I have a mifi, what do i need with it. (1 Viewer)

[Hel999]

I am a total dummy when it comes to anything technical. I bought an unlocked mifi (Huawei) from amazon a while ago but haven't used it yet as i've managed to hotspot to my phone or ipad which always have great signal in Uk (EE).

We are going to Europe for a month in April and i dont know a) how to set myself up for internet or b) if i need anything else. I was thinking of getting a 3 sim but dont know what to get. I only want data. I am not bothered about phonecalls or texts as i have a works mobile phone and i believe it covers calls and texts. All i want is to be able to get on the internet.

Do i need an aerial? can i get data sim only?

need some advice but lease keep it really basic and easy to understand. IT is def not my first (or second or third) language!

 

[Deleted member 29692]

You just need a PAYG data sim.

For Europe a 3 one is best as nobody else at present is matching their "Feel at home" scheme.

You will be able to get one from anywhere that sells 3 products. If you aren't tech savvy take your mifi to the store and get them to set it up for you.

You just add credit online the same as with any other PAYG device.

As to an aerial if you can get one to fit your device easily and cheaply enough you may as well. Don't spend a lot though. I have one for my mifi and I'm not convinced about it. It's never picked up a signal with the aerial connected that it couldn't pick up without it. Once or twice the aerial has improved the signal i.e. from 2G to 3G but not often.

 

[andy63]

A data sim that will work in the country you are visiting..
Others will better advise on what's suitable...
Was in portugal with a 3 data sim recently and it wouldn't work..
So bought a local one and worked well... That was after some help from @irnbru
And enable roaming on device before leaving uk ..to do that you have to access the admin pages for the device... The instructions tell you how.
An aerial can help improve reception if your unit has the connections to take one.
Ta andy.

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[Minxy]

You need one of these:

http://store.three.co.uk/view/searchSimOnly?tariff=570

Discussion about it here:

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/3-12gb-12mth-data-sim-for-only-£30.124317/#post-1734753

Important note:

Hubby was nagging me to check that the Three 12gb/12month sim was okay so I stuck it in the mifi but did NOT intend to actually activate it (ie by connecting to the internet) and just go into the settings, unfortunately just turning the mifi on activated it immediately!!!

As we will use it for our holidays this year it's not a problem for us but for others if you want it to extend into next year do NOT put it in your equipment UNTIL you definitely need to activate it!!!

Sim size: The '3' data sim is a triple (standard/micro/nano) so you just push out whichever size you want.

 

[The Wino]

Just check the size of sim before you buy one if you don't know you could visit a 3 shop and check. It can be difficult to set up the mifi if you aren't technical the other dearer option is to get in touch with motorhome wifi and talk to them I think they are near you or go to a show it will cost more but will work!!

 

[Deleted member 29692]

The 3 website lists the Feel at Home countries. If you're going to somewhere that isn't supported you have to take a view on it. If it's just for a few days manage without, if it's for longer as Andy suggests a local one is the way to go.

We've been in Belgium this week which isn't one of the countries so didn't bother even putting credit on the mifi. It is covered by Vodafone Euro traveller though which does something similar but charges you £3 a day for the privilege. We've gone with that and just used our phones. We've had 4G most of the time.

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[andy63]

You need one of these:

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/3-data-sim-offer.123787/

I got one after you started this thread... Tried it in portugal and couldn't get it to work... I should have done a bit reading before I left I suppose .. but you live and learn lol

 

[Hel999]

You need one of these:

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/3-12gb-12mth-data-sim-for-only-£30.124317/#post-1734753

i spotted that thread just after i posted mine and had a good read but cant find that deal on 3 anywhere. i can find a 12GB PAYG 3 sim on ebay at £47.99 though. might have to pop in 3 shop tomorrow and have a chat with them. We are going to france and spain so should be ok

 

[peterc10]

i spotted that thread just after i posted mine and had a good read but cant find that deal on 3 anywhere. i can find a 12GB PAYG 3 sim on ebay at £47.99 though. might have to pop in 3 shop tomorrow and have a chat with them. We are going to france and spain so should be ok

Just follow this link. I bought one last week and it was delivered within a few days. Popped it in the mifi and it worked straight away.

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[Deleted member 29692]

i spotted that thread just after i posted mine and had a good read but cant find that deal on 3 anywhere. i can find a 12GB PAYG 3 sim on ebay at £47.99 though. might have to pop in 3 shop tomorrow and have a chat with them. We are going to france and spain so should be ok

Just be careful with how long the 12gb lasts. A lot of them are limited to 30 days and that's huge amount of data to use in a month of travelling.

 

[peterc10]

Just be careful with how long the 12gb lasts. A lot of them are limited to 30 days and that's huge amount of data to use in a month of travelling.

The 12Gb Three one lasts for a year AFAIK - at least the one I bought does.

 

[Emmit]

The OP hasn't said where she's going.
If it's 'just' to France and Spain I think we're all agreed that there's little to touch 3's offer at the mo. of 12Gb of data for £35 for 12mths.

I would caution her, as per Minxygirls post about putting the Sim card in the Mifi as the clock would start at that moment.

I would also commend her going into the 3 Shop to do the deal, no doubt there's one in New Street because they will talk you through the process without you having the worry of making a faux pas. I found as a total technophobe that the people in the 3 Shop are very gentle with us that aren't so wifi savvy.

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[Chris]

I have got one that I haven't used yet as well.

So , I charge it up, put a SIM card in and switch it on.

What happens next, does my phone or iPad detect its existence?

If so is there a password somewhere with the instructions?

I confess I haven't opened the box yet despite having it for about 2 years.

I have an I boost which I have used a lot,but I guess the mifi might come in handy at some stage ( if only to empty the data off the PAYG SIM card I bought at the same time)

 

[peterc10]

Chris. Is it unlocked? If so then it is as easy as popping a SIM in and switching it on. The instructions (or sticker on bottom) will tell you the wifi name and password. Then you just search for it with your phone/ ipad/ PC. Once found by any of these you connect to it using the password, as you would with any Wifi network. And then away you go.

The instructions will also tell you how to use the phone, ipad or PC to change the wifi name and password to whatever you want. You don't have to do that last bit if you don't want to.

If it is unlocked you have one of two choices. Keep using SIMs from the mobile provider it is locked to. Or buy an unlock code off ebay and follow the instructions to unlock it so that you can use whatever mobile provider's SIMs you want.

 

[DavidG58]

I have a similar thread going, but the difference is we are here in France already, couldn't get my mifi to work, but Bev has one of the 12Gb 12 month cards in her iPad we have connected to that using the iPad as a hot spot and had great data connection everywhere we have been

I am not convinced we need the mifi, although I have now got it going and am desperately trying to use the 20Gb or so I put on it before we left, it will all be lost at end of month

No idea quite why I put so much on other than ignorance

edit - I should add if you don't have an iPad a mifi would be a must for us

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[Chris]

Chris. Is it unlocked? If so then it is as easy as popping a SIM in and switching it on. The instructions (or sticker on bottom) will tell you the wifi name and password. Then you just search for it with your phone/ ipad/ PC. Once found by any of these you connect to it using the password, as you would with any Wifi network. And then away you go.

The instructions will also tell you how to use the phone, ipad or PC to change the wifi name and password to whatever you want. You don't have to do that last bit if you don't want to.

If it is unlocked you have one of two choices. Keep using SIMs from the mobile provider it is locked to. Or buy an unlock code off ebay and follow the instructions to unlock it so that you can use whatever mobile provider's SIMs you want.

Thanks. Yes it is unlocked

 

[The Wino]

Might need to set the apn in the mifi to allow roaming as well

 

[Zigisla]

Are all the sim cards the same size in these MiFi units and if so which is it? I would like to take up the opportunity of these cheaper "3" deals when they come up, but havent got a unit yet so dont know which size to get. If they vary, I will have to wait. Going to NEC on the Fri, so may get a unit there if they are on offer.

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[The Wino]

To buy the mifi I think you are better to look at the threads on here and ebay but make sure its either on 3 or unlocked. There was a recent post about one at carphone warehouse recently sign up for a contract and cancel straight away sounded a good bet.

 

[peterc10]

Are all the sim cards the same size in these MiFi units and if so which is it? I would like to take up the opportunity of these cheaper "3" deals when they come up, but havent got a unit yet so dont know which size to get. If they vary, I will have to wait. Going to NEC on the Fri, so may get a unit there if they are on offer.

They can differ. My cheap ex-EE one uses full size, but I am not sure about others. If you buy the 3SIM it can be detached in such a way that it can be used for the 3 different sizes.

 

[Hel999]

thanks everyone i feel a bit more comfortable now about going ahead and buying a sim for it. No doubt i will come up with other techno questions once ive activated it but as we arent going till beginning of April i will hold off putting it in just yet. This forum has so much good information on it i could lose myself for days

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[Deleted member 29692]

Thanks. Yes it is unlocked

You will be able to get it going then but it Might not just be a case of putting a SIM card into it and switching it on.

If the SIM card you have came with the device as a package it might already be set up but if not there are a number of settings that are unique to each service provider so if it's straight out of the box brand new and has never been associated with any network you will need to enter these settings manually.

 

[peterc10]

You will be able to get it going then but it Might not just be a case of putting a SIM card into it and switching it on.

If the SIM card you have came with the device as a package it might already be set up but if not there are a number of settings that are unique to each service provider so if it's straight out of the box brand new and has never been associated with any network you will need to enter these settings manually.

I think that these settings are stored on the SIM nowadays and the mifi will implement them. I have a mifi supplied by and locked to EE (even has its logo on). After unlocking I just put the Three SIM in and it worked fine.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

I think that these settings are stored on the SIM nowadays and the mifi will implement them. I have a mifi supplied by and locked to EE (even has its logo on). After unlocking I just put the Three SIM in and it worked fine.

I know some do but others don't. It's the APN in particular that I've heard about people having trouble with.

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[Minxy]

Right, cheapest set-up at the moment:

Get a MIFI here:

It only costs £20 for 1 month with 20gb of data but you MUST ring up within a day or two of ordering it (you don't need to have actually taken delivery of the MIFI) and cancel the monthly contract (30 days notice) that way you only pay £20 and keep the MIFI!

Broken Link Removed​

Get a sim from here:

one which runs for a full year - 12 month 12gb sim for £30

http://store.three.co.uk/view/searchSimOnly?tariff=570​

or if you only need a little bit of data for a shorter duration - 3 month 3gb sim for £16

http://store.three.co.uk/view/searchSimOnly?tariff=569​

 

[Minxy]

To alter the Carphone Warehouse MIFI to work with your ‘3’ sim instead of the ID one that came with it, this is what you need to do:

Take the back off the MIFI and take a note of the 'key' on the inside of the back cover
Put the sim in the MIFI, then the battery and clip the back on

• Turn on the MIFI
• Use the lead to connect it to your laptop/pc - the MIFI will install driver software on your PC which won't take long, a couple of minutes max
• Look in your web connections list (bottom right) and click on the MIFI
• You'll then be asked to put in the security key - the number you noted from the back cover
• Open your web browser and it should automatically take you to the Huawei dashboard if not type the following into your browser: Link Removed OR Link Removed OR Link Removed (I can’t remember which one it is for 3!).
• Click on Settings and log-in: username: admin password: admin
• Go into Settings
• Click ‘New profile’ and enter a Profile Name (call it what you want - I just call mine Three)
• Leave the Username and Password untouched
• In the APN box put in: three.co.uk
• Click Next then Finish
• Make sure that Three is now the default Profile if you want to use it straight away, otherwise change the default back to the sim you are putting back in.

I think that's it!

 

[DBK]

thanks everyone i feel a bit more comfortable now about going ahead and buying a sim for it. No doubt i will come up with other techno questions once ive activated it but as we arent going till beginning of April i will hold off putting it in just yet. This forum has so much good information on it i could lose myself for days

If you have a mobile phone try the sim from it in the MiFi. This should give you an opportunity to try it out.

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[Minxy]

If you have a mobile phone try the sim from it in the MiFi. This should give you an opportunity to try it out.

Alternatively just get a free sim from Three then you can set it up with their network and keep the sim to use in a phone on PAYG.

https://www.three.co.uk/Support/Free_SIM/Order

 

[MR. FUSION]

thanks everyone i feel a bit more comfortable now about going ahead and buying a sim for it. No doubt i will come up with other techno questions once ive activated it but as we arent going till beginning of April i will hold off putting it in just yet. This forum has so much good information on it i could lose myself for days

If anyone else has concerns regarding adapting mifi SIM sizes you can buy a convertor kit for a quid off EBay for piece of mind
Broken Link Removed
I bought one but as it happens the kangaru data card I bought in Portugal is actually already adaptable to the 3 main SIM formats.