Tesco PAYG sim in ZTE router - does it work in EU?

[Kups]

Looking at my options for UK wifi sim cards in the EU this winter.
I currently use a POPIT sim but this is limited to 25Gb roaming limit.

One workaround seems to be to buy a Tesco PAYG 50Gb or 100Gb sim and just use it for the two or three months in the EU. This is their "Rocket Pack" and at £20 and £30 per month it seems a good option.
Tesco advertise no roaming charges until 2026 and that you can use 100% of the data on the sim in their "Home from Home" scheme.
The monthly pack expires automatically so I can basically junk the sim on return.

My router is a ZTE MU5001.
The APN settings for this PAYG sim seem OK, they are:
APN: prepay.tesco-mobile.com
Username: tescowap
Password: password

So it seems to be a viable option to get 50/100GB data use in the EU.

Anyone tried this - does it work?

 

[Googlebot]

Looking at my options for UK wifi sim cards in the EU this winter.
I currently use a POPIT sim but this is limited to 25Gb roaming limit.

One workaround seems to be to buy a Tesco PAYG 50Gb or 100Gb sim and just use it for the two or three months in the EU. This is their "Rocket Pack" and at £20 and £30 per month it seems a good option.
Tesco advertise no roaming charges until 2026 and that you can use 100% of the data on the sim in their "Home from Home" scheme.
The monthly pack expires automatically so I can basically junk the sim on return.

My router is a ZTE MU5001.
The APN settings for this PAYG sim seem OK, they are:
APN: prepay.tesco-mobile.com
Username: tescowap
Password: password

So it seems to be a viable option to get 50/100GB data use in the EU.

Anyone tried this - does it work?

I use a Tesco unlimited SIM in all our phones and a Teltonika RUT950 for WIFI.

It worked faultlessly in France in August, used over 200GB on the WIFI, no issue.

 

[CAB96]

Check that it works in the router in the UK first.

Tesco Sims seem to be hit and miss in routers, according to everything I have read here.

 

[125BEER]

Only 2 months abroad then resets when back in UK.
I Will update if this actually happens as we are away upto 90 days.

Yamas

 

[Kups]

Check that it works in the router in the UK first.

Tesco Sims seem to be hit and miss in routers, according to everything I have read here.

Thanks, will do. I've always got Popit sim as a back up and my Starlink kit for long stay.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Kups]

Only 2 months abroad then resets when back in UK.
I Will update if this actually happens as we are away upto 90 days.

Yamas

Can you clarify - is this in the Tesco Mobile T&Cs?

 

[Broadway]

Looking at my options for UK wifi sim cards in the EU this winter.
I currently use a POPIT sim but this is limited to 25Gb roaming limit.

One workaround seems to be to buy a Tesco PAYG 50Gb or 100Gb sim and just use it for the two or three months in the EU. This is their "Rocket Pack" and at £20 and £30 per month it seems a good option.
Tesco advertise no roaming charges until 2026 and that you can use 100% of the data on the sim in their "Home from Home" scheme.
The monthly pack expires automatically so I can basically junk the sim on return.

My router is a ZTE MU5001.
The APN settings for this PAYG sim seem OK, they are:
APN: prepay.tesco-mobile.com
Username: tescowap
Password: password

So it seems to be a viable option to get 50/100GB data use in the EU.

Anyone tried this - does it work?

I’ve just done exactly that and it’s working perfectly in France. You do need to put the sim in a phone first to activate it. And if you want to use the Tesco mobile app load it in the phone first as it sends a text to activate the app. No good if you’ve already put it in the router!!

 

[125BEER]

Can you clarify - is this in the Tesco Mobile T&Cs?

Yes........

 

[Ingwe]

I’ve just done exactly that and it’s working perfectly in France. You do need to put the sim in a phone first to activate it. And if you want to use the Tesco mobile app load it in the phone first as it sends a text to activate the app. No good if you’ve already put it in the router!!

I’d appreciate some help with this Tesco sim. If one needs to put it in a phone to activate it, once activated, is it just a matter of taking the sim put of the phone and into the router? I don’t want to transfer my phone to Tesco, in fact, I don’t want to use the sim in my phone at all.

I have a new Huawei router arriving today. Any guidance most welcome.

 

[Broadway]

I’d appreciate some help with this Tesco sim. If one needs to put it in a phone to activate it, once activated, is it just a matter of taking the sim put of the phone and into the router? I don’t want to transfer my phone to Tesco, in fact, I don’t want to use the sim in my phone at all.

I have a new Huawei router arriving today. Any guidance most welcome.

Yes that’s what I did, activated it, took it out of the phone and put it in the router. Worked fine.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[chrisandbev]

i would like to know if it works in a huawei as well, i am paying for smarty at £20 per month and am not sure if it works abroard.

 

[Ingwe]

Yes that’s what I did, activated it, took it out of the phone and put it in the router. Worked fine.

Thank you. Can I ask how you activated the sim in the phone. By calling or sending a message? What I really want to avoid transferring my mobile phone number and account to Tesco just so I can use the data only sim for internet access.

 

[Broadway]

Thank you. Can I ask how you activated the sim in the phone. By calling or sending a message? What I really want to avoid transferring my mobile phone number and account to Tesco just so I can use the data only sim for internet access.

To activate you just need to insert it into your phone and make a call to any number. I called my partners mobile number, that makes it become “live”. Then take it out and put in the router.

 

[Broadway]

i would like to know if it works in a huawei as well, i am paying for smarty at £20 per month and am not sure if it works abroard.

If you mean a Huawei mi fi, I’ve used other SIM cards in one but not Tescos. I see no reason why it wouldn’t work though.

 

[Rogerwyn]

Smarty work good abroad been using abroad for a few years but their fair use is 12gb,
Could not get my Tesco sim to work in our HUAWEI router.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Ingwe]

Our old Huawei mifi has worked very well with Orange, Lebara, Lobster, Nos, Virgin, Popit, Superdrug, Free (possibly others now forgotten) so fingers crossed for the new Huawei.

 

[Ingwe]

Yes that’s what I did, activated it, took it out of the phone and put it in the router. Worked fine.

Thank you. However, when I read the Rocket Pack instructions it seems that you need to move your number to another network etc.

As we want to use the Tesco sim only in the router, I don’t wish to change my number away from my O2 network. Do you know whether it will work just putting it in the phone and then buying the Rocket pack?

 

[treblid]

The Tesco SIM will come with its own new number. You don't need to change it to activate it or use in a router.

 

[Broadway]

My experience is as treblid states.

 

[stevewagner]

You may need to switch European roaming on in the router

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ChrisL]

Can you clarify - is this in the Tesco Mobile T&Cs?

Two months in every four, however myself and some others have had three moths without issues, but it must be used in the uk as well.