I just got a yolink hub 3 in hopes of it supporting local control at some point and because I was interested in its cellular back up. Yolink is selling a plan that actually sounds pretty reasonable for 6.99 a month but me being me just had to see if it works with other sim cards. I installed a 6 dollars a month tello card (mine is 2gb a month, you can get 1gb a month for 5, I’m almost positive it runs on tmobile network). It worked after several minutes and it is not connected for wifi or an ethernet cable. I have updated its firmware so I know its getting data both ways. To change sim cards, it is a nano, open up the hubs case and remove yolinks nano card which is on the under side of the cellular module. Be careful not to rip the wire off the antenna as I did when reassembling. I have very sloppily soldered back it as it basically ripped part of the flexible stuck on antenna off but I got as high as -75 db so I assume it is at least working. I do have some other antennas coming to try out and will try to post those results when I get them but they are just other flexible stick on antennas I think it takes an ipx 1 style connector by measurements.
That’s pretty cool that you got the Tello SIM working with the Yolink hub! I’ve tried using different SIMs for setups like this too. For me, it is always satisfying when things click
Hey. Swapping out the nano SIM is straightforward enough, though that antenna situation sounds frustrating - good save with the soldering. If you’re experimenting with SIMs and need more options, Sims Direct is worth looking at. Basically, they’ve got a range of choices that might fit well with setups like this, especially if you’re looking for flexibility with data plans…
Since then I have found https://www.simbase.com/ has the cheapest plans by for the US. Its a penny a day plus a penny per mb. Used for back up to internet its easily under a dollar a month. I you use it as its only source of internet I think I figured out it would be maybe a dollar or 2 a month but I guess that would depend on the amount of sensors and activity.
I will say that I have tested the sim base vs the yolink service (I’m using it to monitor things on my farm so its worth figuring out reliability) and the yolink service has been rock solid where as simbase had caused a few disconnects with one of them requiring hub to be physically turned off and back on to regain connection. That being said the disconnects that did not require hard resets (and that was after hurricane Helene which made cell service crazy here in NC) the hub normally only went off line for 5-10 minutes although one of the disconnects was for almost an entire day. I’m currently experimenting with difference carrier plans under simbase to see if reliability increases.
The other antennas actually had worse reception then the original re soldered. I think I’m going to try to install an adapter to sma and install a larger antenna for my application. I just took it back apart and am 95 percent positive it is indeed an ipex 1 connector.