3 MIFI activation

[stevec]

I have a fresh 3 Mifi SIM (for Huawei E586) which I want to activate ready for our trip to France this week. I've used one before but can't quite remember the proceedure. My Mifi unit is remembering the last SIM data details which do not seem to update when I put in the new SIM. It is telling me that I have used 900 MB and have 100MB left (it was a 1GB Sim). Will this update to show me that I have 3GB available or do I need to register the SIm online somewhere?

 

[bjandlin]

Hope you don't mind if I jump in as well.
I'm in the same boat, have had a look at vodafone & 3 sites but had no joy.
Thanks.
Barrie.

 

[DBK]

I don't think the MiFi remembers anything, it is your account it should be accessing. Have you logged into the My3 section of the Three website? There is something on the site about activating sims and you will also need to register a bank card.

Hang on, just found it: http://www.three.co.uk/Support/SIM_activation

 

[DonA4000]

You only have to make sure your mifi has the data roaming turned on before you go and the sim automatically does the rest

http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI...nternetapps,varset_subcat=3582,Case=obj(3820)

 

[Camdoon]

The Mifi monitors the amount of data it has transferred not the amount for the specific sim. As stated you can obtain the accurate figure from your 3 account if you want or reset the Mifi fo 0 to save data logging in to 3. The Huwaei app is the best way of managing the Mifi. You only need to register a credit card if you feel you are going to run out of data, in many cases it makes more sense to buy and register a second sim or visit a McDonald's.

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

 

[Mike4727]

My understanding of the 3 network data cards that can be used in various EU countries is that they have to be used first in UK prior to use anywhere else, we are leaving Bulgaria in May for a few months touring in Europe and UK and my plan is to get the 12gb - 12mth card purchased for me in UK, initiated there and then posted to me here in BG so that I can start using it once we land in Italy from Greece, Bulgaria and Greece not currently covered on the 3 at home thingy. Question is - are these data sims locked in any way to the device that is first used to " initiate " them or can they be used in various devices. I already have a Hauwei mifi that is unlocked and currently working well with my BG provider, hoping to change to the 3 network sim in Italy, any views on this plan please. Thanks.

 

[Boringfrog]

A friend here in Spain just inserted a brand new 1GB sim into his MIFI. Never registered or previously initiated.

 

[spitfire]

Can I hijack too please. My daughter is coming over from Oz for 3 weeks this summer and I said i would try to source a sim for her I Phone that she could use Europe wide. Had no luck searching the net so far and the french providers only do sims which work in France . Or not actually be are prohibitively expensive when used in other countries.

Anyone got a good suggestion ?

 

[Mike4727]

A friend here in Spain just inserted a brand new 1GB sim into his MIFI. Never registered or previously initiated.

Thanks for that, I have heard others say the same with 1GB cards but wanted to feel a bit safer about the 12GB being opened in UK and then used abroad in another device.

 

[Minxy]

AFAIK the sim, even once activated, isn't linked to any specific mifi and can be moved from one mifi/tablet to another.

Its just the roaming that I believe needs to be turned on before you leave the UK.

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

 

[TheCaller]

Question is - are these data sims locked in any way to the device that is first used to " initiate " them or can they be used in various devices.

I have a 3 SIM that has been in three different devices so far - several times in each.

AFAIK, the only swapping that you are not supposed to do is to put a phone SIM in a mifi (or similar) or a mifi SIM in a phone.

Out of interest - what type of SIM should you use in these phablet devices, which are phones & tablets combined? Presumably a phone SIM with a very good data allowance?

 

[TheCaller]

I don't think the MiFi remembers anything, it is your account it should be accessing. Have you logged into the My3 section of the Three website? There is something on the site about activating sims and you will also need to register a bank card.

Hang on, just found it: http://www.three.co.uk/Support/SIM_activation

That seems to be about linking a new SIM to an existing account. That would be important if it was a phone account with a number that you wanted to keep, but do people bother with that with a new data SIM? The phone number is pretty much irrelevant unless you want to receive texts with it. On the few occasions that I've changed to a new SIM I've treated it as a new account.

I've been using the same PAYG SIM for several years now, so not swapped lately, but I'm just about to because I ordered one of those 12GB 12 month SIM cards for £30. You need a new card to get that 200MB free per month offer too, which could be handy when I'm only doing an occasional day trip in a given month.

 

[Minxy]

Out of interest - what type of SIM should you use in these phablet devices, which are phones & tablets combined? Presumably a phone SIM with a very good data allowance?

You can use either a phone sim OR a data sim in phablets as they are able to do both tasks, we've used both in our phablet without a problem.

 

[DBK]

That seems to be about linking a new SIM to an existing account. That would be important if it was a phone account with a number that you wanted to keep, but do people bother with that with a new data SIM? The phone number is pretty much irrelevant unless you want to receive texts with it. On the few occasions that I've changed to a new SIM I've treated it as a new account.

I've been using the same PAYG SIM for several years now, so not swapped lately, but I'm just about to because I ordered one of those 12GB 12 month SIM cards for £30. You need a new card to get that 200MB free per month offer too, which could be handy when I'm only doing an occasional day trip in a given month.

I only know when I bought a new PAYG data sim I had to go online to register and activate it even though it was pre-loaded with data. You couldn't just stuff it in the MiFi and expect it to work although it is possible it can be activated by SMS through the MiFi but I used the Internet.

 

[Minxy]

When we got our 12gb sim recently I just stuck it in the MIFI and it worked straight away, no need to set up on line at all.

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

 

[TheCaller]

When we got our 12gb sim recently I just stuck it in the MIFI and it worked straight away, no need to set up on line at all.

So who is going to be brave & wait until they are in a Feel at Home country before they try the same thing?

 

[Tweedie]

Dumb question how do you make sure roaming is activated, I have only used mine in the UK so far and have just bunged it into mifi and it has worked so don't know about how to access settings on the mifi

 

[Boringfrog]

Its just the roaming that I believe needs to be turned on before you leave the UK.

How do you explain my friends sim working in Spain straight out the packet?

 

[Boringfrog]

Dumb question how do you make sure roaming is activated, I have only used mine in the UK so far and have just bunged it into mifi and it has worked so don't know about how to access settings on the mifi

No settings on mine for roaming, comes up automatically. Huawei E589. See image.

 

[Boringfrog]

So who is going to be brave & wait until they are in a Feel at Home country before they try the same thing?

This is the answer I got from 3.

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

 

[DBK]

I think the only thing I am sure about in all this is every Three sim card seems to be different! What I do know is if you set up a Three account you can go on that and very easily change things like receiving data abroad or just in the UK.

Having looked at the leaflet from a new sim card I've just bought it is described as Ready-to-Go and the instructions do tell you to just fit it to the device and use it, as it already has data included. So I assume if it says Ready-to-Go it is just that, if it doesn't you will need to log in if only to top it up. But whether it will work outside the UK is another matter.

I think if you have the opportunity to try it before leaving the UK it would give some peace of mind. I had real problems getting a card associated to my account for top ups and had to ring them in the end as I couldn't do it on line at the time despite their website saying I could.

 

[TheCaller]

I think if you have the opportunity to try it before leaving the UK it would give some peace of mind. I had real problems getting a card associated to my account for top ups and had to ring them in the end as I couldn't do it on line at the time despite their website saying I could.

This is the problem with 3. Their coverage is good & they have some good deals, but in common with several other companies, their customer support varies from occasionally excellent to usually dire. The facilities offered via their website frequently don't work as they should. You get a different answer from every customer service rep you speak to. I was told outright lies in one 3 shop - I pretty sure it wasn't down to ignorance & lack of product knowledge, which would have been bad enough in itself.