# Internet on the move?



## mariesnowgoose (Nov 2, 2015)

I'm positive this question has been asked loads of times before, but ...

I'm wondering who out there in the wild camping world is living full time in their camper and needs unlimited internet access for work purposes?

If there is anybody, what system(s) and devices do you use and what is your monthly/annual cost for connection and costs for initial setup?

Need to start researching this for ourselves, so if anyone has first hand experience of doing this it would be a great help!

Initially we are only interested in UK access.


----------



## Pauljenny (Nov 2, 2015)

Afternoon Marie, glad to hear that you are out and about again.

We full time for 6 months in Uk and Europe .

We have a contract with 3 ,

 £17 per month gets us .... Unlimited internet, free texts, tethering for 4 gigs . After 12 months, I'll ask to leave , because I've heard that they will lower the price ,rather than lose low usage customers.

We can use it abroad at the UK rate , but no tethering.

Hope this helps.


----------



## Sharon the Cat (Nov 2, 2015)

I bet that Phil (Admin) has a tasty set-up. That's if his front spotlights are anything to go by.


----------



## vanmandan (Nov 2, 2015)

greetings from the sunny south coast of Sicily.........
I've been fulltiming for the past 10 years,
recently bought a KNOWHOW mobile wifi hotspot from Currys....£30.
various tariffs available........
I get 3 gigs a month for £10.
works throughout Europe.
Buy KNOWHOW Home & Abroad Pay Monthly Mobile WiFi | Free Delivery | Currys
I'm very pleased with it.
hope this helps.


----------



## alcam (Nov 2, 2015)

Pauljenny said:


> Afternoon Marie, glad to hear that you are out and about again.
> 
> We full time for 6 months in Uk and Europe .
> 
> ...



It seems the unlimited data is no longer available abroad ? Mind I did get conflicting answers in different 3 shops . Am using 3 for this trip and it is fine for work which is basically emails etc . Hopeless for streaming anything . Maybe by next year [next trip] there is something better on the market


----------



## Tezza33 (Nov 2, 2015)

vanmandan said:


> greetings from the sunny south coast of Sicily.........
> I've been fulltiming for the past 10 years,
> recently bought a KNOWHOW mobile wifi hotspot from Currys....£30.
> various tariffs available........
> ...


It is on offer for £15 now


----------



## Deleted user 48797 (Nov 2, 2015)

Another vote for Knowhow and Globalgig, brilliant in France and Spain on a monthly rolling contract.
Bd..


----------



## pgandt (Nov 2, 2015)

i picked up a three sin in Ireland for my mifi device costs name 35 euro for 20gigs.  its valid for 30 days and I always go over that anyway - its pre pay (pay as you go) and is good for Three like home so good for the UK,  France and Spain.  There is a caveat in that they say they will only provide three like home cover for 30 days but if that happens I have someone in Ireland who can get me another sim and send it on. 

I don't think there is anyone that does unlimited access for mobile broadband on a wifi type device - if there is i would love to hear about it.


----------



## Byronic (Nov 2, 2015)

Curry's are flogging the SIM only for £4.97. No need to get the Mifi, just put the SIM in an unlocked Tablet, Dongle etc. Rolling 30 day contract 1 GB £7.99  5GB £15.99. various alternative plans. But cannot see reference to a Validity Period for overseas use. Constantly moving target  phone and data mobile provision. I think I feel a headache coming on.


----------



## maingate (Nov 2, 2015)

Hi Marie, I have recently got a 3 Mifi on a 12 month contract. I get 15 gig for £18 per month.

If you get a Mifi on its own, you and Neil could both order the free EE sim on the 'Christmas Sim' deal. You get 100 gig a month for the first 2 months for a £10 topup. There is a limit of 2 per household but you could get round that easily enough I suppose.


----------



## witzend (Nov 2, 2015)

*BT Customers*

4G SIM Only Plans & Deals | BT


----------



## dippingatoe (Nov 2, 2015)

Pauljenny said:


> Afternoon Marie, glad to hear that you are out and about again.
> 
> We full time for 6 months in Uk and Europe .
> 
> ...




is this offer still available and do you have a link please?  

The best I can get is 20 gb for about £23 with ee


----------



## dippingatoe (Nov 2, 2015)

Pendel said:


> EE offer back on.  £10 for 200gb over 2 months.  then bin sim



Do you have link to this offer please


----------



## silverweed (Nov 2, 2015)

am I understanding it correctly, I have to validate the sim within 14 days to then get the 2 months of date. I can't keep it to use later. Do you think the sim would also work in a dongle or is that yet something else


----------



## Livotlout (Nov 3, 2015)

*Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

Unofficial BT WiFi/Openzone/FON access via a relative's login, coupled to an El Cheapo Chinese ariel. - Always a connection if houses nearby, sometimes flaky, longest connection approx 1 mile .

ebay item no,  281748345949    for long range USB Antenne

Alec......


----------



## El Veterano (Nov 3, 2015)

We are currently in France using 3 Feel at Home. We pay £10.88 a month for 15Gb which is usually adequate for our use in Uk (just). But the reception here in France has been a bit patchy. We are using a Huawei E5372 mobile Wi-Fi dongle which is pretty good but at £78 a tad expensive I think. When using a Huawei dongle it seems that it is esential that you get the Huawei app on your 'phone so that you can reset settings and network providers etc. We would have been completly stuffed without the app as somehow or other roaming had been turned off when we first got here and it took at least an hours worth of 'phone calls to their very helpful customer services to sort it. They didn't quite, and in the end it was perserverance using the app that did fix it but it was 2 days out of my life on and off to get it up and running again. In future we will probably just use a French sim.


----------



## maingate (Nov 3, 2015)

silverweed said:


> am I understanding it correctly, I have to validate the sim within 14 days to then get the 2 months of date. I can't keep it to use later. Do you think the sim would also work in a dongle or is that yet something else



That is correct, it is in the terms and conditions.

Check the bottom of the page.

The Christmas SIM from EE | EE PAYG Sim | EE


----------



## mariesnowgoose (Nov 3, 2015)

Does anybody out there use satellite for internet access on the move?


----------



## Byronic (Nov 3, 2015)

Although not wholely addressing the OP query. I've mentioned this in a previous thread, if all else fails and you are spending time in Spain you could do worse than going to the nearest Orange Shop and getting a PAYG DATA SIM no rolling contract no faffing away X number of days of your life that you'll never get back determining whether or not just what 3 means in its T&Cs.
30 days, €10, 1GB. Just take Passport and give the local campsite or 5 star hotel as your address.


----------



## carol (Nov 3, 2015)

I was told by 3 that the "feel at home" deal lasts for 50 days....


----------



## Byronic (Nov 3, 2015)

50 days, 2 months, possibly 3 months even "meant for holiday useage"? Take your pick!!

I'm waiting for "Feel At Home" to mean what it actually states, not what 3 infers it means. Telecoms Regulation needs a damn good going over. It's all down to Government allowing the big operators to claw back from the  uncomplaining public the £20 billion the operators had to pay for 3G Bandwidth Licencing eons ago.


----------



## John H (Nov 3, 2015)

I took out my "Feel at Home" contract because I was assured that it would be ideal for aomeone like me who spends half the year in the UK and half in Europe. Prior to that, I had a month by month contract in the UK which I cancelled every year when we went abroad. So far, it has ben two months and there has been no problem. The terms and conditions are very vague and say that "excessive" use (whatever that is) "may" lead to it being suspended. There is no mention of time periods. They also say that they will not curtail the service without contacting you first. If they ever do try to contact me, I will simply cancel the direct debit on the grounds that they have broken their contract with me - and get a Spanish SIM. But to date, as I said, there has been no problem.


----------



## John H (Nov 3, 2015)

I have kept well within the usage allowance and the contract was on the basis that I spend 6 months each year outside the UK. Any attempt to cancel (which I stress has not happened) would constitute a breach of contract on their part.


----------



## Byronic (Nov 3, 2015)

And some people thought they had a meaningful contract with Talk Talk, whereby no doubt a reasonable duty of care was implied but never explicitly defined. I can't see anywhere that 3 have stated in writing a 6 months period for FAH. But I stand to be corrected, they are generally ambiguous in their wording, which allows plenty of wriggle room, depending how their cunning plans eventuate.


----------



## John H (Nov 3, 2015)

I am not sure I understand your point. Others have talked about specific time periods. I pointed out that the contract does not mention specific time periods. It only talks about "excessive use". Since they specify an allowance, it would be easy to claim that my usage (well within those specified limits) is not excessive. Further, they say only that they "may" curtails the service under those circumstances and that they will not do so until they have contacted you (and presumably given you a chance to put your case). Plenty of room for manoevre there 

But I stress again, I have had no problem with them. I was simply pointing out that there are no specific cut-off points as others imply.


----------



## John H (Nov 3, 2015)

Byronic said:


> And some people thought they had a meaningful contract with Talk Talk, whereby no doubt a reasonable duty of care was implied but never explicitly defined. I can't see anywhere that 3 have stated in writing a 6 months period for FAH. But I stand to be corrected, they are generally ambiguous in their wording, which allows plenty of wriggle room, depending how their cunning plans eventuate.



The contract does not state a 6 month period; but neither does it mention a cut-off period at all. My point was that I was sold the contract SPECIFICALLY because it would suit my lifestyle of 6 months at home and six months abroad. So far there has been no attempt to curtail my use and I do not expect one. IF there was such an attempt, it would constitute a breach of their contract with me.


----------



## Byronic (Nov 3, 2015)

John H said:


> I have kept well within the usage allowance and the contract was on the basis that I spend 6 months each year outside the UK. Any attempt to cancel (which I stress has not happened) would constitute a breach of contract on their part.



"the contract was on the basis that I spend 6 months of the year outside the UK" is that your idea of the contract or theirs, where is it stated that they provide you with a set time period??


----------



## John H (Nov 3, 2015)

Byronic said:


> "the contract was on the basis that I spend 6 months of the year outside the UK" is that your idea of the contract or theirs, where is it stated that they provide you with a set time period??



It is stated in their correspondence with me. I stress again, I am talking about the SPECIFIC contract I have with them. In the general contract there is neither a minimum nor a maximum time period stated.

My advice to others would be that if they have specific needs then make sure that those needs are specified in the correspondence. Then you have a come-back if they try to vary the contract. It applies to any agreement, not just phones. 

PS, reading back through this thread, it would appear that pauljenny also spends 6 months on the move and has also not had any problems. The point being that if you clarify things from the start you are unlikely to have problems.


----------



## John H (Nov 3, 2015)

And your literal interpretation of the words "excessive" and "may" is..........................................?

To me, the key word is "may", which means that there is definitely room for manoevre - especially if you have everything in writing from the start


----------



## Byronic (Nov 3, 2015)

John H said:


> It is stated in their correspondence with me. I stress again, I am talking about the SPECIFIC contract I have with them. In the general contract there is niether a minimum nor a maximum time period stated.
> 
> My advice to others would be that if they have specific needs then make sure that those needs are specified in the correspondence. Then you have a come-back if they try to vary the contract. It applies to any agreement, not just phones.



I'd be very surprised if they didn't have a clause referring back to their general overall terms and conditions taking precedence, however the general T&Cs are the basis on which most of us have had to base our remarks on this thread. If you have something personalised to your requirements with 3, then we aren't party to that arrangement and take your word for what you state.


----------



## John H (Nov 3, 2015)

Byronic said:


> I'd be very surprised if they didn't have a clause referring back to their general overall terms and conditions taking precedence, however the general T&Cs are the basis on which most of us have had to base our remarks on this thread. If you have something personalised to your requirements with 3, then we aren't party to that arrangement and take your word for what you state.



And the reason for my intervention was that those general terms and conditions make no mention of maximum or minimum time limits and also give a lot of room for individual manoevre - and allow for individuals to come to specific agreements. Thus to say that there is a specific time limit, as some have, has no basis.


----------



## alcam (Nov 3, 2015)

John H said:


> And the reason for my intervention was that those general terms and conditions make no mention of maximum or minimum time limits and also give a lot of room for individual manoevre - and allow for individuals to come to specific agreements. Thus to say that there is a specific time limit, as some have, has no basis.



Coincidentally I have been talking to 3 today. Stupidly been using my sim in Portugal which is not included. They had cut me off because there is a cap on my payment, fortunately. 
Customer service were really good, emailed yesterday phone call today.. Situation sorted only cost me about £30. While sorting things out I asked if he could deal with my months notice of cancellation. Which he did.Also said he could extend (which I'm sure they have to) but as I'll be home in a month I declined. 
Obviously no time limit I'm on a rolling contract. Data amounts vary, basically the guys in the shops don't know what they are talking about half the time (or maybe very aware). I was very impressed with the service I got. £30 for my own carelessness is not too bad


----------



## Byronic (Nov 3, 2015)

John H said:


> And the reason for my intervention was that those general terms and conditions make no mention of maximum or minimum time limits and also give a lot of room for individual manoevre - and allow for individuals to come to specific agreements. Thus to say that there is a specific time limit, as some have, has no basis.



Useage and I quote "any 2 complete months in a rolling 12 months period"  after which "we may suspend". Just checked the website. If you have something separate and more favourable, good luck to you. But I can't be bothered with it on that basis.


----------



## Tezza (Nov 3, 2015)

John H said:


> The contract does not state a 6 month period; but neither does it mention a cut-off period at all. My point was that I was sold the contract SPECIFICALLY because it would suit my lifestyle of 6 months at home and six months abroad. So far there has been no attempt to curtail my use and I do not expect one. IF there was such an attempt, it would constitute a breach of their contract with me.


like already said....good luck with that. It's all clearly set out on the website. 2 months and a cap of 12gb if you have a all you can eat data plan. I don't know where the confusion comes in. It's also stated that the connection will be slower and not very good for streaming. And I think the sim comes in a card which informs you to look at the terms and conditions on their website. Which would be their defence.  And if your going by an advisor in the shop well it's just your word against his .


----------



## witzend (Nov 3, 2015)

*Asda*

Asda also doing a Xmas Sim

https://mobile.asda.com/pages/rates-and-services


----------



## John H (Nov 3, 2015)

Well, I have double-checked my terms and conditions. I have also looked again at the 3 website and can find no reference to any time limit. If anybody has other information then I would be interested to see the link. 

Once again, the key word is "may". No time limit is mentioned and they use the word "may" NOT "will". They also say that they will take no action until they have contacted you. So far, two months and still working. I don't know where all this so-called information is coming from but the reality tells a different story.


----------



## silverweed (Nov 3, 2015)

And now we've discussed the sim can any one help with what to put it into. I have a computer that I want broadband for. I do have an iPad but I can if need be tether that to my phone 4gb a month with 3.  I would like some thing unlocked and idiot simple to use please


----------



## Tezza33 (Nov 3, 2015)

I spent over 3 months in France at the beginning of the year, I used a 12mths/12gb data sim on feel at home, I didn't abuse it because I also used FON  but the 3 sim worked again in France  for 5 weeks from Aug 4th and it is still working now, I will not hesitate to buy another one in December when this expires


----------



## Derekoak (Nov 4, 2015)

*Roaming sim*



maingate said:


> That is correct, it is in the terms and conditions.
> 
> Check the bottom of the page.
> 
> The Christmas SIM from EE | EE PAYG Sim | EE


I read the terms and conditions and it was clear the data was for UK use only.
Do they not enforce this?
The ads offer is also UK only


----------



## maingate (Nov 4, 2015)

Derekoak said:


> I read the terms and conditions and it was clear the data was for UK use only.
> Do they not enforce this?
> The ads offer is also UK only



I think you are confusing this with the 3 sim which allows use in some European countries.

The EE sim is just for UK use and is a special offer of 100 gig a month for 2 months.


----------



## jennyp19 (Nov 4, 2015)

I've been using 3 Feel at home in France & Spain since 12 September - unlimited data contract at £17.99 a month. 52 days if my adding up is correct. Still working ok. In fact got another of there messages "roaming charges suck etc" yesterday so hopefully will continue for quite a while yet.


----------



## welshrarebit (Nov 4, 2015)

Bigusdickus said:


> Another vote for Knowhow and Globalgig, brilliant in France and Spain on a monthly rolling contract.
> Bd..



Last time I used know how, you could only use 10% of your allowance while in France! 
Is it the same now?


----------



## Byronic (Nov 4, 2015)

Well as I understand it, when a UK provider such as 3 provides Roaming Services in a foreign country, it strikes a deal in that country with a Provider which owns or operates the requisite infrastructural resources. 3 doesn't have aerials, masts etc etc. Even in the UK I believe it uses 02 resources? The Provider imposes conditions. Time limits being one condition, after which the provider expects anyone spending a long time in it's operational territory should be signed up directly with themselves, as you might expect.


----------



## witzend (Nov 5, 2015)

vanmandan said:


> greetings from the sunny south coast of Sicily.........
> I've been fulltiming for the past 10 years,
> recently bought a KNOWHOW mobile wifi hotspot from Currys....£30.
> various tariffs available........
> ...



This looks good I've got Three for their stay at home country's but are thinking of buying the sim for the other country's any body else gone this way

KNOWHOW Pay Monthly 3-in-1 SIM Card Deals | PC World


----------



## El Veterano (Nov 6, 2015)

I also would also advise on buying the Huawei modem, but I would strongly advise that you also download the Huawei app to your 'phone as you can then keep track on what the modem is actually doing ie what provider it is connected to when abroad and it will give you the list of providers available and more importantly whether they are allowed or not on the 'feel at home' service.


----------



## John H (Nov 6, 2015)

El Veterano said:


> I also would also advise on buying the Huawei modem, but I would strongly advise that you also download the Huawei app to your 'phone as you can then keep track on what the modem is actually doing ie what provider it is connected to when abroad and it will give you the list of providers available and more importantly whether they are allowed or not on the 'feel at home' service.



Hi

I have a Huawei modem - it came from the 3 store when they signed me up to the Feel at Home service, so there is no problem.


----------



## John H (Nov 6, 2015)

That sounds logical to me - and it would explain why 3's terms and conditions are so vague. If you are correct, they are deliberately vague, with no mention of specific time limits and reference only to the fact that they "may" curtail your service if you abuse the system. It also explains why they so readily committed themselves to 6 months in my case.


----------



## Debs (Nov 6, 2015)

mariesnowgoose said:


> I'm positive this question has been asked loads of times before, but ...
> 
> I'm wondering who out there in the wild camping world is living full time in their camper and needs unlimited internet access for work purposes?
> 
> ...



Hi Marie, yesterday I cancelled my broadband provider, my intention is to use Three mifi, so I should be able to get use of my tablet when out and about, and it will work out a tad cheaper than what I have been paying, although the allowance will be a lot less. I will have to start weaning myself off You-tube!


----------



## listerdiesel (Nov 6, 2015)

We use a wifi extender sat up on a 2 metre pole, gets us free wifi in most places and very good speeds as well. Even paying for wifi isn't that expensive if you chose where to get it from.

Not too hung up about going without the internet for a few days, our phone is just that, a standard Nokia 6303i.

Edup EP-8523 is the unit:







Peter


----------



## Byronic (Nov 6, 2015)

John H said:


> That sounds logical to me - and it would explain why 3's terms and conditions are so vague. If you are correct, they are deliberately vague, with no mention of specific time limits and reference only to the fact that they "may" curtail your service if you abuse the system. It also explains why they so readily committed themselves to 6 months in my case.



Post #44. They are not as vague as you might imagine. Their usage conditions state that if you use the F at H allowances exclusively in a F at H destination for any complete 2 months in a 12 month period, they "may" suspend your international roaming usage, you will be no longer able to use your devices. 
The exception is that if you use F at H for a full month abroad, and some of that time is in a non F at H country then these conditions don't apply.
Anyone going to eg Spain for a 5 or 6 months continuous period and signs up for a 12 month contract on the basis that  3  "may" allow you to go over this 2 months time limit is taking a chance. And can hardly complain if they find they cannot


----------



## John H (Nov 6, 2015)

Byronic said:


> Post #44. They are not as vague as you might imagine. Their usage conditions state that if you use the F at H allowances exclusively in a F at H destination for any complete 2 months in a 12 month period, they "may" suspend your international roaming usage, you will be no longer able to use your devices.
> The exception is that if you use F at H for a full month abroad, and some of that time is in a non F at H country then these conditions don't apply.
> Anyone going to eg Spain for a 5 or 6 months continuous period and signs up for a 12 month contract on the basis that  3  "may" allow you to go over this 2 months time limit is taking a chance. And can hardly complain if they find they cannot



There have been several references to a time limit but I cannot find any such limit in my contract. Earlier, I asked if anybody knew of a time limit then could they please post the link. So far, no-one has posted a link. 

On the other hand, there have been several posts (including mine) from people who actually have Feel at Home contracts and have been using them without any trouble for a lot longer than the supposed time limits.


----------



## witzend (Nov 6, 2015)

Byronic said:


> Post #44. They are not as vague as you might imagine. Their usage conditions state that if you use the F at H allowances exclusively in a F at H destination for any complete 2 months in a 12 month period, they "may" suspend your international roaming usage, you will be no longer able to use your devices.



We have 2 phones both on Three pay as you go after going over the 2 months this year we both had a warning that our service was to be suspended but returned home after being away for 14 wks and they are still working even after spending another 5 wks in France


----------



## Byronic (Nov 6, 2015)

It's all on 3 website "Usage Conditions". The point is, that a prospective new customer having foreknowledge of this 2 month "may" curtail services limitation (at 3s discretion), would have to be a berk to sign up for a 12 months contract. Sure, some reckon it hasn't happened to them because they  haven't abused the Fair Usage  Policy, whatever that means, or they are OK at 55 days of use.
Those that relish the possibility of arguing the toss with the likes of 3 after the fact, well good luck to them, I prefer to find a viable alternative.


----------



## John H (Nov 6, 2015)

Byronic said:


> It's all on 3 website "Usage Conditions". The point is, that a prospective new customer having foreknowledge of this 2 month "may" curtail services limitation (at 3s discretion), would have to be a berk to sign up for a 12 months contract. Sure, some reckon it hasn't happened to them because they  haven't abused the Fair Usage  Policy, whatever that means, or they are OK at 55 days of use.
> Those that relish the possibility of arguing the toss with the likes of 3 after the fact, well good luck to them, I prefer to find a viable alternative.



Well, at the risk of repeating myself, I have studied both my contract and the 3 website very carefully and can find absolutely no reference to any specific time limit. If you have different information then please post a link to it (third time of asking). Otherwise I will believe the contract I have with 3 (including my correspondence in which they say it would be ideal for my lifestyle) and the comments from those others who also have a contract with them and are using the service without any problem at all (at least one of them for three and a half months!)


----------



## Byronic (Nov 6, 2015)

witzend said:


> We have 2 phones both on Three pay as you go after going over the 2 months this year we both had a warning that our service was to be suspended but returned home after being away for 14 wks and they are still working even after spending another 5 wks in France



Did you go away knowing they "may" suspend your service after 2 months?


----------



## dippingatoe (Nov 6, 2015)

Pauljenny said:


> Afternoon Marie, glad to hear that you are out and about again.
> 
> We full time for 6 months in Uk and Europe .
> 
> ...



Do you have a link to this contract.  I am hoping to leave for continent soon


----------



## dippingatoe (Nov 6, 2015)

mariesnowgoose said:


> Does anybody out there use satellite for internet access on the move?



Yes - I had it fitted back in 2014 having spent a while in Scotland Shetland and Outer Hebrides where I found little signal for internet or either of my phones, and felt I needed a backup if stuck out in the wilds (being a little disabled and travelling alone)

I can't say I am delighted with it.  It doesnt perform as I was lead to believe, but it is better than nothing.  The signal is not always available - I was told 'if you can see the sky you will get a signal'  Not true, but as I say it does give you one more option of a connection

As to whether it is worth the exorbitant installation fee......


----------



## witzend (Nov 6, 2015)

Byronic said:


> Did you go away knowing they "may" suspend your service after 2 months?



Yes think I remember reading it somewhere so always carry a couple of spare sims. Where did you see info can you post a link


----------



## witzend (Nov 6, 2015)

dippingatoe said:


> Do you have a link to this contract.  I am hoping to leave for continent soon



We got our data sim here Three Mobile Broadband Ready to Go 3GB Preloaded Data: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics


----------



## Byronic (Nov 6, 2015)

witzend said:


> Yes think I remember reading it somewhere so always carry a couple of spare sims. Where did you see info can you post a link



I'm tethered to my 02 phone at mo. Getting constant HTTP 403 messages. Can't manage to post a link.  
Running everything down for my winter escape!
But here's the slow way: 

Search      Feel At Home
                www three.co.uk

                Scroll first page down to near the bottom.
                To "dedicated support page" fairly discreet LOL

Click on     "Usage Restrictions" and a lot more info besides on this page.


----------



## witzend (Nov 6, 2015)

Byronic said:


> Click on     "Usage Restrictions" and a lot more info besides on this page.



Thanks 
http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI...=roaming,varset_subcat=4157,Case=EXT(EM11925)

This was probaly our problem we both receive several calls from home see pic


----------



## John H (Nov 6, 2015)

[No message]


----------



## Byronic (Nov 6, 2015)

witzend said:


> Thanks
> http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI...=roaming,varset_subcat=4157,Case=EXT(EM11925)
> 
> This was probaly our problem we both receive several calls from home see pic
> ...



Makes for boring reading, but;

On the 3 Website Home Page Index (at page bottom) is the Price Guide link.
In PDF form is their Price Guide to Phone/Data  SIM Plan makes references to 2 months for two instances of usage, whereas the Price Guide for Data SIM Plan refers to 2 months and 3 months for the similar instances of usage????
Appears to be an anomaly to me. To think there are are people sitting around thinking up these bloody shenanigans 8 hours a day.


----------



## Braveheart (Nov 10, 2015)

Just some of my findings.
I have just returned after 2 months in Europe. Mostly France.
I had the 3 mobile 10GB for £15 monthly rolling contract.
I found that even with a full signal sometimes I could view YouTube (occasionally) and other times (mostly) not at all. Signal strength was not a factor. 
The same goes for streaming a movie. 
It didn't appear to matter which network I was tallied with. 
I signed up to Spotify premium and downloading an album would take several hours. Streaming Spotify was a no go.
Emails and webpages were not a problem.

I was impressed by the coverage all over France. Especially in rural areas. Seemed much better than UK coverage. However, I was with Giffgaff (uses O2 network) in the UK and I usually don't have much coverage in rural Wales, wildcamping. 
So I don't know if other networks are better coverage in UK. Especially Wales. 
I did use the 3 mobile from the house before we left. I can't do that with giffgaff.

So to recap. If you are hoping to watch YouTube whilst in France. It's hit or miss.
Personally, due to this streaming issue I have renamed the "feel at home" to "second class citizen".
It's more accurate.


----------



## Braveheart (Nov 10, 2015)

I suspect the slow speeds on streaming using the 3 mobile was more to do with the French networks choking 3 mobile users than a fault with the network themselves.
I would hazard a guess that native users on these networks (Orange F & Free) would not have a problem.
Incidentally, I rec'd great signal strength and was able to download webpages and access email in Brittany without issue. In fact over the 2 months I only had an issue in about three locations. All rural. I did have a problem once or twice when I lost the 3g signal and only had Edge. Whilst I had Edge it wasn't really worth bothering.


----------



## whitevanwoman (Nov 14, 2015)

I use 3 network with a mifi, £15 per month for 10gb, on a rolling 30 day contract. It was the cheapest deal I could find about 6 months ago. Reception on the whole is pretty good, except in places where you wouldn't expect to get a signal, eg hilly remote areas, although I've been surprised sometimes to get a signal in such places when I didn't think I would. Mifi sits on dashboard as reception in back of van isn't always great (metal body reduces signal strength) and i have a clear waterproof bag to put it on the roof in bad signal areas. The only downside to the mifi is that its another gadget to recharge and battery life is only about 4 hours. But its kept permanently plugged into cig socket in the cab and the solar panel on van means there's no risk to the starter battery. 
Over the summer I had the EE 100 gb monthly deal for 2 months, free SIM, thanks to a heads up from Admin about this. The SIM was free, just required a £10 top up to activate the freebie 100gb. Was down south over the summer so got 4g signal, faster than my home broadband, and good coverage. Not sure how good the EE coverage is further north. I used the SIM in my mobile and hotspotted my laptop with it, good enough to stream live TV. 

It seems that EE are offering a similar 100gb free sim Christmas deal so will try to get this although they may not allow it having had their summer deal. 

I currently have 3months unlimited data with Vodafone in my mobile, thanks to a billing error - I complained about their error and this was their goodwill gesture to say sorry. Vodafone, like EE, allows tethering and hotspotting. Many other networks don't.


----------



## El Veterano (Nov 28, 2015)

John H said:


> Hi
> 
> I have a Huawei modem - it came from the 3 store when they signed me up to the Feel at Home service, so there is no problem.



I'm sorry, but I'm afraid to have to inform you that if your Huawei modem is set to 'Auto' for the network provider, it will pick up whoever provides the strongest signal when abroad. And that provider may not be one of 3's 'Feel at Home' registered network providers and therefore you will incur additional charges. The only way to make sure which provider your Huawei modem is connected to is to download the Huawei app to your phone/tablet and you can then see the list of network providers that it is picking up, and some of them will be tagged 'Not Allowed'.
Just to comment on an earlier post I made, and in relevance to the thread. We are now back in Uk after 6 weeks in France. After the initial struggle with '3' during our first days in France, after that their 'Feel at Home' service worked very well in most areas, probably better than in the UK. We only use internet though for browsing (lots and lots of estate agents on this trip) and emails, we do not very often use YouTube and have never tried streaming films or downloading them (life is too short), so I can't comment on that. Our contract (15Gb a month at £10.88) was renewed twice in the time we were away with no problems, and when we did have to contact 3 customer services they were extremely helpful.


----------



## John H (Nov 28, 2015)

El Veterano said:


> I'm sorry, but I'm afraid to have to inform you that if your Huawei modem is set to 'Auto' for the network provider, it will pick up whoever provides the strongest signal when abroad. And that provider may not be one of 3's 'Feel at Home' registered network providers and therefore you will incur additional charges. The only way to make sure which provider your Huawei modem is connected to is to download the Huawei app to your phone/tablet and you can then see the list of network providers that it is picking up, and some of them will be tagged 'Not Allowed'.



I have no idea of how these things work but I do know that our bills while we have been in France and Spain have not involved any additional charges, so I assume that the setting is suitable. But thanks anyway.


----------



## Tezza (Nov 28, 2015)

El Veterano said:


> I'm sorry, but I'm afraid to have to inform you that if your Huawei modem is set to 'Auto' for the network provider, it will pick up whoever provides the strongest signal when abroad. And that provider may not be one of 3's 'Feel at Home' registered network providers and therefore you will incur additional charges. The only way to make sure which provider your Huawei modem is connected to is to download the Huawei app to your phone/tablet and you can then see the list of network providers that it is picking up, and some of them will be tagged 'Not Allowed'.
> Just to comment on an earlier post I made, and in relevance to the thread. We are now back in Uk after 6 weeks in France. After the initial struggle with '3' during our first days in France, after that their 'Feel at Home' service worked very well in most areas, probably better than in the UK. We only use internet though for browsing (lots and lots of estate agents on this trip) and emails, we do not very often use YouTube and have never tried streaming films or downloading them (life is too short), so I can't comment on that. Our contract (15Gb a month at £10.88) was renewed twice in the time we were away with no problems, and when we did have to contact 3 customer services they were extremely helpful.



I have  been both in Spain and France and I have always looked for whoever has the strongest signal and have never been charged. I don't think it has to be with a 3 " partner "  And I must admit that I haven't seen it mentioned in their t+c.


----------



## Penny13 (Nov 28, 2015)

I find my EE Gadgets have a good signal you can tether from my phone or iPad to the laptop. I also have a in car wifi which works like a home wifi and let's me download TV. ( also with EE ) 
Ron gets a better wifi signal in his home with this than on his own wifi. 
So between three sims one in my phone one in my iPad one in the in car wifi I usually get a signal, it is when I am really in the sticks I get nothing this has happened three times this year. A forest in Scotland, Farmer Phils and Ribblehead. 
When I am in Europe I can still text and call on my call plan at no extra charge  
Reading the above threads I will look at what few gig would cost me in Europe of data ! 

I use the above to watch tv, text, make calls and use the Internet ...


----------



## El Veterano (Nov 28, 2015)

Tezza said:


> I have  been both in Spain and France and I have always looked for whoever has the strongest signal and have never been charged. I don't think it has to be with a 3 " partner "  And I must admit that I haven't seen it mentioned in their t+c.



No maybe that is the case, as before I got the Huawei app I was hooked up to Bytel. Now that I can see which network we are using I find that Bytel is on the 'Forbidden' list. And we were not charged either. However, I was warned by the 3 customer services that if the modem is switched to 'Auto' that I must make sure that I use their 'partners' such as Orange or Free or else I would be charged. So that is what I do.


----------



## jennyp19 (Dec 5, 2015)

*Update*

We are still using our 3 "feel at home'. 85 days now. Had a bit of a worry at Vinaros yesterday and also travelling north for several miles - no service - no mobile carriers at all. It's a pretty flat area but although the town is a good size the area around us quite sparsely populated. Anyway back to normal now at Jonquere and back in France tomorrow.


----------



## jennyp19 (Dec 6, 2015)

Back in France. Just got another text telling me roaming charges suck etc so far so good.


----------



## barryd (Dec 6, 2015)

I was away for four and a half months this year.  Just got back. 

I did consider 3 feel at home but was put off by the 3 month limit which now seems to be 2 months.  As I understand it though tethering is not allowed anyway but are you 3 users saying you can put it in a mifi unit and use it as a hotspot as it clearly states in the T&C's that its not allowed?  

In the end I just did what I do ever year.  Used my Toggle sim in my phone to receive free calls from the UK and outgoing calls at 3p as well as Opera mini browser for checking emails at 15p per MB (1 MB can last 2-3 days using this method) and I just relied on my Directional Antenna for wifi with FON from Motorhome WiFi | Improving Wireless Range for Caravans and Campervans

I find FON in France and BT Openzone in the UK pretty good generally.  If you get a good connection its more than enough for work which means connecting to computers back in the UK and it can be good enough for streaming etc and of course there are no limits.

I like the rest of you have not heard of any disconnections from 3 for abusing the system.  Originally their wording was they would cut you off without warning which was the deal breaker for me but it looks like its changed.  I suspect nobody will get cut off but I am confused how they are tethering.

You can be sure of course when the data roaming charges are done away with the providers will find a way to limit your access.  Oh and dont for a minute think that mobile providers cant change the goal posts when the feel like it.  Vodafone have constantly done this.  I had written confirmation in 2012 that I would be able to continue with my Passport deal and Vodafone Data traveler deal even though it was being abolished and replaced with a much more expensive offering yet they still went ahead and disconnected it.  Nothing I could do about it unless I fancied taking them to court.


----------



## shawbags (Dec 6, 2015)

vanmandan said:


> greetings from the sunny south coast of Sicily.........
> I've been fulltiming for the past 10 years,
> recently bought a KNOWHOW mobile wifi hotspot from Currys....£30.
> various tariffs available........
> ...



Hi there what sim card do you use in it and is it good all round , searching, emails ect , i tend to look through my latop just to kill time a lot of the time or order things of the net , is the connection secure , or as secure as can be , cheers , Shawbags.


----------



## campertwo (Dec 6, 2015)

I used the three payg sim in a Huewi thingy for over 3 weeks in France this summer. It piggy-backed off the Orange network. Great fast signal most of the time, so well impressed. The Three sim card has run out now, but you just buy another one for your trip & load it in the mifi Huewi thingy! Easy peasy.


----------



## Addie (Dec 8, 2015)

Hello,

I thought I would chime in, not as an authoritative source but as someone who's sold a good number of Three SIM cards at home and abroad. I should mention, however, that this experience in relation to Pay-As-You-Go SIM cards rather than a contract SIM's and in my experience everyones experience is different 



John H said:


> Let me ask the question a different way: has anybody had "Feel at Home" discontinued for any reason at all? Unless they haven't paid their bill, I suspect that question will be met with a deafening silence. In other words, keep on using it - as we are



The answer to this is an unequivocal YES - terminations of 'Feel at Home' services happen quite frequently however what I would say is as far as I can tell there is no exact trigger behind it. I have known a couple of customers claim it happen on the exact anniversary of their time abroad and I'm aware of a couple of customers who have been using it in France for 9 months or more.

The Three 'Feel At Home' tariff doesn't form part of the contract, since if it did when the the 90 days were reduced to 60 days on the 1st October (along with 25GB to 12GB) then this would be seen as a change to contracted terms and thus a means of people getting out of their contracts early. 

I suspect they are removing the 'service' of Feel At Home under 'excessive use' in their T&C's but of course terms and conditions are by their nature ambiguous. 

Here is the message you may receive (sent by a customer after 5 months in Switzerland):





Tezza said:


> I have  been both in Spain and France and I have always looked for whoever has the strongest signal and have never been charged. I don't think it has to be with a 3 " partner "  And I must admit that I haven't seen it mentioned in their t+c.



You shouldn't be able to join a non-roaming partner network (you will get 'not allowed' as someone mentioned earlier) - but you might be able to as I know I have in the past. It seems there might be some mast sharing going on in rural France as I found myself on SFR a couple of times recently (which I find is the best network, it's what our old EuropaSIM used). 

I have had a couple of instances of charges resulting, but only under a specific set of circumstances. Those seem to be when a customer has a package that has ended (eg £15/3GB) and but have some credit on their account balance (eg £10) and found that a few pence has gone missing between the time their package has expired and them going into their Three account to activate a new one using their credit balance.

It's worth noting that those that have challenged this have had their charges refunded. 

I put this graphic together showing the roaming partners:








Braveheart said:


> I signed up to Spotify premium and downloading an album would take several hours. Streaming Spotify was a no go.
> Emails and webpages were not a problem....
> 
> I was impressed by the coverage all over France. Especially in rural areas. Seemed much better than UK coverage....
> ...



You're right, outside of the UK your Three experience won't be the same as in the UK and it stands to reason that French companies don't want their home customers experience of the network tarnished by the use of 'roaming' customers. For example, in France Orange (Three's preferred roaming partner) doesn't allow you to use their 4G network. We hear mixed things, certainly for general web use the Three SIM is excellent but for streaming content it can be pretty poor. This is probably a mixture of their 'Traffic Management' and the following terms and conditions:

Responsible use – How you use Three Services outside the UK
6.14 (b) you will be roaming on another operator’s network, so the coverage may not give you the same level of signal you’re used to on Three’s Network. When you go online, data speeds may be slower as well. We have no liability if you are not able to access services abroad, or if the quality of any other operator’s network services differ from those provided on our Three Network.

Its frustrating, but understandable. We're all placing increasing strains on mobile networks - hence the popularity of third party WiFi sources to try and 'offload' content via another network (eg BT WiFi/Cloud/FON inclusions with phone contracts).


To summaries, I think at present the Three SIM is a great deal for general web use in France but its not going to give you the same level of experience as you might expect to in the UK. You may, or may not, fall foul of the data or time limitations depending on how you use your device and so you need to do what you feel is right or what you are comfortable with. What I would say is if you are travelling for longer than 2 months it may be worth taking a 'back up' PAYG SIM card with you just in case. 

July 2017 operators are no longer able to apply a premium to use your UK device abroad - however as of yet they can still enforce time or data limitations so perhaps the current Three tariff is representative of what we might expect by then? Only time will tell.

Hope that's of interest. 

Adam (from Motorhome WiFi)


----------



## badgerdid (Dec 8, 2015)

*mif*

Just seen THIS on the currys site, 24 gig of data and lasts 12 months for £99, not sure if its any use for anyone but i thought it wasnt bad.


----------



## Oak (Dec 28, 2015)

*Kuma EDU8532*

Taking Peter's advice (on this thread - 5th Nov), I have just received my EDU8532 ready for our trip to Spain. The comments on Amazon High Power long range USB WiFi antenna and booster for caravan and boat: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories do imply that it's a faff to set up and it really is but for £29 I have to say that so far I'm impressed. 

Prior to plugging it in I had just mine and my neighbour's connections available but once connected, I've got 20+ very strong signals in every direction I point it! 

For anyone wondering (because I couldn't find it anywhere), it does work on Windows 10. You have to go to Car Bluetooth Stereo Music Receiver,EP-DL561N 150Mbps Wireless 802.11N Modem Router,EP-N8508GS 150Mbps Mini Wireless 802.11N USB Adapter and download the EP8523 driver for windows 8 (you'd expect it to be 8532 wouldn't you?!). Then you have to download a free RAR file viewer to unzip the file, and then refer to the printed instructions that come with it for windows 7.


----------



## Oak (Jan 12, 2016)

*On site test*

Further to my last post. I've now had the opportunity to test the kit on site. Absolutely brilliant. No wifi signal without it, full signal with it. Last year I couldn't get any wifi in the van. This year I'm further away and am able to stream TV. Can't believe how good it is considering it cost less than £30.


----------



## John H (Jan 12, 2016)

Update: Three "Feel at Home Service" still working after four months away from home.


----------



## John H (Mar 12, 2016)

Further update - just returned after 6 months - and the Feel at Home service worked without any problem for the entire time. No warnings from Three; just continuous service - as they promised.


----------

