Mi-fi routers

[2cv]

I wish I understood what you are all talking about!! We go to Europe next year for the winter and I would like to be able to use the internet on my laptop but I don't understand how to. Normally we go to the nearest McDonalds and use their free wi-fi connection - Can anyone please explain in simple language for me how we can do it otherwise?, thanks Alison

Buy a mifi router eg Like these
Buy a sim either with data on it or with a contract and put it in.
Connect to the mifi as you would to your wifi at home or at McDonalds.

 

[alisonwo]

Buy a mifi router eg Like these
Buy a sim either with data on it or with a contract and put it in.
Connect to the mifi as you would to your wifi at home or at McDonalds.

Hi 2cv thank you for your help - a couple of questions. One of the tips says make sure roaming profile is on my phone, isn't that expensive to use. Also I don't have a contract but use PAYG does this create a problem. thanks Alison

 

[2cv]

Hi 2cv thank you for your help - a couple of questions. One of the tips says make sure roaming profile is on my phone, isn't that expensive to use. Also I don't have a contract but use PAYG does this create a problem. thanks Alison

Maybe This explains things in more detail.

 

[maingate]

I stated earlier in this thread that I had a 3G Huawei mifi with Three (£18/month for 15 gb). I contacted Three and now have 40gb/month for £16 with 4G (on a 24 month contract). This offer is open to new customers if anyone is interested.

 

[BarryE]

Lots of options in this area. Mifi as I know it, is just a mini wifi receiver and should work in high reception areas. I had one in a poor reception area(2 years ago) in a rural valley in Wales at a sited caravan and it was useless-Vodafone. Sent it back and then this year we emerged from Victorian times with intermittent 4G reception and I got a voda tablet (free! hA!) which now works well. I had trouble setting it up(don't we all?) and took it to t'shop who did it for me and charged me £15-straight on the blower to voda and got that back pronto! How well they work varies as to where you are on the planet. For uk there is a map of networks coverage by each manufac/provider-search for your companies version online. Some are better value than others. Me? Lifes too short to be a tight b'stard so I stick with what/who I know. I rent 2 mobiles and one tablet. I get 2gb pm and no buffers Clarabelle. Pay your money and...as they say. Wifi and data-wifi will include video and voices, data is without sound ie data/information only.

Sorry to take issue with you on tedious things like facts, but a Mi-Fi is not really a Wi-Fi receiver or relay. It's a stand-alone router which provides the facility to share an internet connection by Wi-Fi just like the one you may have at home or at work. That internet connection is enabled by connecting to a mobile phone network using a SIM card similar to the one in your mobile phone. You may find our introductory document (attached) to be informative.

 

[BarryE]

Buy a mifi router eg Like these
Buy a sim either with data on it or with a contract and put it in.
Connect to the mifi as you would to your wifi at home or at McDonalds.

Mi-fi routers

so how do these work.
are they any different to data on mobile.
i have 4 gb a month which is plenty but I find internet often slow and radio buffers a lot.
would one of these with a data only SIM card be any different?
mike

Take a look here. . .

 

[Minisorella]

I wish I understood what you are all talking about!! We go to Europe next year for the winter and I would like to be able to use the internet on my laptop but I don't understand how to. Normally we go to the nearest McDonalds and use their free wi-fi connection - Can anyone please explain in simple language for me how we can do it otherwise?, thanks Alison

Hi Alison
Apart from free wifi in various places or using your phone for the internet, the easiest way to (almost) guarantee you can get online is to get yourself a Mifi gizmo. You put a sim inside the mifi and it connects to the internet in the same way a phone does - 3G or 4G mobile data connection. Then the mifi unit shares that connection by transmitting a wifi signal that you can connect to on your laptop... basically you create the equivalent of your own McDonalds wifi hotspot. I say 'almost' because you can never really guarantee a mobile signal on a phone absolutely everywhere and these work in the same way... they are very good though, in my experience.

This is a typical example of a mifi unit... a fast 4G one will cost around £50, whereas the slower 3G ones are in the £20 bracket.


They're only about 3 inches long, come in black or white, have a rechargeable battery (can charge on 12v via usb) and a password, so other people can't jump on your internet.

If you do get a mifi unit, next you'll need a data sim to go inside it. You can either buy a pay-as-you-go data sim that has umpteen GB of data allowance on it or you can sign up for or buy a monthly allowance deal with any mobile network. I tend to use the PAYG "Internet with legs" data sim from 3. They come with either 12GB of data that will be valid for up to a year (depending how quickly you use the 12GB) or 24GB of data, valid for up to 2 years. If you think you'll need more than 12GB for your trip, then I'd buy 2 x 12GB in case you use loads in one month and exceed 3's 12GB montly limit for overseas use... I did! If you don't think you'll use anything like that amount in a month, then you'd be safe with a 24GB or a 12GB might serve. A 24GB sim works out cheaper than 2 x 12GB (roughly £45 as opposed to 2 x £27). I got a good signal in most countries with my 3 sim on my recent 7-week trip around Europe.

I won't go into any more options at the mo... if you really don't understand this stuff, then that's enough to digest. There are lots of other options for getting your laptop on the internet and I'm sure others will explain those at some point. Good luck!

 

[Deleted member 11]

Hi Alison
Apart from free wifi in various places or using your phone for the internet, the easiest way to (almost) guarantee you can get online is to get yourself a Mifi gizmo. You put a sim inside the mifi and it connects to the internet in the same way a phone does - 3G or 4G mobile data connection. Then the mifi unit shares that connection by transmitting a wifi signal that you can connect to on your laptop... basically you create the equivalent of your own McDonalds wifi hotspot. I say 'almost' because you can never really guarantee a mobile signal on a phone absolutely everywhere and these work in the same way... they are very good though, in my experience.

This is a typical example of a mifi unit... a fast 4G one will cost around £50, whereas the slower 3G ones are in the £20 bracket.

View attachment 38158
They're only about 3 inches long, come in black or white, have a rechargeable battery (can charge on 12v via usb) and a password, so other people can't jump on your internet.

If you do get a mifi unit, next you'll need a data sim to go inside it. You can either buy a pay-as-you-go data sim that has umpteen GB of data allowance on it or you can sign up for or buy a monthly allowance deal with any mobile network. I tend to use the PAYG "Internet with legs" data sim from 3. They come with either 12GB of data that will be valid for up to a year (depending how quickly you use the 12GB) or 24GB of data, valid for up to 2 years. If you think you'll need more than 12GB for your trip, then I'd buy 2 x 12GB in case you use loads in one month and exceed 3's 12GB montly limit for overseas use... I did! If you don't think you'll use anything like that amount in a month, then you'd be safe with a 24GB or a 12GB might serve. A 24GB sim works out cheaper than 2 x 12GB (roughly £45 as opposed to 2 x £27). I got a good signal in most countries with my 3 sim on my recent 7-week trip around Europe.

I won't go into any more options at the mo... if you really don't understand this stuff, then that's enough to digest. There are lots of other options for getting your laptop on the internet and I'm sure others will explain those at some point. Good luck!

Very well explained, thank you

 

[linkshouse]

I'm deliberating the possible benefit of an external aerial with a MiFi unit.

At the moment I generally manage in most places by just tethering to my iPhone but sometimes find myself wandering around the van trying to find the best spot to place the phone.

I expect that having an external aerial would improve this situation but my question to those with experience is - is the likely improvement worth the expense of all the extra kit i.e. MiFi unit, aerial, extra sim card?

Oh, and if so, what aerial would you recommend?

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 2610]

We have this. It's hard wired into the hab electrics and works everywhere a phone signal is available. We've used it all through France and Spain to watch TV and get web access. It needs a 3 Internet With Legs data card. IMO far more reliable than satellite and with a Chromecast dongle we watch Amazon, Netflix and iPlayer. We also use it on the move to listen to UK radio so we don't miss Pop master.
https://www.motorhomewifi.com/product/4g-roof-antenna-b315-router-pack-3/

 

[Deleted member 1930]

For reference - we're using a Huawei 5577C, bought with an extra aerial from MotorhomeWifi, and it works very well. (when the networks aren't playing up!!)

Hi Rockburner,
What aerial did you go for, there seems to so many different ones at wildly different prices.
Regards,
Paul

 

[nabsim]

I tether to my phone when I can get a good enough signal but if it gets too low/slow I use my mifi instead. The mifi has a signal when my phone doesn’t yet both on 3 SIM cards so I would say it’s worth getting a mifi anyway.

You don’t have to get another SIM card you can use the one in your phone but it’s extra messing about and you will probably need an adaptor (the bit of the bigger SIM card you throw away once you fit your sim in your phone).

I do have a directional aerial I posted links to earlier in this thread but so far not needed it. Just put mifi up to skylight if signal not great and it’s done the trick so far

 

[Minisorella]

I've got a simple antenna that plugs into my Huawei 5577. I bought it 2nd-hand, so not sure what brand it is but it looks very similar to this one...


I've used it a handful of times when the signal has been weak and it works a treat, even if I just connect it and leave it sitting inside the van... usually because the weather's too bad to put it outside the heki! I can't find my one on Amazon but there are several very similar 4G antenna for under £20.

For anyone who doesn't have a mifi unit yet... if you're thinking about getting an antenna to go with it, you'll need to get a mifi unit with the little jackplug-type sockets to take an aerial connection. Many don't have those sockets.

 

[nabsim]

T

I've got a simple antenna that plugs into my Huawei 5577. I bought it 2nd-hand, so not sure what brand it is but it looks very similar to this one...
View attachment 38175

I've used it a handful of times when the signal has been weak and it works a treat, even if I just connect it and leave it sitting inside the van... usually because the weather's too bad to put it outside the heki! I can't find my one on Amazon but there are several very similar 4G antenna for under £20.

For anyone who doesn't have a mifi unit yet... if you're thinking about getting an antenna to go with it, you'll need to get a mifi unit with the little jackplug-type sockets to take an aerial connection. Many don't have those sockets.

hat looks like mine Jennie, can have the sucker at the bottom or on the back, comes with two and is a twin aerial (2 connections). I put the link in my earlier post think it was £14 off eBay, not a lot more if not. I have same router as you too

 

[Jeanette]

Hi Alison we’ve just come back from Scotland and I had one of these it’s on EE and we never had any problems with it we always had a signal the initial pull out was for the MiFi its self but next time we just buy a sim to put in it works out cheaper getting it for a year once you had the box!

 

[Deleted member 3048]

Upgraded my phone so now use my old samsung s8 solely just with the data sim in it. 3 have also just released all data can be used for tethering in the uk so am gonna change it to the unlimited plan, £27.00 per month.
I leave my old phone (which is now my mifi) constantly plugged in when needed and on the top shelf in my van. Never had any connection problems with 3 network. Only used it UK, but some poor areas of the valleys etc and has been ok.

 

[Rec]

We have a Huawei e5577 ( same as nabsim and minisorella) and similar aerial also. Took a data only contract for home in UK which included a router but no phone line and get 40gb month plus Netflix free data. When we travel we just take the SIM out of the router and put it in the mifi. Unfortunately in our place in central Portugal we have to use Vodafone PT as three has no signal there but we use the three when travelling to and fro. Vodafone data SIM is 30gb and you pay either 15 euros for 15 days or 30 euros for thirty days. Use the Vodafone SIM with the mifi and swap back to three when we go home.

 

[linkshouse]

I've gone with the Huawei E5785 with an external aerial and it works a treat.

I do have another question for those with a similar setup: Do you leave it permanently powered up i.e. on charge?

Thanks

Phill

 

[Rec]

I've gone with the Huawei E5785 with an external aerial and it works a treat.

I do have another question for those with a similar setup: Do you leave it permanently powered up i.e. on charge?

Thanks

Phill

Yes mostly! When travelling sometimes have to charge something else for a while but it usually has priority. I got an extra long lead so I can hang it up near the roof where we get the best signal

 

[Deleted member 3048]

me too, I keep it plugged in. I was surprised the battery didnt last longer tbh. I do switch it off when not in use, but still leaved it plugged into a usb.
I also went with the 3 offer of 27 a month with unlimited data and ption of a second sim for £9 a month for the wifes new phone, 5 gig per month unlimited texts and calls. Im yet to try and use an android box with it for streaming sky sports etc when abroad, but seems fast enough 4g.

When I dont use it in the MH, Ill take it to my static and cancel the bt broadband fixed line I have in there.