Will an AT&T store set up a no-contract Elevate?

[GSMinCT]

My grandparents have a summer cottage in northern Michigan that is not served by any cable or DSL service. They have Bright House cable at home. Up until now, they have driven to town to use wifi, with only basic dial-up email at the cottage, but my grandfather has a harder time getting around now, so it would be great for them to get broadband in their cottage. It has 4-5 bars of Faux G.

I am looking into having them get an AT&T Elevate, which should work on HSPA+ 21, and provide a similar experience to their cable modem at home. However, AT&T's no contract pricing is over $250. You can get it on Amazon for $150. If they buy it on Amazon, will an AT&T Corporate store set it up for AT&T service and put a wireless password on it for them? It should just cost a $36 activation fee plus $50/mo for service after they buy the device off Amazon, right?

[zowwie85]

I am looking into having them get an AT&T Elevate, which should work on HSPA+ 21, and provide a similar experience to their cable modem at home. However, AT&T's no contract pricing is over $250. You can get it on Amazon for $150. If they buy it on Amazon, will an AT&T Corporate store set it up for AT&T service and put a wireless password on it for them? It should just cost a $36 activation fee plus $50/mo for service after they buy the device off Amazon, right?

They should be able to do it at a corporate owned store - supposedly one can buy the data plan on a month-to-month basis without a contract commitment. At least thats what the website leads me to believe. Really all they need is the activated SIM card put into the Elevate. The Elevate shows its WiFi network name and password on the screen right out of the box and also shows available data remaining out of the 5gb allotment.

Plan to download the firmware update from Sierra Wireless, it makes the user interface a little easier to navigate. You should also consider buying the external antenna from Sierra, it really makes a difference in fringe signal areas.

[xchpstang]

They should be able to do it at a corporate owned store - supposedly one can buy the data plan on a month-to-month basis without a contract commitment. At least thats what the website leads me to believe. Really all they need is the activated SIM card put into the Elevate. The Elevate shows its WiFi network name and password on the screen right out of the box and also shows available data remaining out of the 5gb allotment.

Plan to download the firmware update from Sierra Wireless, it makes the user interface a little easier to navigate. You should also consider buying the external antenna from Sierra, it really makes a difference in fringe signal areas.

At&T allows for postpaid non contract devices if you bring your own device. This will require going in to the store or if doing over the phone, having an unactivated SIM card. As mentioned there is a $36 activation fee and a required credit check like any postpaid account.

[GSMinCT]

They should be able to do it at a corporate owned store - supposedly one can buy the data plan on a month-to-month basis without a contract commitment. At least thats what the website leads me to believe. Really all they need is the activated SIM card put into the Elevate. The Elevate shows its WiFi network name and password on the screen right out of the box and also shows available data remaining out of the 5gb allotment.

Plan to download the firmware update from Sierra Wireless, it makes the user interface a little easier to navigate. You should also consider buying the external antenna from Sierra, it really makes a difference in fringe signal areas.

So it has a password by default? I know you can activate it month to month, it's just an issue of whether they would hand my 80-year old grandmother a SIM and tell her to go enter the APNs herself (that would be a nightmare walking her through on the phone) or whether they will set it up and make sure it works in store.

Not concerned about firmware versions, they're not exactly going to be heavy users.

No need for an external antenna- they are out there, but they are on the lake with LOS to the huge cell towers in town, and AT&T gets 3-4 bars on a bad day, and definitely gets the full 5 outside. I wouldn't be surprised if they get 4-8mbps on HSPA+ there. I've never tested the network myself, last time I was there, it was EDGE in 2009.

I'll take a look at the manual and make sure it looks easy to do.

[zowwie85]

So it has a password by default? I know you can activate it month to month, it's just an issue of whether they would hand my 80-year old grandmother a SIM and tell her to go enter the APNs herself (that would be a nightmare walking her through on the phone) or whether they will set it up and make sure it works in store.

If you're getting it as new stock from AT&T, it should have the correct (broadband) APN pre-programmed. If it's used or labeled Rogers (because they sell the same model up north) then you're possibly looking at having to program the APN or worse yet (in the Rogers case) having to hassle with removing a sim-lock too.

Once you have a SIM provisioned on the correct plan its as simple as putting the SIM in and turning it on. On the screen it shows the network name its broadcasting (Elevate-xxxx) as well as the password. It was not necessary for me to use the management web interface whatsoever to get connected when I bought mine.

[GSMinCT]

If you're getting it as new stock from AT&T, it should have the correct (broadband) APN pre-programmed. If it's used or labeled Rogers (because they sell the same model up north) then you're possibly looking at having to program the APN or worse yet (in the Rogers case) having to hassle with removing a sim-lock too.

Once you have a SIM provisioned on the correct plan its as simple as putting the SIM in and turning it on. On the screen it shows the network name its broadcasting (Elevate-xxxx) as well as the password. It was not necessary for me to use the management web interface whatsoever to get connected when I bought mine.

Cool. They should be fine. It says unlocked, but the picture shows AT&T branding on it. I think they took an AT&T one and unlocked it.