Sim for dongle

[Ricco1]

I've been using a 3 prepaid data card in my dongle for the last couple of months. It's mostly been fine, just one place on the canal where I couldn't get a signal. The card was loaded with 3 gig and lasted up to 90 days and cost around £14.00.

 

I've been shopping for another as the loaded data will run out soon. The price is now over £20.00!! I've seen another that might be an alternative; EE/ Orange preloaded with 6 gig, up to 90 days, £18.00. Seems like a good deal on the face of it. But it's described as a 4g card, does that mean it won't work if 4g isn't live in the area? Also, does anyone have experience of Orange as to the reliability of the signal around canals? I'm on the Macc by the way. Cheers.

[OldGoat]

Before you rush around looking for deals that may save you a fiver - get your dongle unlocked.

It's likely to be locked to 3 if you bought it from them.

Usually cost a couple of quid fro eBay - but not having any details I couldn't comment.

 

Once unlocked then you're free to shop around for the best deal, although, In My Experience, 3 gives me the best coverage where I cruise.

 

 

[John Williamson 1955]

3 Do a range of contracts ranging from 1 to 15 Gig per month. I get 15 Gig for £18 per month.

 

Alternatively, look for a 4G capable smartphone with tethering, as a lot of voice phone contracts include "unlimited" data.

 

A 4G SIM will connect anywhere, but the dongle needs to be 4G compatible to get 4G speeds where the network permits.

 

EE was formed by Orange and another operator (Talk talk?) joining forces. They were the two smallest operators, and from my experience on the phones at work, their network is patchy.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Bye!

 

John.

[Dave Payne]

3 Do a range of contracts ranging from 1 to 15 Gig per month. I get 15 Gig for £18 per month.

 

Alternatively, look for a 4G capable smartphone with tethering, as a lot of voice phone contracts include "unlimited" data.

 

 

 

Wait for the 'your breaking the terms of your contract' replies!

[Guest]

Wait for the 'your breaking the terms of your contract' replies!

First one...

 

Unless tethering is allowed by your contract you are breaking it.

[John Williamson 1955]

 

Wait for the 'your breaking the terms of your contract' replies!

When I had a whinge at Vodafone about problems using the data connection on my smartphone, all they said was "We don't support tethering on that, you're on your own" Then again, it *is* a business contract.

 

The thing I miss about my old Nokia 9500, though, is the fax facility.

 

Bye!

 

John.

[Ryeland]

A Three shop told me that 3GB/3mth top ups are still £15, but I can't find this on their web site. I was buying the 3GB/3mth SIMs for under £12 on eBay, so £20 is a huge increase.

 

Richard

[john6767]

Hum I have in the past used the £10 to £12 sim cards with 3gb of data quite a bit, but you are right having just looked they seem to have gone up to around £20 now. Still not too bad though, if you don't use much or only use it irregularly. I now have a contract phone on the One Plan, but the dongle will almost always get a signal when the phone have no service, so the dongle is still occasionally useful whew |I am working from the boat.

[nbfiresprite]

The other company was T-mobile who combined with Orange to became the Evil Empire.

 

Edited November 14, 2013 by nbfiresprite

[Ricco1]

My dongle is unlocked to any network. It's not just about saving a fiver. EE's cards have 6 gig loaded rather than 3 gig. So save a fiver, and get double the amount!

 

I've found EE's coverage map, seems 4g is active in the area I spend most time in. But... I'm no expert when it comes to these matters. In fact, I'm a bit of a dinosaur! So could someone help me.....my dongle is very unlikely to be a 4g one as I bought it in Indonesia 3 years ago. Maybe it's 3g or 2g I don't know, but it works with the 3 data card. Now, if 4g works in this area does that mean that 3g does as well? will a 4g card work in a 2g or 3g dongle? I'm not too bothered about speeds, I only do basic browsing.

[john6767]

My dongle is unlocked to any network. It's not just about saving a fiver. EE's cards have 6 gig loaded rather than 3 gig. So save a fiver, and get double the amount!

 

I've found EE's coverage map, seems 4g is active in the area I spend most time in. But... I'm no expert when it comes to these matters. In fact, I'm a bit of a dinosaur! So could someone help me.....my dongle is very unlikely to be a 4g one as I bought it in Indonesia 3 years ago. Maybe it's 3g or 2g I don't know, but it works with the 3 data card. Now, if 4g works in this area does that mean that 3g does as well? will a 4g card work in a 2g or 3g dongle? I'm not too bothered about speeds, I only do basic browsing.

Not an expert on 4g either, but my wife has a contract phone on EE, and that drops back to 3g or even gprs (2g) as needed. On the Three network at them moment it is 3g or nothing, but they are starting to introduce 4g next month if they are on schedule. I don't think there is such a thing as a 2g dongle, and to be honest the dongles are not expensive so don't be put off getting a new one if needed.

[John Williamson 1955]

My dongle is unlocked to any network. It's not just about saving a fiver. EE's cards have 6 gig loaded rather than 3 gig. So save a fiver, and get double the amount!

 

I've found EE's coverage map, seems 4g is active in the area I spend most time in. But... I'm no expert when it comes to these matters. In fact, I'm a bit of a dinosaur! So could someone help me.....my dongle is very unlikely to be a 4g one as I bought it in Indonesia 3 years ago. Maybe it's 3g or 2g I don't know, but it works with the 3 data card. Now, if 4g works in this area does that mean that 3g does as well? will a 4g card work in a 2g or 3g dongle? I'm not too bothered about speeds, I only do basic browsing.

Any dongle will work wherever it can find a signal. The speeds on offer will be the highest speed that the base station and the dongle can negotiate, and if the base station is 3G or, worse, 2G, then that's the speed you get. Note,though, that sometimes due to local conditiona, the speed negotiated by any dongle, even on 4G, may well drop to dial-up speeds, especially when a particular cell is overloaded. I've read quite a few complaints about this on other forums and on usenet.

 

If your dongle works with a 3 data SIM, then it is 3G or better, as 3 lock out any dongles or phones which don't support 3G after 24 hours. Their network doesn't support 2G, so they have an agreement with one of the other operators, which costs them money every time you use the 2G network.

 

Bye!

 

John.

[Guest]

Any dongle will work wherever it can find a signal. The speeds on offer will be the highest speed that the base station and the dongle can negotiate, and if the base station is 3G or, worse, 2G, then that's the speed you get. Note,though, that sometimes due to local conditiona, the speed negotiated by any dongle, even on 4G, may well drop to dial-up speeds, especially when a particular cell is overloaded. I've read quite a few complaints about this on other forums and on usenet.

 

If your dongle works with a 3 data SIM, then it is 3G or better, as 3 lock out any dongles or phones which don't support 3G after 24 hours. Their network doesn't support 2G, so they have an agreement with one of the other operators, which costs them money every time you use the 2G network.

 

Bye!

 

John.

 

 

I don't understand much of this post John.

 

As far as I am aware my Three dongle/SIM just simply won't work if it can only get 2G, at least I never been able to get it to work when this is so. It has never been the case that it worked for 24 hours and then shut off, it just has never worked period. I know it has got 2G from the colour of the indicator light which is green not blue or cyan.

 

My phone is the same, it too won't connect.

[nb Innisfree]

3 gave up their 2g backup from Orange when Orange teamed up with T mobile.

 

So 3 are 2gless!

[Guest]

3 gave up their 2g backup from Orange when Orange teamed up with T mobile.

 

So 3 are 2gless!

 

I thought that was the case.

 

cheers.

[Dave Payne]

3 gave up their 2g backup from Orange when Orange teamed up with T mobile.

 

So 3 are 2gless!

 

 

Bang on, no 2g on 3 network anymore..

 

The lowest they offer is 3g.

 

 

My dongle is unlocked to any network. It's not just about saving a fiver. EE's cards have 6 gig loaded rather than 3 gig. So save a fiver, and get double the amount!

 

I've found EE's coverage map, seems 4g is active in the area I spend most time in. But... I'm no expert when it comes to these matters. In fact, I'm a bit of a dinosaur! So could someone help me.....my dongle is very unlikely to be a 4g one as I bought it in Indonesia 3 years ago. Maybe it's 3g or 2g I don't know, but it works with the 3 data card. Now, if 4g works in this area does that mean that 3g does as well? will a 4g card work in a 2g or 3g dongle? I'm not too bothered about speeds, I only do basic browsing.

 

Your donlge will only work with 3g...

 

Are they actually doing 4g data bundle sims yet??

[Dave Payne]

It appears they are, not bad deals really!

 

http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk/mobilebroadband/4g-mobile-broadband

[smileypete]

The prices on the 3 Mobile 3GB sims have been up and down a bit:

 

 

http://uk.camelcamelcamel.com/Mobile-Broadband-Preloaded-StandardSIM-Tablets/product/B003Z0T3X2

 

If buying one sometime, could be worth signing up for a price watch on the above link.

 

For a low user the 3-2-1 PAYG on '3' might work out better, and for really low users Samba Mobile could be ideal.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

[nb Innisfree]

I'mv on 3's PAYG 3-2-1, been just the job until we moved house half a mile away recently and now I can only get a signal at the front of the house, not in the lounge where I need it. Thinking of trying a repeater but at £160 odd it's a bit of a gamble.

[Guest]

I'mv on 3's PAYG 3-2-1, been just the job until we moved house half a mile away recently and now I can only get a signal at the front of the house, not in the lounge where I need it. Thinking of trying a repeater but at £160 odd it's a bit of a gamble.

 

External aerial??

[Dave Payne]

I'mv on 3's PAYG 3-2-1, been just the job until we moved house half a mile away recently and now I can only get a signal at the front of the house, not in the lounge where I need it. Thinking of trying a repeater but at £160 odd it's a bit of a gamble.

 

Are you talking about just using your mobile, or a dongle?

[john6767]

I'mv on 3's PAYG 3-2-1, been just the job until we moved house half a mile away recently and now I can only get a signal at the front of the house, not in the lounge where I need it. Thinking of trying a repeater but at £160 odd it's a bit of a gamble.

And illegal I believe.

[nb Innisfree]

 

External aerial??

Assuming you mean an aerial for the phone it's not really viable, would need another for the OH's phone and cable routing is a no go.

 

If you mean aerial for the repeater, yes they usually come with a yagi, I would stick it in the loft and position the transmit aerial over a bedroom, hopefully it would transmit through the bedroom floor into the lounge. Apparently sales of repeaters have increased due to modern insulation standards, mainly due to foil backed plasterboard.

 

One drawback is the fact they are illegal in the UK unless they are CE marked and approved by Ofcom.

And illegal I believe.

Yes they are unless they meet certain standards as in my other post.

 

I am guessing the authorities are not really interested in low power domestic repeaters, probably trying to discourage large scale enterprises.

Edited November 15, 2013 by nb Innisfree

[nb Innisfree]

It's odd where we live now, I sit in the corner of the lounge and get no phone signal, fair enough but when I sit near the lounge door I get 3 bars, my signal strength app agrees but my phone says it's not registered to the network, move into the hall and it drops to one bar with a coresponding low reading on the app but it will make calls. I have read that signal strength is less important than quality, whatever that means. All a bit weird.