Can you use a normal phone sim in a motorhome wifi (1 Viewer)

[G1969]

Hello, As the title says, can you?

I am considering getting a Wi-Fi system installed in our new motorhome and wondered if you needed a data only sim?

Thanks in advance

 

[dunnah01]

Yes - We've used all sorts of phone SIMs in our MiFi no problems in UK or EU, except roaming chares vary. You will probably need to go into the MiFi settings to set APNs etc but loads of info on how to do it on the web.

 

[Nigel L]

Why not leave the sim in your phone and tether from it?

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[G1969]

Why not leave the sim in your phone and tether from it?

The new one is a Carthago, and in effect an aluminium faraday cage, so I presume the internal signal will be compromised

 

[Shrimp]

Mostly, yes.
Stick an ariel on the roof!

 

[bigtwin]

Why not leave the sim in your phone and tether from it?

Because you can use an external (roof mounted) aerial with a mifi that’ll both give you a stronger signal and give you a signal where the phone has a poor/no connection.

Ian

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[Bolti]

The new one is a Carthago, and in effect an aluminium faraday cage, so I presume the internal signal will be compromised

We just pop the phone onto the blind of the roof light

 

[Carpmart]

Yes you can, but it may not give optimal performance…

Networks have a lot of algorithms determining the service you receive at any given point. You should view it as continuous fair usage. A phone SIM, one designated for a phone as opposed to mobile data SIM, will have its traffic shaped and controlled in a different way than a data SIM. End user experience with phone SiMs therefore varies from, yippee this is great, to Bloody useless depending on cell contention and more specifically, other user denomination, so a data SIM next to a phone SIM will always be given priority..

 

[steve69]

I thought all Mifi's had to have a SIM in order to operate at all.

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[Carpmart]

I thought all Mifi's had to have a SIM in order to operate at all.

Data SIM or phone SIM is the question.

 

[steve69]

Yes you can, but it may not give optimal performance…

Networks have a lot of algorithms determining the service you receive at any given point. You should view it as continuous fair usage. A phone SIM, one designated for a phone as opposed to mobile data SIM, will have its traffic shaped and controlled in a different way than a data SIM. End user experience with phone SiMs therefore varies from, yippee this is great, to Bloody useless depending on cell contention and more specifically, other user denomination, so a data SIM next to a phone SIM will always be given priority..

Not as simple as that.
Recently I acquired a "3" service SIM for my Mifi to work alongside an "O2" Sim in my phone.
The O2 service was absolutely useless. The "3" Sim worked brilliantly at the same location.
Your service provider can really make a difference.

 

[Carpmart]

Not as simple as that.
Recently I acquired a "3" service SIM for my Mifi to work alongside an "O2" Sim in my phone.
The O2 service was absolutely useless. The "3" Sim worked brilliantly at the same location.
Your service provider can really make a difference.

You are of course 100% correct and I fully accept networks have different coverage in different geographic areas and indeed have different propagation characteristics too. However, I believe the original posters question was around using a phone sim as opposed to a data service, not about network coverage per se..

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[Derbyshire wanderer]

We just pop the phone onto the blind of the roof light

That’s the way we do ours, easy and no extra contracts to pay for

 

[MarionK]

I think I need an idiot's guide to mifi.
I had been thinking I would simply use my phone as hotspot, now I am wondering what will I actually need to reliably get internet for directions, youtube videos, 5live etc., around europe. :S

eta it will be for 2 users inc one gamer

 

[Manic]

We use a Smarty phone sim in our router ( you get better deal for phone sims compared to data sim with Smarty) and also used RWG mobile sim in it

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[Bolti]

I think I need an idiot's guide to mifi.
I had been thinking I would simply use my phone as hotspot, now I am wondering what will I actually need to reliably get internet for directions, youtube videos, 5live etc., around europe. :S

eta it will be for 2 users inc one gamer

If your happy using your phone, it will almost certainly be more than adequate.

 

[MarionK]

If your happy using your phone, it will almost certainly be more than adequate.

I haven't used it enough to be sure tbh. I just don't want to find myself lost or broken down in the back of beyond and then find I can't get the internet either.

 

[dunnah01]

Yes you can, but it may not give optimal performance…

Networks have a lot of algorithms determining the service you receive at any given point. You should view it as continuous fair usage. A phone SIM, one designated for a phone as opposed to mobile data SIM, will have its traffic shaped and controlled in a different way than a data SIM. End user experience with phone SiMs therefore varies from, yippee this is great, to Bloody useless depending on cell contention and more specifically, other user denomination, so a data SIM next to a phone SIM will always be given priority..

I've found that unplugging the external aerials for half an hour and using the internal modem aerial seems to work around the shaping problem.

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[ChrisL]

I live full time in my motorhome, i have two devices with different sim cards in them, one is an unlocked 3 router with ethernet ports as well as wifi and that is using an EE unlimited as fast as is available sim and the other is a Huawei mifi with a Tesco mobile unlimited sim in it, I have two because there are times when one network has little to no signal and I rely on streaming quite a lot. The Tesco mobile also allows all your data in the EU at no extra charge. Both devices work well if they have a decent signal, I don't have external antennas but have not had an issue where there was no signal strong enough to stream on at least one device.

 

[Skez]

If your happy using your phone, it will almost certainly be more than adequate.

We've done nearly 30,000 miles in the last two years through nineteen different countries, and on some occasions in the back of beyond. Our Mifi and roof antenna virtually always gave us a data signal which was significantly stronger than our phones, and often when our phones had no signal at all, so in my experience, for data use, a mifi with external aerial is very much better.

 

[Carpmart]

We've done nearly 30,000 miles in the last two years through nineteen different countries, and on some occasions in the back of beyond. Our Mifi and roof antenna virtually always gave us a data signal which was significantly stronger than our phones, and often when our phones had no signal at all, so in my experience, for data use, a mifi with external aerial is very much better.

In the UK the networks are better at shaping and controlling the traffic than our EU friends. However, VF Espania have got better at it earlier this year in my experience. There is also lots of game play with IN roamers (you on an EU network) where they slow you down after so many GB/MB of usage, to the extent that you then manually roam onto another network. All very sneaky really. However, we ain’t in the club anymore so they don’t have to follow EU guidance with third country nationals!

Sadly it will only get more difficult to roam from here people!

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[Skez]

Sadly it will only get more difficult to roam from here people!

Yes, sadly I agree. When you can get a sat. system that works on the move, out of the box, and at a sensible price, that's probably the way to go!

 

[Carpmart]

Yes, sadly I agree. When you can get a sat. system that works on the move, out of the box, and at a sensible price, that's probably the way to go!

Have you considered Starlink Skez?

There is a big thread on it and it’s really very good.

 

[Skez]

Have you considered Starlink @Skez?

There is a big thread on it and it’s really very good.

Mobile use (i.e. whilst driving) seems to be very much more expensive than the version mostly discussed in that thread without 'adapting'. I'll look at it again though!

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[Carpmart]

Mobile use (i.e. whilst driving) seems to be very much more expensive than the version mostly discussed in that thread without 'adapting'. I'll look at it again though!

Yes it is although some have ‘installed’ it in a roof light…

Plenty of flat mount options being used stateside… Everlanders on YouTube is worth checking out!

 

[Kayak Kid]

I used my Tesco Sim (02 provider) when touring around France, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Italy in March - May this year via my phone as a hotspot for my Amazon Firestick. It was used extensively and daily for 2/3months while touring for streaming tv and simultaneously using my iPad and iPhone. Not once did we have a problem! I have a Maxview mifi system with aerial on the roof, but didn’t even need to put my phone sim in it - as the hot spotting worked perfectly.

I have one of the ‘older’ Tesco SIM cards in my phone - taken out before June 2022. I therefore have unlimited data roaming in the EU - the same as in the UK! I used around 300-400gb data each month while away, as against roughly 7gb average/ month in the UK.

 

[ChrisL]

I have one of the ‘older’ Tesco SIM cards in my phone - taken out before June 2022. I therefore have unlimited data roaming in the EU - the same as in the UK! I used around 300-400gb data each month while away, as against roughly 7gb average/ month in the UK.

Tesco are still allowing new contracts the same deal up until the end of this year and have not decided on next year yet. Like you i'm on an older contract so don't have to worry.

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