Know how mobile broadband

[32143]

Has anyone used know how mobile broadband. I saw it advertised in PC world and it looks fairly good for taking overseas and in UK, but wondered if it actually works, chap in shop said its not network specific and attaches to the best signal. The attached picture I took in store gives detail, hopefully its readable. Any comments appreciated before we purchase. Lin & Nige

 

[Minxy]

If its this one:

Broken Link Removed

Then they are taking the Mickey! Charging £29.99 for a sim that you can get elsewhere for nowt!

http://store.three.co.uk/view/searc...riceplan=&greatForServices=&manufacturerName=

 

[32143]

It was my understanding you are paying for the data package which can be used oversea with no additional charges. Which is what we need a fixed fee for data we can use abroad. We have Vodafone mobile which is fine for calls as it cheap, but doesn't include any data allowances for use with our laptop.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

@Addie is the person to talk to about SIM cards. Agree with Minx that £29.99 for a SIM card is taking the wee wee.

Also unless you are travelling long term or full time do you need a monthly contract? PAYG might well work out better.

 

[Minxy]

The three link is pure data - only Three have the "feel at home" benefit for their customers, no-one else has, so the contract that PC World are offering has to be the same as the one that Three are selling. If you have a contract with Three (even a 1 month rolling one but NOT a PAYG one) you can use your data etc abroad for no extra cost*, just as you would if you were in the UK (*in their "feel at home" countries). Make sure you check the terms though as I'm not sure if you have to have the Three monthly rolling contract for a month BEFORE you can use it abroad in subsequent months ... there are other threads on this forum about it somewhere.

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[Minxy]

@Addie is the person to talk to about SIM cards. Agree with Minx that £29.99 for a SIM card is taking the wee wee.

Also unless you are travelling long term or full time do you need a monthly contract? PAYG might well work out better.

As per my post above, the PAYG one isn't classed as a "feel at home" one as the Pay Monthly 30 day contract is (daft I know!). To use the PAYG one you have to use the credit you load onto it to 'buy' a pack with a set amount of data etc in it ... again lots of postings about this on other threads.

 

[wizzer59]

Dunno nothing about it but just cricked me neck if that helps

 

[32143]

Thanks, we only want for use with laptop or tablet, data only no calls, will look at Three, but don't want a phone contract. We currently pay about £25 a month for sky broadband at home, but we are now away more often than home so want something for data which gives a good data allowance and can be used abroad. Intend being abroad 6-9 months in a year in 12 week chunks. So need an option for use at home and in MH. Thanks

 

[Deleted member 29692]

As per my post above, the PAYG one isn't classed as a "feel at home" one as the Pay Monthly 30 day contract is (daft I know!). To use the PAYG one you have to use the credit you load onto it to 'buy' a pack with a set amount of data etc in it ... again lots of postings about this on other threads.

Yes I know but if you are only using it in your van and are not travelling loads it may work out cheaper. An example is the way we use ours. In the UK the data on our phone and iPads is more than adequate. We have a MiFi purely for use abroad (2 or 3 times a year at most) so a monthly contract would work out expensive for us whereas the PAYG one can just be topped up as needed.

Intend being abroad 6-9 months in a year in 12 week chunks. So need an option for use at home and in MH.

In that case ignore the above. A contract one will probably work out better for you. Don't pay 30 quid for a SIM card though

 

[Minxy]

Thanks, we only want for use with laptop or tablet, data only no calls, will look at Three, but don't want a phone contract. We currently pay about £25 a month for sky broadband at home, but we are now away more often than home so want something for data which gives a good data allowance and can be used abroad. Intend being abroad 6-9 months in a year in 12 week chunks. So need an option for use at home and in MH. Thanks

The Three sim is for data only ... not a phone.

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[32143]

Had a quick look at Three, it does sound good, but doesn't include Portugal or Croatia (Spain is avail in April) which are countries we need. I'm hoping that with the changes to data and call charges caps within Europe, all the networks will eventually be pan European. But for now need a data option.

 

[DBK]

Although the initial upfront cost seems high the monthly plans of £7.99 a month for 1 Gb are pretty competitive I think. If you want to be away for 6 to 9 months a year it looks attractive. The Three feel a friend or whatever it is called has a limit of 3 months a year although there are reports they don't police this too closely and their PAYG version is a bit tricky to top up when outside the UK.

I wonder if this card is a reincarnation of the late lamented Europasim, which had a similar pricing structure?

Thanks for posting this I will investigate more closely!

 

[32143]

I guess what we want is a replacement for our home sky broadband for use mostly abroad but also when in UK, so we can cancel sky. any recommendations?

 

[Deleted member 29692]

I guess what we want is a replacement for our home sky broadband for use mostly abroad but also when in UK, so we can cancel sky. any recommendations?

A mobile SIM card based system isn't intended to do that. It is only the same as 3G (or if you're lucky 4G) on your phone. You won't get anything like landline broadband speeds and if your internet use at home is on the heavy side (youtube, a lot of downloads etc) you will find that the data allowances won't last a day. A rough guide is that a 1 minute youtube video will use 250MB of data and an album from iTunes is somewhere around 50MB. If your home internet use is minimal you might get away with it but not otherwise.

The other thing to be aware of is that the Knowhow one is going to be provided through one of the big 4 networks so the bandwidth will be prioritised with their direct customers first and those who have a card from a reseller at the bottom of the pile. There is a bit about that on here somewhere too if you search but what it basically means is that during high use periods you will be slowed right down to give their direct customers first call on the available bandwidth.

 

[DBK]

I guess what we want is a replacement for our home sky broadband for use mostly abroad but also when in UK, so we can cancel sky. any recommendations?

It depends what you want to do. I'm going down the route of having a cheap sim only deal for my phone as my initial contract has just run out but the phone is working fine. A typical sim only will cost about £10 per month, more if you want lots of data, which I don't as we get the Internet through BT at home.

When away from home I generally access the Internet through a mifi device and that is what I need at the moment. I have previously used the sim out of my phone but am now looking for a different second sim for the mifi. I was leaning towards Three until I read your post about the PC World offering.

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[pappajohn]

How DID we cope without internet and mobile phones abroad ?.....

Oh, i remember, we used public phones and sent postcards.

something else to rule our lives.

 

[32143]

A mobile SIM card based system isn't intended to do that. It is only the same as 3G (or if you're lucky 4G) on your phone. You won't get anything like landline broadband speeds and if your internet use at home is on the heavy side (youtube, a lot of downloads etc) you will find that the data allowances won't last a day. A rough guide is that a 1 minute youtube video will use 250MB of data and an album from iTunes is somewhere around 50MB. If your home internet use is minimal you might get away with it but not otherwise.

The other thing to be aware of is that the Knowhow one is going to be provided through one of the big 4 networks so the bandwidth will be prioritised with their direct customers first and those who have a card from a reseller at the bottom of the pile. There is a bit about that on here somewhere too if you search but what it basically means is that during high use periods you will be slowed right down to give their direct customers first call on the available bandwidth.

Yes our sky does get heavy use when we are home, Nige downloads tv and movies for us to take away. But we are hoping as we become away more than home we can use family and friends broadband to stock up. Another option we are looking into is switching to a cheaper broadband supplier at home, the Yorkshire one seems cheap cant remember the name. We are out of contract with sky now and begrudge paying each month when we are away. Only need for email, blogger, banking, fb and forums when away.

 

[mjltigger]

The list of countries where you get your full allowance is quite small and in other countries you can only use 10%. I would say there will be better deals out there after December but this might be an ok option until then...

 

[32143]

How DID we cope without internet and mobile phones abroad ?.....

Oh, i remember, we used public phones and sent postcards.

something else to rule our lives.

It's my mum and dad and Niges mum that are the worst, all in their 70 and insist we provide them with daily blog and facebook updates

 

[DBK]

How DID we cope without internet and mobile phones abroad ?.....

Oh, i remember, we used public phones and sent postcards.

something else to rule our lives.

If you had to stand in a public phone box to make that post you really don't have to these days. The GPO will actually run a cable to your house and install a telephonic instrument in your hall where it can be conveniently answered by your butler.
Amazing thing progress.

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[DBK]

The list of countries where you get your full allowance is quite small and in other countries you can only use 10%. I would say there will be better deals out there after December but this might be an ok option until then...

It's bizarrely worded but it is 10% extra, ie 110% of the standard.

 

[TheCaller]

the Yorkshire one seems cheap cant remember the name.

Plus.net

 

[TheCaller]

How DID we cope without internet and mobile phones abroad ?.....

Some of us had to stay at home & wait for retirement.

I'm quite pleased they've invented the internet before I reach retirement age - it means that I should be able to spend most of May in France this year.

You're right about it ruling your life though. I spend too much time just on here, never mind the rest of the web & I see that 'someone' has posted over nine posts a day since they joined back in the very early days of FUN.

 

[Addie]

Has anyone used know how mobile broadband. I saw it advertised in PC world and it looks fairly good for taking overseas and in UK, but wondered if it actually works, chap in shop said its not network specific and attaches to the best signal. The attached picture I took in store gives detail, hopefully its readable. Any comments appreciated before we purchase. Lin & Nige

I do recommend this SIM for some people - but not all.

The big issue is it does not cover France within its main countries so you only get the 'bonus data' (10% of your contract total) to use there, but a big plus was that it covered Spain and Portugal and as such we were recommending it from October last year.

However, from 1st April Three 'Feel at home' also covers Spain - so that becomes the best deal for there and then advantage of this SIM is reduced. It does cover Portugal however, which for some is a big plus.

The Knowhow SIM is partnered with the Three network, so it is not a true roaming SIM and like Three has roaming partners and will not use any available signal.

It is a 30 day rolling contract so you have to give 30 days notice to quit and because it is a contract if you exceed your data bundle you can rack up a bill.

If you are on the £25.99/mth you get 10GB to use in:
UK, Ireland, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and USA.

You then have 1GB to use in;
Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Vatican City.

As per my post above, the PAYG one isn't classed as a "feel at home" one as the Pay Monthly 30 day contract is (daft I know!). To use the PAYG one you have to use the credit you load onto it to 'buy' a pack with a set amount of data etc in it ... again lots of postings about this on other threads.

This SIM, while based on Three, is quite different to Three in as far as on the bigger packages you get data in countries not covered by 'Feel at Home'. Sure - if you're only heading to France and Spain (after 1st April) the Three SIM will trump it.

Three PAYG SIM's are still classed as 'feel at home' with the same restrictions except for having to use the SIM for 30 days in the UK before being able to use abroad - this is a contract only restriction.

It all depends on the individuals requirements.

Some more info here:
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Broken Link Removed

Adam

 

[DBK]

I do recommend this SIM for some people - but not all.

The big issue is it does not cover France within its main countries so you only get the 'bonus data' (10% of your contract total) to use there, but a big plus was that it covered Spain and Portugal and as such we were recommending it from October last year.

However, from 1st April Three 'Feel at home' also covers Spain - so that becomes the best deal for there and then advantage of this SIM is reduced. It does cover Portugal however, which for some is a big plus.

The Knowhow SIM is partnered with the Three network, so it is not a true roaming SIM and like Three has roaming partners and will not use any available signal.

It is a 30 day rolling contract so you have to give 30 days notice to quit and because it is a contract if you exceed your data bundle you can rack up a bill.

If you are on the £25.99/mth you get 10GB to use in:
UK, Ireland, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and USA.

You then have 1GB to use in;
Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Vatican City.




This SIM, while based on Three, is quite different to Three in as far as on the bigger packages you get data in countries not covered by 'Feel at Home'. Sure - if you're only heading to France and Spain (after 1st April) the Three SIM will trump it.

Three PAYG SIM's are still classed as 'feel at home' with the same restrictions except for having to use the SIM for 30 days in the UK before being able to use abroad - this is a contract only restriction.

It all depends on the individuals requirements.

Some more info here:
Broken Link Removed
Broken Link Removed

Adam

Thanks for that. I got the 10% bit completely wrong, but I think it is badly worded in their blurb. That's my excuse anyway!

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[tonyidle]

How DID we cope without internet and mobile phones abroad ?.....

Oh, i remember, we used public phones and sent postcards.

something else to rule our lives.

We just about coped. Horrendous phone charges, postcards not really two-way. Sites like this, and the pleasure we all derive from them, wouldn't/couldn't/didn't exist.
I think I prefer the present.

 

[Welsh girl]

I use the knowhow sim card, it didn't work in Spain when wet got off the Santander ferry it didnt show a signal there but as soon as we hit the Portuguese border and I mean seconds after passing the border it was really good even when we came through the mountains.
I only paid £4.99 when it was on offer, I doubt I would have paid £29.99.
It went up the day after I bought mine do I was lucky.
I get 10gb for £25.99 which is good value, I asked them if I could suspend or cancel the sim card until we go to France then reistate it, they said no I would have to buy another sim card so I will be looking for another provider when I return at the end of march to the uk.
I won't pay £25.99 for a sim card either, it's too steep.

 

[32143]

I use the knowhow sim card, it didn't work in Spain when wet got off the Santander ferry it didnt show a signal there but as soon as we hit the Portuguese border it was really good even when we came through the mountains.
I only paid £4.99 when it was on offer, I doubt I would have paid £29.99.
It went up the day after I bought mine do I was lucky.
I get 10gb for £25.99 which is good value, I asked them if I could suspend or cancel the sim card until we go to France then reistate it, they said no I would have to buy another sim card so I will be looking for another provider when I return at the end of march to the uk.
I won't pay £25.99 for a sim card either, it's too steep.

Thanks for that, I asked the guy in PC world if we could suspend giving the 30 days notice when we didn't need and he gave us the impression we could, clearly a fib then, and if you then need to pay again for the sim will become expensive. Will need to give it more thought, if we cancel our home broadband I guess we wouldn't need to suspend or stop, I seem to remember him saying you can switch between plans with 30 days notice, so that would be one way to reduce costs, we would want 10gb when away and could drop to 1gb when home until we decide if we can manage without sky.

 

[32143]

We might just have to accept the cost of home broadband if Nige wants to stock up on stuff to take away as a yearly cost a bit like council tax, just annoying paying for it each month when we are away

 

[Welsh girl]

Same as my decision with know how, paying £29.99 a month to keep it going in the uk is a no no when I can get so much better there, I will take up the 3 when I arrive back as that will enable me to use it in france as well.

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