Best / Cheapest Unlimited Data SIM deal

[Barti Ddu]

I've a Teltonika RUT240 4G router on order for domestic use, the intention being to get rid of the landline and home broadband.

I know there are a few related threads, from others considering doing the same but don't want to jump all-over their threads.

Quite simply, what's the cheapest / best value unlimited data SIM deal at the moment that uses the Vodafone, EE or O2 networks. (Not 3 Mobile or one of the many other MVNOs that use 3 Mobile as I get a very poor signal with them at my location).

Best I've found is the Lebara Unlimited deal at £25 per month (discounted to £12.50 for first 3 months) which uses the Vodafone network on a rolling 1 month contract. Allows (restricted) roaming too which is useful when I transfer the setup to the van when we're abroad).

Is there a better/ cheaper alternative? Maybe through a reseller, or using cashback deals?

Any suggestions gratefully received.
Thanks,
Barti Ddu.

 

[Lusky]

I too am interested in doing this, if anyone has an input ?
……

 

[donkey]

I use a Tesco (O2) unlimited. If you are a Tesco Clubcard holder it is £17 per month. Had it if full use for a while and used about 2000GB without any issues.

Geoff

 

[Red Sonja]

Smarty £20 a month unlimited. Allows 12 gig roaming and ability to buy more.

 

[Barti Ddu]

I use a Tesco (O2) unlimited. If you are a Tesco Clubcard holder it is £17 per month. Had it if full use for a while and used about 2000GB without any issues.

Geoff

Sounds interesting. However, looking at the T&CS it specifically says that it has to be used in a mobile device and not for home broadband. Not sure how they can tell though as tethering is permitted.

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[Barti Ddu]

Smarty £20 a month unlimited. Allows 12 gig roaming and ability to buy more.

Unfortunately Smarty uses the 3 Mobile network which is no good in my location.

 

[SSILVO]

I've a Teltonika RUT240 4G router on order for domestic use, the intention being to get rid of the landline and home broadband.

I know there are a few related threads, from others considering doing the same but don't want to jump all-over their threads.

Quite simply, what's the cheapest / best value unlimited data SIM deal at the moment that uses the Vodafone, EE or O2 networks. (Not 3 Mobile or one of the many other MVNOs that use 3 Mobile as I get a very poor signal with them at my location).

Best I've found is the Lebara Unlimited deal at £25 per month (discounted to £12.50 for first 3 months) which uses the Vodafone network on a rolling 1 month contract. Allows (restricted) roaming too which is useful when I transfer the setup to the van when we're abroad).

Is there a better/ cheaper alternative? Maybe through a reseller, or using cashback deals?

Any suggestions gratefully received.
Thanks,
Barti Ddu.

The lebara deal restricts you to 30 gb on roaming ...so having the unlimited deal is OK if staying in the UK.

 

[Minxy]

Have a shuftie at HotUKdeals as people post info on there about the latest offerings.

 

[Carpmart]

It’s not quite as simple as just the cheapest unlimited deal I’m afraid. The battle ground for the operators and MVNO’s is on handset tariffing not broadband using 4G as the bearer. If you want the equivalent of a broadband service, you need to pay for a broadband service and buy a data only service.

All others will have shaping and restrictions which WILL change the service you get from the optimum you COULD get with a data tariff.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

I use a Tesco (O2) unlimited. If you are a Tesco Clubcard holder it is £17 per month. Had it if full use for a while and used about 2000GB without any issues.

Geoff

Sounds interesting. However, looking at the T&CS it specifically says that it has to be used in a mobile device and not for home broadband. Not sure how they can tell though as tethering is permitted.

I tried Tesco Sim in my Huawei Mifi router. Lot of faffing to get it to work, which it did for a day and then whatever I tried it wouldn't go. Eventually someone sensible at Tesco mobile said "it works for some, not for others". Fundamentally Tesco have that in their T&Cs to protect themselves as I was advised they test and check their Sims for mobile phones, but don't test routers.

I'm now using Smarty, but note that isn't suited to the OP.

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[Barti Ddu]

Have a shuftie at HotUKdeals as people post info on there about the latest offerings.

Thanks Mel. I'll have a look. I'd forgotten that HUKD was still going.

 

[Lenny HB]

Sounds interesting. However, looking at the T&CS it specifically says that it has to be used in a mobile device and not for home broadband. Not sure how they can tell though as tethering is permitted.

You will probably find it will work OK in a Mifi but not a proper router.

 

[Barti Ddu]

It’s not quite as simple as just the cheapest unlimited deal I’m afraid. The battle ground for the operators and MVNO’s is on handset tariffing not broadband using 4G as the bearer. If you want the equivalent of a broadband service, you need to pay for a broadband service and buy a data only service.

All others will have shaping and restrictions which WILL change the service you get from the optimum you COULD get with a data tariff.

Hello Harvey.

That's interesting. I knew that some of the cheapest MVNOs throttled back the throughput but hadn't realised it would be the case for all non-data-only SIMs used in a MIFI or 4G router. In practice, what is the likely effect? Will there be significant buffering on iPlayer and Netflix for example? We've used the 1p Lebara SIM deals in a portable TP Link MIFI and been happy with the results both in the UK and in France/ Spain.

I suppose the benefit of being on a rolling one month deal is that we can experiment a bit to start with, without committing to a long term contract.

Thanks.

 

[donkey]

I tried Tesco Sim in my Huawei Mifi router. Lot of faffing to get it to work, which it did for a day and then whatever I tried it wouldn't go. Eventually someone sensible at Tesco mobile said "it works for some, not for others". Fundamentally Tesco have that in their T&Cs to protect themselves as I was advised they test and check their Sims for mobile phones, but don't test routers.

I'm now using Smarty, but note that isn't suited to the OP.

The Tesco works just fine for me in my TP Link MR600 router.

When I carried out performance tests on various sims, EE was the best and 3 was the worse. EE is too expensive. 3 is cheap but poor coverage.

Geoff

 

[Carpmart]

Hello Harvey.

That's interesting. I knew that some of the cheapest MVNOs throttled back the throughput but hadn't realised it would be the case for all non-data-only SIMs used in a MIFI or 4G router. In practice, what is the likely effect? Will there be significant buffering on iPlayer and Netflix for example? We've used the 1p Lebara SIM deals in a portable TP Link MIFI and been happy with the results both in the UK and in France/ Spain.

I suppose the benefit of being on a rolling one month deal is that we can experiment a bit to start with, without committing to a long term contract.

Thanks.

It’s not as binary or predictable as that I’m afraid. There are complex algorithms that determine the service each subscriber gets in each cell at any particular moment, depending on many things like number of concurrent users, type of data being consumed, priority of each subscriber, roaming or host network subscriber etc etc

If you need guaranteed high bandwidth data to simulate a fixed broadband or fibre connection, you really need a data sim not a mobile one!

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