Phone use in States

Berty · 05-06-2017 2:25am

Using it in San Francisco. Not great connections here. Barely get 3g. Sometimes hardly useable at all.

dodzy · 05-06-2017 6:46am

12gb three SIM update:

Daughter using it in Florida currently. Only thing she had to do was change the APN settings (three.co.uk) to enable internet access. Can receive calls and texts too. Well worth it.

aaronm13 · 07-06-2017 9:43pm

Just got my sim today and put it in my phone. Is all I have to do is set up an account on the 3 UK site and I'm good to go? Heading to Germany on Friday so just want to make sure I have it all working when I get there. Is there anyway to check your data usage on this sim?

Atlantic Dawn · 07-06-2017 11:13pm

aaronm13 wrote: »

Just got my sim today and put it in my phone. Is all I have to do is set up an account on the 3 UK site and I'm good to go? Heading to Germany on Friday so just want to make sure I have it all working when I get there. Is there anyway to check your data usage on this sim?

Yes log on to Three.co.uk and setup a new account with the number on the SIM, you will get a verification text to the number with confirmation code to login with and then it's setup, you can then check your balance when you login, seems pretty accurate.

You can topup too on the account but it's a lot cheaper to just buy a new card.

wiz569 · 08-06-2017 11:11am

My daughter used it in Germany last month,didn't set up an account, just put sim in here to make sure it worked,it automatically setup the correct APN .

dodzy · 08-06-2017 12:10pm

wiz569 wrote: »

My daughter used it in Germany last month,didn't set up an account, just put sim in here to make sure it worked,it automatically setup the correct APN .

Same here (worked fine in Dublin) but APN had to be manually changed once she hit Florida.

wiz569 · 08-06-2017 12:14pm

dodzy wrote: »

Same here (worked fine in Dublin) but APN had to be manually changed once she hit Florida.

Yeah I think she had to actually change to the correct APN,but initially when the sim was put into the phone it created the APN itself

jwcurtin · 08-06-2017 12:22pm

Just to add to the Three Sim Card, did great for us in Macau and Hong Kong recently. It seems to be a valuable piece of kit!

Duff · 08-06-2017 1:02pm

How does it fair with Whatsapp? If it's a data only sim you won't have your original sim int he phone with your number for Whatsapp?

aaronm13 · 08-06-2017 3:41pm

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Yes log on to Three.co.uk and setup a new account with the number on the SIM, you will get a verification text to the number with confirmation code to login with and then it's setup, you can then check your balance when you login, seems pretty accurate.

You can topup too on the account but it's a lot cheaper to just buy a new card.

Thanks for that. Have it all set up on the my3 site. Hopefully I won't have to start messing with APN's.

bk · 08-06-2017 4:11pm

Duff wrote: »

How does it fair with Whatsapp? If it's a data only sim you won't have your original sim int he phone with your number for Whatsapp?

When you put the three sim in, whatsapp will ask you if you want to keep your existing number or change to the new sims number. Obviously tell it to keep using your Irish number and then it works perfectly.

Atlantic Dawn · 08-06-2017 4:50pm

aaronm13 wrote: »

Thanks for that. Have it all set up on the my3 site. Hopefully I won't have to start messing with APN's.

Yes stick it in the phone now as Ireland would also be roaming, if it works here it should also work fine in whatever other roaming country you are in.

finbarrk · 09-06-2017 9:52am

Be careful if you are on Eir anyway. €5,600 for 40 mins of data usage in the USA.
http://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/home/254150/laois-mother-warns-nation-after-being-hit-with-5-600-data-roaming-charge-from-eir.html

bk · 09-06-2017 10:50am

finbarrk wrote: »

Be careful if you are on Eir anyway. €5,600 for 40 mins of data usage in the USA.
http://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/home/254150/laois-mother-warns-nation-after-being-hit-with-5-600-data-roaming-charge-from-eir.html

I once got a bill from Vodafone for €960 for data use in the US!

Though after many days of stress they admitted they made a mistake and agreed to clear it. However ever since then I switched to pay as you go so that it can't happen again and it is why I sue services like this three UK sim.

Ro-76 · 09-06-2017 11:09am

Any possibility of tethering in USA with 3 UK sim? How about with jailbreak app MyWi?

Atlantic Dawn · 09-06-2017 1:18pm

Ro-76 wrote: »

Any possibility of tethering in USA with 3 UK sim? How about with jailbreak app MyWi?

Tethering is not allowed on it, I presume they have a system in place with the host provider to police this but you never know.

You can't use your phone as a personal hotspot (tethering) while you're abroad.

http://www.three.co.uk/feel-at-home

Ro-76 · 09-06-2017 1:37pm

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Tethering is not allowed on it, I presume they have a system in place with the host provider to police this but you never know.

http://www.three.co.uk/feel-at-home

Thanks for the reply. I had seen that but wondered if anyone had tested it to see if they enforce it.

Atlantic Dawn · 09-06-2017 1:55pm

Ro-76 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I had seen that but wondered if anyone had tested it to see if they enforce it.

Yes I don't know how much data the host provider would provide back to Three, I suppose you could always risk it.

bk · 09-06-2017 2:06pm

Great news, it looks like Three UK are adding yet more countries to their Feel At Home plan (just got the email now), they are adding:

Brazil, Singapore, Aland Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, R?union, Saint Barth?lemy, Saint Martin, San Marino.

Obviously the big ones there is Brazil and Singapore, this is in addition to the likes of USA, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, etc.

Also if you have a SIM from them that includes free calls and texts, they now allow you to call Ireland for free while anywhere in Europe, per the new EU rules, though obviously your number will come up as a UK one.

Very handy SIM to have for world travellers, hopefully they will continue to add countries to this.

bluemachaveli · 09-06-2017 2:45pm

Ordered a free sim from 3 using parcel motel a couple of weeks ago. Topped it up and used it in NY this week with no issues. Was fantastic for maps, Uber and staying in touch.

Thanks for all the helpful advice, will be hanging onto it for future travel

Ro-76 wrote: »

Any possibility of tethering in USA with 3 UK sim? How about with jailbreak app MyWi?

FYI tethering worked fine for me with no workaround, but I only used it for two other phones that were travelling with me. May be blocked on a laptop unless you switch the user agent.

One Question · 09-06-2017 6:49pm

Hi,
I'm asking a colleague get me a 3UK SIM with 12 GB for 20 Sterling.
I plan on putting in my unlocked iPhone 4S and bringing to States this month for data mainly, and hopefully letting my kids sponge (tether) off the data.

I'm encouraged by last post!

Can anyone see a problem with this plan?
I assume I get a new uk mobile number with this plan, is that right?

Cheers

One Question · 09-06-2017 9:44pm

Also, has anyone used this, or heard anything good/bad about them. Saw it on Amazon.
GigSky Data SIM Card with 4G LTE / 3G 100MB Mobile Data Plan to Use in USA, UK, Europe, Asia (90+ Countries)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/GigSky-100MB-Mobile-Europe-Countries/dp/B01CN75FZC/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1497006832&sr=8-20-spons&keywords=three+uk+sim+card&psc=1
Thanks again

bk · 10-06-2017 1:45pm

One Question wrote: »

Also, has anyone used this, or heard anything good/bad about them. Saw it on Amazon.
GigSky Data SIM Card with 4G LTE / 3G 100MB Mobile Data Plan to Use in USA, UK, Europe, Asia (90+ Countries)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/GigSky-100MB-Mobile-Europe-Countries/dp/B01CN75FZC/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1497006832&sr=8-20-spons&keywords=three+uk+sim+card&psc=1
Thanks again

I'm not sure why you would bother with that, seems extremely expensive compared to the 3 UK SIM. Only advantage is if you were heading to a country not covered by the 3 UK SIM.

CeilingFly · 10-06-2017 1:50pm

finbarrk wrote: »

Be careful if you are on Eir anyway. €5,600 for 40 mins of data usage in the USA.
http://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/home/254150/laois-mother-warns-nation-after-being-hit-with-5-600-data-roaming-charge-from-eir.html

1.5gb in 40min

I reckon the daughter is telling fibs, but even at that, eir should not have allowed it go over €500 without some notification

One Question · 11-06-2017 9:59am

bk wrote: »

I'm not sure why you would bother with that, seems extremely expensive compared to the 3 UK SIM. Only advantage is if you were heading to a country not covered by the 3 UK SIM.

I was looking at Gigsky as an option because it's only 10 pounds for 100GB data

One Question · 11-06-2017 10:00am

CeilingFly wrote: »

1.5gb in 40min

I reckon the daughter is telling fibs, but even at that, eir should not have allowed it go over €500 without some notification

I would certainly expect that +5000 would never be paid! No justification for that ridiculous amount.

Thephantomsmask · 11-06-2017 10:28am

One Question wrote: »

I was looking at Gigsky as an option because it's only 10 pounds for 100GB data

100 megabytes, not giga according to the page

bk · 11-06-2017 10:55am

One Question wrote: »

I was looking at Gigsky as an option because it's only 10 pounds for 100GB data

100MB NOT GB, that is nothing, you would use that in a day or two of just whatsapp and a little web.

€25 for 12GB is 120 times more data then that!

Happy_Harry · 12-06-2017 1:51pm

Going to the States in August and doing my homework..

Reading this thread, it seems people have varying success with three at home or local SIM card. I see quite a few people are mentioning speed issues.
Can it be this is related to people having devices that don't support 4G LTE bands and therefore by default get 3G speeds ?

I am trying to figure out if I have any device that will work in US.
I have Mifi Vodafone R215 which will most likely not work on 4G. I have a Huawei P9 lite that probably also won't do 4G and then an old HTC M8 where I am not sure whether it will work or not.
The specs online say the US frequencies are supported, but I am wondering whether there are mutliple versions of this phone, if not , it seems to support almost every frequency worldwide...and if something seems to be too good to be true.....

Anyone that can definitely say which devices work on 4G in US ? By that I mean personal experience of the device in the US.

Atlantic Dawn · 12-06-2017 6:20pm

Happy_Harry wrote: »

Going to the States in August and doing my homework..

Reading this thread, it seems people have varying success with three at home or local SIM card. I see quite a few people are mentioning speed issues.
Can it be this is related to people having devices that don't support 4G LTE bands and therefore by default get 3G speeds ?

I am trying to figure out if I have any device that will work in US.
I have Mifi Vodafone R215 which will most likely not work on 4G. I have a Huawei P9 lite that probably also won't do 4G and then an old HTC M8 where I am not sure whether it will work or not.
The specs online say the US frequencies are supported, but I am wondering whether there are mutliple versions of this phone, if not , it seems to support almost every frequency worldwide...and if something seems to be too good to be true.....

Anyone that can definitely say which devices work on 4G in US ? By that I mean personal experience of the device in the US.

This is a good site to see what networks your phone work on in various countries...
http://willmyphonework.net/

Phone use in States

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