Eir SIM - buying data using SMS code discontinued?

Amalgam

I've used an Eir mobile broadband SIM for a year or three and I could manage it through SMS.

I would buy my credit. Add it through SMS.

Purchase a data package by texting '30 day special' to 50104.

The above option no longer seems to work. I have to trigger a landing page that does not work on my laptop and rarely works on my phone.

Does anyone know are there new SMS commands for Eir PAYG MBB usage in 2021?

Any help appreciated.

Ten Pin

Purchase a data package by texting '30 day special' to 50104.

Which add on is that?

AFAIK there are 2 add ons available...

50GB - Send: 30 Day Extra to 50104
15GB - Send: 30 Day to 50104

...or else trying calling Eir on...
1800 690 000 or 01 430 7066

My Eir is broken for PAYG so it's anyone's guess what else they've broken.

There's cheaper options available for data than those PAYG broadband add ons from eir, even Eir PAYG phone SIMs have 120GB for 20e which is better value than the 50GB broadband add on, depends how much data is needed.

Amalgam

Thanks for the reply. I stayed with the SIM out of habit. So.. can I put the SIM with the 120GB into a 3G/4G router like the Huawei Wingle (self standing stick modem/router) and similar?

Ten Pin

In theory yes, APN needs to be set as
data.mymeteor.ie for phone SIM.

Ten Pin

...stayed with the SIM out of habit

Did you get add on purchase sorted? Myeir is back working...well kind of, it doesn't show the broadband add ons, the "add ons" link is for phone data add ons which don't work on broadband SIMs. Did sending the relevant SMS code to 50104 work for add on purchase?

lukin

Apologies for resurrecting this thread but has anyone been able to buy an add-on for a 4G modem by either texting or some other way?
The only way I can do it is by ringing the 1800 690 000 number but I tried that today and I was told to use another number by the agent. I didn't have the time though. It's extremely frustrating, I can top up my account on the My Eir site but I can't buy an add-on.

Ten Pin

Did texting not work?

lukin

Ten Pin wrote: »

Did texting not work?

No. When I text from the admin panel of the modem I get a reply saying there was a problem. I don't have the exact text in front of me.

Ten Pin

Try SIM in a phone just to double check.

Are any of the other codes to 50104 working...

BALANCE
BALANCE DATA
PRSMSBAR

Was top up recent ie within last few weeks? If it's over 5 months, texts to 50104 might not work.

lukin

Ten Pin wrote: »

Try SIM in a phone just to double check.

I don't have an unlocked phone to put the SIM in

Ten Pin wrote: »

Are any of the other codes to 50104 working...

BALANCE
BALANCE DATA
PRSMSBAR

Was top up recent ie within last few weeks? If it's over 5 months, texts to 50104 might not work.

I have never been able to buy an add-on by sending an SMS in the admin panel of the modem.
I don't understand why Eir have got rid of the facility to buy an add-on on their site. It was there before and worked fine. I can top up my balance on it but that is not much good if you can't buy an add-on and have to phone up to do it.
I have a Vodafone SIM and a separate modem, I only have the Eir SIM and modem as back-up because with working from home I am absolutely have to have internet. I can top up no prob on the Vodafone site.
I think I will just give up on the eir SIM and stick with Vodafone unless of course Eir sort out the add-on issue.

Ten Pin

Can modem receive SMS if you send one to the number? Has it ever shown any SMS at all, such as notifications about add on expiry etc?

If the modem is set to 4G only, then it won't send or receive SMS as they only work over 2G/3G.

Is there an option to set Service Centre in the modem settings? Eir SMS SC is...
+353857000000

When you try to load a webage via the Eir modem, does it offer an option to buy an add on or pay 2c per MB? They used to have that option but maybe they got rid of that too...they can never leave well enough alone.

There are better options than Eir PAYG broadband add ons.

Is it a backup for more data or backup for VF signal outage?

Eir PAYG phone SIMs have add ons that can be bought via SMS but that might present a similar error if it's a problem with the modem settings.

VF PAYG SIMs also have add ons but that won't solve the back up issue if there's a VF signal outage (if your current VF SIM is the primary connection).

Try the 1800 number again, you might get someone else who knows what they're doing to apply the add on.

lukin

Ten Pin wrote: »

Can modem receive SMS if you send one to the number? Has it ever shown any SMS at all, such as notifications about add on expiry etc?

Yeah I can send and receive texts to other numbers from the modem.

Ten Pin wrote: »

If the modem is set to 4G only, then it won't send or receive SMS as they only work over 2G/3G.

But it was set to 4G when I successfully send and receive SMS's to other numbers but it wouldn't do it to the eir number for buying an add-on (50104)

Ten Pin wrote: »

Is there an option to set Service Centre in the modem settings? Eir SMS SC is...
+353857000000

No I don't think so.

Ten Pin wrote: »

When you try to load a webage via the Eir modem, does it offer an option to buy an add on or pay 2c per MB? They used to have that option but maybe they got rid of that too...they can never leave well enough alone.

Nope that is not there.

Ten Pin wrote: »

There are better options than Eir PAYG broadband add ons.

OK maybe there are, I'd like to know what they are, thanks.

Ten Pin wrote: »

Is it a backup for more data or backup for VF signal outage?

No.

Actually I just sent an SMS to 50104 on the modem ("Balance Data"; it tells you what GB allowance is left) and I got a reply. That didn't work before so maybe sending an SMS that buys the add-on is working too now. I won't know until I try it, I have enough to last me for a bit and I don't want to buy an add-on just for the sake of seeing if that is working.

Ten Pin

But it was set to 4G when I successfully send and receive SMS's to other numbers but it wouldn't do it to the eir number for buying an add-on (50104).

It is probably set to 4G/3G/2G auto, when sending SMS, it changes to 3G for a split second and then back to 4G...but that wouldn't explain 50104 errors when other SMS worked. Did you use webtext at all for SMS to standard mobiles?

OK maybe there are, I'd like to know what they are, thanks.

Three - PAYG Phone SIM - Unlimited Data - 20e / 4 weeks

48 - PAYG - 100GB - 10.99 / month

Vodafone X - PAYG - Unlimited Data (max 10Mbps) - 20e / 4 weeks
Vodafone - PAYG Add ons...
- 5GB for 5e / 4 weeks
- 20GB for 15e / 30 days
https://n.vodafone.ie/shop/pay-as-you-go-plans/add-ons.html

Eir - PAYG phone SIM - 120GB - 20e / 4 weeks
Eir - PAYG phone SIM add ons...
- 10GB for 9.99 / 4 weeks
https://www.eir.ie/mobile/prepay/add-ons/

...depends how often SIM will be used, data usage, compatibility with locked devices and signal availability.

Three and 48 SIMs will probably stay active for a year without top up, Vodafone needs top up every 6 months and Eir needs top up every 90 days.

Actually I just sent an SMS to 50104 on the modem ("Balance Data"; it tells you what GB allowance is left) and I got a reply. That didn't work before so maybe sending an SMS that buys the add-on is working too now. I won't know until I try it, I have enough to last me for a bit and I don't want to buy an add-on just for the sake of seeing if that is working.

Could it have been top up related? Eir broadband SIMs go temporarily inactive after 5 months without top up and 50104 SMS might not work.


Up to yourself whether you try this...if balance is less than 30e then try to buy the 30e add on...it should fail for insufficient credit but it will give an indication that it's getting through.

lukin

Ten Pin wrote: »

It is probably set to 4G/3G/2G auto, when sending SMS, it changes to 3G for a split second and then back to 4G...but that wouldn't explain 50104 errors when other SMS worked. Did you use webtext at all for SMS to standard mobiles?


Three - PAYG Phone SIM - Unlimited Data - 20e / 4 weeks

48 - PAYG - 100GB - 10.99 / month

Vodafone X - PAYG - Unlimited Data (max 10Mbps) - 20e / 4 weeks
Vodafone - PAYG Add ons...
- 5GB for 5e / 4 weeks
- 20GB for 15e / 30 days
https://n.vodafone.ie/shop/pay-as-you-go-plans/add-ons.html

Eir - PAYG phone SIM - 120GB - 20e / 4 weeks
Eir - PAYG phone SIM add ons...
- 10GB for 9.99 / 4 weeks
https://www.eir.ie/mobile/prepay/add-ons/

...depends how often SIM will be used, data usage, compatibility with locked devices and signal availability.

Three and 48 SIMs will probably stay active for a year without top up, Vodafone needs top up every 6 months and Eir needs top up every 90 days.




Could it have been top up related? Eir broadband SIMs go temporarily inactive after 5 months without top up and 50104 SMS might not work.


Up to yourself whether you try this...if balance is less than 30e then try to buy the 30e add on...it should fail for insufficient credit but it will give an indication that it's getting through.

Thanks for all this info. I will use it.

lukin

Well I bought a cheap unlocked phone and put the SIM from the eir modem into it. I topped up my account first and then texted sub Internet 1GB to 50104 on the phone (as instructed here;https://www.eir.ie/mobile/prepay/add-ons/)
I got the same error message back as I did when I tried texting on the admin panel of the modem: "we're sorry but our system is currently not able to process your request"
So the modem is not the problem, it seems it is not possible to top up on eir via SMS.

Ten Pin

That's the page for phone data add ons, they won't work on a broadband SIM.

The equivalent page for broadband add ons seems to have been removed.

Enter...

*#100#

...in dialler to get credit balance.

Try sending any 12 digit number to 50103 to mimic a top up voucher input to see if it gets delivered.


The broadband add on keywords are....

15GB (20e) - Send: 30 Day to 50104
50GB (30e) - Send: 30 Day Extra to 50104

Amalgam

I've given up at this point. I last got the, 'landing page' after running out of bandwidth, sometime in late March, not happened since then. I can't seem to trigger it, regardless of credit. My SIM is still active, but I'm using up credit on a MB per MB use basis, for the few times I need it.

Strange of Eir not to make their intentions clear. Access of this midband service by SMS was very handy.. but then again, it is Eir, so, pretty much typical for that company.

I've gone the route of using a PAYG SIM, a fifth of the price for five times the data allowance. Ho hum.

Ten Pin, I don't think this has anything to do with the data mode your modem is connected in.

I'm trying to find a way to send codes through a Huawei modem without a dialler on the UI.. I probably need to fire up an SSH client or fire it over to the modem using a prompt from a PC running Windows/Linux etc.

Very handy service. Like so much, this is probably to get you onto direct debit.. Thanks everyone for your input. Disposable PAYG SIMS for the (data) win..

Ten Pin

I'm trying to find a way to send codes through a Huawei modem without a dialler on the UI

Did you try SIM in a phone with SMS function?

lukin

I tried to top-up by putting the SIM card into a phone and sending the add-on keywords via SMS on the phone but I got the same craic as when the SIM card is in the modem.
I am not going to bother with the Eir modem anymore now because I can't be ringing up to buy an add-on every time I need one. With Vodafone I only have to keep my balance topped up, there's no buying of an add-on after that. Much more straightforward, it's Eir's loss anyway.

lukin

There is a new link for this (https://www.eir.ie/mobile/top-up/quick-top-up/) but you can still only top up your balance on it, you can't buy an add-on; you have to call 1800 690 000 to do that.