> Homelab backup internet

Backup internet for your homelab.
$12/year + pennies for data.

Cellular failover that costs almost nothing when idle. Pay-as-you-go wholesale rates. Auto top-up. Data never expires.

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Pay-as-you-go/Data never expires
Dracotel dragon mascot

Your homelab has a single point of failure.

You've built redundancy into everything — RAID arrays, UPS, redundant services. But your internet is still one cable from one ISP.

ISP goes down, everything goes down

Your Plex server, Home Assistant, WireGuard, DNS — all offline because your single ISP dropped for an hour. Every service behind one point of failure.

Dedicated backup lines are expensive

A second ISP or fixed LTE backup plan costs $30-80/month. Hard to justify for a connection that sits idle 99% of the time.

Prepaid data expires unused

Buy a backup data plan, never use it because your ISP is mostly reliable, watch it expire. Repeat every month.

Complex failover setups

Dual-WAN routers, USB tethering scripts, ModemManager configs. Getting cellular failover working reliably takes more effort than it should.

Cellular failover that doesn't cost $50/month to sit idle.

Cellular failover for pennies

$12/year keeps your backup line active. Data is pay-as-you-go — if your ISP is solid, you pay almost nothing. When it fails, your eSIM is ready.

Auto top-up

Set a balance threshold and forget about it. Your backup data refills automatically. When your ISP goes down at 3 AM, your failover has credit.

Data never expires

No monthly plans. No expiring bundles. Your balance sits there until you need it — whether that's next week or next year.

Speed throttling

Limit the eSIM to low speeds for background keep-alive traffic, then remove the limit during a real outage. Control exactly how much data you burn.

200+ countries

Same eSIM works if you relocate your lab or travel with portable gear. Coverage across multiple carriers in most countries.

Instant setup

Purchase, scan QR code, install the eSIM profile on your device. No waiting for a SIM card in the mail. No carrier activation process.

Set up failover in minutes

01

Get your eSIM

Pay $12/year, add some data credit, and receive your eSIM QR code instantly. Enable auto top-up.

02

Install on your device

Scan the QR code on a phone, tablet, or eSIM-capable modem. Tether via USB or connect to your network.

03

Configure failover

Point your router's backup WAN at the cellular connection. Set speed throttling to minimize idle cost. Done.

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Scriptable via API

Automate throttling from your failover scripts. Remove the speed limit when your ISP goes down, re-apply it when it recovers.

# your account URL (from your account page)
API=https://dracotel.com/api/v1/a/{token}/esim/{iccid}

# ISP is down — remove speed limit
curl -X PUT $API/throttling \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"throttling":"NO_LIMIT"}'

# ISP is back — throttle to conserve data
curl -X PUT $API/throttling \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"throttling":"SPEED_500_KBPS"}'

Your account token and eSIM ICCID are available on your account page. 51 speed options from 100 Kbps to 5 Mbps, or no limit.

Homelab backup data eSIM

Always ready. Pay only when you need it.

$12USD/year
No expiring dataBalance sits until you need it
Pay per MBPennies when idle, there when needed
200+ countriesWorks wherever you have coverage
Unrestricted hotspotTethering fully supported
Speed throttlingLimit backup line speeds
Auto top-upAlways has credit ready
4G LTE & 5G5G varies by carrier/region
Get Your eSIM

Check data rates

Wholesale per-MB rates. What you'd pay during an outage.

Popular countriesFrom
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Homelab FAQ

What devices does it work with?

Any device with eSIM support — phones, tablets, laptops, routers, and GPS trackers. Works with both unlocked and carrier-locked phones (eSIM is independent of your carrier SIM). iPhone XS and newer, most Android phones from 2020+, iPad, and a growing number of cellular routers and modems.

How much does failover actually cost?

The subscription is $12/year. Data is pay-as-you-go at wholesale rates. If your ISP is reliable and the backup rarely activates, you might spend a few cents a month on keepalive traffic. During an outage, you pay only for the data you use at the rates shown above.

Can I throttle it to avoid burning data?

Yes. Set a speed limit on the eSIM so failover traffic stays minimal — enough for DNS, VPN keepalive, and monitoring. Remove the throttle during a real outage when you need full speed.

How does auto top-up work?

Set a balance threshold and a top-up amount. When your balance drops below the threshold, it refills automatically via your saved card. Your backup connection always has credit, even if you forget about it for months.

Is this a data-only connection?

Yes. dracotel is a data-only eSIM — no phone number, no voice calls, no SMS. For a homelab backup connection, this is exactly what you need: pure data connectivity for your services.

Can I use an eSIM as a primary internet connection?

Yes. Install the eSIM on a phone and tether via USB or hotspot, or use an eSIM-compatible cellular router or modem. Brands like GL.iNet, Netgear, Peplink, and Cradlepoint offer eSIM-compatible models. You can also throttle your connection speed to control data usage. Pay-as-you-go means you only pay for what you use — no contracts, no monthly minimums.

Does my data ever expire?

Never — as long as your subscription is active. Buy 5 GB of data, use 3 GB this month, and the remaining 2 GB is still there in one year, five years, or even ten. No expiry dates, no use-it-or-lose-it. Top up whenever you want.

What countries are supported?

dracotel works in 200+ countries across every continent. Coverage spans major cities and rural areas alike, with multiple network options in most regions. View all supported countries.

Your homelab deserves a backup connection.

$12/year. Pay-as-you-go data. Auto top-up. Always ready, costs almost nothing when idle.

Get Your eSIM