From Newsgroup: uk.telecom.broadband

I have an ASUS RT-AX88U Pro router sitting behind a Virgin router in modem mode.

I would like to try out the fall back where it uses a mobile connection.
I read that you can tether a mobile phone, or use a USB dongle.

Has anyone with this router tested the USB dongle?
Or the tethering?

First look 4G USB dongles are around -u30 and 5G seem to be around -u300.

TIA


Dave R
--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 10 x64

--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com
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From Newsgroup: uk.telecom.broadband

David <wibble@btinternet.com> wrote:

I have an ASUS RT-AX88U Pro router sitting behind a Virgin router in modem mode.

I would like to try out the fall back where it uses a mobile connection.
I read that you can tether a mobile phone, or use a USB dongle.

Has anyone with this router tested the USB dongle?
Or the tethering?

First look 4G USB dongles are around -u30 and 5G seem to be around -u300.

TIA

Dave R

WouldnrCOt 5G access be cheaper if you got a refurb 5G phone and used that
for tethering (with a suitable SIM or eSIM)?
--
Spike
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From Newsgroup: uk.telecom.broadband

On 19/06/2026 14:17, David wrote:

I have an ASUS RT-AX88U Pro router sitting behind a Virgin router in modem mode.

I would like to try out the fall back where it uses a mobile connection.
I read that you can tether a mobile phone, or use a USB dongle.

Has anyone with this router tested the USB dongle?
Or the tethering?

First look 4G USB dongles are around -u30 and 5G seem to be around -u300.

One thing to investigate is whether a phone or dongle has a maximum
useful number of active concurrent connections that might limit
practical use in the way you intend.

I believe that may be one reason for using a full-blown 5G router from
the outset. The memory and CPU capability in the USB mobile modem (or repurposed phone) will surely top-out and you may need to discover if
your intended use is limited by that.

Mobile carriers also widely use CG-NAT so any home-servers, (e.g. VPN,
mail) etc maybe be unreachable from the cloud.


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From Newsgroup: uk.telecom.broadband

On Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:49:16 +0100, Mark wrote:

On 19/06/2026 14:17, David wrote:

I have an ASUS RT-AX88U Pro router sitting behind a Virgin router in
modem mode.

I would like to try out the fall back where it uses a mobile
connection. I read that you can tether a mobile phone, or use a USB
dongle.

Has anyone with this router tested the USB dongle?
Or the tethering?

First look 4G USB dongles are around -u30 and 5G seem to be around -u300.

One thing to investigate is whether a phone or dongle has a maximum
useful number of active concurrent connections that might limit
practical use in the way you intend.

I believe that may be one reason for using a full-blown 5G router from
the outset. The memory and CPU capability in the USB mobile modem (or repurposed phone) will surely top-out and you may need to discover if
your intended use is limited by that.

Mobile carriers also widely use CG-NAT so any home-servers, (e.g. VPN,
mail) etc maybe be unreachable from the cloud.

Thanks.
Interesting thoughts.

On the subject of CG-NAT don't most ISPs use that anyway unless you pay
for a fixed IP address?

Cheers


Dave R
--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 10 x64

--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com
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From Newsgroup: uk.telecom.broadband

On Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:49:16 +0100, Mark wrote:

On 19/06/2026 14:17, David wrote:

I have an ASUS RT-AX88U Pro router sitting behind a Virgin router in
modem mode.

I would like to try out the fall back where it uses a mobile
connection. I read that you can tether a mobile phone, or use a USB
dongle.

Has anyone with this router tested the USB dongle?
Or the tethering?

First look 4G USB dongles are around -u30 and 5G seem to be around -u300.

One thing to investigate is whether a phone or dongle has a maximum
useful number of active concurrent connections that might limit
practical use in the way you intend.

I believe that may be one reason for using a full-blown 5G router from
the outset. The memory and CPU capability in the USB mobile modem (or repurposed phone) will surely top-out and you may need to discover if
your intended use is limited by that.

Mobile carriers also widely use CG-NAT so any home-servers, (e.g. VPN,
mail) etc maybe be unreachable from the cloud.

You replied to my email address.
I tried to reply to your email but apparently your mailbox is disabled.
--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 10 x64

--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com
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From Newsgroup: uk.telecom.broadband

David wrote:

[snip]

On the subject of CG-NAT don't most ISPs use that anyway unless you pay
for a fixed IP address?

Probably only Mobile carriers. FTTC or FTTP providers usually give you
a public - routeable - IP and some will charge extra for a static IP.
--
Graham J
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom.broadband

Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:

David wrote:

[snip]

On the subject of CG-NAT don't most ISPs use that anyway unless you pay
for a fixed IP address?

Probably only Mobile carriers. FTTC or FTTP providers usually give you
a public - routeable - IP and some will charge extra for a static IP.

Some of the newer Altnet FTTP networks use CGNAT because they donrCOt have enough IPv4 addresses, owing to being late to the game.

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom.broadband

On 19/06/2026 21:49, Tweed wrote:

Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:

David wrote:

[snip]

On the subject of CG-NAT don't most ISPs use that anyway unless you pay
for a fixed IP address?

Probably only Mobile carriers. FTTC or FTTP providers usually give you
a public - routeable - IP and some will charge extra for a static IP.

Some of the newer Altnet FTTP networks use CGNAT because they donrCOt have enough IPv4 addresses, owing to being late to the game.

I think all of the so called "alt nets"

https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/guides/altnet-providers-explained/

use CGNAT as they are short of IP addresses.

Dave
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom.broadband

David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> wrote:

On 19/06/2026 21:49, Tweed wrote:

Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:

David wrote:

[snip]

On the subject of CG-NAT don't most ISPs use that anyway unless you pay >>>> for a fixed IP address?

Probably only Mobile carriers. FTTC or FTTP providers usually give you
a public - routeable - IP and some will charge extra for a static IP.

Some of the newer Altnet FTTP networks use CGNAT because they donrCOt have >> enough IPv4 addresses, owing to being late to the game.

I think all of the so called "alt nets"

https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/guides/altnet-providers-explained/

use CGNAT as they are short of IP addresses.

Dave

Sort of. ThererCOs really two main types of Altnet; those that are both physical infrastructure provider and ISP, and those that just provide the infrastructure and allow multiple ISPs. ItrCOs the former that are rCLblessedrCY
with CGNAT. The latter depends on which ISP you choose.

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom.broadband

David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> wrote:

On 19/06/2026 21:49, Tweed wrote:

Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:

David wrote:

[snip]

On the subject of CG-NAT don't most ISPs use that anyway unless you pay >>>> for a fixed IP address?

Probably only Mobile carriers. FTTC or FTTP providers usually give you
a public - routeable - IP and some will charge extra for a static IP.

Some of the newer Altnet FTTP networks use CGNAT because they donrCOt have >> enough IPv4 addresses, owing to being late to the game.

I think all of the so called "alt nets"

https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/guides/altnet-providers-explained/

use CGNAT as they are short of IP addresses.

Dave

Sort of. ThererCOs really two main types of Altnet; those that are both physical infrastructure provider and ISP, and those that just provide the infrastructure and allow multiple ISPs. ItrCOs the former that are rCLblessedrCY
with CGNAT. The latter depends on which ISP you choose.

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom.broadband

On 20/06/2026 07:00, Tweed wrote:

David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> wrote:

On 19/06/2026 21:49, Tweed wrote:

Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:

David wrote:

[snip]

On the subject of CG-NAT don't most ISPs use that anyway unless you pay >>>>> for a fixed IP address?

Probably only Mobile carriers. FTTC or FTTP providers usually give you >>>> a public - routeable - IP and some will charge extra for a static IP.

Some of the newer Altnet FTTP networks use CGNAT because they donrCOt have >>> enough IPv4 addresses, owing to being late to the game.

I think all of the so called "alt nets"

https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/guides/altnet-providers-explained/

use CGNAT as they are short of IP addresses.

Dave

Sort of. ThererCOs really two main types of Altnet; those that are both physical infrastructure provider and ISP, and those that just provide the infrastructure and allow multiple ISPs. ItrCOs the former that are rCLblessedrCY
with CGNAT. The latter depends on which ISP you choose.

Yes, I forgot about those, and they are not mentioned in the above
article! So the likes of CityFibre who only sell via other providers
such as Zen.

Dave

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom.broadband

David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> wrote:

On 19/06/2026 21:49, Tweed wrote:

Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:

David wrote:

[snip]

On the subject of CG-NAT don't most ISPs use that anyway unless you pay >>> for a fixed IP address?

Probably only Mobile carriers. FTTC or FTTP providers usually give you
a public - routeable - IP and some will charge extra for a static IP.

Some of the newer Altnet FTTP networks use CGNAT because they donrCOt have enough IPv4 addresses, owing to being late to the game.

I think all of the so called "alt nets"

https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/guides/altnet-providers-explained/

use CGNAT as they are short of IP addresses.

That's not true, many of them give you public IPv4s. A bit old but: https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2024/04/ipv6-and-cgnat-support-survey-of-uk-altnet-fttp-broadband-isps.html

There is a simple way to tell. Go to a 'whats my IP' type site and it'll
tell you your public-facing IP. Then go to your router settings and see
what WAN IP has been assigned.

If they match, you're on a public IP. If it doesn't, you may have CGNAT.

I'm on Truespeed (formerly County Broadband) and I have a public IPv4 in:

route: 62.56.176.0/20
origin: AS51263

No IPv6 by default - I'll ask them if it's possible to turn that on.

Theo
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom.broadband

On 19/06/2026 19:04, David wrote:

On Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:49:16 +0100, Mark wrote:

On 19/06/2026 14:17, David wrote:

I have an ASUS RT-AX88U Pro router sitting behind a Virgin router in
modem mode.

I would like to try out the fall back where it uses a mobile
connection. I read that you can tether a mobile phone, or use a USB
dongle.

Has anyone with this router tested the USB dongle?
Or the tethering?

First look 4G USB dongles are around -u30 and 5G seem to be around -u300. >>>

One thing to investigate is whether a phone or dongle has a maximum
useful number of active concurrent connections that might limit
practical use in the way you intend.

I believe that may be one reason for using a full-blown 5G router from
the outset. The memory and CPU capability in the USB mobile modem (or
repurposed phone) will surely top-out and you may need to discover if
your intended use is limited by that.

Mobile carriers also widely use CG-NAT so any home-servers, (e.g. VPN,
mail) etc maybe be unreachable from the cloud.

You replied to my email address.
I tried to reply to your email but apparently your mailbox is disabled.

The other thing when using a phone is that you will be double NATTed (certainly with Android) as its mini-router function will assign a
non-public IP range to your Asus' WAN port that is semi-sticky (it runs
a small dhcp server).

Overall it works OK for a small number of users/devices but I wouldn't
run an entire household on it. I used a DD-wrt router in wireless
repeater mode, which also fixed the double NAT because the 'router'
basically then a MAC bridge.

The challenge if you **don't** do that is reliably and cheaply getting Ethernet out of the phone's USB and charging the battery at the same time.

(yeah email fixed now, thanks for advising.)



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