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Can you use a normal sim with our mobile broadband device?

DeoVolente

Hi all,

I'm home in Ireland for the summer and got a mobile broadband device, Alcatel R219T, and the €30 plan from Vodafone.

CurrentlyI'm going through the 50gb in less than a week with work, general WiFi and streaming.

Is there any cost effective way to get mobile broadband on a monthly basis? Can I use my regular phone sim in the device and get an unlimited Internet package with that?

Thanksfor any assistance.

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FishOnABike

Three super surfer pre pay might be an option

https://www.three.ie/shop/plans/prepay-phone-plans.html

[Deleted User]

3 mobile ordinary pay as you go SIMs should just work in your MIFI router. €20 per month for effectively unlimited data.

DeoVolente

Okay. Thanks for the feedback. Just for clarity again, I also got the mobile broadband router from Vodafone along with the sim.

Ihad already tried topping up the sim as a normal mobileand change the plan, but it doesn't work.

Just don't want to buy something else for it not to work with the mobile broadband router.

Thanks.

Ten Pin

There's a few potential hurdles...
The router might be locked to Vodafone and therefore only a Vodafone SIM will work. There is an unlimited VF PAYG phone plan for €20 BUT there is a possibility that the router might not allow a VF phone SIM in a Vodafone router. Only way to know is try it out.

You could also try another networks SIM to see if the router is locked, it might not be.

Ten Pin

"I had already tried topping up the sim as a normal mobile and change the plan, but it doesn't work."

It's possible that the SIM is configured to not allow phone plans.
However...
Plans must be changed BEFORE topping up.
You could try the SMS code for the phone unlimited data plan, does the router web interface allow sending SMS? If not then put the SIM in a phone and send the activation SMS for the plan as follows (BEFORE topping up):

DATAUL5 to 50222

Then check the MyVodafone portal to see what the plan is set to. If it worked, topping up by 20 should activate the unlimited data plan on that SIM which should then work in the router.
Last thing to do is set the APN within the router interface to:
live.vodafone.com

Finally and importantly, if there is still data remaining on the plan you are currently using, wait until that has been used before trying any of the above as any data balance will be cleared to zero by changing plans.

DeoVolente

Thanks for all the advice. I'll be trying them out at the end of this cycle.

Cheers.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122337542#Comment_122337542

Will that always work? Or is it technically against T&C's

They charge 30 quid per month for a broadband sim

Gregor Samsa

I use a "phone" Vodafone X plan/sim (with unlimited data) in a MIFI router in a remote location, €20 every 4 weeks. Been working for 2 years now without issue. Under the T&Cs, non-roaming data is actually unlimited (there's no hidden fair use limit like on a lot of other plans), but speed is capped at 10Mbps. Which is more than fine for my use. There's nothing in the T&Cs that limits what kind of device you can use it in.

As mentioned above, just make sure you're using the live.vodafone.com APN.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122340426#Comment_122340426

Worked for us for months until we switched over to fibre. 3 seem fairly relaxed.

shmeee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122340426#Comment_122340426

I used a three prepay SIM for over 12 months for all household internet usage, I used 1/2TB's some months due to vast amount of downloading and streaming. Never an issue with usage.

Package was '3 prepay 20', unlimited data.

SIM was inserted into a Huawei router.

Just went into threw shop and asked for a new SIM for my phone with new number. No questions asked!

DeoVolente

Hi all,

In the end, I got a 48 sim (Three network) with a new number, got the "All Data" plan (200gb fair use) for €12.99/mnt and it's working perfectly.

A lot better topping up by €13 for 200gb than the €30 for 50gb.

Internet quality is the same if not better.

Just thought I'd let you know how it ended up.

Ten Pin

Are you using the 48 SIM in the Alcatel R219T ?

muffinhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122364428#Comment_122364428

One handy thing with 48 is the various Flexi Data options. If you run out you can swap 300 mins for 3GB of data. Also you can save up to 5GB of unused data in The Safe every month for future use. See all the options here:

https://community.48.ie/t5/The-Knowledge-Base/Flexi-Data/ta-p/53114

L1011

I've had a 48 SIM in use in a router (Huawei at first, now a much better Asus) since January 2022 without issue, in case anyone is worried about being noticed/stopped. Not heavy constant use, but occasional heavy use.

DeoVolente

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122367334#Comment_122367334

Yes. No problem with it not being a Vodafone sim.

A cup of te

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122356830#Comment_122356830

This is what I'd like to do as i don't want contract right now and it's cheaper than broadband. I'm with eir on my PAYG phone and know the mobile data works well.

I've a few potentially silly questions here : If I go into the shop and ask for a new sim with new number do i have to register there and then and I'm presuming it's OK to have two different numbers with the same name. Someone might want to have two different phones.

Then is it a case that the sim itself is 5G or just all the latest Payg deals say 5G so I'd have to get a router for 5G? I'm a bit concerned if that'll work as my phone says 4G when I use the moblie data.

I'd possibly have to do something with that APN thing too. Ive been reading a lot about this. I checked 3 for coverage and it doesn't seem to be available even though I'm not that rural.

Alternatively, has anyone tried Eir's Mifi? I'd be stuck with a contract but sounds like a painless set up. Thank you.

shmeee

I was only asked for a name for the receipt, irrelevant. Even if have to give a name, give your name. It's a Pre Pay SIM so they don't care, not a contract.

I had a three 5g SIM in a router which wouldn't transmit 5g so I only got 4g+, no problem with SIM so and if it is 5g. Won't cause any issues.

APNs, are how the sim card connect with the network, generally changing APN's won't get you internet if no signal there in first place. I tweak APNs so I get the best speeds and consistency after I get the first connection. Surprised that you've no three data in your area. Check the coverage online and the masts site via comreg website. Find your nearest mast with three enabled.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122537853#Comment_122537853

A cup of te

@shmeee that's really helpful info, thank you very much. If I can avoid contracts I will! Hate them. Checked Comreg and ot says outdoor coverage for 4G for 3 is Fair. The 3 website itself says its working on 5G in the area so I get the impression maybe 4G is available but I'd be reluctant if the coverage is only Fair. I know for sure the Eir mobile data is fine here so think I'll stick to it. Good to know the 5G sim worked in the 4G router. This is all new to me but I was reading directions for what to do if the sim recognised it wasn't in a phone or something to that effect (or that's how I interpreted it). I think I'll give this a go. Might borrow a router to test it. Thanks a mill again for the info!

A cup of te

Hi folks, I'm just wondering does anyone here know why this would happen? I'll call into the shop over the weekend anyway but I got a 3 Payg sim as it suddenly said on the website that 4g would work in my area. So I got the sim and the router (a TP link one). Plugged it on and it did connect but it brought me to the 3 site which said I'd exceeded my data limit. I literally just plugged it in so I can't have exceeded it! I paid 20 euro for the sim in the shop last week. I'm presuming it's just something they need to activate at their end or has this happened to anyone else? Thanks a mill, folks.

FishOnABike

@A cup of te Try again. It can take an hour or two at times for the SIM to register on the network. I saw this when I got a portable hotspot + powered it on the first time. It took an hour or two to be able to access my data allowance.

shmeee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122702438#Comment_122702438

You need to sign up to a PAYG plan. Have you done that? Login to your MyThree account on the app to see your current PAYG plan.

I got that error if I didn't top up my account after 28 days and plan expired.

A cup of te

Thanks both! I finally got a chance to try it again this morning and it just worked without doing anything. General Internet surfing is absolutely fine but I tested it for working from home and some of the functions for that are very slow to open but I think once opened they're OK. I'll know more when I test it again. I ended up getting a TP link archer mr200 ac1200 and a 3 payg just if anyone else is planning to use similar. Hoping the few early teething problems work out. If they do then I'm really happy with this set up :-) thank you for the advice previously also. I'm going to try the ethernet cable in it next time to see if that speeds it up.

ScotsGoneIRE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122713140#Comment_122713140

TP Link I find isn’t the best wifi, Ethernet all the way.

I had the MR200 and now a X50-5G and even that wifi isn’t great so Ethernet is leaps better by 100Mbps on 5G.

A cup of te

A few months later now and it's actually been working great. No issues at all but I'll keep the above in mind in case I do run into issues in the future.