“I have an AT&T Wireless Internet plan that utilizes a 2017 model AT&T MF279. Can I use the SIMS card (and existing AT&T plan) out of the MF279 and reinstall it in this Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot without having to change plans or do anything with AT&T?”
1-2 of 2 Answers
I had the previous version to this model, which is LTE based, and I had inquired about this. I was told that I absolutely could use the SIM, however.... This device would not have access to the real 5G network. Only the enhanced 5Gish capabilities of the LTE network. I moved the SIM and it did work. I did not get the performance that I used to get with the older device. It varies up and down in speed all the time. We never had that problem with the previous model. We use an external antenna and find that reception can be had even in a lot of remote spots. It may mean we have to spend some time walking around with the antenna to see where it will get reception. It might be only one place, but if we can get two bars, that is usually enough to email, browse the web and probably even watch TV (one) at the same time. I love the device. I would buy it again. I think the carriers are doing a little bait and switch with plans, trying to make some (well a lot) money off of the new tech. So, the simple answer is yes. It is just that it doesn't get you the full monte. Why don't I just change my plan to the 5G? Well, I actually have one of those plans that is unlimited and it only costs me $10 a month for this device to be on it. If I switch to the 5G, I have to allow them to upgrade my plan and then the fake unlimited will be imposed and it will cost over $100 for just that device. By fake unlimited, I mean, they say unlimited but it only gets you maybe 15 or 20 gig a month, unrestricted. We are full time RVers. We use this for our content streaming. It is not unusual for us to use as much as 500g or more a month. Hope this helps.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.I did purchase the Nighthawk 5G and tried it. The SIM card switched okay and I found it very easy to setup. It said it was 5G, but I don't know if that was the true 5G or not. We connected to Hulu and started watching a show (in data saver mode - which we always use), unfortunately although it had 5 bars, it buffered constantly. We couldn't watch anything, every 3 to 5 minutes it would stop and start buffering. I removed the SIM, reinstalled it back into the MF279 and it fired right back up with no issue. I'm still within Best Buys 14 day return, so I'll do a factory reset and return it (I think there's a restocking fee). The MF279 has a solid LTE signal, but we can only connect 1 device at a time. I work from home and it will not allow me to use Microsoft Teams for video conferences, I have to connect to Teams through my phone. We can watch Hulu, Amazon and YouTube as long as I select the lower data settings. I guess we'll continue use it until they come out with a better alternative.
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