Telstra Hotspot 5g

[Jackie Bullinger]

Aday or so ago, I noted an unknown device on the online manager page. Being alone, and knowing no other devices were on, I did my normal thing - didn't note the device ID, didn't log in to get its IP address or block it - just panicked and got off the internet. Later, I got back on and waited to see if it re-joined, when I would snare its details and take things from there. It didn't re-appear that day.

Today (15/8/2016), it reappeared but my wife was also online. I checked with her what devices she knew were on and the suspect one was definitely an "extra". This time, I logged in, got its details and blocked it.

It had a 12-digit Mac number (i.e., in pairs separated by hyphens). Bit its showed as IP: 0.0.0.0. I looked up the Mac number on a site called "arul's utilities" and it told me the manufacturer (Western Digital, 1599 North Broadway, Rochester Mn 55906, United States) which doesn't mean much to me.

Could it have been that? she asked. Today, very late in the peace, I checked it out. The device is a WD TV Live Streaming Media Player. On its back, of course, is its product information sheet - with its MAC number listed on it! The same number as the "intruder".

Info re Western Digital - many thanks. Got me reading. I noted they also make MyBook which can be modified to do a number of things. (e.g. - "Hacking WD MyBook World Ed" - :recent-posts). Do you know - from your own knowledge - whether someone could use such a device (or similar) like a computer to launch attacks on people's WiFi routers/hotspots?

Also, this being a Netgear site, any comment on the AC790S and the password length (and mix of letters, numerals, symbols) it allows would be appreciated. However, I'll also make that a separate question to the forums.

It's important to find out if you can use the phone's internet connection. If you can't use the phone's internet connection, you need to solve this problem first. When the problem is solved, you will most likely also be able to use your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot.

According to Telstra, the new hotspot is one of the first devices in the world to be compatible with LTE-Advanced. Telstra doesn't have its mobile network entirely set up for the faster service, though; LTE-Advanced will initially run across Telstra's regular 1800MHz 4G and the 900MHz spectrum previously used for 2G, and the roll-out is expected to take place throughout 2014.

Telstra's director of devices, Andrew Volard, said that the new hotspot is future-proofed for the upcoming network changes, "It will operate in [LTE-Advanced] mode in some locations where we have a lower 4G band in place for coverage or capacity. Experience with these initial LTE-A areas on our network will help us refine this technology ahead of its widespread deployment in the coming years."

Where most recent 4G LTE radios in smartphones can download at theoretical speeds up to 100Mbps, and the newest Category 4 devices can reach 150Mbps, LTE-Advanced should improve on those numbers. The outright speed that the Wi-Fi 4G Advanced can achieve isn't clear, since Telstra doesn't own a full block of the 900MHz spectrum it is using for carrier aggregation.

In 2015, Telstra will gain access to the 700MHz spectrum it bought in May; using this would allow it to reach peak LTE-Advanced download speeds of 300Mbps, three times as fast as the current speed of the NBN.

The Telstra Wi-Fi 4G Advanced was leaked on manufacturer Netgear's website a week ago and was quickly spotted by keen-eyed Whirlpool users. The new Telstra device is the successor to the Sierra Wireless AirCard 760S, which has been Telstra's premium 4G Wi-Fi hotspot since early 2012. Netgear purchased Sierra Wireless' AirCard division in April, so the 782S is the first AirCard to carry the Netgear name at launch.

The new Telstra device has a 2.4-inch colour touchscreen to manage settings without a PC or web browser and includes an on-screen data meter integrated with Telstra's online billing system. A 2500mAh battery provides up to 10 hours of active usage of the Wi-Fi hotspot, which uses dual-band Wi-Fi for longer range and faster connection speeds.

The AirCard 782S also supports LTE Category 4, for speeds of up to 150Mbps download on one section of spectrum. Like other modern 4G hotspots, the new device also uses dual antennas to boost speed through a technology called MIMO.

Telstra will only be offering the new Wi-Fi 4G Advanced device on 24-month consumer and business plans. The modem will cost AU$6 per month on an AU$50 Telstra Mobile Broadband Freedom plan or Telstra Mobile Broadband Business plan, both of which have 8GB of included data.

First things first, what style of camping are you intending to do? Even the smallest towns have Telstra mobile communications so you will not be out of communications when you are in camp. Once you get away from these towns you are likely to be out of communications even with external high gain antennas. Once you get into the remote areas you are talking of sat-phone with $s per minute call rates. Data rates are even more prohibitive. I suggest that to keep equipment and operating costs down you plan to only have a few days away from phone connection. To do your planning I suggest you get a copy of Camps Australia Wide if you like books or WikiCamps if you like computer apps. Peruse the areas where you are likely to camp. Either one of those advises whether mobile phone and TV is available within the campsites in those areas.

For most of your camping when you first set out mobile telephones are all you need for phone calls and a little bit of connection to the net. Select a phone plan that has a large data allowance and you can tether your phone to your computer. If you want a more extensive internet connection, then get one of these types of devices - Mobile broadband. These devices can easily be connected to external hi-gain antennas if you think you need a bit of extra range. You can get them on a data plan or run prepaid plans.

I have been running a 4GX Hotspot style of modem for over 15 years. I am currently paying $80 per month for a combined data and phone plan that has a total of 70 GB of data between the two plans and free phone calls (I use this at home as well as on the road.) If you wish to fiddle around with prepaid plans you can do much better than that cost wide. I do not use an external antenna and where I travel I am rarely out of an internet connection for more than a couple of days at a time. We are out of phone range far more than this as phones are less sensitive than mobile modems.

I suggest you start off with something simple like that and see how you go. You will get some replies pushing things like Wi-Fi go and Cell-Fi that cost upwards of $1,200. If you are prepared to spend a day or three without communications then you can get away with cheap communications. Give it a try before you lay out big bickies. If you do not preplan your trip with confirmed stopping places you can juggle your trip to spend your days without communications at convenient times.

Thanks for that Mike.I will investigate,but as I am not at all tech-savvy I need to ask if this will also work where only 3G is available? Where I am presently travelling,it is rare to see my unit detect any 4G signal,and even when it does,it still chooses the 3G. Cheers

We use Aldi on both our phones. Then we use them as hot spots for the laptops. We have 12mth plans for the phones, $150 / 130Gb and we could top up the data when it runs out. We are not big data users and if there is no connection we can survive for a bit without either of them. Depends on how addicted you are really !!If you are social media users then think again !

Telstra has the best coverage out the back blocks so using a provider that is linked to them is good, but some places Optus is OK so another sim from them might be a good idea if you feel you need backup.

Is that because you have an older model of Cel-Fi that only has 3G mode? Is you unit switched to the 3G mode? Also note: CCel-Fi GO mobile version will not boost in areas where the signal is already very strong. If the signal is better than -80dBm (3G) or -95dBm (4G) the mobile GO version will cease to boost to ensure a degraded level of service is not experienced.

It's a complicated area for the non technical but I think you should look at changing "something" over the next 12 months - talk to the CelFi people perhaps as you are clearly happy with their product.

My CelFi has 3 choices when it comes to mode selection.There is 3G,4G and automatic,which is what I leave it on.In marginal areas it will spend time working out which is the better mode,with alternately yellow and green flashing lights,and when it decides which is better,it locks onto that and displays a solid light,be it yellow or green. And,yes, I was aware of the closure of 3G.Presently I am in an area that locals tell me has no coverage,but I am getting 5 bars on 3G.Cheers

I have an optus (not sim locked) s7 edge in the drop down menu it has wifi calls partially lit and im just wondering does it just switch on when you go out of service? also is the nighthawk sim locked to telstra or can you just put any sim in?

While I was away my phone used almost all the battery over night, at first I thought it was stuffed but when I got home it was fine, is this because it was searching for service or maybe the wifi calls was searching for wifi? or does anyone else know why it was happening? seemed to only be at night.

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