'3' feel at home 'throttling' (1 Viewer)

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I have been connecting to the internet with my '3' PAYG sim for a few weeks now in France, I have had a good connection to the orange network, speeds have been abysmal when trying to connect to any secure https site which made connecting to banks a very lengthy if not impossible process. Motorhomefun is now the same and photographs take forever to appear.

Today I have recharged my orange France sim and connected direct, everything almost instantaneous and I have tried this in 2 different mifi devices so I can say without a shadow of a doubt that connecting to the internet whilst roaming on 3 in France is definitely throttled in some way.

Curiously when I did a speed test on both sims the download speeds where almost the same, around 12 Mb/sec.
 
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It's not deliberate throttling as such, just the way available bandwidth on the network is prioritised and allocated. UK networks do the same thing here.

I'll explain it using the UK networks as examples but things work the same way in France, I just don't know which network is which.

There are only 4 real network operators in the UK - Vodafone, O2, EE & Three. By real I mean operators of the physical networks. They are the ones with the hardware infrastructure in place.

All the others are client networks for one of these four usually referred to as Virtual Networks. There is a full list and who the host network is here. These virtual networks buy access from one of the big 4.

There's obviously a finite amount of bandwidth available at any particular moment and the way this is allocated to customers is pretty simple:

The direct customers of the host networks take priority. They'll get the best and fastest connections.
Next will come the client networks - Tesco, Virgin, giffgaff etc.
Finally, getting whatever is left over come then foreign roaming customers. Their connections will be the weakest and slowest and these will be the ones that drop out first if the network becomes overloaded.

So what happens when you use a 3, or any other UK, SIM card abroad is that you are right at the back of the queue for access.

If you are in a quiet area, or accessing at a quiet time, this won't be noticeable. In a busier area or at a busy time of day because you're basically getting the leftovers your connection will be slower and seem like it's being "throttled"
 
Jan 19, 2014
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I've noticed accessing the bank app painfully slow, but at least it works. Things might change on 15th June.. maybe?

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It's not deliberate throttling as such, just the way available bandwidth on the network is prioritised and allocated. UK networks do the same thing here.

I'll explain it using the UK networks as examples but things work the same way in France, I just don't know which network is which.

There are only 4 real network operators in the UK - Vodafone, O2, EE & Three. By real I mean operators of the physical networks. They are the ones with the hardware infrastructure in place.

All the others are client networks for one of these four usually referred to as Virtual Networks. There is a full list and who the host network is here. These virtual networks buy access from one of the big 4.

There's obviously a finite amount of bandwidth available at any particular moment and the way this is allocated to customers is pretty simple:

The direct customers of the host networks take priority. They'll get the best and fastest connections.
Next will come the client networks - Tesco, Virgin, giffgaff etc.
Finally, getting whatever is left over come then foreign roaming customers. Their connections will be the weakest and slowest and these will be the ones that drop out first if the network becomes overloaded.

So what happens when you use a 3, or any other UK, SIM card abroad is that you are right at the back of the queue for access.

If you are in a quiet area, or accessing at a quiet time, this won't be noticeable. In a busier area or at a busy time of day because you're basically getting the leftovers your connection will be slower and seem like it's being "throttled"

I think that I understand that but how does that fit in with the download speeds being identical (according to Ookla) on '3' via orange and with orange direct but the actual connection speeds are vastly different.

I have noticed a deterioration of the speeds over the weeks, verging on the ridiculous now.
 

denisejoe

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Not only with wireless but also with bt on home broadband was with one company speed went down to .02 megabytes changed to bt who controlled the box went to between 30 to 40 megabytes overnight only so much bandwidth at box.

Joe
 
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I think that I understand that but how does that fit in with the download speeds being identical (according to Ookla) on '3' via orange and with orange direct but the actual connection speeds are vastly different.

I have noticed a deterioration of the speeds over the weeks, verging on the ridiculous now.

That's a question for a mobile comms engineer which I'm not. Not sure if we have one on here.

It probably has something to do with how a speed test works - the results you get are "perfect world" ones.

Actual real world performance has more variables to consider therefore you rarely, if ever, achieve those speeds be it on a mobile device, fibre broadband or anything else.

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Another thing that I have discovered whilst using '3' in Europe is that after registering with BBC iplayer it is possible to download programmes (eventually!) without the use of a VPN, streaming not possible of course.
 

DBK

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I used a Three card for about two weeks on this trip and I thought it was reasonably quick but then we started to get very slow connections. I changed to a new Three sim a few days ago to see if it made any difference but it didn't, which suggests it wasn't the carrier (usually Bytel) had decided I had been in France using their system long enough. :)
We're currently on the Ile d'Oleron and the MiFi has logged into Free for a change and performance is reasonable at the moment.
In hindsight I should have investigated getting a local sim when we arrived. I may do that next time we come to France.

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May 20, 2009
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Having the same problem both here in France and a couple of weeks ago in Spain. Also my huawei 5733s will not log onto a 4G (3G only) signal even though I am surrounded by them. Definitely something going on.
If I use my phone I can get very good 4G but that costs a packet.
 
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If having the best and fastest possible 4G signal all the time is that vital to anyone then 3 Feel at Home is not the answer, it was never meant to be. Neither is roaming any other UK network.

The only thing you can do is identify the host networks in whatever country you are in and buy one of their SIMs. Make sure it's a host network and not a client/virtual one.

Yes it will probably be more expensive than 3 but that's tough, you can't have it all ways.
 

DBK

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Having the same problem both here in France and a couple of weeks ago in Spain. Also my huawei 5733s will not log onto a 4G (3G only) signal even though I am surrounded by them. Definitely something going on.
If I use my phone I can get very good 4G but that costs a packet.
I've never had a 4g connection in Europe even though the sim and equipment can connect to 4g in the UK. I won't say it doesn't happen, only it has never happened to me. As @NickNic says, we are usually too far down the food chain. :)

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DBK

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Curiously when I did a speed test on both sims the download speeds where almost the same, around 12 Mb/sec.
Shades of VW? It wouldn't put it beyond the bounds of possibility networks can detect speed tests and prioritise them. :)
 
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I have a 3 phone on contract and recently spent time in Paris, didn't notice any problem with data download speed.

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Aug 18, 2014
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slo here in Alicante but at home in Lorca it is good as we do not get many about using it or others roaming.
I have been connecting to the internet with my '3' PAYG sim for a few weeks now in France, I have had a good connection to the orange network, speeds have been abysmal when trying to connect to any secure https site which made connecting to banks a very lengthy if not impossible process. Motorhomefun is now the same and photographs take forever to appear.

Today I have recharged my orange France sim and connected direct, everything almost instantaneous and I have tried this in 2 different mifi devices so I can say without a shadow of a doubt that connecting to the internet whilst roaming on 3 in France is definitely throttled in some way.

Curiously when I did a speed test on both sims the download speeds where almost the same, around 12 Mb/sec.
That is the speed between your phone/tablet/lap top & the Huawei Mifi. took me ages to work out.
 
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Aug 18, 2014
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Yet I am in Stansted departures website & quick as anything . odd ?

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In hindsight I should have investigated getting a local sim when we arrived. I may do that next time we come to France.

I have had this orange sim for about 5 years now and the current 'pret a surfer' deals are

€10....1Gb/14days
€25....3Gb/1month
€40....5Gb/6month.......there may be others but I can't read them on my recharge document.

I don't think those are bad for France, of course you have to buy the sim in the first place, can't help with the cost of that as I have had mine for a while. Downside is that it is not possible to recharge on line with a UK card so needs to be a visit to an orange outlet and not all will do it for some reason.

Like you my speed has deteriorated markedly since we started using the 3 sim in France 3 weeks ago, I also used a different sim on both orange and bytel in different mifi's but made no difference.

When we first got here the speed was slow but useable so I thought that I would use up some of the 12Gb data sims (I have 3 with me) hence I never bothered with the orange sim.....until now, 5 weeks to go so should more or less see me through.
 
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That is the speed between your phone/tablet/lap top & the Huawei Mifi. took me ages to work out.

I don't think so, I use 2 different speed testers and they both show me the server that they are using and the 'ping' which i think usually relates to the distance from the server.
 
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Mar 26, 2009
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I've been using 3 down at Pau and while I can't claim superfast speeds it's been perfectly adaquate for my needs (online banking, email, forums and some youtube stuff). As the OP stated, picture loading on MHFun has slowed down. As they say in Wales "C'est la vie";)

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Aug 18, 2014
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yes used it at Christmas in the Valley the other side of Som Port & speedwas faster than I get in doors.
 

Emmit

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Can't be bothered to fight my way thru three pages but if it's been posted before I apologise.
For the last couple of days, in France, on a newish card, (been swapped to avoid the 60 day rule) we couldn't get on 3 but, after going entering the 192.168.01 address and leaving it on the 'top line,' we were magically through to the Internet.
I've not go the nowse to understand why this should work, but it does.
 
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Can't be bothered to fight my way thru three pages but if it's been posted before I apologise.
For the last couple of days, in France, on a newish card, (been swapped to avoid the 60 day rule) we couldn't get on 3 but, after going entering the 192.168.01 address and leaving it on the 'top line,' we were magically through to the Internet.
I've not go the nowse to understand why this should work, but it does.

Never had any problem connecting to a local service via the 3 sim, problems for me have arisen with a drastic slowing down of download speeds over 3/4 weeks.

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Sep 12, 2016
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I've noticed accessing the bank app painfully slow, but at least it works. Things might change on 15th June.. maybe?


Not so sure

We are on Three and they are saying that they will observe your usage over 120 days and if during that time you have used the Feel at home service for a majority of the time then they may charge an extra fee but unfortunately the email is on my wifes phone not mine (yet?) so I can't specify the actual prices

We are trying to work out whether to get a 3 PAYG sim or get my phone unlocked and get a Spanish one
 

BreweryDave

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Same here. Been fine for the past month or so in spain, France, Italy and Austria - but now am in Germany and its abysmal! So bad the past few days I have now gone and bought a pre paid sim for my phone on Vodafone.de - gives me 1 GB and 200 mins roaming for €10 - that'll do till we get back next week - and at least the phone will work if I have a problem!!!

I think local SIM cards are the best option long term.
 
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The worst service I've ever had was when I purchased an o2 de data sim when we went to the Moselle. 4/5 minutes for every page every time. You live and learn.

Malcolm

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DBK

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I have had this orange sim for about 5 years now and the current 'pret a surfer' deals are

€10....1Gb/14days
€25....3Gb/1month
€40....5Gb/6month.......there may be others but I can't read them on my recharge document.

I don't think those are bad for France, of course you have to buy the sim in the first place, can't help with the cost of that as I have had mine for a while. Downside is that it is not possible to recharge on line with a UK card so needs to be a visit to an orange outlet and not all will do it for some reason.

Like you my speed has deteriorated markedly since we started using the 3 sim in France 3 weeks ago, I also used a different sim on both orange and bytel in different mifi's but made no difference.

When we first got here the speed was slow but useable so I thought that I would use up some of the 12Gb data sims (I have 3 with me) hence I never bothered with the orange sim.....until now, 5 weeks to go so should more or less see me through.
Thank you, for the extra, speed those prices are bearable. :) I assume I can just buy these at a suitable shop?
 

Lenny HB

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Been in France for nearly 4 weeks I use a long range aerial and Fon when available.
On this trip not many Fons so have been using a Three data sim a lot speeds have been absolutely fine only ocassionaly slow. A bit slow tonight as we are in a small village and quite a way from a cell mast speed still acceptable.
In Germany last year Three data was faster than at home and I'm only using a 3G dongle usually with 3 or 4 devices connected via a router.

@DBK I don't think you can get a Franch sim without a French address.
 

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