MiFi sim providers. Which one then?

davidathomas42

davidathomas42

Joined
Nov 3, 2016
Posts
881
Likes collected
1,683
Location
Derbyshire, UK
Funster No
45,901
MH
Bailey Autograph
Exp
Since 2016
So Monday my dealer is fitting me a MiFi system (roof mounted arial type) This despite a few on going Warranty items meaning I cant really use the van that well at the moment (see my Truma thread)

Forget the make. Think I have a flyer kicking around somewhere ill post up if I find it. Its £399 fitted.

Now i'm assuming it wont come with a sim card. Ill have to grab one to throw it in.

So who's offering good deals? Do I need a MiFi specific one? I know usage is subjective. Ill plan to watch a lot of Netflix and Youtube on it and generally have it playing away in the background constantly so could do with a lot of data.

Anyone 🤷‍♂️
 
Virtually all phone sims can now be used in a MIFI so look at them to see what suits.
 
If you plan to restrict your travels to the UK then the cheapest unlimited data SIM should do.

If, however, you plan to cross the water then things are a little more difficult due to data capping. In this case, you may need to consider using it in conjunction with your phone SIM(s) to get a worthwhile monthly data amount.

Ian
 
Make sure you know what size SIM the mifi takes. Some take the large full-size SIM, but some SIMs only come in one size, you have to choose when you order it. I know some SIMs are multi-size press-out types, but some arn't.
 
bigtwin said:
If you plan to restrict your travels to the UK then the cheapest unlimited data SIM should do.

If, however, you plan to cross the water then things are a little more difficult due to data capping. In this case, you may need to consider using it in conjunction with your phone SIM(s) to get a worthwhile monthly data amount.

Ian
Click to expand...
True, originally my hubby had an unlimited Three sim costing £15 pcm and I had a PAYG one as I just tethered to his when I wanted to go on the internet which worked okay except when he wanted to go shopping etc and I was at home so he took my phone and I kept his as I used the 'quiet' time to do stuff on the internet (emails, tax returns etc), but it was a nuisance. Also sometimes the signal wasn't great if he was in the study with his phone and I was in the bedroom.

Last time we both got our own contracts at a cost of £8 each pcm (after cashback) with unlimited calls & texts and 100gb data pcm, so for £1 extra we get more data than we'll ever use, don't have to mess about swapping phones and also double the roaming allowance.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
For our last trip we used a Superdrug sim unlimited data even when roaming. £20 a month but you can turn the auto renew off on your account and just pay for the months you use it.
Only downside is it uses the 3 network.
 
Lenny HB said:
For our last trip we used a Superdrug sim unlimited data even when roaming. £20 a month but you can turn the auto renew off on your account and just pay for the months you use it.
Only downside is it uses the 3 network.
Click to expand...
Weve used Smarty ( 3 network) for a long time now , but on recent trips , all UK , over say the last 6 months , have found the signal to be getting increasingly more difficult to find and maintain , and that includes at home. In fairness we tend to end up in some reasonably remote spots , but last trip over Christmas and new year was fairly urban locations and signal was poor to nil in more than a few stopovers.

Looking around for decent sim only deals , Have come across some with Lycamobile ( O2 network) . Example on what looks to be rolling 30 day terms ... unlimited data sim , minutes and texts// for new customers // for 6 months at £12.50 month . Possibly going to give them a try .Never used O2 network before so really no idea how it will go......... https://www.lycamobile.co.uk/
 
Last edited:
tomm said:
Weve used Smarty ( 3 network) for a long time now , but on recent trips , all UK , over say the last 6 months , have found the signal to be getting increasingly more difficult to find and maintain , and that includes at home. In fairness we tend to end up in some reasonably remote spots ,
Click to expand...
I find when roaming with a Sim on 3 always best not to use their preferred network, even when you are on a faster network it is still throttled.
6½ weeks in France & Spain last Oct/Sept only had one place where the signal wasn't fast enough for streaming.
We are often in remote spots but do have a roof mounted Poynting MIMO aerial.
Worth risking the Superdrug one on 3 for the unlimited roaming data in the 6½ weeks we used 110gb and didn't have the TV on every night.
 
Thanks. It sounds like 3 are the best ones price wise for unlimited.

The dealer called me this morning to cancel the fitting tomorrow though. He wants to do it once he has spoken to Truma about the heater thats kaput.

Ive got that and a gearbox issue (semi auto Ducato one) it is jumping out of gear when accelerating hard and up steep hills. Doesn't miss a beat if your driving steady so I assume its a sensor.

Also the glow plugs need replacing which were also failed on delivery :swear: (could be linked to the gearbox issue too apparently)

It feels like a long list of faults but I suppose it's not really. It's just taking too long to sort and I am off work loads this time of year so just want to be away in the van having little exploring trips. Im just stuck to places with EHU is the only real issue so I can run a fan heater to be warm. The other issues I can work around but shouldn't have to.
 
@ Minxy
Thanks for that, the difficult part will be trying to insert the sim and get the damn thing to work as computa tec thingy isn't my forty :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
Interesting about personal hotspots. In the small print it says:

The offer is for non-commercial, private, personal use only – Lycamobile reserves the right to withdraw or suspend the offer or to disconnect you if we suspect that offer is being used for commercial purposes, for conferencing, or if it is not being used in a handset (in a SIM box for example), if it is being used for tethering.

It's a bit confusing! I thought tethering was a personal hotspot! I must be bored this evening.
 
O2 (who lycamobile run on) have in their small print that their phone Sims cannot be used in mifi's or routers, if you do you will be cut off. You can tether to your phone no problem.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Bolti said:
O2 (who lycamobile run on) have in their small print that their phone Sims cannot be used in mifi's or routers, if you do you will be cut off. You can tether to your phone no problem.
Click to expand...
Remarkable that they could know
 
I was talking to a salesman in a 02 shop last week. I usually use a mifi in France and he said that while Virgin and 02 DON'T have roaming charges on their phones in the EU he is pretty sure that the data only sims in MIFIs WILL be subject to the £2 a day roaming charge.
 
We initially used Smarty sims but discovered that in the EU they are restricted to 12mb!!
 
PeterE1947 said:
We initially used Smarty sims but discovered that in the EU they are restricted to 12mb!!
Click to expand...
I’m using an unlimited in the UK Smarty sim for £14 a month thanks to Martins money tips, up to now it’s more or less perfect apart from 2 places, Bridlington & York.
When we go abroad my 2 Vodaphone phone contracts have no roaming charges and 25gb a month so i’ll play it by ear and purchase a local sim if needed.

Speaking of Vodaphone, i’m not impressed with their coverage a lately, at home we always had full 4 bars on our iphones and atm have 1 bar, it’s crap tbh 😟
 
Figaro said:
Remarkable that they could know
Click to expand...
They certainly do & can. Here many providers vodaphone & movistar being 2 , use a different sim if you want to use it in a router. I asked at Digi about using there unlimited one in a router & was told no.
Another thing they can do, certainly the wifi providers via satellite, is throttle streaming speeds whilst maintaining speeds to phone lap top , computer, etc as long as they aren't being used for streaming & all at the same location.
 
I was tempted by the 3 (Three) 24g preloaded sim card. The small print revealed that only 12g can be used overseas and it isn't clear if the £2 overseas charge is a feature as well. I asked 3 for a call back, annoyingly I was driving when they rang, so it is no clearer for me.

I just don't want to get stung for the £2 day roaming charge.
 
autorouter said:
Make sure you know what size SIM the mifi takes. Some take the large full-size SIM, but some SIMs only come in one size, you have to choose when you order it. I know some SIMs are multi-size press-out types, but some arn't.
Click to expand...
You can get adapter’s off of eBay for £1 with “free” postage if you need to swap sim’s around
 
DumfriesDik said:
I was tempted by the 3 (Three) 24g preloaded sim card. The small print revealed that only 12g can be used overseas and it isn't clear if the £2 overseas charge is a feature as well. I asked 3 for a call back, annoyingly I was driving when they rang, so it is no clearer for me.

I just don't want to get stung for the £2 day roaming charge.
Click to expand...
I assume you mean only 12gb per month, so you could use it all abroad but not 24gb in the same month.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Minxy said:
I assume you mean only 12gb per month, so you could use it all abroad but not 24gb in the same month.
Click to expand...
Ah no, sorry, I am not clear. It is a preloaded sim with 24g on it an lasts for 24 months, if it is not all used up by then, well, it is expired.

It fits the bill perfectly if you only use it in the UK, but reading the small print, you can use 12g of it overseas. And I am a bit confused if it attracts the £2 overseas charge and it is slowly becoming a non-starter. You can buy them for £45 on eBay etc..

Imagine using just a bit of data in Europe every day for 24 months (I know that is not possible, 90/180) but if you did then you would be charged around £1440!! Even for just two months the charge would be £120!!

But because there is no contract, I don't know if this is true. And the small print just doesn't make it clear.
 
And sods law again - my mobile and house phone rang at the same time, exactly the same spookingly time. Mobile was Three calling me and the house phone was NHS about my booster. I hung up on Three of course.

So that is twice now I have missed Three, it's like I am destined never to find out the answer about overseas daily charge. Ah well.
 
Can you post a link to the small print about the abroad limit please so I can have a shuftie - I don't think you can be charged a daily rate as from memory you don't have to register to use the SIM with it being a preloaded one.
 
Three Go Roam T&C's

I think, assume, you are right about preloaded sim cards. The fair usage in Europe mentions the data cap.
 
I have ordered a 12g card for £32 which lasts for 12 months. Bought it via eBay and I will try it in a couple of weeks.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top