3 Mobile Broadband MiFi

Matt Bauer

I wonder if there's any chance of this coming to Ireland any time soon? They've had it on their UK website for a while:

http://www.three.co.uk/Mobile_Broadband/MiFi

Sounds handy indeed.

I called them and their rep didn't know anything about it, so I gave her the address. After looking at it, she said she thought it's too complicated a device for the Irish market, but she'll call me back if she ever hears anything.

jor el

Matt Bauer wrote: »

but she'll call me back if she ever hears anything.

Yeah, sure she will.

They might be handy on a network that wasn't as crap as Three's. You can buy non-locked ones for about 250 euro if you really wanted one.

Walkman

It's in their current brochure as coming soon? I didn't notice any pricing but that's not to say it wasn't there.

Matt Bauer

Walkman wrote: »

It's in their current brochure as coming soon? I didn't notice any pricing but that's not to say it wasn't there.

Got off the phone with 3 Ireland, or should I say 3 India, as it was probably two months ago since I called them about it. The guy I spoke to seemed knowledgeable and had amazing English. He said it's coming soon in Ireland as it's already been launched in the UK. He didn't want to be pressed on a more exact date, but said if I wanted to I could purchase it in the UK, and it would work with a 3 Ireland SIM card.

Walkman

Matt Bauer wrote: »

Got off the phone with 3 Ireland, or should I say 3 India, as it was probably two months ago since I called them about it. The guy I spoke to seemed knowledgeable and had amazing English. He said it's coming soon in Ireland as it's already been launched in the UK. He didn't want to be pressed on a more exact date, but said if I wanted to I could purchase it in the UK, and it would work with a 3 Ireland SIM card.

It won't. it'll be locked to 3UK like a normal modem or phones.

Matt Bauer

I noticed this morning that it's now available on the 3 Ireland website for either €139 or €69 depending on whether you go with prepay or postpay.

jor el

And it's only £50 in the UK, on pre-pay. Pity there's no unlock codes for these yet.

Matt Bauer

jor el wrote: »

And it's only £50 in the UK, on pre-pay. Pity there's no unlock codes for these yet.

According to 3 technical support, the UK one will work with an Irish SIM card. I wouldn't want to try it out to be honest, don't want to end up with a £50 paperweight...

The price on pay monthly isn't too bad, especially since it's only a 12 month contract and none of that 18 month malarkey.

Sponge Bob

You can try it in Newry , it will either accept the mexican sim ...or not.... or maybe they tested it so ask them

3 STORE, 48A - 49 Buttercrane Shopping Centre, Newry, BT35 8HJ, 04830252496 ( number if you ring from the south)

jor el

Matt Bauer wrote: »

According to 3 technical support, the UK one will work with an Irish SIM card.

I somehow doubt that, but it could be true. The support people could be confused with Three Like Home, which allows roaming on the Three network, in any country (though I thought that was no longer available from Three UK).

I wouldn't be using it on Three Ireland though, given how crappy their network is.

culabula

Matt Bauer wrote: »

According to 3 technical support, the UK one will work with an Irish SIM card. I wouldn't want to try it out to be honest, don't want to end up with a £50 paperweight...

.

Now that sounds like total nonsense! Never have been able to put a 3IRL SIM into any 3UK device and have it work. The shop in Victoria Square confirmed that it will not work or I'd have bought one on the spot.

jay93

why would you buy it from the uk when they sell it in ireland !!! i doubt it if a 3irl sim will work in a uk modem havnt tryed it cos i dont have any 3 uk sims so i dont know bout that one :p:p

culabula

jay93 wrote: »

why would you buy it from the uk when they sell it in ireland !!! i doubt it if a 3irl sim will work in a uk modem havnt tryed it cos i dont have any 3 uk sims so i dont know bout that one :p:p

You would buy it from the UK because it is only 50GBP as opposed to 139€ -that's why.

But you would only do that IF a 3 IRL SIM worked in it out of the box, which it doesn't. So pointless solution, pointless discussion, pointless.

culabula

Got my 3 IRL MiFi today and currently using it on the train to Cork. Very impressed so far, as this is definitely a game changer. Currently have my MacBook, iPhone and N95 connected to it, not to mention my PSP which is accessing TV from my PS3 in Belfast.

Yes, I could always do this by sharing the connection from my E220/Macbook but it wasn't half as neat. Plus I now always have a wifi connection in my pocket for the iPhone!

Haven't tried my 3 UK SIM in it, but will on arrival in Cork and will report back.

malcolmh

Anyone know if a normal pay monthly Mobile Broadband sim card will work with MiFi device.

3 say there is no upgrade option, the MiFi was only for new customers. Could it be that if i buy a prepay Mifi and put my pay monthly sim in, that it will work???

;)

gerrybbadd

I went into get one of these today in Grafton Street, but they wouldn't accept a letter from my bank as proof of address, despite my name, address and account details being printed - they're insisting on a Statement. More than p*ssed off to say the least. I REALLY want one of these!

culabula

malcolmh wrote: »

Anyone know if a normal pay monthly Mobile Broadband sim card will work with MiFi device.

3 say there is no upgrade option, the MiFi was only for new customers. Could it be that if i buy a prepay Mifi and put my pay monthly sim in, that it will work???

;)

Any 3 Ireland SIM will work in a 3 Ireland MiFi device.

I got mine on *upgrade* on Monday, simply by phoning 3.

jor el

gerrybbadd wrote: »

I went into get one of these today in Grafton Street, but they wouldn't accept a letter from my bank as proof of address, despite my name, address and account details being printed - they're insisting on a Statement. More than p*ssed off to say the least. I REALLY want one of these!

Anyone can write a letter, and put any old details on it. That's why a statement is required.

merc998

Lets hope it arrive's quick i got rid of my 3g mobile broadband a few weeks ago it was absolutly terrible!!!!

culabula

merc998 wrote: »

Lets hope it arrive's quick i got rid of my 3g mobile broadband a few weeks ago it was absolutly terrible!!!!

That what arrives quickly?

culabula

It does not appear to charge via USB contrary to what I have read elsewhere.
A 3 UK SIM does not work in the 3 IRL issue and so there is absolutely no reason to imagine that vice-versa would be any different.
The act of touching it/lifting it up may cause you to inadvertently turn off the wifi or the device itself.
Despite the manual saying that it does not work with Macs save for wifi -it does. It will work both via wifi and being connected by USB.

gerrybbadd

I ended up getting one today. Not impressed with the speedtests i've carried out so far...

Ping: 191ms
Download:0.34 MBPS
Upload: 0.15 MBPS

So much for 7.2 MBPS ( i know they say up to, but this is ricockulos!!!)

culabula

gerrybbadd wrote: »

I ended up getting one today. Not impressed with the speedtests i've carried out so far...

Ping: 191ms
Download:0.34 MBPS
Upload: 0.15 MBPS

So much for 7.2 MBPS ( i know they say up to, but this is ricockulos!!!)

No, I haven't seen anything terribly impressive so far. In addition, the wifi turns itself off when not being used, which I find annoying.

gerrybbadd

The wifi strength seems to be crapola also. I had the ipod touch beside it (inches) and it only had one bar signal strength. My Ps3 is about 4 feet away, and finds 45% signal strength from it!:eek:

gerrybbadd

jor el wrote: »

Anyone can write a letter, and put any old details on it. That's why a statement is required.

Fair point i suppose!

culabula

gerrybbadd wrote: »

The wifi strength seems to be crapola also. I had the ipod touch beside it (inches) and it only had one bar signal strength. My Ps3 is about 4 feet away, and finds 45% signal strength from it!:eek:

Can't agree with this: I have 5 bars constantly on my iPhone. MacBook. PS3, PSP, N958GB -even at a considerable distance. No complaints there at all. When it works, it's very cool and I have been testing it under very trying circumstances -train Dublin/Cork and train Dublin/Belfast. Just not very fast.

drumm23

yeah, my wifi signal seems healthy, but I'm on prepay (because it's backup access for me) and it seems a pain in the ass to top up my sim - nowhere on line as far as I can find.

culabula

drumm23 wrote: »

yeah, my wifi signal seems healthy, but I'm on prepay (because it's backup access for me) and it seems a pain in the ass to top up my sim - nowhere on line as far as I can find.

? Isn't there a section in the included manual on the PAYG option? As far as I remember it's (something like) https://my3.ie

culabula

Sorry:

https://my3.three.ie

drumm23

yep, I've been on that and, weirdly, it let's you allocate your top-up but won't let you buy a new top-up - you have to go to a shop to get one first

culabula

drumm23 wrote: »

yep, I've been on that and, weirdly, it let's you allocate your top-up but won't let you buy a new top-up - you have to go to a shop to get one first

Ah, sheer class.:D

gerrybbadd

So day 2 with mifi, and i think i'll be bringing it back. Speed is atrocious. (based in Northumberland Road). I've had to revert back to my Ripwave 1mbps service in the meantime.

jor el

gerrybbadd wrote: »

So day 2 with mifi, and i think i'll be bringing it back. Speed is atrocious. (based in Northumberland Road). I've had to revert back to my Ripwave 1mbps service in the meantime.

Is that down to the Mifi router, or the Three network? Is this your only connection with Three, or did you have a USB modem before? Have you also tried the Mifi router connected to the computer with the USB cable, so it acts as a directly connected modem? This would rule out Wifi in any issues.

Kbeg3

I have a 3 E169 dongle on bill pay for the past 15 months. If I buy the Mifi on prepay and put my existing bill pay sim in will it work. I don't want to sign up to another contract?

Walkman

Kbeg3 wrote: »

I have a 3 E169 dongle on bill pay for the past 15 months. If I buy the Mifi on prepay and put my existing bill pay sim in will it work. I don't want to sign up to another contract?

In a word yes, the MiFi is locked to 3 but will take any 3 sim

culabula

News just in that the MiFi may now be unlocked for 15€ on the dc-unlocker site.....wish to hell now that I had waited and bought the 3UK PAYG flavour instead. 3 IRL were offering me 2 months line rental if I had chosen not to upgrade instead :-(

Walkman

That two months line rental ties you into another contract you just accept the free line rental instead of a modem/phone

culabula

Walkman wrote: »

That two months line rental ties you into another contract you just accept the free line rental instead of a modem/phone

? I accepted the Mifi as upgrade on my contract @ 69€: I don't mind being tied into another year with them as I use it. Don't quite understand your sentence.

However, if I had known about the unlocking I would have bought the UK PAYG one at 49GBP instead., unlocked and offset the cost against 2 free months line rental.

gerrybbadd

jor el wrote: »

Is that down to the Mifi router, or the Three network? Is this your only connection with Three, or did you have a USB modem before? Have you also tried the Mifi router connected to the computer with the USB cable, so it acts as a directly connected modem? This would rule out Wifi in any issues.

I'd say its the network tbh. Never had a USB modem before this (Ripwave up to now!)

I'm using it via USB alright!

gerrybbadd

So this is the fastest result i've had. Strangely, my speed increases when i don't connect via usb using the dongle (just via wifi) This shouldn't make sense!

culabula

gerrybbadd wrote: »

So this is the fastest result i've had. Strangely, my speed increases when i don't connect via usb using the dongle (just via wifi) This shouldn't make sense!

It's quite weird. Using the SIM in an iPhone or in the older dongle I have not been able to send an 087 webtext for two months.....but I can when the same SIM is in the #MiFi.

And for the past few days, it will no longer connect for me by cable, only wifi!!

jor el

You can buy them unlocked on eBay for £68 delivered.

I just got one, cost was €77. It only took about 5 minutes to set up and have it working on Vodafone. Connected via Wifi now, about 10 fee from the laptop

Will have to do a range check on it later.

Handy little device if you have multiple pieces of Wifi enabled equipment, and only 3G Internet access.

mickger

jor el wrote: »

You can buy them unlocked on eBay for £68 delivered.

I just got one, cost was €77. It only took about 5 minutes to set up and have it working on Vodafone. Connected via Wifi now, about 10 fee from the laptop

Will have to do a range check on it later.

Handy little device if you have multiple pieces of Wifi enabled equipment, and only 3G Internet access.

I got one of these to use with my itouch when i'm travelling. At the moment i'm using a 3 sim and bought the 1gig data allowance for 10 euro. Speeds are similar to other posters got, not great. If i got a vodafone sim and bought one of their data packs would i be able to use it with this device??? it is unlocked from the UK by the way.tia

jor el

If it's unlocked, then you can use a SIM from any network. You just need to set up APN and settings for Vodafone. Check out the FAQ at the top of the forum for the settings to use.

mickger

jor el wrote: »

If it's unlocked, then you can use a SIM from any network. You just need to set up APN and settings for Vodafone. Check out the FAQ at the top of the forum for the settings to use.

Got the Vodafone sim to work but the meteor one would'nt. Is the APN in the faq the correct one for meteor?????

jor el

mickger wrote: »

Got the Vodafone sim to work but the meteor one would'nt. Is the APN in the faq the correct one for meteor?????

Possibly not, but I don't know what the real one is. Someone that has Meteor mobile should be able to check.

Amalgam

How do you set up encryption? ..beforehand, do you log in through USB or.. how?

Does the device support decent security?

Can I have this stuck to my window and just charge through USB?

I am a long suffering 3 customer, so.. I have no illusions about their network, believe me, it just would be nice to slouch about with an Eee or DS, connected online.

jor el

You set it up through USB, it supports pretty much all security options, WPA2, etc, it will charge through USB, or a supplied mains adapter.

It's unlikely to do much about poor connectivity issues though.

fayoliv

Amalagam,

The device comes with a pre registered Network key and has the WPA-TSK network encryption as default

I bought this device because only 2 rooms in the house get access to the three broadband, my room is at the back of the house where I never gain access, so now I don't have to go into my sisters room everytime I need to connect which is brilliant.

I stuck this to my window and was able to charge it through USB. It stays connected while charging which is handy but the WiFi goes into Stanby mode after a few hours if no computer/WiFi device is not connected to it, which is something I hope 3 or Huwaei fix as it really would be a smazing device if this didn't happen.

....or if someone else has found a patch for this I would really appreciate it if you could post it.

Amalgam

Excellent. I have been using a Ralink RT73 USB dongle with AP Mode software. not having to keep my main PC on to piggyback access will be a plus.

Cheers for the eBay link Jor el, I noticed a while back MiFi popped up on the DC-Unlocker website.

WPA-PSK with a proper pass phrase is satisfactory.

Matt Bauer

Having used the MiFi for over a month now, I have posted my impressions of the service so far on our blog:

Huawei MiFi (E5830) by 3 Ireland service and speed impressions

As long as I am in an area with reasonable coverage, I have found it to be quite fast. I suspect people who are seeing very slow speeds are barely getting any signal from 3. If you will mainly be using the MiFi in an area with a weak signal, I would recommend returning it within 14 days to get a refund.