Network locked LTE providers - how to use Mikrotik LTE equipment

Hardware
1

Hi guys

Connectivity is a challenge in rural areas in South Africa, where no WISP can help and where Starlink is not available.

At many of my clients the only viable solution is Uncapped LTE - but our network providers limit their Uncapped packages to only a few routers (including TP Link R600 and some ZTE routers).

Those routers are terrible, they overheat, interface is stupid, port forwarding a mission…..etc

So my question - is there any way to “modify” Mikrotik LTE equipment to “advertise” itself as one of the supported devices?

(Please note, I tried to convince my preferred LTE provider, but they simply said it was a corporate decision and they can’t do much about it)

Thanks for all your help!

2

I have been through this as well. They only support a handfull of absolute trash devices.

Many phonecalls between MTN and Vodacom and some resellers (Afrihost, Axxess & Webafrica) and so far have had 0 luck.

My LTE backups now all run though Telkom mobile as they do not lock down modems even though their network is worse.

Problem is average joe doesn’t care, the people who do is the vast minority.

3

We had essentially the same issue upto a couple of years ago here in NZ. No provider wanted to free up their mobile data network until Vodafone (now OneNZ) bowed to public pressure. After that another big provider, Spark, unofficially joined in. The only one left is 2degrees, the smallest one, who clearly think their network is too superior for other routers to be used on it.

Spark is an interesting one. They don’t proclaim an open network. They’d still way perfer you to use their gear. However, some non-compliant routers do actually work on their network. Most, infact. You can sign up for a plan instore, activate their SIM and pop it into your router while your instore. If it works, away you go, happy. If it doesn’t, contract cancelled. Maybe this is an option, albeit inconvienient? The only catch is if that provider lock service to the tower you first locked on to. You’d have to make sure there are no tower locks going on.

Better still, is there a smaller provider who piggybacks on the large companies (wholesale) in your area? They could provide what you are looking for. We have one (probably more) here who I used to use exclusively for such reasons. That arrangement worked really well. i could connect rural customers using MT gear and sign them up to this provider, who would inturn charge them urban rates. Definately worth checking out!

4

Hey there

I tried getting Afrihost to put preasure on MTN, but nope. I tried contacting MTN myself, nope.

Unfortunately many of my clients are very rural (in the Greater Kruger and surrounds), and the only network that actually works around here is MTN. On one site I have a 2TB Telkom setup using a LHG, but that link is purely for backup as they’re too far from the nearest Telkom tower.

I’ve read somewhere that you can change some of the cellular details on Mikrotik devices using AT commands.

From what I understand, the network checks your cellular chip’s ID to see if it fall ini their list of allowed vendors/products. And from what I understand, you can change that ID using AT commands…

Only issue is, I lost the article I found, and I really don’t have time at the moment to figure it out myself.

If you’re game, perhaps we could tackle this challenge together!

5

Yeah, I remember hearing about that too. But I was never convinced it would work long-term. It wouldn’t take providers too long to cotton on.

See if you can find a small provider who wholesales from MTN and work with them, definitely a whole lot better than trying to trick IMEI, etc…

6

Hey there

Afrihost is probably the best ISP we have in RSA, and they piggyback off of our 3 cell providers (MTN, Vodacom and Telkom). But Afrihost has no control over what routers are allowed etc, that is determined by the cell provider.

When I place a MTN SIM in a Mikrotik, it would work beautifully, but only for about an hour, then they lock the SIM and you need to call Afrihost to have it unblocked with MTN - such a shlep

It does seem that Telkom doesn’t care what device you use, but their coverage is pathetic, so it’s not really a one-stop-solution.

7

Have you considered starting your own small rural ISP?

8

I’ve owned a WISP for nearly 20 years, and no, never again :smiley:

We moved from the Western Cape to Limpopo (2000km north), totally different topography, very difficult for ISP’s.

We do have 2x WISPs in the area, the one totally suck, the other is great but expensive compared to LTE. (I use them as a third backup link)

The strange thing in our area is that the bush is so thick, people can’t see their neighbours’ houses, even if it’s only 20m away.

The local ISPs install 9m aluminium poles just to clear the bush.

My point is, you’d need to erect so many towers just to serve a handful of clients that it simply doesn’t make any business sense. Perhaps if I started here 10+ years ago

9

According to Google:

Cell providers determine if an LTE router is authorized on their network primarily by using its unique

**International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)**number. The network equipment registers this number when the device connects and checks it against a database to enforce a list of approved devices.

How the Process Works

  • IMEI Transmission: When a device (like an LTE router or a phone) with an inserted SIM card powers on and connects to the cellular network, it transmits its unique IMEI number to the carrier's system.

  • Database Verification: The carrier's system, specifically an Equipment Identity Register (EIR), has a database containing IMEIs. This database can function as a:

    • Whitelist: Only IMEIs on this pre-approved list are granted full access to the network services.

    • Blacklist: Devices reported as lost or stolen are blocked from accessing the network.

  • Device Identification: The first few digits of the IMEI, known as the Type Approval Code (TAC), identify the manufacturer and model of the device. This allows the carrier to determine the exact type of device trying to connect.

  • Policy Enforcement: Carriers offering specific "home internet" or "router-only" plans often restrict which devices can be used. If the network detects a SIM card associated with a router plan is being used in an unauthorized device (like a mobile phone or an unapproved router model), they may limit or suspend the service until an approved router is used.

  • Other Potential Signals: While the IMEI is the primary method, carriers may use other advanced techniques to identify device types, such as analyzing data flow patterns (a phone has a different data flow history than a dedicated router) or checking the manufacturer indicated by the device's MAC address (though this is a local network identifier, the carrier may still have access to it at some level).

For users, this means checking the carrier's list of compatible or "approved" routers before purchasing an LTE router for a specific plan is essential to ensure it will work. You can often check compatibility on the carrier's website using the first few digits of the router's IMEI.

10

This is the main problem. You have absolutely no idea what method (or combination of) MTN or other ISPs use, all in the name of protecting their network. I bet they don’t put the same amount of effort into their fibre subs! So changing one thing will no doubt be enough. Sorry to say.

What’s the story with Starlink?

11

Starlink worked fine for a long time, until our government forced them to halt their services in RSA.

  1. Starlink isn’t registered with ICASA

  2. Starlink doesn’t meet BEE (“black economic empowerment“) regolutions (in SA your company needs to have a certain percentage of “black” management/ownership)

But they are working on it, so we might see Starlink return in a year or so. But until then we have to hack our away around LTE solutions…