Do SIM cards really have different features?

[MM16]

We use EE SIM cards in Teltonika routers, these 4G routers are integrated in a 4G aerial housing, typically mounted high up a mast or on a chimney. Sounds industrial but is just to get broadband to residential address that is poorly served by landline broadband otherwise. 

Apparently we are now told by EE that we have to replace the SIM card as the one we put in is not the right "type" for unlimited mobile broadband. How can this be?

It did work reasonably well, until we eventually realised that we needed an unlimited contract. We are now told by EE that such a switch from a limited to unlimited contract requires a different SIM card. What tech reason could there possibly be for this? 

[bristolian]

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@MM16 wrote:

Apparently we are now told by EE that we have to replace the SIM card as the one we put in is not the right "type" for unlimited mobile broadband. How can this be?

It's not right. If the SIM is working, that is a self-explanatory answer to whether it's suitable.

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@MM16 wrote:

It did work reasonably well, until we eventually realised out that we needed an unlimited contract. We are now told by EE that such a switch from a limited to unlimited contract requires a different SIM card. What tech reason could there possibly be for this? 

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There is nothing inherent in any plan that requires a different SIM card. There is no reason for this, unless the agent is somehow trying to convince you to change plans using your SIM as an excuse.

[MM16]

Thanks for the answer @bristolian, are you an EE employee? 

To swap the SIM card (which incidentally is only a few weeks old), as now instructed by EE, we need to send somebody up onto a steep roof. Health & safety and all, in other words, this is an expensive step or dangerous, depending how you look at it.

We are already on the "highest" plan, or rather want to get onto the unlimited broadband plan. An attempt to "flush" settings on the SIM card by EE apparently failed, hence they are sending us a new SIM card. 

[bristolian]

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@MM16 wrote:

We are already on the "highest" plan, or rather want to get onto the unlimited broadband plan. An attempt to "flush" settings on the SIM card by EE apparently failed, hence they are sending us a new SIM card. 

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If there's a problem with your account, then there are circumstances when replacing a SIM can be part of the troubleshooting process and a perfectly valid step to try.

But you certainly don't need one just to change plans - that's a purely account-based change.

And no, I'm not EE staff.

[XRaySpeX]

There is a difference between mobile phone SIMs & data SIMs for routers & tablets. You probably have a mobile router or tablet data SIM in your mobile router. All these have limited data plans. To have unlimited data you would need to switch to a phone SIM. EE can't stop you putting a phone SIM in your mobile router. To do so would be a violation of Net Neutrality rules.

In view of this  I believe that EE is talking sense. I have not heard of any method of getting a mobile phone plan put onto a data SIM or v.v.

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@MM16 wrote:

To swap the SIM card ... we need to send somebody up onto a steep roof. Health & safety and all, in other words, this is an expensive step or dangerous, depending how you look at it.

Surely the SIM is in a router, not up an aerial?

[ewanrw]

Could you have fallen foul of T&Cs - fair use policy or more than 11 tethered devices?

[MM16]

@XRaySpeX We use QuWireless aerials that feature an integrated Teltonika router, specifically the QuRouter 240S (https://quwireless.com/product/QuRouter-240S). So, yes the SIM card is in a slot right in the aerial up a high roof. 

Given that the SIM card worked perfectly well initially, there can't be a functional difference. The problem only occurred when we changed the tariff from a volume limited tariff (from memory max 100 GB) to a the unlimited data tariff.

Two other clients made exactly this change made exactly this change from limited to unlimited, and all we needed was to restart the router. 

I'll ask again: What is the difference, technical, not contractual between these SIM cards.  EE has tried to reset something at their end, to no avail. Had this been impossible, it would not have been tried.

In my view, unlimited data tariffs only make sense in routers, less so in phones. But to be honest, what can possibly be the difference, other than contractual, between these SIM "types".  

@ewanrw No, not yet fallen foul of T&C. Simply because it stops working once the allowance is used up (the 100 GB mentioned before). As it's a router, the number of devices can't be detected, it's anyway low (4).

[XRaySpeX]

@ewanrw : The FUP of up to 11 tethered devices applies only applies to unlimited data phone plans not limited data plans.