Three Euro pass

simps100simps100 Posts: 514
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Hi all

Im on the Three one plan and am off to france on friday for a few days and plan to buy the euro package (http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Phones/Euro_internet_pass) , just wondering has anyone here used it? Just wondering do you get a 3G service or is it edge?

Cheers

Marc
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Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 6
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    I used it a couple of weeks ago for the first time, also in France. I'm still undecided about it really - it was certainly nice to have unlimited data and not have to worry about that. However the bandwidth definitely wasn't what I'm used to at home - although to be fair that's exactly how it is advertised. I got the impression it was maybe bandwidth-capped 3G that you are getting. Anyway, in general it was just about good enough to hold down a skype conversation... didn't do any speed tests. Also to be even more fair to the French phone network, I was in a lot of very crowded areas which might not have helped things.

    In summary - I think it did pretty much what it was advertised to do, provided a decent enough data connection but not good enough to stream stuff.

    Richard.
  • Daveoc64Daveoc64 Posts: 15,374
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    I used it in Spain (Mallorca) over the summer.

    Some speed tests:

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/xce3wbyjoj1gz7c/Photo%2017-07-2012%2009%2058%2054.png

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/uah6vfed1evstre/Photo%2017-07-2012%2022%2055%2034.png

    Bear in mind that was on an iPhone 4, so the speeds weren't going to be amazing.

    My usage on one of the days:

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/idtbsipb9ic0gdd/Photo%2024-07-2012%2001%2003%2051.png

    I was very happy with it overall. It worked well for pretty much everything. I was able to stream BBC iPlayer on it (as the traffic is routed back to the UK). I used Skype several times as well as less demanding things like App downloads, Facebook, web browsing etc.
  • culabulaculabula Posts: 858
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    Has anyone tried to use tethering on this, despite what Three say? For example, could I enable the pass and then stick the SIM in a Mifi?
  • Daveoc64Daveoc64 Posts: 15,374
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    There's a difference between tethering and putting it into a Mi-Fi.

    I don't think I tried tethering when I was abroad.
  • hongkongandyhongkongandy Posts: 119
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    Although its great that Three have come up with a cheaper option than roaming, at £5 day (£35 week) and you have to renew daily, I think getting a local sim card is the cheaper option. I have done so in Italy and Spain.
  • BKMBKM Posts: 6,912
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    Although its great that Three have come up with a cheaper option than roaming, at £5 day (£35 week) and you have to renew daily, I think getting a local sim card is the cheaper option. I have done so in Italy and Spain.
    It CAN be a cheaper option - finding the right local 3G card can be a pain in France (for example!) - it needs a local address and none of the local ones are (AFAIK) quite as good as is common in the UK.
  • culabulaculabula Posts: 858
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    BKM wrote: »
    It CAN be a cheaper option - finding the right local 3G card can be a pain in France (for example!) - it needs a local address and none of the local ones are (AFAIK) quite as good as is common in the UK.

    Walk into any FNAC.
    Buy Kit Internet pour iPad from SFR, 9,99€
    Pay. Leave. Place in device of your choice*. Enjoy unlimited data for 4 days straight away(despite it saying 3 days on the pack).
    Longer stay? **** it away and buy another.





    * If using in a device other than iPad, change the APN to websfr
  • culabulaculabula Posts: 858
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    Daveoc64 wrote: »
    There's a difference between tethering and putting it into a Mi-Fi.

    I don't think I tried tethering when I was abroad.

    Whats the difference? This "tethering" term is just an Americanism for using your device as a modem. Whether I use Personal Hotspot on an iPhone or via a MiFi, it's "tethering" -in other words not using the data solely in the handset but connecting one or more other devices to it.
  • Daveoc64Daveoc64 Posts: 15,374
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    culabula wrote: »
    Whats the difference? This "tethering" term is just an Americanism for using your device as a modem. Whether I use Personal Hotspot on an iPhone or via a MiFi, it's "tethering" -in other words not using the data solely in the handset but connecting one or more other devices to it.

    A Mi-Fi is solely designed to share its data connection through Wi-Fi. It has no other function.

    That's not true for a phone. The ability to use the data connection with other devices isn't always present and as we all know, many networks restrict or charge for that feature.
  • BKMBKM Posts: 6,912
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    culabula wrote: »
    Walk into any FNAC.
    Buy Kit Internet pour iPad from SFR, 9,99€
    Pay. Leave. Place in device of your choice*. Enjoy unlimited data for 4 days straight away(despite it saying 3 days on the pack).
    That's useful to know! I have seen MUCH more complicated instructions in the past with poor data limits and things like top-ups being banned until the SIM got registered to an address. That sounds just the job!
  • BKMBKM Posts: 6,912
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    Daveoc64 wrote: »
    That's not true for a phone. The ability to use the data connection with other devices isn't always present and as we all know, many networks restrict or charge for that feature.
    Almost all Android phones can act as a MiFi - as can iPhones and iPads (if the Apple network profile allows). I have used limited tethering on "no tethering" phone tariffs with no ill effects so far - the networks vary widely on how strictly they police this or perhaps my usage was not enough to provoke them.

    If they bother to look hard enough they CAN detect it!
  • culabulaculabula Posts: 858
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    Daveoc64 wrote: »
    A Mi-Fi is solely designed to share its data connection through Wi-Fi. It has no other function.

    That's not true for a phone. The ability to use the data connection with other devices isn't always present and as we all know, many networks restrict or charge for that feature.

    Well, I was of course talking about phones where the feature IS present. The point is there is no difference. tethering is tethering.
  • culabulaculabula Posts: 858
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    BKM wrote: »
    That's useful to know! I have seen MUCH more complicated instructions in the past with poor data limits and things like top-ups being banned until the SIM got registered to an address. That sounds just the job!

    An update for you, as I was in Paris briefly last week and bought two more.

    Firstly, I bought two, so that I have one for the future and therefore ready for use, the moment I arrive. The SIM does not activate until you place it in a device.

    Secondly, it's still working exactly as before with two slight, but significant changes. It works out of the box but only for a few hours as there is now a voucher with code included, to activate the 72h service. Simply go to "services" on your device and effectively top-up from there, using the supplied code.

    The other change is brilliant; hotspot on iPad is now supported, so all you need to do is insert the SIM on iPad and effectively use that as a Mifi -one less device to carry!

    Lastly, do buy in the FNAC, wherever possible -it's an off-the-shelf job. SFR "espaces" can be equally fast or take forever. Once you have it though, it's pain-free.
  • Daveoc64Daveoc64 Posts: 15,374
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    culabula wrote: »
    Well, I was of course talking about phones where the feature IS present. The point is there is no difference. tethering is tethering.

    The whole idea of the word "tether" is that you attach one thing to another.

    Let's put it this way: no network in the world agrees with your definition.

    Tethering is "sharing" your phone's data connection with other devices using Bluetooth, IR, Wi-Fi or a wired connection.

    Anything else is not.

    Three does not allow tethering with the Euro Internet Pass, and you aren't allowed to use one of their phone plans in a Mi-Fi (or a tablet or any other form of mobile broadband product - e.g. dongle) - at home or abroad.

    As the Euro Internet Pass is only available on pay monthly phone plans, that would rule out using it in a Mi-Fi.
  • culabulaculabula Posts: 858
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    Daveoc64 wrote: »
    The whole idea of the word "tether" is that you attach one thing to another.

    Let's put it this way: no network in the world agrees with your definition.

    Tethering is "sharing" your phone's data connection with other devices using Bluetooth, IR, Wi-Fi or a wired connection.

    Anything else is not.

    Three does not allow tethering with the Euro Internet Pass, and you aren't allowed to use one of their phone plans in a Mi-Fi (or a tablet or any other form of mobile broadband product - e.g. dongle) - at home or abroad.

    As the Euro Internet Pass is only available on pay monthly phone plans, that would rule out using it in a Mi-Fi.


    I honestly don't know what you're on about as we seem to be in total agreement about tethering. "Tethering is "sharing" your phone's data connection with other devices using Bluetooth, IR, Wi-Fi or a wired connection" you say, and that is exactly what I say.

    As for "aren't allowed" I do all that you describe all the time with Three SIMs ALL THE TIME in the device of my choice. Therefore I very much suspect that while you are not supposed to tether using the Euro Internet Pass, you probably can, regardless. I have a pay monthly Three SIM and I frequently use it in my iPad or Mifi, when the situation demands it. As it was, I used my Vodafone Ireland SIM the first night until I was able to purchase a French data SIM.
  • culabulaculabula Posts: 858
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    Daveoc64 wrote: »

    I was very happy with it overall. It worked well for pretty much everything. I was able to stream BBC iPlayer on it (as the traffic is routed back to the UK)..

    That's remarkable (and pretty unprecedented). It doesn't usually work like that -for example, if I use my Three IRL SIM in Italy or in the UK as part of Three Like Home, I cannot watch Irish TV.
  • Andrew_ReidAndrew_Reid Posts: 110
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    I was in Majorca in the summer,i got the euro pass on my s3,and used my portable hotspot funtion on my phone to tether to my tablet pc,no problem at all,i also had my mifi device with me,and my sim card out my phone worked in that also.
  • culabulaculabula Posts: 858
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    I was in Majorca in the summer,i got the euro pass on my s3,and used my portable hotspot funtion on my phone to tether to my tablet pc,no problem at all,i also had my mifi device with me,and my sim card out my phone worked in that also.

    Is the CORRECT ANSWER!

    Thanks! Youve just won a major prize! :D
  • BKMBKM Posts: 6,912
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    culabula wrote: »
    Is the CORRECT ANSWER!
    It's the answer you want to hear! The Three Euro pass specifically EXCLUDES tethering BUT they (3) often let tethering go for some time and/or with limited use. I have used tethering with "not allowed" phone SIMs in the UK.
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    I'm going to solve this argument.

    Officially, the euro pass (in t&c) excludes you from tethering (Personal hotspot/usb/putting sim in a MBB device etc...) when active.

    In reality, you probably can. But if Three block it after a while due to excessive use there is nothing you can do as it's against T&C anyway. So yeh, like above you probably can tether/use sim in non phone but Three do have the right to stop it.
  • BKMBKM Posts: 6,912
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    jabbamk1 wrote: »
    Officially, the euro pass (in t&c) excludes you from tethering (Personal hotspot/usb/putting sim in a MBB device etc...) when active.
    Even use in a 3G-enabled tablet counts as tethering AFAIK - which seemed plain mean! They obviously hoping that phone handsets will be physically too small for people to want to do data intensive things (like streaming) on!
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    BKM wrote: »
    Even use in a 3G-enabled tablet counts as tethering AFAIK - which seemed plain mean! They obviously hoping that phone handsets will be physically too small for people to want to do data intensive things (like streaming) on!

    Yep even using it in 3G tablets is considered tethering.

    TBH tethering is a whole other issue.

    I can understand how for example T-Mobile will say you can't use the full monty unlimited data for tethering. As you will use much more data tethering than you would on a phone and T-Mo don't exactly want people to use too much data as it would cause a strain on their network.

    And i do understand how "Officially" You can't use a Three UK AYCE phone sim (not one plan, i mean like payg or other plans) in a MBB device/tablet/for tethering as they couldn't support it either.

    But what i don't get is those that say you have a limit of 1GB then block you from tethering/using in a MBB device, and even charge you. I know they do it because you're more likely to use up 1GB tethering where as most would not use that 1GB on their phone. But i think you should be allowed to use data with a limit in any way you want.

    Same goes for Three's One Plan which does include tethering. (unlike the Pay as you go plan i mentioned above). Three will block you from using it in a tab or MBB device but there should be no reason for doing so if you get tethering.
  • Daveoc64Daveoc64 Posts: 15,374
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    BKM wrote: »
    Even use in a 3G-enabled tablet counts as tethering AFAIK - which seemed plain mean!

    It doesn't count as tethering.

    Three has a pretty basic rule:

    Use your SIM in the type of device that the plan is intended for

    i.e.
    Don't use a 2G phone
    Don't put a mobile broadband SIM (supplied for use in a dongle, Mi-Fi or Tablet) into a phone
    Don't put a phone SIM into a mobile broadband device

    These rules apply in the UK and abroad.

    In addition to those, some plans have restrictions on tethering.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3
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    I have just used it for a week in Amsterdam in my Galaxy Nexus. Several times a day it would accuse me of tethering and cut me off, requiring a few minutes of fiddling to make it work again.

    Quite annoying, and on one day I didn't even bother paying for it.

    My error message is here: https://plus.google.com/photos/100733252093874625189/albums/5829577801553202161?authkey=CIayhMPr0KarhgE
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