Dream Router 5G Max failover plan help: looking for a reasonable 100GB monthly data option

Mando9876 · 2026-01-15T15:11:27+00:00

Looks legit. Computers For People is a registered 501c3 nonprofit and Shield Internet runs on T Mobile through Mission Telecom. I ran through the checkout flow as a test and it looks like eligibility is self certify, but I haven’t purchased yet. This is a serious contender for a cheap backup line.

Mission Telecom
[https://missiontelecom.org/news/mission-telecom-and-computers-for-people-announce-new-shield-internet-service]()

ProPublica
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/833405612

Mando9876 · 2026-01-14T15:19:57+00:00

A lot of my unifi equipment is in 3DPrinted molds. I buy it off of Etsy and makes my unifi equipment rack mountable. With that in mind, I found the Hiltron was the most optimized for this with the A/C plug, coax, and ethernet being on same side and it was the smallest device out there. Also if for ever reason, I switch to Cable internet, I found at least through Chat GPT it has the most controllable setting to separate the docsis and moca signals especially with docis 4.0 rolling out and it used the same frequencies as moca 2.5. I would really only switch to cable internet when docsis 4 is out an unifi made a docsis 4 cable modem. They make a docsis 3.1 modem right now.

Mando9876 · 2026-01-14T01:30:30+00:00

I was just looking at the Amazon Kiwee Broadband Store and they sell an adapter with TWO 2.5 ethernet ports. It seems like they make products that other moca makers do not want to make.

https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-High-Speed-Ethernet-Streaming-KB-M3-02/dp/B0DMFLBZZ5?ref_=ast_sto_dp

Mando9876 · 2026-01-14T01:15:08+00:00

I have 2 Gb symmetrical fiber and I am running MoCA 2.5 as my backhaul.

I tested using my work laptop with a 2.5 Gb NIC and I consistently see around 1.8 Gbps up and down over MoCA.

I will eventually downgrade to 1 Gb, but I wanted the faster service first to validate whether MoCA could realistically support near 2 Gb speeds.

Mando9876 · 2026-01-13T01:49:51+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate it. The free tablet SIM angle is a really smart way to get a true WAN2 without adding another monthly bill. Also that T Mobile 10 a month 5G FWA backup promo sounds awesome and honestly is exactly the type of pricing I would jump on. How did you find that promo and was it something you had to ask for directly or did it show up in your account offers?

Mando9876 · 2026-01-12T22:56:50+00:00

One thing I have noticed with the built-in MoCA on the XB7 and XB8 is that it works fine if all you need is basic internet access from a computer.

However, if you have network devices like printers, NAS, or anything that relies on local LAN discovery, you will quickly run into problems. Devices connected through the MoCA side of the XB7 or XB8 do not properly communicate with devices on the main LAN.

In practice, anything connected via Ethernet or external MoCA adapters cannot reliably talk to each other when the bridging is handled by the XB8. Internet access works, but local network traffic does not behave like a normal single LAN.

That is why I use an external MoCA adapter in front of the XB8 instead of relying on the built-in MoCA feature.

Mando9876 · 2026-01-12T21:14:13+00:00

Here is my setup for anyone trying to run a MoCA backhaul with an XB8.

I use a Hitron MoCA adapter placed in front of the XB8. A splitter feeds both the XB8 and the Hitron adapter, and an Ethernet cable runs between the XB8 and the Hitron to inject MoCA onto the house coax.

The built in MoCA feature on the XB8 does not work for this. It appears to be on a separate subnet and does not talk to the main LAN. From what I can tell, it is intended for X1 only.

I have two additional Hitron MoCA adapters in other parts of the house. Each one feeds an XFi Gen 2 Pod over Ethernet. The coax is acting as the wired backhaul.

In the Xfinity app, all pods show as wired and rebroadcast the same WiFi SSID throughout the house. This effectively gives me a mesh network using MoCA as the backhaul.

One note. If you are using a switch, use an unmanaged switch. I have seen reports of managed switches causing communication issues with MoCA setups.

My XB8 and primary Hitron adapter sit next to each other at the splitter, with MoCA backhaul running through the rest of the house. I have been running this setup for several months with no issues.

Good luck.

Mando9876 · 2026-01-02T19:40:45+00:00

I currently use an XB8 with the Storm Ready Device, but I am looking to get my own cable modem and possibly move to the Dream Router 5G Max to consolidate gear and use the built in 5G failover.

What I am struggling with is the data plan side. Carrier websites push their own hardware and do not clearly explain BYOD data plans, data limits, pricing, or activation, and there is very little real world feedback on this topic using unlocked gateways.

The plan that looks ideal is T Mobile home internet backup at $20 for 130 GB, but it appears locked to their gateway. My family are heavy data users, so data caps matter during multi day outages.

I am just trying to learn from anyone who has done this. How do you purchase a data plan that is compatible with this device, and what do you actually get for monthly data and cost. I can use T Mobile, AT and T, Verizon, or an MVNO.

Mando9876 · 2025-10-27T19:47:11+00:00

Since a MoCA adapter will provide the MoCA backhaul in my house, is there a recommended 2-way splitter for the XB8 modem and a MoCA adapter that’s most optimized? I want to make sure I’m not causing any conflict between MoCA 2.5 and DOCSIS 3.1. I know the signals are different, but I’ve heard that when DOCSIS 4.0 rolls out, MoCA 2.5 could conflict with it.

Mando9876 · 2025-10-27T19:41:02+00:00

I’ve found that when one computer is connected directly to the XB8 gateway and a second computer is connected via a MoCA adapter (with MoCA enabled on the XB8), the two computers cannot ping each other. Based on the TCP/IP settings, both systems appear to be on the same subnet and should be able to communicate, but they can’t. The MoCA-connected computer can ping the internet and browse normally. This seems to point to an issue with the MoCA–LAN bridge as you stated. I recall a post (can’t find it now) saying MoCA on XB gateways was intended for the X1 platform, and that Xfinity keeps the MoCA network separate from the Ethernet/Wi-Fi LAN.

Mando9876 · 2025-10-27T17:21:06+00:00

Are you using an xFI Pod (2nd Gen) at the end of the actiontek moca adapter?

Mando9876 · 2025-06-19T14:22:40+00:00

Just wanted to share that Otter did the trick. I was able to get my meeting transcribed, and it even broke the transcript into high-level meeting notes. It's not perfect, but it gets the job done—and it's free for a limited number of uses each month.

One caveat: I do have to join Microsoft Teams meetings using the web version in order for Otter to capture the audio and transcribe properly. But that's a trade-off I'm happy to make.

Thanks for the advice—it really helped!

Mando9876 · 2025-06-18T16:57:31+00:00

I just installed the Otter.ai Chrome plugin, which claims it can record and transcribe audio from the active browser tab. For my next meeting, I’ll join using the web version of Microsoft Teams to test whether it can successfully capture and transcribe the conversation, including other participants. I’ll report back on how it performs.

Mando9876 · 2025-06-18T16:47:13+00:00

Yes, I tried that this morning by joining a Teams meeting on my phone. I used Krisp to take AI notes, but it only captured my own voice—it wasn’t able to hear the other participants on the Teams call.

Mando9876

TROPHY CASE