MiFi - Bargain or Best Avoided? (1 Viewer)

[xtab]

I'm looking into buying a 3 mifi setup for upcoming first time trip to Spain/Portugal.

Having read lots of mifi posts from funsters on here and seen the warnings of not buying the data sims from ebay, just wondering if I should extend that thought and give Link Removed a miss.

(Of course it's likely that they'll all have gone before I make my mind up! (I used to be indecisive, but now, umm, er, well, ......................)

 

[peterc10]

That is only 3G. Better with a 4G one

 

[chaser]

I'm looking into buying a 3 mifi setup for upcoming first time trip to Spain/Portugal.

Having read lots of mifi posts from funsters on here and seen the warnings of not buying the data sims from ebay, just wondering if I should extend that thought and give Link Removed a miss.

(Of course it's likely that they'll all have gone before I make my mind up! (I used to be indecisive, but now, umm, er, well, ......................)

They work fine, we have one and it gets a signal even where our 3 phones won't.

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[Shrimp]

We got our MiFi from Currys years ago on an Orange contract so it was cheap, rang Orange & cancelled the contract straight away then put a 3 sim in it, loads of deals out there but I wouldn't bother with e.....y!

 

[Mikey RV]

I use a mi fi on 3 at home and while we are away in France/ Spain and Portugal with my I pad. Find it great, sometimes even better than some campsites wi fi.

 

[Baggers53]

We use our Huawei 3G mifi here in UK,for a month around France ( sometimes in very remote places )
and just in Portugal....returned yesterday!!!! With 3 mobile it worked everywhere with a full signal.
A great piece of kit....I also have FON, but unless I am standing very close to the signal source it
is quite poor.....Go with mifi, a much better solution.

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[xtab]

That is only 3G. Better with a 4G one

Trying to talk myself into paying the higher price for the 4g version, but now a bit worried when I read in the specs/reviews where they talk about downloading the app to control it. I only have Windows laptop, windows phone, and kindle fire so am wondering if I'm not going to be able to use/control it fully. Or am I worrying needlessly?

 

[xtab]

We use our Huawei 3G mifi here in UK,for a month around France ( sometimes in very remote places )
and just in Portugal....returned yesterday!!!! With 3 mobile it worked everywhere with a full signal.
A great piece of kit....I also have FON, but unless I am standing very close to the signal source it
is quite poor.....Go with mifi, a much better solution.

Thanks! Am now trying to talk myself into buying the 4g but if my usual parsimony wins out then I'll go for the Huwai 3g- I see it's on Amazon for only a couple of pounds more than e***y.

 

[Riverbankannie]

I bought a Huawei 5372 from eBay seller iboman234 in August. Have been pleased with it although I know taking a risk. This seller has plenty of Mifi for sale. I do find the app useful as I use the Mifi with an iPad, however you can access the same info using your windows laptop. The software required is called Huawei link. It tells you what device(s) are connected, the amount of data used and so on. Can set a new password using this as well. Do you have a smart phone?

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[Just smiffy]

Thanks! Am now trying to talk myself into buying the 4g but if my usual parsimony wins out then I'll go for the Huwai 3g- I see it's on Amazon for only a couple of pounds more than e***y.

I have a similar one and got signal with 3 every where in France and to be honest I can't remember finding 4g much and what I did get was always good enough....

I've had a look at the seller and it's seems ok, and then buy your sim from my memory....

https://www.mymemory.co.uk/SIM-Cards/3/3-PAYG-4G-Trio-Data-SIM-Pack-Preloaded-with-12GB-of-Data

 

[Silver-Fox]

I bought a Huawei MiFi before we went on our travels, Hong Kong, N Z and Australia.
Opted for the 3G and wished I had got the 4G as it was only a tenner extra.

I took out a monthly data sim contract with 3 as we were away for nearly 3 months. this allowed the monthly allowance to be used and then start again the next.
Signed up for the Friends and Family jobbie and this gives you 12GB abroad per month of your 20GB allowance.

I have heard they can stop your allowance if you are away for longer than 2 months? but I never had any issues.

I can't see any disadvantages to using MiFi

Good luck with your hunt


Ahh should of said you give them a months notice to cancel

 

[tonka]

Same thing at Argos £19.95 and some free data !!
Unlock code 99p on ebay..

3G is fine and very ample, I cant see and issues and in some areas 3g is all you can get anyway.

Broken Link Removed

This one £14.99 inc 6gb data.. !! But says you can only check in store ??
Broken Link Removed

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[Teuchter]

We have had a Huawei 3g for a couple of years now - bought it on Amazon and used it in France, Spain, Portugal and Scotland - works fine for us!

 

[DBK]

The E5330 doesn't have a connection for an external aerial, which is something I've found is very useful in marginal areas to get a 3G signal.
Despite having a suitable 4G mifi and sim card I've never had a 4G connection in Europe. Can get it in the UK but not beyond.

 

[Minxy]

Same thing at Argos £19.95 and some free data !!
Unlock code 99p on ebay..

3G is fine and very ample, I cant see and issues and in some areas 3g is all you can get anyway.

Broken Link Removed

This one £14.99 inc 6gb data.. !! But says you can only check in store ??
Broken Link Removed

You can only ORDER it from your local store, not on-line, so just ring the store and see if they can get one for you - easy peasy!

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[Minxy]

@xtab

Don't be afraid to buy off Ebay, just check out the feedback and pay via Paypal then you're protected for your purchase. I've bought and sold loads of stuff on there and rarely had a problem and if I had it got sorted by them.

This is a good mifi and is 4g with twin aerials, plus external aerial socket too - I've got one so know it's good and you can get 4G in mainland Europe although mostly 3g:

Link Removed

Personally I wouldn't buy a purely 3G one now as with 4G if it is available you can use it instead, but if not then you can only have 3G which can sometimes be slow, even slow 4G is better than standard 3G!

Regarding a sim - depending on how much data you want there's a 24gb one on Amazon for £28.40 which lasts for 2 years and can be used abroad (there's another thread on here about it if you want to do a search):

Amazon product ASIN B01M3VJ2B2

 

[Fletton]

I've just upgraded a recent 12month rolling contract with 3 (15gig pcm @ £19) to 20gig @ £24 pcm as I was running over and having to purchase "add-ons"

The unlocked 4G E5573s-320 came free with the package

I was informed at the time that this deal covers Feel at Home usage...

Edit: This model has twin ariel sockets.. but never needed... to date

 

[xtab]

I bought a Huawei 5372 from eBay seller iboman234 in August. Have been pleased with it although I know taking a risk. This seller has plenty of Mifi for sale. I do find the app useful as I use the Mifi with an iPad, however you can access the same info using your windows laptop. The software required is called Huawei link. It tells you what device(s) are connected, the amount of data used and so on. Can set a new password using this as well. Do you have a smart phone?

Yep, I have a Nokia Lumia Vodafone smartphone on contract - although I try not to use that in Europe because of their £3 a day charge. So I dug out an older, smaller HTC (Can't remember the model) smartphone I'd stopped using and put in a 3 PAYG sim. My idea was to use their Feel At Home deal. Problem with this is that the screen is really fiddly for trying to use the browser.

So that's how I seem to have graduated into becoming a possible MiFi buyer!

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[Fletton]

Yep, I have a Nokia Lumia Vodafone smartphone on contract - although I try not to use that in Europe because of their £3 a day charge. So I dug out an older, smaller HTC (Can't remember the model) smartphone I'd stopped using and put in a 3 PAYG sim. My idea was to use their Feel At Home deal. Problem with this is that the screen is really fiddly for trying to use the browser.

So that's how I seem to have graduated into becoming a possible MiFi buyer!

I used to use phone "All you can eat data" + 4gig tether @ £17 pcm but downgraded to £9pcm - 4gig data, but no tether... and bought the Mifi to get tinternet on PC and iPad in MoHo

 

[two]

3G Wifi is fine but I'd look for 4G. 4G is being expanded whilst 3G coverage is not.
You don't have to download an app to use it, that's only for some of the cheaper tariffs.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Should have said, if you don't already know, you can tether other advises with the MiFi which is really handy.

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[Silver-Fox]

Oops double post sorry

 

[xtab]

@xtab

This is a good mifi and is 4g with twin aerials, plus external aerial socket too - I've got one so know it's good and you can get 4G in mainland Europe although mostly 3g:

Link Removed


Amazon product ASIN B01M3VJ2B2

That looks pretty good depending on how the bidding goes. The seller isn't sure if it's locked or not but if it is locked presumably I can just get the 99p magic unlock code from eBay, can I? The model number looks the sameLink Removed which is definitely locked to O2.

I do like the idea of being able to attach an aerial. I had a Vodafone USB dongle years ago, which was very hit and miss, and positioning it just right so that it would pick up the signal was often a nightmare. It got binned in frustration after a couple of years. I know these MiFis are different and - hopefully - the ability to pick up a signal has improved over time.

 

[Fletton]

3G Wifi is fine but I'd look for 4G. 4G is being expanded whilst 3G coverage is not.
You don't have to download an app to use it, that's only for some of the cheaper tariffs.

The model I have uses an "app" to make life simpler...
But you can access the "modem" using a browser and the nomal Router Interface - if you wish from PC, tablet, iPad etc...

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[Gorse Hill]

Trying to talk myself into paying the higher price for the 4g version, but now a bit worried when I read in the specs/reviews where they talk about downloading the app to control it. I only have Windows laptop, windows phone, and kindle fire so am wondering if I'm not going to be able to use/control it fully. Or am I worrying needlessly?

Unlikely to get a 4g signal in Europe so go for the 3G
Don't get that many 4g signal in the U.K.

 

[dave newell]

I have a ZTE MF910 4G mifi bought off eBay, unlocked for about £38 if I recall correctly. Using it now on a Cotswold C&CC site on 3G and its fine. Using the £28.40/24gig 3 sim deal as advised by Minxy. Back at home it gets full strength 4G signal and is as fast as our Virgin broadband.

D.

 

[MitchandJenny]

We also have a 5330 huwei and it has not failed.
Mitch.

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[Khizzie]

I have a similar one and got signal with 3 every where in France and to be honest I can't remember finding 4g much and what I did get was always good enough....

I've had a look at the seller and it's seems ok, and then buy your sim from my memory....

https://www.mymemory.co.uk/SIM-Cards/3/3-PAYG-4G-Trio-Data-SIM-Pack-Preloaded-with-12GB-of-Data

Same here Gary no problems at all with a 3g mifi .Roy

 

[Minxy]

That looks pretty good depending on how the bidding goes. The seller isn't sure if it's locked or not but if it is locked presumably I can just get the 99p magic unlock code from eBay, can I? The model number looks the sameLink Removed which is definitely locked to O2.

Unlocking them is easy and you can do it with the 99p code, although it may already be unlocked as a lot aren't now restricted to the network provider anymore.

3G will work but it is at the bottom of the pile nowadays so will get worse overtime as 4G is strengthened, I'd go for a 4G to future proof myself.

 

[Khizzie]

Unlocking them is easy and you can do it with the 99p code, although it may already be unlocked as a lot aren't now restricted to the network provider anymore.

3G will work but it is at the bottom of the pile nowadays so will get worse overtime as 4G is strengthened, I'd go for a 4G to future proof myself.

3G maybe bottom of the pile in UK but certainly not in France where they are still some way behind us in 4G network ...i have a 4G mifi unit and only once did I receive a decent 4G data signal in 4months ..Roy

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