no data being used). So it's been running since before 12:05pm (when the last device disconnected and I shook it). I shook it again at 1:01pm. So I believe it will run two hours past the last time moved (1:01pm) and make it until about 3:01pm (if I don't move it again).

This is 100 percent consistent with my tests yesterday while devices were attached. I was moving it to reset the timer and proved to work exactly the same.

This unit definitely has something in it to detect movement, and slight movement at that. All my test results show that moving it retests the timeout timer, whether devices were attached to it or not.

I'm going to let it time out now.... and mess with it more tonight. I need to get outside and finish putting a couple holes in the roof of the van for cable entry glands before all this rain comes their talking about.

Do you have a way to vary the voltage? If so you could repeat this experiment but rather than physically shaking the unit try changing the supply voltage slightly.

The owner's manual for the Mobley has a statement along the lines of "when the unit goes to sleep the only part that is powered is the part that senses voltage changes". So perhaps resetting the power-off countdown timer requires, for example, (motion detected) OR (voltage change detected).

If that's the case then you could, for example, insert a diode inline with the power supply to drop the voltage by about 0.7V, then use a 555 timer to occasionally (e.g. every 30 minutes) pulse a relay that short circuits that diode causing a brief 0.7V increase in voltage.

sprint2freedom said:

Do you have a way to vary the voltage? If so you could repeat this experiment but rather than physically shaking the unit try changing the supply voltage slightly.

The owner's manual for the Mobley has a statement along the lines of "when the unit goes to sleep the only part that is powered is the part that senses voltage changes". So perhaps resetting the power-off countdown timer requires, for example, (motion detected) OR (voltage change detected).

If that's the case then you could, for example, insert a diode inline with the power supply to drop the voltage by about 0.7V, then use a 555 timer to occasionally (e.g. every 30 minutes) pulse a relay that short circuits that diode causing a brief 0.7V increase in voltage.

Click to expand...

I think it's even simpler than that. The 2-hour timer is only intended to run when the vehicle is turned off and should not disactivate the unit when the vehicle is running, as in when you are driving down the road and your kids are watching cartoons and your wife is listening to a podcast, is dad supposed to reach down to the OBD port and unplug/replug the Mobley every two hours and then everyone reload their applications? That doesn't make sense and that is not intended operation, and in all of the endless Mobley threads on RV forums I've never seen anyone mention such a thing (and believe me, they even complain about the color of the LEDs

What could be happening is that if your 12-volt power supply is exactly 12 volts then that would indicate to the Mobley that there is no alternator online, meaning that the engine is off, meaning that it should time out after some period of time to protect the battery (although at only a few hundred milliamp draw I don't know why they would really be concerned about that, but anyway...) I'll bet that if you supply it with 13.5 to 14 volts (making it think that there is a charging system online) it will not time out as long as there is activity on the WiFi channel.

With regard to the alleged accelerometer, I kinda doubt that (unnecessary expense and manufacturers do every last thing they can to reduce costs of these products) but I don't have a schematic so... maybe. But until someone produces some engineering data from ZTE or a schematic indicating such a device then FWIW no one has proven that such a device exists, only that they've seen behavior that suggests it... two very different things.

Yet another tear-inducing thread for us Canadians who pay among the highest data rates in the world and can never utilize this delightful device.

The 2015 Sprinter OBD port is inaccessible (behind a plastic cover beneath the dashboard) so we use a USB to OBD converter. However, ZTE Mobley fits great on our Prius and two Lexus factory OBD ports.

Ours is two years old and still going strong. We take it on all our trips; different cars. Fours users at the same time; two stream movies at same time. No problem. Amazing.

We used the OBD port for a while, but it only powers the unit. I got a USB adapter and run it off the 12V port. We liked it so much on our 48 state trip, I got a 110v adapter and it is out only source of internet in the house. We take it where ever we go. We went to 1 GB on our cel phones, and pre-pay for $30 each. The raised the price to $22.50 a month, we've had it for a couple years, happy campers. So two phones and unlimited internet is $84 a month.

It's over, been over for a while. I apologize, I just had a friend send me this. I will appreciate it more having it every time I plug it into my Sprinter and bring it into the house...

https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/guides/att-connected-car-20-month-mobley-unlimited-data-plan/

I still use my Mobley every day. I modified it to accept a Mimo antenna and have it wired to an Asus Router to improve speed in my RV.

A current alternate to the Mobley plan is Visible Mobile (an MVNO operated by Verizon) where you can get true unlimited and unthrottled service (including unlimited 5 mbps hotspot) on the Verizon network for $40/month, or $25/month if you set up a group of four users (the users don't have to know each other and billing is separate, check out the 'party pay' feature on the Visible web site) so you can even match the Mobley plan price. There is a Reddit thread set up to match up users in groups of four so everyone in the group gets the $25/month price.

Visible only supports certain phones (most iPhones and a growing group of Android phones) and no dedicated hotspot devices but what many do is buy one of the inexpensive phones from Visible and just use the hotspot feature on the phone. Visible is giving away a $100 or $200 Mastercard gift card (depending on the value of the phone you order) with new service so after it nets out the phone doesn't end up costing much, or maybe even nothing. If you port a number in you can even use your own phone (if it is compatible) and still get the $100 Mastercard.

There is a forum thread on the topic: https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78124

Maybe not quite as good as the Mobley plan but seems like the next best thing, for now anyway.

.

Geriakt said:

I still use my Mobley every day. I modified it to accept a Mimo antenna and have it wired to an Asus Router to improve speed in my RV.

Click to expand...

Yep I was dumb lucky and will never give it up ?