Which simple MiFi.??? (1 Viewer)

[wiljoy]

Going to Spain for a few months so have decided to use a mifi for the
Internet . I'm totally happy with 3 mobile but want an unlocked device to choose my own sim . It appears to be a minefield so I need help to decide .
Any recommendations welcome .

 

[Boringfrog]

This is a 3G version, you pay more for 4G (faster) @Minxy Girl is the expert on most things MIFI.
Broken Link Removed

 

[tonka]

Argos £20... Unlock code on eBay 99p.. Sorted..

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[Brakers]

This is a 3G version, you pay more for 4G (faster) @Minxy Girl is the expert on most things MIFI

Hi There will you be allowed to use this in Spain I can't see anywhere where it mentions locations abroad!
Best Wishes Tony

 

[Deleted member 29692]

If you are going to be using a 3 SIM card then you don't necessarily need an unlocked one. You can buy a 3 one and swap the cards.

You only need to be worried about having an unlocked one if you intend to use cards on different networks.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Hi There will you be allowed to use this in Spain I can't see anywhere where it mentions locations abroad!
Best Wishes Tony

It's 3.

Feel at Home is standard on all SIMS.

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[Brakers]

If you have a data plan with more than 12GB monthly you will be limited to 12GB even tho you might have more data in this country.
From 3
Then Three will text to let them know they're in a Feel at Home destination, confirming that calls and texts back to the UK, and using data up to either their allowance, or 12GB if the allowance is higher, will be free of charge while they're within those limits.
Best Wishes Tony

 

[tonka]

If you are going to be using a 3 SIM card then you don't necessarily need an unlocked one. You can buy a 3 one and swap the cards.

You only need to be worried about having an unlocked one if you intend to use cards on different networks.

To clarify, if you buy a Three branded MIFI and use a THREE sim.. Fine
BUT if you buy one set up for Vodaphone (example) it will not operate with a 3 sim unless unlocked..
Once unlocked you can use any sim card in any country, may need some setting to be changed as you travel around ie APN etc. Lots of us have these and found them very useful, especially in places like Morocco..

 

[Deleted member 29692]

To clarify, if you buy a Three branded MIFI and use a THREE sim.. Fine
BUT if you buy one set up for Vodaphone (example) it will not operate with a 3 sim unless unlocked..

Is that not what I said?

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[tonka]

Is that not what I said?

It is sort of..
But the OP was talking about "choose my own sim".. So thought it best to point it out as if they bought a Three MIFI (not unlocked) and then got to Spain or somewhere on tried to use something that was non compatible at least they would know why.

 

[jongood]

I don't think 3 mifis are locked. Mine aren't.

 

[Clarky]

When we are in France my phone switches to the 'Free' network which always seems very slow, I have a monthly contract with '3' so use 'Feel at Home'.
I then go into carrier settings and change to Bougues (spelling?) which gives much better speed.
Can I do the same thing with my new E5577 mi-fi?

Richard.

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[wiljoy]

A big thank you to everyone who took the time to post information . A special thanks of minxy girl who PM'd me.
I can now sort out this final task before we head off on December 7th. We may meet some of the faces behind the names as we travel to Benidorm and Quessada .
Kind regards to all
Wilf

 

[Minxy]

For anyone else wanting the same thing as Wilf, below are some bits of my messages to him which may be useful to others:

If you don't need a MIFI quickly I'd suggest keeping an eye on the Carphone Warehouse site as they often have some deals on them for under £30 including a month's data (you just cancel the contract immediately) - there's nothing there at the moment but they do them fairly regularly.​

However if you want one now then I am a big fan of Huawei ones - specific models which I have used and recommend (they have twin internal aerials and you can also attach an external aerial) are:​

E5573 (aka as Vodaphone R216)
Used one for £30.00 incl free P&P and open to offers:


New one for £34.95 incl free P&P which is a good price:


The E5776 is also good but is an older model.​

Don't go for a E5730 though as it's only 3g!​

If you're not bothered about an external aerial then you could consider the Alcatel Onetouch Y800, it's an older model but is very good - I've had one for a while and it's a cracking MIFI which can receive a signal in places you wouldn't expect! It even beat our landline broadband (which we've not got rid of!), no external aerial point though and there doesn't seem to be much difference between this and the above Huawei ones.​

Even if you buy one that's locked it's easy-peasy to unlock them with a 99p code off Ebay.​

As you're going for 3 months you'll need two '3' data cards as you probably get cut off after 2 months usage on a single card, even if there's still data credit on it. '3' do a couple which would suit - a 12gb one which lasts for up to 12 months (or until the data has gone) and a 3gb that lasts up to 3 months - both can be used in 'Feel at home' countries.​

If you won't need to use them in the UK much, if at all, then two of the 3gb ones would be sufficient, but if you think you might need more than 6gb in total then I'd go instead for one 12gb and one 3gb; these are the cheapest prices I can find at present:​

12gb sim = £22.99:
https://www.mymemory.co.uk/SIM-Cards/3/3-PAYG-4G-Trio-Data-SIM-Pack-Preloaded-with-12GB-of-Data

3gb sim= £9.25:
​

There's a few thread on the forum about use abroad and having to activate them at home before you go but that isn't true, you can activate them when abroad so you don't lose any of the 'time' and obviously if you don't use one you can keep it for the next time you go abroad .. note especially the comments about only complete months (30 day chunks) are counted so if you only used 59 days and then used it in the UK, you'd still have up to 59 days to use abroad again ... its just a matter of 'working' the system! ​

 

[MitchandJenny]

Nice one Minxy.
We too have a Huweie (unlocked) and its done us well on foreign Sims.
Mitch.

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[snowdrops]

Huawei for us with Three pay monthly. Fantastic signal in France and uk. Easy to cancel as we just keep rolling from June to sept.

 

[Emmit]

Question,
When they 'Cut you off' after two months, Is that it!
Is the card goosed or can you get the remaining unused portion of the 12gb back when you return from your travels.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

No UK network gets full speed abroad just like no foreign network gets full speed here. It's not throttling back as such, it's the way network bandwidth allocation is prioritised

The networks own customers get priority followed by domestic client networks and finally foreign roaming networks.

In the U.K. there are only actually 4 genuine mobile network operators, that is those who own, operate and maintain the infrastructure - Vodafone, O2, EE & 3 - all the other providers operate Mobile Virtual Networks, leasing network space from one of the main operators. Tesco Mobile for example are a client network of O2 so if you are a Tesco customer you are behind all O2 customers in the queue for bandwidth and your speed will almost always be slower than theirs. Any foreign network that uses O2 to roam will be behind you in the queue and as a result their speed will be even slower. It might only be really noticeable at busy times but that's how it works and it's the same in other countries. Of course it can work the other way too - at really quiet times when there is excess capacity on the main network it will filter down to client and roaming networks and you might see faster speeds than normal.

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[adonisito]

Please excuse my ignorance here and give me some help. I have a contract tablet and phone on 3 with 4gb data on each, we are abroad 4 months a year in the van and I have always used 3g or rarely 4g. What advantage is there if I add a Huawei thing ? There's an article in MMM this month on these but I still don't get it. Doh.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Please excuse my ignorance here and give me some help. I have a contract tablet and phone on 3 with 4gb data on each, we are abroad 4 months a year in the van and I have always used 3g or rarely 4g. What advantage is there if I add a Huawei thing ? There's an article in MMM this month on these but I still don't get it. Doh.

Probably in your particular case there would be no benefit at all. For use abroad 3 is currently the best option so all you would be doing is putting another 3 card in it.

The advantage comes when you don't have a decent contract or are on another network.

For example some people may have no, or a very limited, data allowance on their phone, so a MiFi with a data SIM may be the best option for them especially if it's more than one person sharing the connection.

Another example is our own one: we're both on Vodafone contracts with plenty of data so in the UK we're fine. When we go abroad however it costs us £3 per day each to use that data which isn't so good so we have a MiFi with a 3 card in it that is only ever switched on when we go abroad.

 

[Minxy]

Please excuse my ignorance here and give me some help. I have a contract tablet and phone on 3 with 4gb data on each, we are abroad 4 months a year in the van and I have always used 3g or rarely 4g. What advantage is there if I add a Huawei thing ? There's an article in MMM this month on these but I still don't get it. Doh.

I assume you don't go abroad for 4 months in one trip otherwise your data would normally be 'stopped' after 2 complete months abroad and not usable again for another 12 months (it's a rolling 12 month period).

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