NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
LB1120 - AT&T notification device is no longer compatible with their network.
I received the following notification yesterday from AT&T:
" CANCELLATION NOTICE - It's urgent you upgrade to a new compatible device. Your current device will stop working any day now, and, on April 1st, AT&T will terminate your account. As a result, you will lose data service on your device. To repeat, it's urgent you get a new device now. Visit an AT&T store to replace your device."
The LB1120 is currently connected to 4G with a strong signal. 5G is not availabe in my area yet. I visited the AT&T store and no one there could tell me what the compatibilty issue is, only that AT&T will be disconnecting it in less than a month. AT&T does not offer a similar product, which is why I have the LB1120 as a "bring your own device". Without knowing what it is that is not compatible with the LB1120, I do not know what other device to replace it with.
Does anyone know why AT&T is dropping support of this device?
4 Replies
AT&T shutdown their 3G network on 2-22-22 The LB1120 is not on their Whitelist for compatible devices for after that shutdown. You can find the whitelist with a interenet search.
In terms of why the LB1120 is considered an 3G device is that it uses 3G to setup and than access LTE. This possibly could be corrected with a firmware update. However AT&T would need to certify it and Netgear would have to make the effort to do so. Not likely.
The only devices on the list that meet the AT&T requirements are all mobile hotspots such as the M5, MR1100 (M1) and previous old AT&T sold mobile hotspots that have had a firmware update.
- I received the same notification, and many others did as well. T-Mobile and Verizon are shutting down 3G as well. So, basically the LB-1120 is now an obsolete device.
It's a paperweight. Very disappointing. I expected more from a Netgear product. I was able to get through to AT&T tech support. They tell me that the the upgrade/cancellation message was sent to a large number of customers whose devices will continue to function normally after the 3G shutdown (some whose devices WILL stop working did not receive a notification) and since my LB1120 is still working a couple days after the shutdown date, the notification probably did not apply to me. No one has been able to tell me if the entire AT&T 3G network was shutdown on Februrary 22, or if it is taking place in phases over a number of days.
This is hardly the right way to run a railroad, let alone a Telco. I will just hang in there and see what happens. If the LB1120 stops working, I will update this post.
Have a back up plan.
By the way the LB1120 is rather outdated technology. It has only a Cat 4 modem, limited bands of reception and no carrier aggregation. I threw mine away 2 years ago. I now run a MR1100 that is setup on Cricket's data plan (AT&T) that works much better and at faster speeds that I ever got with the LB1120.
My setup uses external antennas and permanent power (battery removed and a better power supply than factory supplied). I would have gone with the LBR20 if AT&T had it on the Whitelist but it is not and IMEI checks through Cricket declare it to be a 3G/incompatible device so they will not activate it.
Hopefully in the future Netgear and AT&T get together on an approved cellular modem router for us remote people that rely on cellular for Home Internet.
My wish for that device is it has 4 ethernet connections , 4 external antenna SMA connectors and it can be setup for external wireless routers. It should be CAT 20 and 5G. It should retail for around $200.