How to activate a new sim in MIFI (1 Viewer)

[LaurenceT]

Just got a new 3 sim today and I realise it's been so long I've forgotten how to activate it in the Huawei mifi, it's only for use in the UK. Be grateful for any advice.

 

[Lenny HB]

Should just work but you may need to change the APN settings.
Often best the put the sim in a phone first then once you have established it's working put it in the Mifi.

 

[MisterB]

the APN is something a lot of people forget to change (well at least i used to forget often!)

 

[Gellyneck]

Our Huawei e5577cs (and two other previous models) seems to work first time we put the sim in irrespective of network (usually 3 or EE).

 

[jongood]

Some sim cards have a pin, that you need to enter at least the first time.

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[LaurenceT]

Should just work but you may need to change the APN settings.
Often best the put the sim in a phone first then once you have established it's working put it in the Mifi.

Thanks, I just stuck mine in an old phone to get the number and it's now registered with 3 via my Ipad, I'll put it in the mifi when we get to the site.

 

[Gellyneck]

Thanks, I just stuck mine in an old phone to get the number and it's now registered with 3 via my Ipad, I'll put it in the mifi when we get to the site.

FYI I think from memory (so probably a load of guff!) you can access the Huawei mifi settings / info by tapping 192.168.8.1 into your we browser assuming it's connected to the mifi unit by wifi.

 

[LaurenceT]

After getting the sim number I thought I had registered the sim but although my phone and iPad sees the Three signal from the mifi there is no Internet. The mifi seems to show that there is network traffic.

 

[Lenny HB]

After getting the sim number I thought I had registered the sim but although my phone and iPad sees the Three signal from the mifi there is no Internet. The mifi seems to show that there is network traffic.

Have you set the correct APN?

 

[LaurenceT]

Have you set the correct APN?

What's an APN and how do I set it?
So the answer to your question is probably no

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[sciac2001]

I could only activate my Smarty sim via their website, using my normal mobile phone.
I have never got to grips with how you do it via the router itself.

 

[LaurenceT]

I could only activate my Smarty sim via their website, using my normal mobile phone.
I have never got to grips with how you do it via the router itself.

I did have a Smarty sim until last year and it worked flawlessly in France until they told me I'd used 25gb in 2 days which was obvious nonsense.

I have used a 3 sim in the past but I don't recall having a problem setting it up.

 

[sciac2001]

I did have a Smarty sim until last year and it worked flawlessly in France until they told me I'd used 25gb in 2 days which was obvious nonsense.

I have used a 3 sim in the past but I don't recall having a problem setting it up.

I’m only using my Smarty whilst in the UK and reverting to my local (Gibraltar) sim when back on the Iberian Peninsula.

 

[Lenny HB]

What's an APN and how do I set it?
So the answer to your question is probably no

In the router app go to settings then network then you will see an option for APN .

 

[ChrisL]

I believe there are two possible APN's for 3, you could try the one in the link or 3internet to see which works best in your device. If your device doesn't have some of the fields given in the link just ignore them.

Three APN Settings

My 4G LTE router (outdoor directional antenna) requires the APN settings to enable it to work with the Three SIM. Please provide thank you.

community.three.co.uk

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[starquake]

I wouldn't use 3internet, it takes a slower path on a data sim, noticably slower. This is the APN to use if you need a real IP address, which is somewhat of a unique use case these days, but as such is not really the APN for use in a data sim.

use the three.co.uk one it's at least double the speed if not more at peak times.

To configure on most devices (ZTE in particular) you need to turn the mobile data mode off on the router, then use the gui to enter the correct details, then turn it back on. If you don't do in that order it just reverts to the previous setting and doesn't change. In positive once you've done this you will have all you need ot be able to switch to a foreign sim in any country as changing APN is pretty much what you do on insertation of ANY sim card -> it can sometimes be automatic, but often gets it wrong.

(example my 3 business sim is detected as smarty by my ZTE device, and uses the smarty APN, which works but resutls in a speed cap of around 25% of the speeds possible if I had set it to the correct APN of three.co.uk as per the link above).

 

[LaurenceT]

I wouldn't use 3internet, it takes a slower path on a data sim, noticably slower. This is the APN to use if you need a real IP address, which is somewhat of a unique use case these days, but as such is not really the APN for use in a data sim.

use the three.co.uk one it's at least double the speed if not more at peak times.

To configure on most devices (ZTE in particular) you need to turn the mobile data mode off on the router, then use the gui to enter the correct details, then turn it back on. If you don't do in that order it just reverts to the previous setting and doesn't change. In positive once you've done this you will have all you need ot be able to switch to a foreign sim in any country as changing APN is pretty much what you do on insertation of ANY sim card -> it can sometimes be automatic, but often gets it wrong.

(example my 3 business sim is detected as smarty by my ZTE device, and uses the smarty APN, which works but resutls in a speed cap of around 25% of the speeds possible if I had set it to the correct APN of three.co.uk as per the link above).

I think I've changed the APN to the configuration you describe but still no joy. It's been confirmed that the sim is registered and activated so the solution must lie with the Huawei mifi.
I'll work my way through the settings later.

 

[Carpmart]

Data SIMs come with a pin you enter.

 

[starquake]

Data SIMs come with a pin you enter.

Not in my experience, and I have direct from Three (data) sims (x3), direct from EE (data sims), about 4 via scancom on EE, and 2 via scancom on Three on go at moment via my business, which supplys/fits these for a few of my customers as a service.

EE and Three sims at least in UK, I have not experienced ANY sim with a pin. They do have a default pin, but it is NOT enabled by default unless you have turned it on, similar to the state a phone sim arrives in (no pin enabled by default).

I have also got a single Vodafone sim from a few years ago I keep as a backup (as it had at time a non-expiring single data bundle on it) for use if I can't get signal on the other sims. That also came with no pin code.

I have had failed sims however in above time in a mifi, after 3 years in salt air, I have had a three sim totally give up ghost in an external antenna mifi device.

 

[Carpmart]

Well I’ve not used a UK data sim for a couple of years (now using Starlink and previously Tiekom) but all UK data sims that I received previously, always had a 4 digit pin…

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[LaurenceT]

Right, sad to say I've given up. I've been in contact with the sim vendor and Motorhome WiFi and they've both given me good advice but although I've reset the mifi to factory and the app says I'm connected it's still no go.
The ultimate knock was the app telling me that I've used quite a bit of of data so that's that. Next journey I'll buy a sim from Motorhome WiFi as they are very reliable.
Thanks for all the advice people.

 

[ChrisL]

Right, sad to say I've given up. I've been in contact with the sim vendor and Motorhome WiFi and they've both given me good advice but although I've reset the mifi to factory and the app says I'm connected it's still no go.
The ultimate knock was the app telling me that I've used quite a bit of of data so that's that. Next journey I'll buy a sim from Motorhome WiFi as they are very reliable.
Thanks for all the advice people.

Hi, my mifi is on tesco but i've taken some screen shots of the app for you to check that you've got to the right pages in the app, also have you checked that you are in a place that you can get a signal?

So the first screen once you've logged into the app.

Tap on settings the little cog at the top right.

Tap on network.

Tap on APN.

You should see the APN you are connected to as above, the app won't let me take a screenshot of the actual APN i'm using but you can tap on it to make sure it is correct or tap the + sign at the bottom right to add a new one.
I hope that helps.