Did you know that SIM cards are optimized for device type?

[Alex-]

Did you know that SIM cards are configured by the ISP (internet service provider) for the device they are supposed to be used in?

So far, I thought that it should not matter whether you use a SIM card in a smartphone (iPhone in my case) or an LTE router (Orbi LBR20 in my case). For about two weeks, I am trying to figure out, why the upload speed specifically never exceeds 3 Mbps when using the SIM card in the Orbi LBR20. My plan allows for 50 Mbps in upload speeds.

I actually considered the possibility, that the ISP illegaly tries to limit use in routers in order to incline people to buy a seperate plan for at-home use.

I also considered that the Orbi might be defect and I should return it to the vendor. However, after talking to my ISP (Telefónica in Germany) on the phone, I learned that this performance detoriation happens by design. The person explained that plans intended for on-the-go use come with SIM cards that are configured to get the best performance out of smartphones. Plans intended for home use come with different SIM cards that are optimized to get the best performance out of 4G/5G routers.

I did not know that. From a user's point of view, this is lamentable, because I'd like the freedom to use whatever device I want.

The person I spoke to also mentioned that I might be able to tweak the Orbi so that it uses the SIM card more in the way that a smartphone would use it.

That is what I would like to talk about.

First, which apps or tools reveal the type of data that would show how the usage in a router differes from that in a smartphone? The Orbi provides more details when you click on "connection status" under "mobile broadband settings". How can you reveal this data on an iPhone?

Which variables would have to be tweaked in order to optimize a router to behave more like a smartphone?

I don't think there is much I can tweak in the Orbi settings.