Determining Which Routers/hotspots Work On Alternative Carriers

In the US, there are the "big" carriers-- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint.
There are also many "alternative" carriers that use these networks-- Straight Talk, Mint, Ting, etc.
I'm getting the impression that a given device on the "big" carrier is not always compatible with the "alternative" carrier. However, I haven't been able to clearly obtain the information as the "alternative" carriers seem to have "issues" such as (1) inaccessible support; (2) unacknowledged support; (3) dodgy with information because they want you to buy a device from them.

Now on to my specific project. I have become interested in using mobile data as my sole internet connection. The main motivation here is price (given low data usage). I would like to handle the traffic through a hotspot or router/modem (are these 2 terms interchangeable?). I want the device to have wired ports, as I will be using it for voice over IP, too, and I think that the ping times/ latency will be bad otherwise. The alternative carriers that seem to have low enough price points through sales/freebies are (1) Mint; (2) Freedompop; (3) Unrealmobile. However, I am finding that these "alternative" carriers have very few hotspots or routers/modems mentioned on their website.

 

You may need to pick a carrier first and see what works with that carrier.
Have you viewed the coverage map of each carrier in your area? I would ask friends, neighbors, and family who live near you what carrier they use and if they get a good signal? In my experence there are often random dead zones in some areas with different internet providers.

 

I am interested in all big carriers except for Verizon. What you are saying holds true for me. That is, Verizon is the best overall carrier in my area but does not work well in my house.

One idea that I have is to message some sellers on Ebay and ask them to plug the serial number into the alternative carrier websites.

My thought is that there is some kind of pattern of which phones work and do not work with the alternative carrier. If I could understand the rational, then I could probably figure out the best device for me, without just continual shots in the dark.

 

ATT has something called Nighthawk Hotspot. You buy the box and pay a monthly plan. I don't know anyone who has it so I have no idea about coverage.