Using 3 for unlimited home internet for cheap

Beenlost123

Has anyone just used their phone to hotspot unlimited internet around their house for like 20e a month using 3/4G networks? Just outside imagine coverage. Crap phone line so no fixed bb. Wireless only option. Location North Kerry.

Dumping eir landline.

degsie

The three ayce thing needs to be stickied. Do a search and you will find plenty of results.

hearmehearye

Also North Kerry and it worked fine for when I needed it. Wouldn't trust it for Netflix or the likes but if you're not a heavy Internet user then it'd suit. It's technically against their t and cs so be careful. They may throttle but I've never experienced that myself.

Edit. You can do eir without a LL.

Beenlost123

hearmehearye wrote: »

Also North Kerry and it worked fine for when I needed it. Wouldn't trust it for Netflix or the likes but if you're not a heavy Internet user then it'd suit. It's technically against their t and cs so be careful. They may throttle but I've never experienced that myself.

Edit. You can do eir without a LL.

Thanks. I am going to try 3 and vodaphones internet (base stations near me) and do signal tests over the next week using an app to record signal strength.

I never watch videos really but sometimes I torrent and that would be blocked I think? not 100% sure. May have to supplement with VPS to circumvent that. Use about 20-35gig a month.

How would you do it without LL? wireless too?

ED E

They mean you can get broadband only, no phone. You still use the same line though, same range issue.

Three + good VPN to avoid traffic shaping in the evenings is a winning bet.

ED E

hearmehearye wrote: »

Yep this is the plan I'm on with Eircom. Works fine, can get speeds of about 30 mbps on average, despite it being a 100 mbps plan!!!

Edit I've been on three before and the 60g cap is a pain.

You arent following the thread at all.

His landline is too long for decent fixed line service
His plan is to use the AYCE service which has no cap.

Beenlost123

ED E wrote: »

You arent following the thread at all.

His landline is too long for decent fixed line service
His plan is to use the AYCE service which has no cap.

Too long and too costly. The line rent alone is extravagant for what I need never mind adding on BB ontop of that.
I can get 5x speed from wireless too.

Thanks for the hint about avoiding shaping. Know of any decent VPN provider that also provides a service for VOIP when needed to call landlines? This would be used very infrequently.

editorsean

Beenlost123 wrote: »

I never watch videos really but sometimes I torrent and that would be blocked I think? not 100% sure. May have to supplement with VPS to circumvent that. Use about 20-35gig a month.

From a quick test here with a Linux ISO (which should fly), it works, but appears to be heavily throttled, at least at this time of evening.



Just after I started it, it jumped up to 300KB/s for a few seconds, then fell back and settled around 32KB/s even a few minutes later as the seed count climbed up to 5.

I paused it, connected a VPN, and resumed it - A little quicker...



YouTube also seems to be heavily throttled in the evening if the video is not streaming from Three's YouTube cache server. Besides using a VPN, a workaround here is allow the video to play for about 15 seconds (any resolution), copy the URL into the clipboard, close that browser tab, open a new tab and paste the video URL in. Generally within this 15 second period (may need 30 seconds for longer 30+ minute videos), Three's YouTube server will have cached it and it'll play at whatever bandwidth is available instead of being throttled down to 480p or lower.

I don't have Netflix, Sky or any other VoD subscription service, so can't test any of them.

Beenlost123

editorsean wrote: »

From a quick test here with a Linux ISO (which should fly), it works, but appears to be heavily throttled, at least at this time of evening.



Just after I started it, it jumped up to 300KB/s for a few seconds, then fell back and settled around 32KB/s even a few minutes later as the seed count climbed up to 5.

I paused it, connected a VPN, and resumed it - A little quicker...



YouTube also seems to be heavily throttled in the evening if the video is not streaming from Three's YouTube cache server. Besides using a VPN, a workaround here is allow the video to play for about 15 seconds (any resolution), copy the URL into the clipboard, close that browser tab, open a new tab and paste the video URL in. Generally within this 15 second period (may need 30 seconds for longer 30+ minute videos), Three's YouTube server will have cached it and it'll play at whatever bandwidth is available instead of being throttled down to 480p or lower.

I don't have Netflix, Sky or any other VoD subscription service, so can't test any of them.

Amazing. Thank you for testing this. I was trying it this evening myself and it seems a VPN is definitely needed.