How to connect mobile hotspot to Wan port on router

NL5

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2003
3,286
12
81
Hopefully someone can answer a couple questions. I have a dual WAN load balancing router that currently balances two DSL lines. Works well for what it is. However, I am thinking of getting a mobile hotspot (Franklin r910) to replace one of the lines. There is no ethernet port on the hotspot, so it looks like I need a wireless bridge to connect it to the router. Is this correct? Also, what will that do to ping times if it has to convert from wifi to ethernet, and then back to wifi? How would it affect ping time to devices hardwired to the router? I need the router to stay in place to keep one DSL line, and to cover the whole house - I don't think the hotspot would provide near enough coverage. Last, is there a better way to get the hotspot connected.

Thanks in advance.
 

NL5

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2003
3,286
12
81
Thanks, but unfortunately I am stuck with the Franklin. It's the only choice for the service. Sim is locked to the device from what I understand.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
98,829
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Thanks, but unfortunately I am stuck with the Franklin. It's the only choice for the service. Sim is locked to the device from what I understand.


That makes zero sense. How do ipad people put the sim into their ipad then? This one works with global lte, including at&t and t-mobile.

Huawei E5885Ls-93a 300 Mbps 4G LTE Mobile WiFi (4G LTE globally, including AT&T and T-Mobile, 25 hours work time) (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074XKDB4G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_4KRwAb8TYW2WC
 

NL5

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2003
3,286
12
81
It's from the calyx institute, not from sprint directly. They own the sim and lease it to members (locked to the device) . It's a round about way to get internet, but I live in a rural location and really don't have many options. This one seems worth a shot if I can hook it up to my router. I appreciate the help, but what you are suggesting is not possible with this service. If I purchased directly from sprint or att, the cost would be prohibitive, but I could do what you are suggesting. Now, I could be wrong about it being locked, but everything I've researched says it is. In any case, I want to plan for it being locked to the device.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
98,829
17,307
126
It's from the calyx institute, not from sprint directly. They own the sim and lease it to members (locked to the device) . It's a round about way to get internet, but I live in a rural location and really don't have many options. This one seems worth a shot if I can hook it up to my router. I appreciate the help, but what you are suggesting is not possible with this service. If I purchased directly from sprint or att, the cost would be prohibitive, but I could do what you are suggesting. Now, I could be wrong about it being locked, but everything I've researched says it is. In any case, I want to plan for it being locked to the device.


then you need to have a router that can do bridge mode.

I looked at the manual and it indeed has removable sim, look at the manual

http://images.comparecellular.com/phones/2675/Franklin-R910-Mobile-Hotspot-user-guide-english.pdf

devices tend to have lock, not the sim.
 

cr4west

Junior Member
Feb 1, 2018
1
0
6
I hooked my Franklin R910 to a Netgear N300 WIFI range extender to test the ethernet port wired connection. This worked correctly to attach a single cabled ethernet device to the Sprint hotspot ip connection. It does not work when connect to a 10/100 ethernet switch to distribute the ip connection to multiple devices on my wired ethernet network. Next I will experiment with a router or a unused DSL modem-router in bridge mode to see the results.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,570
10,202
126
I was doing this with a Sprint / Franklin MiFi portable unit a while back. I had it plugged in via USB (to charge), and then had a "travel router, with WISP mode", plugged in via ethernet to the WAN port on my LAN's router.