RWG MOBILE DATA GOING?

[Geek]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and replies. My Three SIM shows the same signal strength as my EE one, so I'm free! Can't see a data-only SIM on the iD website. Have they ever called out anyone for use in a router? I'm looking at you here jeffmossy and sandya

If you are OK with Three, look on Amazon for scancom Three data sims. 350GB per month for 30 months (yup, two and a half years) for a single payment of £70.

 

[Frogman]

Sorry but was £9.90 pm

Did you use it in a phone? I've seen their T&Cs specifically ban use in a router, which is what I need.

 

[Frogman]

If you are OK with Three, look on Amazon for scancom Three data sims. 350GB per month for 30 months (yup, two and a half years) for a single payment of £70.

Scancom unfortunately are UK only, and I'm looking for EU use too.

 

[Frogman]

I think I just found the answer I was looking for: it's in Ken's Top Tips!

"Prior to 2018, the terms and conditions on many mobile phone SIM cards would prevent you from using the SIM card in devices other than a mobile phone. However, this changed in 2018 as Ofcom ruled that this was a breach of net neutrality as defined in the Open Internet Access Regulation:

The EU Open Internet Access Regulation, among other things, enshrines ISP customers’ fundamental right to access the content and information, to use the applications and services, and to use the terminal equipment of their choice through their internet access service through their internet access service. ISPs may enter into agreements with their customers on the commercial and technical conditions of the service, but in doing so they cannot limit customers’ core rights.

In particular, Ofcom took issue with a mobile network that “imposed restrictions on the devices in which a SIM can be used – e.g. where a SIM purchased for a mobile phone cannot be used in a tablet”.

Since the Ofcom ruling was published in 2018, most restrictions stopping you from using a smartphone SIM card in other types of device have been removed. You can therefore now use a regular mobile phone SIM card in other types of device such as a tablet or mobile broadband dongle.

If you’re using an unlimited data plan, some mobile networks impose a limit on the number of tethered devices. In addition, some UK networks prohibit the use of their SIM cards in a 4G home broadband router."

So it's back to scrutinising the T&C's!

 

[Geek]

Scancom unfortunately are UK only, and I'm looking for EU use too.

Ah, good point. The problem with EU roaming is that most of the deals limit it dramatically. Bloody Brexxx

 

[TJBi]

In the UK, I use a Smarty voice + data SIM in my Teltonika 4G router in the motorhome; I also use a Smarty voice + data SIM in my 5G home broadband router. I adjust the plans as and when required, pausing the motorhome one if not using the motorhome for a few months, increasing and reducing data bundles according to whether I'm mainly at home (data still used by smart devices when I'm away) or in the motorhome. When in France, I use a Réglo Mobile SIM in a MiFi unit (as problems encountered some years ago when I tried one in the router).

 

[Frogman]

I've cracked it! Got an iD SIM with 40GB at home and 30GB EU roaming for £7 a month. As before, I'll keep an EE 120GB (lasts a year) SIM as a standby in the second slot for an alternative signal when 3mobile doesn't show, or when I've used the iD monthly allowance. All set! Furthermore the iD app is excellent, and shows data use up front, but for EE I have to use a computer: their app is hopeless.

Thanks again to everyone who offered suggestions and advice: it all helped me come to a workable conclusion. Fingers crossed for when roaming is needed!

 

[bjh]

A few months ago Moneysaving expert had an offer on Lebara phone sim. 30Gb/month for £1.00 per month for 8 months and then (from memory so could be wrong) £3.99. Put it in my Max View router and its worked fine since. Can they tell if its being used as a data sim? Only one local place in Ireland where we could not get good reception.

 

[GeoffL]

Can they tell if its being used as a data sim?

I suspect that no voice or SMS traffic would be at least a massive clue! However, you should probably check the T&Cs for your SIM: if it doesn't say that you can't use it for data only and doesn't say you can't use it in a mifi device, then you're probably OK!
That said, I have a 'normal' SIM from Lyca in my mifi router -- 90GB/£10 per month on a 12 month contract. This works fine for streaming with my Fire TV stick and for general Internet access, but is sketchy at best with the VPN I use to access my home network and I need to switch on the mobile hotspot on my phone for that while the same device with a Smarty SIM worked fine...

 

[Geek]

Thanks, but been there, done that! Produces not a single data-only result, and all the T&C's state not for routers, only dongles, tablets etc. Though how they can tell, I don't know. Seldom have 2 devices online at the same time!

Networks get a small amount of revenue from each incoming call from a different network, which is why data only is not offered much.

OFCOM rules specifically ban networks from preventing use in routers.

So the networks rely on giving an impression that it's not allowed: they can't ban it.

 

[Geek]

A few months ago Moneysaving expert had an offer on Lebara phone sim. 30Gb/month for £1.00 per month for 8 months and then (from memory so could be wrong) £3.99. Put it in my Max View router and its worked fine since. Can they tell if its being used as a data sim? Only one local place in Ireland where we could not get good reception.

They can tell, but they don't care.

 

[Geek]

... When in France, I use a Réglo Mobile SIM in a MiFi unit (as problems encountered some years ago when I tried one in the router).

I'm puzzled by this.
I don't see any difference between a router and a mifi.
As far as I'm concerned, a mifi is a wireless-only router.
What was the difference?

 

[GeoffL]

So the networks rely on giving an impression that it's not allowed: they can't ban it.

IME, what they do is require you to be able to at least accept SMS messages sent to the number related to the SIM. It can be tricky to impossible to do this (depending on the device) and so some cannot be used for this (although you could temporarily move the SIM to [e.g.] a phone to carry out the required SMS handling). OTOH, data-only SIMs typically don't require this (at least, that's my experience with Smarty [I originally had a 40GB/£13 per month data-only SIM but switched to a 100GB/£12 per month 'voice' SIM subsequently).

 

[Geek]

I have a few 4g and 5g routers, none of which have any problem receiving sms. You log in yo the admin page to read them. Which routers don't support this?

 

[Geek]

[I originally had a 40GB/£13 per month data-only SIM but switched to a 100GB/£12 per month 'voice' SIM subsequently).

Ouch! For 50GB per month, lasting until November 2027 (that was 28 months) I paid £39.99. That works out at £1.42 per month.

 

[GeoffL]

I have a few 4g and 5g routers, none of which have any problem receiving sms. You log in yo the admin page to read them. Which routers don't support this?

I'm not sure. However, some of the routers on the sponsored page (click -> mifi <-) might not (at least, I couldn't find out for sure either way). I have an ancient tied-to-Three mifi (so old, it's 2G/3G only) that doesn't have an admin page. You just fit a SIM, switch it on and log onto the network using the password printed on the label. That one was bought when Three first came onto the market!
I've also had issues where the only device I had with wifi was logged onto another mobile network that I was using to try to buy a topup and couldn't switch to the mifi to read the SMS without losing the transaction!

 

[Geek]

Does a tied-to-Three mifi that only does 2G and 3G even work nowadays? Three has never had 2G service, and I thought they had closed down their 3G service (despite their name)

Yup: just checked:
"We’ve now switched off our 3G network across most of the UK to give you a better experience on our 4G and 5G networks. "

 

[GeoffL]

Does a tied-to-Three mifi that only does 2G and 3G even work nowadays? Three has never had 2G service, and I thought they had closed down their 3G service (despite their name)

Most definitely now only gathering dust among a collection of old, now obsolete electronics that should probably be crushed! FWIW, the device was generic and would support 2G if unlocked ... except it was locked to Three and so has only been used to access the 3G network. Although they have phased out 3G in much of the UK, it's still very much alive and well where I live -- and thank goodness since my phone is on Three and 4G has been intermittent recently!

 

[Geek]

it's still very much alive and well where I live -- and thank goodness since my phone is on Three and 4G has been intermittent recently!

Not all that useful for a motorhome, though.
When my motorhome is where I live, it is in coverage of the household wifi signal. That's seriously fast and outperforms the mobile service.
I only really use the 4G/5G signal when the motorhome is away from home.
I'm not clear where Three 3G coverage areas are, or how big they are.
[later]
Found it: https://www.three.co.uk/support/network-and-coverage
The 3G coverage is like the very early days of Orange. Patches of signal that don't meet each other.

 

[GeoffL]

Not all that useful for a motorhome, though.
When my motorhome is where I live, it is in coverage of the household wifi signal. That's seriously fast and outperforms the mobile service.
I only really use the 4G/5G signal when the motorhome is away from home.
I'm not clear where Three 3G coverage areas are, or how big they are.
[later]
Found it: https://www.three.co.uk/support/network-and-coverage
The 3G coverage is like the very early days of Orange. Patches of signal that don't meet each other.

Patchy, maybe. However, at one campsite I'm at a few times a year, there's no 4G coverage on Three but reasonable 3G. My mifi SIM is on the EE network, which is much stronger. The EE coverage checker says "Outdoors only", but I don't seem to have issues provided I place the device inside the (GRP) overcab.