MoHo Wifi (Mifi) Gb 3&4G questions - Help!

[Trikeman]

Hi All, Oh it's all so bloody confusing......
I've been hearing a lot about these MiFi 'thingys' and was trying to sort ourselves out and getting one for MoHo.

Right, we (Wife and I) like to use our tablets when away in MoHo, but sometimes the WiFi (if there is any) is sometimes hit and miss. So am I right in thinking we can buy a MiFi like this one Broken Link Removed
and then buy/rent a data only sim card, then we could link our tablets by WiFi to the MiFi and thus to the internet via 3G/4G??????? Or is that complete b******s and I dreamt it?
If this is in fact possible what sim card, Gb, package, supplier, MiFi would you recommend? Our usage is limited to web browsing, ebay, amazon, a few emails and being on this forum while away (saved my bacon once).
Anyway, as always any information will be greatly received - these computers are still a form of 'black magic' to me, yet managed to fit a Hinkley Point of a solar system.

WOW - just noticed, my 1000th message.

Regards,

Trikeman.

 

[Munchie]

You can link 5/10 computers depending on mi fi.
If you can afford the extra get a 4g one as 4g is rolling out. We had it once and it is very fast!
The 4g mi fi's can connect to 3g where 4g is not available yet.

 

[Speve]

What tablets have you got? If they are iPads cellular and wifi just get a data card for them they work fine.

 

[DavidG58]

My IT skills sound pretty much the same level as yours, I cant speak highly enough for motorhomewifi members on here, masses of knowledge, even more patience when it comes to after sales support

Possibly not the cheapest, but we will buy more from them next when needed

 

[Figaro]

What tablets have you got? If they are iPads cellular and wifi just get a data card for them they work fine.

Would that not mean he would then need two data sims ? twice the expense ?

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[Munchie]

For me if yu want to connect more than one pooter mi fi is the way to go!

 

[Speve]

Yes but Mobidata can supply cards free and their Eropean package is ver reasonable and works well I am at present using it in Spain costs £9 per month but you could buy one card and use the wifi hot spot created by that on one tablet for the second.

 

[DBK]

Congratulations on reaching 1K!

In answer to your question in your post above: yes.

A mifi has a sim card which connects to a broadband signal just like a mobile phone. It then generates a local WiFi signal which you can log into just as you might log into the WiFi from your router at home.

However, if you have a smart phone it can probably do the same thing and it will probably be called a local hotspot in the phone settings menu.

The advantages of a mifi device are you may be able to connect an external aerial to it for a better signal and you can buy a data only sim which may be cheaper to use than your phone sim.

Disadvantages are few, there is some setting up to do but the mifi I bought from motorhomewifi was already configured.

I wouldn't be too concerned about 4G at the moment as coverage in the UK is still very limited. Go for the cheapest deal first.

 

[Trikeman]

Would that not mean he would then need two data sims ? twice the expense ?

I did look into this but both of our tablets are WiFi's only (Samsung Tab 10.1 and a Tab 7) I believe and not directly internet connectable (we use our home hub when home) but wanted to 'replicate' that - and yes it would mean double the cards/expense if they did (I think).

Regards,

Trikeman.

 

[chaser]

Get yourself a smart phone, not dear or even free on contract on O2 and you can tether as many as you want almost unlimited if you only use what you say here and £1.99 a day in Europe , 3 is cheaper but won't tether.

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[MattR]

I have this: Broken Link Removed

The 4g speed is great and it appears that EE / Orange offers the best coverage and speed in the UK.

I cancelled my contract the day after buying the device and would have had the data for 30 days had my wife not, inadvertently, used the device to watch films on netflixs - it was fast enough but only stopped when it ran out of credit. I have bought a 90 day 4g sim from Ebay on the EE network for around £15 so £5 / pcm with good coverage and speed. It can also be unlocked I believe (I've go the unlocking code from Ebay but haven't tried it yet).

 

[jumar]

We Tether with 3, and have done for over 1 Year.
3 DATA SIM, Motorola G Smartphone. PAYG, Feel at home works just fine.

 

[jongood]

We Tether with 3, and have done for over 1 Year.
3 DATA SIM, Motorola G Smartphone. PAYG, Feel at home works just fine.

I notice that your profile gives your location as Spain.

Are you on 3 feel at home in Spain? its not supposed to work there.

Jon

 

[jumar]

Correct, we are in Spain, I have used my 3 Data Sim for over a year now, travelling around other parts of Europe.

 

[Chris]

Keep an eye on 4G and how much it costs.

My wife found she had 4 G on her ipad a few months back ( a real feat for Vodafone who are crap) and gave it to my daughter to mess about with and download some films to watch in the van.

She was using it for all of 2 hours and the cost was £70 - that was in the UK.

Edit - it was more than £70 because it used up her monthly data allowance plus £70

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[GJH]

We've had a 3G MiFi device for some years but, now that 4G is rolling out, recently bought one of these on the PAYG +1 deal. We use 3 normally anyway but all the devices they sell now come unlocked so you can use anybody's SIM in them.

 

[DJA]

Hi

We have a 3 MIFI which we can log our tablets and Laptops into as we travel around.

Here are a number of points to consider.

When abroad a UK Phone connects to a Mobile Provider which can be different to the Mobile Provider the Broadband sim, from the same UK provider, will connect to so whilst you may get a phone signal you may not get a MIFI signal.

We have used it in France successfully on the "Feel at Home" deal however like here in the UK the system only works if the Mifi, like a phone, can connect to a mobile signal. We were able to log in at about 70% of the sites we stopped at but bear in mind many were isolated and with France being very rural even Mobile Phone signals can be missing in some areas. Generally the signals we got whilst in France were very good.

The "Feel at Home " facility offered by "3" does NOT include Spain however we hear it will be included from April this year. As far as I am aware whilst the "3" Broadband sim will work in Spain now it would be charged back to my account at about 19p per MB ie £190 per GB. There will be no charge from April.

Regarding Tethering, many Mobile Providers do not allow tethering your Tablet or Laptop to your phone within their terms and conditions. Using your Phone as a Hotspot is also included within the definition of Tethering by some providers. Whilst you may get away with Tethering there is a risk you will be blocked. Also it is possible that the Provider you connect to whilst away from the UK may not allow it and so may block it. For this reason I feel that a dedicated MIFI which is supplied as a means to connect a number of Tablets/Laptops at the same time is the safer way to go.

Our "3" MIFI was unlocked when I got it as part of our deal and so it is possible to use other suppliers Mobile Broadband sims for countries when "3" don't include them in their "Feel at Home" deal.

The "3" Feel at Home " deal has a restriction on use when abroad. The offer is based on it being available to the customer for Holidays or the odd business trip. It is not offered on the basis of use on a constant longterm basis. It is suggested that if you have used it abroad constantly for about 2 months it may be blocked until you return to the UK. It may well be that you will not be able to start using it abroad again until you are into the next 12 month period etc. Our solution for long trips would be to buy 1 or more Data Sims either here or abroad as backup should we anticipate or have any problems.

The MIFI we got from "3" is 3g only but you can consider getting a 4g MIFI in anticipation of the 4g availability becoming more common and 4G sims becoming more available and probably cheaper.

Finally my Apple mobile phone would not connect to the MIFI which may be because the it is not using a Mobile Phone connection but a Data only connection to the system via the sim. I could not therefore use the Phone to Browse via the MIFI.

Hope this is of help.

Doug

 

[DJA]

Hi Chaser

You recommended Tethering and mentioned O2. I have looked at this in the past and according to O2 terms and conditions if you want to Tether with say an Iphone to an Ipad etc you are supposed to buy a bolt-on to your contract which will allow you 500mb of tethering for £7.50 a month. It is not clear if you need to also have that bolt-on if you are abroad and are paying the extra daily charge of £1.99. So if you are abroad and use it every day with O2 you would pay £1.99 a day plus possibly £7.50 per month. So for 2 months it would cost £60 plus possibly £15 to tether. As a long standing customer I pay £120 a year to "3" for 5GB of data a month including the supply of a 3g MIFI. I can use the MIFI for whilst travelling around the UK as well as in France and soon Spain as well all within what I am paying.

"3" now allow you using your Smart Phone as a Personal Hotspots on their monthly contracts with the only limit being 2GB per month on unlimited data contracts. They don't allow it on their PAYGO sims. It should be noted you have to have your contract running for 1 month on a new contract before it can be used abroad on the "Feel at Home" deal.

Please don't think I am pushing for "3" as there may well be better deals depending what your demands are. I have been with "3" for years after I got an exceptional deal for Mobile broadband from them when I had a "3" phone. My Mobile phone contract is now elsewhere and I would change from "3" as soon as possible if a better deal was forthcoming.

Doug

 

[chaser]

Not knocking 3 at all , in fact we have two phones on 3 and use the feel at home in france and found it works almost anywhere, but you do have to have a £15 a month goody bag addon and it won't tether but I have a O2 phone on contract as it is the only one that will work where we live for £14 a month for all the calls I make almost unlimited texts and so much data , don't know exactly how much but iv never gone over it, but in france you get charged £1.99 a day to use all day from midnight to midnight , as soon as you make a call or text or data the £1.99 kicks in and you don't use anymore never mind how long you are on and you can tether as well in the same money.

 

[DJA]

Hi Chaser

Firstly I did not think you were knocking "3" at all. I also was only trying to assure I was not trying to push them. I didn't realise until today "3" were now supposed, according to their website., to be allowing Tethering on their Monthly Contracts but not on PAYGO.

Doug

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[jumar]

We Hotspot with 3, and have done for over 1 Year.
3 DATA SIM, Motorola G Smartphone. PAYG, Feel at home works just fine.

 

[DJA]

Hi Jumar

I am just seeking clarity. You say you are Hotspotting with a "3" DATA SIM. Do you mean a "3" sim card which only provides a DATA service for broadband as you would use in a MIFI or is it a normal sim which provides the full services of Phone, Text and Data.

If it is the former I would expect it to Hotspot if the Phone works with it as you are effectively using the phone as a WIFI with a DATA sim

If it is the latter then they do say it should work with the limitation I mentioned above.

One reason I am asking is my Data sim will not work in my old Samsung phone which is unlocked but a "3" mobile phone card will. It was suggested by my local "3" shop that it may not have worked because their French Mobile Phone provider would not allow it.

Doug

 

[jumar]

Hi Doug, no problem, I use a number of 3 Data sim cards in my Moto G phone, PAYG, I swap them around as and when they have run out, one sim I used and topped up on the web, on two occasions without any problems.
I have used them in various Feel at Home listed countries, I cannot use here in Spain where I live, well not until April, but will not as I have a Spanish mobile data package on contract.
My Data only 3 Sim, was bought for this purpose but it can be added too for calls and texts in the form of Bundles so to speak.
I hope I have clarified matters, if not ask away, my postings in the late summer of 2014 reported what and how I was using this Data mobile, it worked well for me, and finally I have just ordered a 3GB sim for use in June onwards for my summer travelling, I can use and discard if I want, or top up.

 

[DJA]

Thanks Jumar. I will bear that in mind.

Doug