Unlimited data mobile broadband info

[Pacman1978]

As a new member I did the usual trawling of thread after thread in various sub forums, and I see the topic of mobile broadband and data limits questions being asked frequently.

 

This may well be known or previously posted but if so I must of missed it..

 

Instead of buying MIFI's or dongles and the accompanying data sims and relevant data allowances, just simply use your android/windows phone "tethering" feature, turns your smart phone into a mobile hotspot.. THREE mobile PAYG do an unlimited tariff for twenty quid a month! and I assure you all, even with tethering it truly is unlimited data. Before I had virgin media installed I tethered 2 tablets and a desktop pc. I regularly used around 90 to 120 GIG a month.. NEVER received any warnings whatsoever.. You could also of course put a 3 payg sim into a relevant router with external Ariel's, google "load balancing" routers for even faster speeds.

 

I know that once I realise my dream of being a full time live aboard I will be doing just this for my internet needs. DATA sims are a complete ripoff.. I could easily consume a whole months allowance in a few hours streaming HD content!

 

I just thought Id post this bit of info as the thought of people paying stupid amounts of money for just a few gigabytes of data boils my urine. I did the above for well over a year, and the max I used in one month was 150 gig, minimum of 60 gig. Obviously I would NOT advise to use this to hammer torrents.. that would alert the network..

 

Cheers, hope this helps some of you save a few quid.

 

EDIT - you get unlimited text messages and voice calls (mobile and landline) too!

Edited December 30, 2015 by Pacman1978

[Guest]

As a new member I did the usual trawling of thread after thread in various sub forums, and I see the topic of mobile broadband and data limits questions being asked frequently.

 

This may well be known or previously posted but if so I must of missed it..

 

Instead of buying MIFI's or dongles and the accompanying data sims and relevant data allowances, just simply use your android/windows phone "tethering" feature, turns your smart phone into a mobile hotspot.. THREE mobile PAYG do an unlimited tariff for twenty quid a month! and I assure you all, even with tethering it truly is unlimited data. Before I had virgin media installed I tethered 2 tablets and a desktop pc. I regularly used around 90 to 120 GIG a month.. NEVER received any warnings whatsoever.. You could also of course put a 3 payg sim into a relevant router with external Ariel's, google "load balancing" routers for even faster speeds.

 

I know that once I realise my dream of being a full time live aboard I will be doing just this for my internet needs. DATA sims are a complete ripoff.. I could easily consume a whole months allowance in a few hours streaming HD content!

 

I just thought Id post this bit of info as the thought of people paying stupid amounts of money for just a few gigabytes of data boils my urine. I did the above for well over a year, and the max I used in one month was 150 gig, minimum of 60 gig. Obviously I would NOT advise to use this to hammer torrents.. that would alert the network..

 

Cheers, hope this helps some of you save a few quid.

 

EDIT - you get unlimited text messages and voice calls (mobile and landline) too!

As soon as I switched Internet sharing on with my previous phone on plans where tethering was not allowed I received an automated text from 3 telling me this and the connection was terminated.

 

What are you doing differently please?

Edited December 30, 2015 by MJG

[Delta9]

As a new member I did the usual trawling of thread after thread in various sub forums, and I see the topic of mobile broadband and data limits questions being asked frequently.

 

This may well be known or previously posted but if so I must of missed it..

 

Instead of buying MIFI's or dongles and the accompanying data sims and relevant data allowances, just simply use your android/windows phone "tethering" feature, turns your smart phone into a mobile hotspot.. THREE mobile PAYG do an unlimited tariff for twenty quid a month! and I assure you all, even with tethering it truly is unlimited data. Before I had virgin media installed I tethered 2 tablets and a desktop pc. I regularly used around 90 to 120 GIG a month.. NEVER received any warnings whatsoever.. You could also of course put a 3 payg sim into a relevant router with external Ariel's, google "load balancing" routers for even faster speeds.

 

I know that once I realise my dream of being a full time live aboard I will be doing just this for my internet needs. DATA sims are a complete ripoff.. I could easily consume a whole months allowance in a few hours streaming HD content!

 

I just thought Id post this bit of info as the thought of people paying stupid amounts of money for just a few gigabytes of data boils my urine. I did the above for well over a year, and the max I used in one month was 150 gig, minimum of 60 gig. Obviously I would NOT advise to use this to hammer torrents.. that would alert the network..

 

Cheers, hope this helps some of you save a few quid.

 

EDIT - you get unlimited text messages and voice calls (mobile and landline) too!

I am doing exactly the same as you and have been for three years. I've mentioned it here before and several people have said it doesn't work for them (see Martin's post above). I have no idea why it works for some and not others.

As soon as I switched Internet sharing on with my previous phone on plans where tethering was not allowed I received an automated text from 3 telling me this and the connection was terminated.

 

What are you doing differently please?

Your phone must be informing them somehow. What phone and OS? Apple by any chance?

 

ETA: Do you have the three app installed?

Edited December 30, 2015 by Delta9

[Guest]

I am doing exactly the same as you and have been for three years. I've mentioned it here before and several people have said it doesn't work for them (see Martin's post above). I have no idea why it works for some and not others.

 

Your phone must be informing them somehow. What phone and OS? Apple by any chance?

 

ETA: Do you have the three app installed?

The phone I was using at the time was indeed an Apple iPhone 4 then a 5s. I have a vague recollection of the same issuewith an Android too but can't swear to that. Yes the three app was installed, on the 5s only though.

 

I tether a Windows phone now on EE and it works faultlessly, but on the plan I'm on tethering is allowed. It's true it's convenient when it works as per the OP.

 

Ed. for spelling

Edited December 30, 2015 by MJG

[Delta9]

The phone I was using at the time was indeed an Apple iPhone 4 then a 5s. I have a vague recollection of the same issuewith an Android too but can't swear to that. Yes the three app was installed, on the 5s only though.

 

I tether a Windows phone now on EE and it works faultlessly, but on the plan I'm on tethering is allowed. It's true it's convenient when it works as per the OP.

 

Ed. for spelling

I suspect that the three app is responsible for a lot of people not being able to do it. I can't see how else three would find out as soon as you turned on network sharing and the app has permission to see these things.

 

It would be interesting to hear from any others reading this that have tried it as to what their phone/os is and if they have the app installed.

[WotEver]

I have various methods of connectivity and one of them is indeed an unlimited data with 3. I took the phone with the deal (iPhone 5 I think) and tethering is not a problem. I use it when visiting clients. I did specifically ask the question when taking out the contract though so maybe it depends on the deal?

[Alan de Enfield]

I have a 3 AYCE data with unlimited tethering contract. The contract actually ran out about 12 months ago so I am living on borrowed time. I use between 20 & 30Gb per month. Cost £15.00 per month. Cheap 'android phone'

 

My Son & DIL had the same, they we 'cut off' a couple of months ago ( using around 90 Gb per months) after being told their contract had expired and would not be renewed.

 

My Eldest Son has ( for the last couple of months) has a 3 PAYG unlimited data monthly contract at £20 per month, last week he got a message saying he was not allowed to tether on that contract and now when he tries the phone will not connect.

he has an Apple IPhone

 

My Eldest Son's partner has the same contract, taken out at the same time with the same model of phone. She has no problem tethering but has not 'drawn attention' to herself by using huge amounts of data.

 

I think that 3 are now flagging up large users and taking action against them

[john6767]

I did not think there were any current plans that allowed unlimited tethering. Three used to and some are still on that contract, but new Three contracts only give 4GB tethered.

 

So exactly what new plan can you get with unlimited tethering?

[Alan de Enfield]

So exactly what new plan can you get with unlimited tethering?

 

I cannot find any ( I am on an 'expired' old 3 contract and keeping my head down)

[john6767]

I cannot find any ( I am on an 'expired' old 3 contract and keeping my head down)

Same here, hence my question.

[Lady Muck]

Is there a sim only deal with 3 that is unlimited? I seem to remember a friend getting one of these but putting it in one of the Samsung Galaxy tabs, there is one which is really big, but is actually a phone. The sim recognises it as a phone, so you get your free data without tethering

[bizzard]

You can get Gorillabites in the Congo and Yetibites in the Himalayas.

[Lady Muck]

I am doing exactly the same as you and have been for three years. I've mentioned it here before and several people have said it doesn't work for them (see Martin's post above). I have no idea why it works for some and not others.

 

Your phone must be informing them somehow. What phone and OS? Apple by any chance?

 

ETA: Do you have the three app installed?

The device you put the sim in does inform them, what the type of device is. If you tether the device it also informs them what that device is. My brother explained it to me (he works in app development, hes now working at Sky) it sends some kind of code, thats how they know. There is a hack, I know that, it would require a rooted phone, (or jailbroken , in the case of iphones), though. Maybe some of the old sim cards don't do this, maybe some devices aren't recognised by 3?

[Delta9]

The device you put the sim in does inform them, what the type of device is. If you tether the device it also informs them what that device is. My brother explained it to me (he works in app development, hes now working at Sky) it sends some kind of code, thats how they know. There is a hack, I know that, it would require a rooted phone, (or jailbroken , in the case of iphones), though. Maybe some of the old sim cards don't do this, maybe some devices aren't recognised by 3?

I know that they can see when a device is using the tethered connection (there are ways to hide that and it doesn't need a rooted phone) but martin said he got the alert as soon as he turned on network sharing.

[john6767]

Is there a sim only deal with 3 that is unlimited? I seem to remember a friend getting one of these but putting it in one of the Samsung Galaxy tabs, there is one which is really big, but is actually a phone. The sim recognises it as a phone, so you get your free data without tethering

I don't think you can get new Three contracts that give unlimited tethering. You can certainly get unlimited internet on the phone though.

[DaveP]

I'm on an 'expired' One Plan from 3. Currently my billing says that I'm restricted to 4Gb of tethering (or 'hotspot' in the parlance) but I've not had a problem with using over 150Gb/mth (av 90Gb) for the last year. The only time I've had a warning was abroad (in a 'feel at home' country)but it still let me tether nethertheless. I use a 3-locked HTC Wildfire (Android 2.2) or an unlocked Huawei Y550 (Android 4.4) either as a wifi hotspot or through a router. Each month my bill tells me I've not used any tethering at all. Wierd, but I'm not going to argue....

 

Dave

[Guest]

I have an old Android phone with a sim only deal with 3. Unlimited data but limited to 8gbs of tethering. Have had the sim since September and the first month I reached the 8gb limit after 3 weeks and I could no longer tether for the rest of the month. However, since then every time I look at my account to see how much tethering I have left, it shows I haven't used any. I shan't be asking why!

[Lady Muck]

I don't think you can get new Three contracts that give unlimited tethering. You can certainly get unlimited internet on the phone though.

yes thats what I meant if you get that one then put the sim in the big galaxy tab (the one that is actually a phone), then that removes the need for tethering.

I know that they can see when a device is using the tethered connection (there are ways to hide that and it doesn't need a rooted phone) but martin said he got the alert as soon as he turned on network sharing.

A friend of mine took her phone into Hackney hackspace ( which is more of a workshop/tool sharing place, but they do have tech people who can help you with this stuff). They sorted hers out for her. She does life coaching online and its all done using Skype. She uses more data than we do.

[Dave_P]

Does it matter how you tether? For example, on my phone I can tether via wifi, bluetooth or with a cable. Is it less detectable depending on the choice?

 

I'm on a One Plan with 3 which has just expired after 2 years. The problem is that I got it on a deal with a new iphone 5s so I'm paying a lot more than for sim only. I could keep my head down and enjoy the unlimited tethering but pay through the nose for it, or try to change my contract to sim only as risk being dropped down to 8 or even 4 gig. Any advice?

[Richard10002]

Does it matter how you tether? For example, on my phone I can tether via wifi, bluetooth or with a cable. Is it less detectable depending on the choice?

 

I'm on a One Plan with 3 which has just expired after 2 years. The problem is that I got it on a deal with a new iphone 5s so I'm paying a lot more than for sim only. I could keep my head down and enjoy the unlimited tethering but pay through the nose for it, or try to change my contract to sim only as risk being dropped down to 8 or even 4 gig. Any advice?

I was in the same situation last January,paying £31 for a Samsung S3 that I had replaced with a second hand S4. I dumped 3 for a Giffgaff sim in the phone at £10 a month, and an EE data sim with a 15Gb monthly limit, at just over £20 a month.

 

Only saved a quid a month, but it was as much a principle as anything else,and Threes signal was often slow. EE is like a rocket!

 

Currently thinking of the EE 50Gb offer, at £27.50 a month.

[dor]

My Vodafone contract offers "top-up" data at £3 for phone data or £6 for tethered data (per 500Mb). I pay the former and don't get any warnings if I use the extra data for tethering.

[Delta9]

My Vodafone contract offers "top-up" data at £3 for phone data or £6 for tethered data (per 500Mb). I pay the former and don't get any warnings if I use the extra data for tethering.

That is rather expensive, 500MB is not a lot.

[Phil Ambrose]

I have a 3 MiFi on contract , 15 gigs a month for £12-00

Phil

[dor]

That is rather expensive, 500MB is not a lot.

 

Yes I know it is expensive, but it is on top of my £14/month contract which gave me a Samsung S4 phone including 500Mb and it is all the data I use.

 

I used to have a Vodafone dongle that was even more expensive (£12 / 1 Gb) but the beauty of it was it didn't expire after 30 days so would normally last several months. Lucky to get a 3G then so it was mostly used for emails, and occasional news websites. That was before the Guardian site takes 2 Mb just to open the top page.

[emlclcy]

It's a Bummer the payg tenner for 100gb has ended on ee