Three Feel at Home using a 3 MiFi (in USA).

It isn't compatible sadly she would need a different MiFi.

Ah ok, thanks for the quick info.

Any suggestions as to what she can get?

jonmorris · 23-04-2014, 12:21

Whether you can use 3G in the USA will depend on where you're going and what bands the MiFi supports, and what bands the networks support in that state (or even city in some cases). 1700MHz was quite common, but 2100MHz is now used in a lot of places, which would be just fine.

Now as long as the prepay SIMs you mention are mobile broadband SIMs (and if you have the 3GB for 90 day SIM then I'm certain that they are) then she should have no problem using the MiFi. But she probably wouldn't want to be using 2G speeds.

If you put a regular SIM in (normal PAYG or contract SIM, e.g. One Plan) then tethering is not allowed and I'd expect it to be blocked very quickly each and every time it's tried. This doesn't apply to you/her, but I feel it's worth mentioning for anyone else that sees this thread and thinks about doing it with a contract SIM or the 321 PAYG tariff.

Perhaps you can say which model MiFi you have, as well as where she's going in the US, as it might be that she will be okay?

Or else, she might be able to buy a more suitable MiFi or dongle (cheaper and fine if you're only using with a laptop*) from Amazon before she goes.

* When I was in Las Vegas, I connected my MacBook via ethernet in the hotel room and then used the laptop itself to share the connection via Wi-Fi. You could do the same with a dongle.

Silent No More · 23-04-2014, 12:24

Quote:

Whether you can use 3G in the USA will depend on where you're going and what bands the MiFi supports, and what bands the networks support in that state (or even city in some cases). 1700MHz was quite common, but 2100MHz is now used in a lot of places, which would be just fine.

Now as long as the prepay SIMs you mention are mobile broadband SIMs (and if you have the 3GB for 90 day SIM then I'm certain that they are) then she should have no problem using the MiFi. But she probably wouldn't want to be using 2G speeds.

If you put a regular SIM in (normal PAYG or contract SIM, e.g. One Plan) then tethering is not allowed and I'd expect it to be blocked very quickly each and every time it's tried. This doesn't apply to you/her, but I feel it's worth mentioning for anyone else that sees this thread and thinks about doing it with a contract SIM or the 321 PAYG tariff.

Perhaps you can say which model MiFi you have, as well as where she's going in the US, as it might be that she will be okay?

Or else, she might be able to buy a more suitable MiFi or dongle (cheaper and fine if you're only using with a laptop*) from Amazon before she goes.

* When I was in Las Vegas, I connected my MacBook via ethernet in the hotel room and then used the laptop itself to share the connection via Wi-Fi. You could do the same with a dongle.

Thanks Jon,

It's a Huawei E586 and it's Orlando she's going to.

enapace · 23-04-2014, 12:28

Quote:

Ah ok, thanks for the quick info.

Any suggestions as to what she can get?

I would look on ebay for an AT&T unlocked MiFi that would work for you they can be got pretty cheaply obviously have pay import tax but just had a quick check on there they aren't much.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AT-T-Novat...item3a8f54e657

That's a pretty good value one and is actually below the import tax band.

Quote:

Whether you can use 3G in the USA will depend on where you're going and what bands the MiFi supports, and what bands the networks support in that state (or even city in some cases). 1700MHz was quite common, but 2100MHz is now used in a lot of places, which would be just fine.

Now as long as the prepay SIMs you mention are mobile broadband SIMs (and if you have the 3GB for 90 day SIM then I'm certain that they are) then she should have no problem using the MiFi. But she probably wouldn't want to be using 2G speeds.

If you put a regular SIM in (normal PAYG or contract SIM, e.g. One Plan) then tethering is not allowed and I'd expect it to be blocked very quickly each and every time it's tried. This doesn't apply to you/her, but I feel it's worth mentioning for anyone else that sees this thread and thinks about doing it with a contract SIM or the 321 PAYG tariff.

Perhaps you can say which model MiFi you have, as well as where she's going in the US, as it might be that she will be okay?

Or else, she might be able to buy a more suitable MiFi or dongle (cheaper and fine if you're only using with a laptop*) from Amazon before she goes.

* When I was in Las Vegas, I connected my MacBook via ethernet in the hotel room and then used the laptop itself to share the connection via Wi-Fi. You could do the same with a dongle.

I was under the impression a device needed access to both 1700 and 2100MHz to work on AWS. A lot of places are switching to 1900MHz so might work but the option I suggested above is likely the most reliable method. I used to do what you did in hotels but a lot seem be removing ethernet these days and replacing it with WiFi.

jonmorris · 23-04-2014, 12:33

Assuming Three will allow roaming on T-Mobile (I can't remember who I used when I went), it seems Orlando has been updated:

http://support.t-mobile.com/communit...ization-update

And also: http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-4988

It's frustrating that they consider HSPA+ as 4G, and now have to differentiate between 4G and 4G LTE. In 'our world', what T-Mobile refers to as 4G is our 3G, and what she'll hopefully be using in Orlando at 2100MHz.

There's also AT&T to look at.

I think she'll be okay.

@enapace I don't know much about AWS beyond what I've read on Wikipedia, but I know that when I was in Las Vegas last year, my 'regular' Nexus 4 worked fine and gave me speeds of around 10Mbps - at least away from the main convention centre where it was massively congested. The Nexus 4 didn't support AWS or LTE (well, not officially and mine wasn't hacked) so I was just using 2100MHz.

enapace · 23-04-2014, 12:41

Quote:

Assuming Three will allow roaming on T-Mobile (I can't remember who I used when I went), it seems Orlando has been updated:

http://support.t-mobile.com/communit...ization-update

And also: http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-4988

It's frustrating that they consider HSPA+ as 4G, and now have to differentiate between 4G and 4G LTE. In 'our world', what T-Mobile refers to as 4G is our 3G, and what she'll hopefully be using in Orlando at 2100MHz.

There's also AT&T to look at.

I think she'll be okay

@enapace I don't know much about AWS beyond what I've read on Wikipedia, but I know that when I was in Las Vegas last year, my 'regular' Nexus 4 worked fine and gave me speeds of around 10Mbps - at least away from the main convention centre where it was massively congested. The Nexus 4 didn't support AWS or LTE (well, not officially and mine wasn't hacked) so I was just using 2100MHz.

Three is allowing T-Mobile US you can use them or AT&T. Think you getting slightly confused there Jon what that is saying is that T-Mobile are refarming 1900MHz for 3G use. 1700/2100MHz has always been used in America called AWS for 3G but because Europe doesn't use 1700MHz for 3G a 3 MiFi likely won't support that band.

In regards to Nexus 4 I am pretty sure it does support 1700MHz least I thought it did curious will have to check mine.

Update just found this on Three's Site

Will my phone or Mobile Broadband device work in all Feel At Home destinations?
We sometimes forget how different things can be abroad. This includes the different frequencies that some foreign networks use. All the phones we currently sell will work in all Feel At Home destinations. This is true of our current mobile broadband devices as well, except in the USA, where only the ZTE MF730M dongle will work.

We’ll soon be launching the Huawei E5372 Mobile Wi-Fi, which will work in the USA at 3G speeds.

That answers the question so looks like you either need buy the new Three MiFi or get a AT&T unlocked one.

Silent No More · 23-04-2014, 12:48

Quote:

This is true of our current mobile broadband devices as well, except in the USA, where only the ZTE MF730M dongle will work.

We’ll soon be launching the Huawei E5372 Mobile Wi-Fi, which will work in the USA at 3G speeds.

That answers the question.

Ah, so her E586 is useless for USA travel then?

That's a shame, I'll look into costs for a USA mifi (AT&T?).

Thanks.

enapace · 23-04-2014, 12:52

Quote:

Ah, so her E586 is useless for USA travel then?

That's a shame, I'll look into costs for a USA mifi (AT&T?).

Thanks.

Looks like it Three have launched there new MiFi now so you could look at that as well supports 4G in Europe. Depends on how often it gets used the 4G one would be more but would be more future proof. American one I linked further up this thread was 30 quid including p&p for AT&T which is pretty cheap.

jonmorris · 23-04-2014, 12:53

As I said in my edited post, which you might have missed, I have successfully used a 3G phone in the USA - albeit with a local SIM as it was long before Feel At Home.

And as I write this, I just realised that the SIM I purchased was a MVNO for AT&T, so it was AT&T that I was using, not T-Mobile! D'oh.

So it's a case of whether Three will allow roaming with AT&T, which offers 3G at 1900MHz (as well as 850MHz) and that was obviously what my Nexus 4 was using - as indeed most recent 3G phones will support.

As for the E586, there are three variants of this device and only one supports 850/1900MHz in addition to 2100MHz, and I assume the Three branded one won't be that version.

So, sorry, I was wrong - it won't work at 3G speeds in the USA. And 2G is dog slow, so hardly viable.

However, I am sure you could get a cheap MiFi or dongle from Amazon or eBay, or the updated model from Three. Or just put the SIM in a phone you might have that supports the right bands and set that up as a personal hotspot.

enapace · 23-04-2014, 12:56

Quote:

As I said in my edited post, which you might have missed, I have successfully used a 3G phone in the USA - albeit with a local SIM as it was long before Feel At Home.

And as I write that, I just realised that the SIM I purchased was a MVNO for AT&T, so it was AT&T that I was using, not T-Mobile! D'oh.

So it's a case of whether Three will allow roaming with AT&T, which does offer 3G at 1900MHz (as well as 850MHz) and that was what my Nexus 4 supported - as indeed most 3G phones will.

As for the E586, there are three variants of this device and only one supports 850/1900MHz in addition to 2100MHz, and I assume the Three branded one won't be that version.

So, sorry, I was wrong - it won't work at 3G speeds in the USA.

However, I am sure you could get a cheap MiFi or dongle from Amazon or eBay. Or just put the SIM in a phone that supports the right bands and set that up as a personal hotspot.

Ah I apologise then Jon didn't mean argue with you. American frequencies are seriously confusing thankfully they have decided harmonize the lower 700MHz LTE band. From what I remember main Frequencies for 3G in america are 850MHz 1700/2100MHz and 1900MHz.

jonmorris · 23-04-2014, 13:04

Quote:

Ah I apologise then Jon didn't mean argue with you. American frequencies are seriously confusing thankfully they have decided harmonize the lower 700MHz LTE band. From what I remember main Frequencies for 3G in america are 850MHz 1700/2100MHz and 1900MHz.

Don't apologise! I was wrong and initially gave the wrong advice - which you thankfully corrected and prompted me to remember what network I actually used last time!

enapace · 23-04-2014, 13:09

Silent if your wife has a bit of time I would advise getting this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Unlock...item2a399b2930

31 pounds including P&P and will work for her well there should even get 850MHz access with that.

qasdfdsaq · 23-04-2014, 18:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Ah I apologise then Jon didn't mean argue with you. American frequencies are seriously confusing thankfully they have decided harmonize the lower 700MHz LTE band. From what I remember main Frequencies for 3G in america are 850MHz 1700/2100MHz and 1900MHz.

Except their 700 LTE band is basically the opposite of what we want to use here...

enapace · 23-04-2014, 19:27

Quote:

Except their 700 LTE band is basically the opposite of what we want to use here...

True enough sadly.

Silent No More · 23-04-2014, 22:50

Quote:

However, I am sure you could get a cheap MiFi or dongle from Amazon or eBay, or the updated model from Three. Or just put the SIM in a phone you might have that supports the right bands and set that up as a personal hotspot.

Aha!

She has an unlocked 5S, so I wonder if she could put the 3/EE data SIMs in and set the phone up as a personal hotspot (MiFi)?

Thanks everyone.

jonmorris · 23-04-2014, 23:17

Quote:

Aha!

She has an unlocked 5S, so I wonder if she could put the 3/EE data SIMs in and set the phone up as a personal hotspot (MiFi)?

Thanks everyone.

Only thing there will be the need to cut the SIM down to nano size. And there could possibly be a problem with changing the APN on an iOS device? Maybe someone else can help on this?

Silent No More · 24-04-2014, 05:53

Quote:

Only thing there will be the need to cut the SIM down to nano size. And there could possibly be a problem with changing the APN on an iOS device? Maybe someone else can help on this?

That's not a problem, I've got a SIM cutter.

Good point re APN though, I've certainly got no idea!

jonmorris · 24-04-2014, 12:07

Quote:

Good point re APN though, I've certainly got no idea!

I mentioned it because a recent carrier update changed the APN used for tethering on the iPhone to 3PortableHotspot or similar. It's possible that this might cause problems if used abroad, even though a mobile broadband SIM allows tethering.

On pretty much any other device, I'd expect you could change it to 3broadband or whatever it is.

Silent No More · 25-04-2014, 16:33

Quote: