NordVPN works with T-Mobile cellular connections, and you can enjoy the VPN with the more stubborn T-Mobile Home Internet (TMHI).
Hence, you can use your TMHI to securely work from home and unblock content on your streaming devices, smart TVs, or gaming consoles over NordVPN.
Furthermore, Android and iOS users can enjoy the native NordVPN app to switch servers seamlessly, bypass US geo-restrictions, and keep their online activity hidden from T-Mobile.
I’ll show you how below.
How to Set Up NordVPN With T-Mobile?
You can set up NordVPN to work directly with your smartphones using the T-Mobile SIM or eSIM. Likewise, NordVPN works with PCs, smart TVs, and gaming devices connected to the TMHI network.
Here’s a general guide to setting up the VPN for these devices:
- Get your NordVPN subscription with these discounts. Hurry while they last.
- Download and install the NordVPN app for your PC or mobile device. You can jump to the footnotes below to find guides for smart TVs and gaming consoles.
- Launch the NordVPN app, then log in with your account credentials.
- Choose a suitable protocol in Settings. I recommend NordLynx (based on WireGuard), but OpenVPN is sometimes the most stable option for T-Mobile.
- Enable the NordVPN kill switch. This prevents data leaks to T-Mobile when those notorious T-Mobile VPN connection drops happen.
- Go to the NordVPN homepage to search for a server. I’ll use the United Kingdom server for this example.
- Tap the server to connect.
- Test for leaks after confirmation. This is essential since T-Mobile sometimes forces the VPN to wait a few seconds before registering the new IP address.
- Once confirmed, unblock foreign content like BBC iPlayer, securely download torrents on clients like qBittorrent, and play intensive games without the throttling of T-Mobile.
Note: Gaming consoles and smart TVs can’t install a native NordVPN app. However, you can still get NordVPN on these devices to play games or stream content over the TMHI network. Follow the guides below to do so:
- Install NordVPN on a PlayStation connected to T-Mobile
- Use NordVPN to stream on your Smart TV over TMHI
- Get NordVPN onto Xbox to play games over TMHI
Don’t try installing NordVPN directly on the TMHI gateway in all those setup methods, as it’s not compatible with VPNs.
Does T-Mobile Throttle NordVPN Traffic?
T-Mobile and TMHI sometimes throttle NordVPN traffic such that users experience up to a 90% (or more) drop in their connection speeds after clicking a VPN server.
Users should remember that there’ll always be a speed drop compared to their basic internet connection when connected to any VPN.
However, this should be at most 10-20%. Hence underlining the throttling issue with NordVPN. But T-Mobile does this to every VPN provider, so NordVPN isn’t alone.
Fortunately, there are clever workarounds to beat this throttling, as discussed in the troubleshooting section.
Does NordVPN Use Your Regular or Hotspot T-Mobile Data?
NordVPN uses regular T-Mobile data when connected, leaving your hotspot data to be rightly shared with other devices in your household.
However, some NordVPN-TMO configuration issues may cause the VPN to bypass your regular data and consume your hotspot data allocation instead.
If that consistently happens, speak with T-Mobile to discuss a SIM swap, which has worked for multiple users. Apparently, some non-5G-enabled T-Mobile SIM cards may cause this issue when using them with NordVPN on a 5G phone.
Also, disable IPv6 on your mobile devices to see if that solves the problem.
I’ve added a video guide for iOS devices (a bit technical) and Android users (easy) below.
iOS:
Android:
NordVPN Not Working With T-Mobile? 7 Fixes
There are many reasons why NordVPN may not correctly work with T-Mobile or TMHI. I’ve reviewed a few of these, mostly regarding setup options.
So, let’s explore some of these problems and their fixes:
Change Protocol
The fastest and most recommended NordVPN protocol is NordLynx.
It’s a version of WireGuard that’ll get you closest to your base T-Mobile or TMHI speeds. However, it’s also the likeliest to clash with your TMO connection.
If you notice VPN server drops (I hope your kill switch is active) or can’t establish a connection, switch to OpenVPN.
Here’s how:
- Launch the NordVPN mobile or PC app. I’ll use my iPhone for this example.
- Tap the avatar icon, then the settings cog.
- Tap “Protocol.”
- Select “OpenVPN (UDP)” since it’s the fastest.
- Tap the VPN server icon to choose a preferred server.
- Enjoy NordVPN’s reliable unblocking and privacy over T-Mobile internet.
Check Kill Switch Settings
Forgetting to disconnect from the VPN before turning off your device, putting your phone on airplane mode, or disconnecting from cellular can keep your T-Mobile internet from working.
This is especially important when you have the kill switch active.
After all, the NordVPN kill switch assumes you lost the VPN connection and won’t allow you to leak any internet requests till you re-establish a connection.
When such happens, do this:
- Launch the NordVPN app.
- Click any server to connect.
- If it connects, NordVPN was the issue keeping your internet from working. If it doesn’t connect, you’ll have to troubleshoot another way.
- Disconnect from that server.
- You should be able to browse the internet now.
Create IPv4 Configuration
NordVPN doesn’t support IPv6 traffic, which T-Mobile and TMHI provide users.
So, this may cause conflicts.
Even though NordVPN claims it automatically blocks IPv6 traffic and reroutes it to its IPv4 gateway, you can’t trust that this will always work seamlessly.
That’s why I prefer manually creating an IPv4 configuration to use with NordVPN and T-Mobile on my Android and iOS devices. If your device permits, as some Android units do, you can toggle off IPv6 or IPv6/IPv4 and enable only IPv4.
Follow the video guides above to easily create/switch to an IPv4 configuration.
Update Apps and Firmware
Grab any new T-Mobile firmware or NordVPN app updates when available to fix connection issues.
Likewise, updating one while neglecting the other could cause compatibility issues. Suddenly, your NordVPN-TMO connection doesn’t work as it used to anymore.
Even if you haven’t gotten an update notification, you can check manually to ensure you didn’t miss it due to your push notification settings.
Reset the NordVPN Profile
An issue with the NordVPN configuration files on your smartphone could cause conflicts with your T-Mobile network.
Fortunately, NordVPN makes it easy to reset your VPN profile without being tech-savvy.
Here’s what to do:
- Open your NordVPN app.
- Tap Account > Settings.
- Tap “Reset VPN profile.”
- Tap “Continue.”
- Tap “Got it.”
- Tap the server button, then connect to any server.
- Tap “Allow” to re-install the NordVPN connection profile.
- Enter your device’s passcode.
- Your NordVPN app should now successfully connect to a server over the T-Mobile network.
Change MTU Size
The TMHI is usually set at a higher MTU, which doesn’t play well with NordVPN. There are speculations that the TMO MTU is set at 1500 or above, causing fragmentation issues, which lead to NordVPN connection drops.
Hence, it’s best to set your MTU to within the 1300-1420 range, which has worked for multiple VPN-T-Mobile users.
I’ve attached a video guide you can adapt below.
Contact Customer Support
You can inform your T-Mobile customer care representative that their network isn’t playing well with NordVPN and ask for solutions.
Before doing this, ensure that NordVPN is tested with another network (via Wi-Fi or hotspot) to rule it out as the issue.
Likewise, you can contact the 24/7 NordVPN live chat support to troubleshoot the issue. They’ll work with you till you find a solution.
Can You Use NordVPN on a T-Mobile Router?
You can’t natively install and use NordVPN on a T-Mobile router since ISP routers generally don’t support third-party software installation.
However, you can connect another router with NordVPN installed to the T-Mobile router to encrypt the connection to devices connected to your second router. Alternatively, get a NordVPN-supported third-party router to use with the T-Mobile network.
Otherwise, set up a virtual router connection from a Windows PC using TMHI to share a NordVPN-encrypted hotspot to connecting units.
Does NordVPN Consume More T-Mobile Internet Data?
NordVPN will consume around 10% more internet data than your basic T-Mobile internet data plan due to the encryption load it places on your internet traffic.
However, you may see NordVPN consuming more data than this when you check your device’s data tracker. This is because NordVPN records the encrypted data usage on your device, a sum-total of the individual data used by apps passed through it.
For example, say Reddit used 2.5GB of your T-Mobile data while Instagram used 4GB, and both were passed through NordVPN. Then, NordVPN will record 6.5GB data usage since that’s the amount of T-Mobile data passing through it as it encrypts both apps.
Hence, NordVPN hasn’t used 6.5GB of your data. Instead, it has encrypted that much data.
Get NordVPN’s Unblocking, Privacy, and Security Suite for T-Mobile
NordVPN opens you to a world of BBC iPlayer, CBS, NRK TV, and Netflix AU/UK/CA/JP content on your smartphones and ensures DDoS protection when gaming on consoles over TMHI.
On top of that, you can securely unblock The Pirate Bay or 1337x to download unlimited torrents on your PC without T-Mobile ever catching a whiff.
Why don’t you grab these NordVPN deals to save on this reliable T-Mobile VPN before the offer expires?
