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We’ve just recently covered the new Waveform ProLink, a hardware collaboration between Waveform and the company Elsys in Brazil. You can find that article here. In short, it’s an outdoor modem with integrated directional antennas that is designed to pull in a stronger and cleaner signal than the gateways provided by carriers.
For T-Mobile Home Internet users, especially those at the edge of coverage or dealing with unstable speeds, ProLink is a serious upgrade that can deliver faster and more reliable performance.
There is one problem: T-Mobile locks Home Internet service to the IMEI, which is an unique identifier, of their gateways. If you simply take the SIM card out of your T-Mobile gateway and put it in the ProLink, it will not connect.
The official solution recommended by Waveform is to switch to T-Mobile Business Internet. It is only slightly more expensive, works with ProLink out of the box, and is available to anyone.
For users who want to stick with their standard Home Internet plan, though, the community has long relied on another method that has worked for years with other third-party devices. That method is IMEI changing, and it will work on the ProLink too.
What is IMEI changing?
T-Mobile ties your Home Internet service plan to the unique IMEI of their gateways. By changing ProLink’s IMEI to match your gateway, you make it appear to T-Mobile as if it is the same device. Once that is done, ProLink comes online just like the gateway you’re replacing.
This process is not new. It has been used by advanced users for years with other devices, and it is well known in the Home Internet community.
As a general disclaimer, IMEI changing is probably against T-Mobile’s terms of service and could technically violate telecom regulations. That said, the rules are there primarily to prevent fraud, and bypassing those rules just to get better signal and speed out of the service you already pay for seems pretty fair to use.
Thousands of people have been doing it for years on other devices, and we have never seen or heard of anyone facing consequences for it. That being said, proceed at your own risk. We accept no liabilities here!
How and why we tested IMEI changing
Not only have we seen the community rely on this method for years, some of the writers here at The Mobile Report have used IMEI changing ourselves in the past. We wanted to see how it worked with ProLink, and to share that process with you.
The process is pretty simple. If you are comfortable logging into your ProLink’s interface, the entire thing takes only a few minutes.
Step-by-step: IMEI changing on ProLink
- Find your gateway’s IMEI: Flip your T-Mobile gateway over and copy the IMEI from the label. You can also find it using the excellent third-party app HINT Control.
- Swap the SIM card from your gateway: Take the SIM out and insert it into ProLink.
- Log in to ProLink’s interface: Connect via Ethernet or Wi-Fi through a router and go to 192.168.10.254 in your browser. That’s the default gateway IP for the ProLink.
- Open the AT Commands tool: Open the menu and go to Utilities > AT Commands. Waveform’s manual covers this on page 24 if you need more help.
- Send the IMEI change command: Type the following command, including the quotation marks, replacing the numbers in bold with your gateway’s IMEI:
AT+EGMR=1,7,”123456789012345“ - Restart ProLink: Reboot the device. It should come online right away.
- If it does not connect: Check your APN settings. For T-Mobile Home Internet, it should be fbb.home.
Pro Tip: If you factory reset ProLink, you will need to reapply the IMEI change.
Troubleshooting and tips
- Make sure to include the quotes in the command
- Always reboot after sending the command
- Verify your APN if it does not connect
- You can revert to the original IMEI the same way
The “safe” alternative: T-Mobile Business Internet
If you would rather not mess with IMEI changing, T-Mobile Business Internet is the easier option. It works with ProLink out of the box, is available to anyone (not just businesses), and only costs slightly more than Home Internet.
If you have or sign up for T-Mobile’s business home internet, simply insert your SIM into the ProLink. T-Mobile doesn’t restrict the service to just their devices, so the default IMEI of the ProLink will simply just work.
Final thoughts
ProLink is one of the best upgrades available for T-Mobile Home Internet users, but IMEI locking is an obstacle that gets in the way. IMEI changing is simple, proven, and used by thousands of people in the community. For those who want a fully supported option, T-Mobile Business Internet remains the cleanest path.
We will continue to watch for any changes in T-Mobile’s policies and update this guide if anything shifts.
