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Anyway to use free call minutes for sim in router?

tommydog

Pro Member
I know the Huawei 4G B525 router has a nice feature where you can hook up a telephone to the router and make phone calls using the installed sim. The problem is my sim is installed in a MikroTik RBLHGR&R11e-LTE6 outdoor dish mounted outside above the ridge of my roof. It seems a shame not to be able to use the unlimited calling minutes on the sim. Wondered if there is anyway around this, such as a softphone or anything like that?
 
Don't think there is a way.

I guess with Esim capable devices it is a bit easier, but my device does not have Esim. Also does anyone know if the Huawei 4G B525 is a unique product? I have not seen any other devices that let you plug a phone in and use your call minutes as well.
 
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I guess with Esim capable devices it is a bit easier, but my device does not have Esim. Also does anyone know if the Huawei 4G B525 is a unique product? I have not seen any other devices that let you plug a phone in and use your call minutes as well.
I used to use my included minutes on my old B618 and B818 routers tommydog, worked well although sometimes they would not return to 4G after the call, a reboot always fixed it.

Same experience on my old CPE Pro as well.

I also have the phone socket on my CPE Pro 2 although I'm not sure it would work as I see no mention of VoLTE support on it, it doesnt't support 3G.

Not sure how any of the routers with a phone socket would work now with VoLTE, would they still fall back to 3G for calls these days? :unsure:
 
Screenshot_20220428-093627_Amazon.jpg

Here's the wee adaptor I used, it was 99p when I got it many moons ago, it's nearly £6 now, yikes. (Amazon)

Probably cheaper elsewhere. :rolleyes:
 
Not sure it's worth it. I used to use my Huawei B525 to make calls when I got rid of my BT landline - linked it in to my Dect base and then could use the satellites around the house - but it always dropped to 3g to make calls. I also tried it for a short time on the Huawei B818 (from a non-UK source) - it didn't drop to 3g but speeds would seriously decline and any carrier aggregation would end - requiring a reboot to get speeds back to normal - I am guessing it might have been using Band 20 to make the calls(?). I couldn't be bothered with the hassle and didn't explore it any further.

One option for the 'external' sim in your outdoor router, if you are with EE or Vodafone, you could link the router sim's mobile number with the Alexa App and make calls on an Amazon Echo using that sim's allowance. It does works and the echo does ring when the number is called (you can specify which echo responds to calls in the app) - all then is hands free. I understand, this might also work with other providers, but there may be some issues with the echo not ringing etc, when calls are made to the router sim.

For a time, I had a little fun with this, was able to make outgoing hands free calls using a sim in a router and had the router's sim divert incoming calls to it to my own mobile (put it in a mobile, activate divert, then replace in router). After the 'novelty' wore off, it actually proved easier just to use our own mobiles around the house with wifi calling. - after all, how many times can you use unlimited minutes in your own mobile and then take extra effort to use some of the unlimited minutes in your router sim?
 
One option for the 'external' sim in your outdoor router, if you are with EE or Vodafone, you could link the router sim's mobile number with the Alexa App and make calls on an Amazon Echo using that sim's allowance.
Are you referring to services like Vodaphone One number? I believe that's a subscription add-on service, in which the extra cost will likely offsett any free minutes you have. Ideally I need to be on an 02 based network, due to the reception here, although could probably cope with Vodaphone.

Another point, I wonder if making some calls would result in your account being less likley to be flagged? Many operators seem to have terms and conditions which prohibit the user using the SIM in a router. If you make zero calls and only use data, I wonder if there is more chance of your account being flagged?
 
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You could send and receive texts, you could even script the Tik to send a text when it's had to reconnect.

Most Network Operators do not support VoLTE in Mobile Routers, dropping the connection to 3G just to make a call seems a bit crazy.
 
You could send and receive texts, you could even script the Tik to send a text when it's had to reconnect.
Thanks for informing me of this. Is there a tutorial anywhere showing how to do this? I guess if you send a txt the speed will drop and I will have to reboot the device to use 4G internet again?
 
Sending text from a router is a bit clumsy as you have to kick off the router home page and sign in first so I never did it. But with my B818 there was never a problem making calls apart from having to wait a few seconds for the router to drop down to 3g and make the call. Hanging up would drop straight back to 4g. I stopped using it when my crappy BT DECT wireless phone began to badly distort voice quality and I didn't think it was worth it to get a replacement. I now have a £5 sim only contract for the mobile phone with unlimited calls and texts and just 1gb data.
You don't really need a tutorial but the Huawei routers can be a bit finicky over which phones work and which won't.
To be honest unless you're on the phone for ages and run down your minutes all the time it's not going to be worth getting another router with a phone socket.
 
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/tool sms send lte1 phone-number=00000000 message="xxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

Thank you that works perfectly. But I am unable to receive any messages. I read in the manual that you have to enable message receive, but when I do the following I get a syntax error:

/tool/sms
receive-enabled=yes
syntax error (line 1 column 16

Does anyone know what the correct syntax is?
 
Last edited:
You could send and receive texts
How did you get yours to receive? I tried another command variation below, but it says:
> /tool sms set reader-running=yes
expected end of command (line 1 column 15)

Then when I go to the sms inbox below I get nothing.
/tool sms inbox
 
Are you referring to services like Vodaphone One number? I believe that's a subscription add-on service, in which the extra cost will likely offsett any free minutes you have. Ideally I need to be on an 02 based network, due to the reception here, although could probably cope with Vodaphone.

Another point, I wonder if making some calls would result in your account being less likley to be flagged? Many operators seem to have terms and conditions which prohibit the user using the SIM in a router. If you make zero calls and only use data, I wonder if there is more chance of your account being flagged?

Connecting an EE mobile number to Alexa is free - involves sending a text to activate - nothing more and no additional cost etc.

Vodafone OneNumber offers the same - but the wording on the site 'appears' open to interpretation:

'Share your phone’s allowances, number and contacts with your smartwatch or Alexa device to stay connected on our network – without needing WiFi or your phone nearby. It’s just £7 a month to connect your smartwatch or connect your Alexa to your Pay monthly plan for free.'

My reading of this is that there is no charge for connecting to Alexa - but I cannot confirm this as I have only used the service on EE.

I don't think using some of the call minutes on a phone sim in a router will prevent an isp from detecting you have done this, if they are minded to - the profile of the rest of your traffic will suggest otherwise. I suspect most don't care unless (or until) you begin 'spanking' their fup or otherwise affecting the service locally.

O2 seem to have a specific tethering policy saying using one of their phone sims in a modem is not 'fair use'. Harsh, ignoring net neutrality etc. but I guess they don't care.
 
Connecting an EE mobile number to Alexa is free - involves sending a text to activate - nothing more and no additional cost etc.
Do you have to have a physical Amazon device to make this work? Or can you just use it from a phone app for making and recieving phone calls?
 
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Do you know if there are any compatible devices that receive calls?
it's not really a compatible device, it's whether the network support it.. the way I think Amazon is doing it now is spoofing your phone number to the one that is registered on your Amazon account and calling with that. I get the America dial tone too sometimes which makes it even more apparent this is something they are probably doing
 
Po
How did you get yours to receive? I tried another command variation below, but it says:
> /tool sms set reader-running=yes
expected end of command (line 1 column 15)

Then when I go to the sms inbox below I get nothing.
/tool sms inbox
 

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