CAMPERVAN WIFI QUESTION.

[Mtbcol]

Evening all.

Has anyone got the latest EE 5g mobile broadband router in there vehicle, if so what results are you getting, and do you use an external aerial/s?

Having trouble with my 4g router, so thinking of changing to the above.

Thanks in anticipation

Colin.

 

[Jomac-uk]

First of all, have a look at Smarty, they do a genuine unlimited 4G/5G SIM for £20 and no contract. Try that first with your old router if it's unlocked. If you have a 5G router, the same SIM will work in that at 5G speeds. I've had EE before and found their coverage to be poor at times. Smarty is owned by the Three Network and have the best coverage, Three also merged recently with Vodaphone. Let us know how you get on.

 

[Tim120]

I have a 3 5g router at home which I could easily take into the van with me. I don't depend on a signal so not an issue for me.
I now hotspot my phone, iD mobile which works off 3 as I understand it. More often than not I get a good signal.
I have been in situations where no signal was available to me 3/Id and Vodafone.
Very much doubt any problems you are having are due to the router, but location.

 

[Wooie1958]

Gave up with using a dedicated router years back and started using my phone as a hotspot and it`s been superb.

Roaming abroad is even better IMHO than over here in blighty, we watched the entire Queen`s funeral live ( 5 hours ) using the firestick tethered to my phone and a full 5g signal in glorious HD whilst sat on an aire high up in the Pyrenees in the south of France.

It used 9.75Gb of data just for the funeral but i`m with O2 who give 25GB roaming so that was fine.

 

[Boris7]

I use a NetGear Nighthawk with an Scancom unlimited 3 mobile sim it’s great.

It lives in my car when I’m not in the MH and when abroad I use an IQ Go sim.

I often get higher speeds than when home on BT (which I’ll be dumping when the contracts up)

 

[exwindsurfer]

First of all, have a look at Smarty, they do a genuine unlimited 4G/5G SIM for £20 and no contract. Try that first with your old router if it's unlocked. If you have a 5G router, the same SIM will work in that at 5G speeds. I've had EE before and found their coverage to be poor at times. Smarty is owned by the Three Network and have the best coverage, Three also merged recently with Vodaphone. Let us know how you get on.

I had 3 for a year and it really was s**t was pleased when the contract was up .

 

[Fisherman]

I had 3 for a year and it really was s**t was pleased when the contract was up .

Same here, but for the future, now that the merger with Vodafone has went through, three may well be an option. But will their cheap deals still be on offer.

 

[myvanwy]

Like Tim, also use the ID mobile sim in our mobile router. £7 a month for 30g and unused data rolls over. As it uses the 3 network, gets a good signal even when abroad. Came in very useful yesterday during power cut for a couple of hours.

 

[Nabsim]

I was using a 5G ZTE router in the van for about 8 months and hd my Teltonika 4G router at the house for broadband. I got fed up moving the ZTE al the time and using the inverter for it so have swapped back again now.

I use a Scancom 5G EE data sim in my van router (currently in 4G router) and have a 3 5G sim in my phone. Amazing in Scotland how many small places you stop and find you have 5G.

No problems

 

[Fisherman]

First of all, have a look at Smarty, they do a genuine unlimited 4G/5G SIM for £20 and no contract. Try that first with your old router if it's unlocked. If you have a 5G router, the same SIM will work in that at 5G speeds. I've had EE before and found their coverage to be poor at times. Smarty is owned by the Three Network and have the best coverage, Three also merged recently with Vodaphone. Let us know how you get on.

I am astounded that you found 3s coverage to be better than EE. I had 3 for several years and they were cheap for a reason their coverage at times was non existent. My wife would sit with her EE phone watching YouTube, and I would not even be able to make a phone call never mind go online. I now use EE and they are officially the UKs top network provider, and have seen a massive improvement in coverage. But this may all be about to change with the merger of Vodafone and 3.
To be fair my comments relate mainly to Scotland, 3 were ok down south.

But you will read contrasting opinions on here, it all depends on where you use your wifi.
But due to the fact I have EE TV, and home broadband, which are excellent, I get unlimited data EE sims for £12 a month. I have three sims with EE my phone, my wives phone, and the vans router. I get all three for £31 a month. I can transfer 100gb to each of our phones from the router meaning in effect we have unlimited data on all three sims.

• Last Updated: 28th October 2024.
• - EE leads in overall UK coverage and speed.
• - O2 shows strongest urban performance.
• - Vodafone excels in 5G rollout.
• - Three offers competitive data speeds.

 

[mistericeman]

Had a Teltonika rut 950 in the van for ages with a EE Data sim and external Xpol antenna on the lift up TV antenna ...
As well as occasional tethering via our 3 network phones .

Just swapped the hopeless festering pile of crap Virgin media house broadband (virgin media are junk BTW ....both equipment AND customer service wise as well as cost )
For a 3 home broadband set up (£24 a month unlimited data)

And it's a dream ....

So much so I'm considering another for the van and cancelling the EE sim .

Been with 3 for years and they have been excellent .
And considering it's looking like 3 will be merging with Vodaphone ...
Service is only likely to improve .

 

[Tim120]

Had a Teltonika rut 950 in the van for ages with a EE Data sim and external Xpol antenna on the lift up TV antenna ...
As well as occasional tethering via our 3 network phones .

Just swapped the hopeless festering pile of crap Virgin media house broadband (virgin media are junk BTW ....both equipment AND customer service wise as well as cost )
For a 3 home broadband set up (£24 a month unlimited data)

And it's a dream ....

So much so I'm considering another for the van and cancelling the EE sim .

Been with 3 for years and they have been excellent .
And considering it's looking like 3 will be merging with Vodaphone ...
Service is only likely to improve .

If you don't need to leave the 3 router on at home, take it with you in the van.

 

[Mtbcol]

Thanks all. I currently have the Smarty unlimited deal, but signal even at home is patchy which is why we're trying EE. They're tech dept are sending out a new SIM as they say they've checked our area and all is good. It's a 5g SIM but my router is only 4g so wondered if it was the router. It has two external aerials, but wider if I could get a better external arials? I'm thinking now it could just be poor signal with both as although our cello TV with fire stick wouldn't work with the smarty card at home, it worked ok ( for a day ) with the EE SIM.

 

[mistericeman]

If you don't need to leave the 3 router on at home, take it with you in the van.

It runs cameras/alexa etc at home ...
hence me buying another (that will run the battery monitoring etc etc as well as what we want tv etc whilst away .

Otherwise yes I'd deff just have the one system

 

[Nabsim]

Thanks all. I currently have the Smarty unlimited deal, but signal even at home is patchy which is why we're trying EE. They're tech dept are sending out a new SIM as they say they've checked our area and all is good. It's a 5g SIM but my router is only 4g so wondered if it was the router. It has two external aerials, but wider if I could get a better external arials? I'm thinking now it could just be poor signal with both as although our cello TV with fire stick wouldn't work with the smarty card at home, it worked ok ( for a day ) with the EE SIM.

My home router (ZTE) runs a Smarty SIM card which is 5G and it works fine. I originally had the EE SIM card in the ZTE router at home with a great signal/bandwidth. Got up one morning and no internet, the EE 5G had just stopped working, I believe they were piggy backing off a 3 mast and whatever agreement 3 and EE had ended. If I put the ZTE router with EE sim in the van on the road outside the house I get a great signal, inside the house towards the back where I have the router nothing.

3 5G works great so I just use the Smarty sim at home.

Because I have both 3 in my iPhone and EE in my van router I get a pretty good comparison of how they both perform. Obviously I can't be in every place stopped and trying the internet but I can say its extremely unusual for me not to able to stream and get decent mobile broadband from the Highlands of Scotland down to Cornwall.

Wales now, I would need to go and check again as I have been snowed in a few places there with no signal. Mrs was best impressed as it was while I was waiting for heart op lol

 

[TJBi]

I have a 3 5g router at home which I could easily take into the van with me. I don't depend on a signal so not an issue for me.
<snip>

<snip>

Just swapped the hopeless festering pile of crap Virgin media house broadband (virgin media are junk BTW ....both equipment AND customer service wise as well as cost )
For a 3 home broadband set up (£24 a month unlimited data)

And it's a dream ....

So much so I'm considering another for the van and cancelling the EE sim .

<snip>

Bear in mind that 3 Home Broadband is intended for use AT HOME.

HBB

www.three.co.uk

"This plan and the equipment we provide as part of it is only intended for use in your home. As such, roaming is not included. If you do roam with this equipment, you’ll be charged in line with our current Mobile Broadband Price Guide, which is available at three.co.uk/priceguide"

 

[Obanboy666]

I’ve been using an EE 5g sim in my Netgear Nighthawke router in my caravan this year and it’s been excellent. I’ve travelled extensively in Scotland, the lakes, North York moors and Northumberland and to date always had a reception allowing me to use my Firestick to watch Sky sports etc.
Still have a Three sim in my phone and it’s rubbish compared to the EE sim, will be cancelling this contract when it runs out and putting an EE sim in the phone.

 

[Canalsman]

I’ve been using an EE 5g sim in my Netgear Nighthawke router in my caravan this year and it’s been excellent. I’ve travelled extensively in Scotland, the lakes, North York moors and Northumberland and to date always had a reception allowing me to use my Firestick to watch Sky sports etc.
Still have a Three sim in my phone and it’s rubbish compared to the EE sim, will be cancelling this contract when it runs out and putting an EE sim in the phone.

I suggest you don't have both devices on the same network.

Tesco (O2) offer some attractive deals especially if you have a Clubcard.

 

[Tezza33]

Had a Teltonika rut 950 in the van for ages with a EE Data sim and external Xpol antenna on the lift up TV antenna ...
As well as occasional tethering via our 3 network phones .

Just swapped the hopeless festering pile of crap Virgin media house broadband (virgin media are junk BTW ....both equipment AND customer service wise as well as cost )
For a 3 home broadband set up (£24 a month unlimited data)

And it's a dream ....

So much so I'm considering another for the van and cancelling the EE sim .

Been with 3 for years and they have been excellent .
And considering it's looking like 3 will be merging with Vodaphone ...
Service is only likely to improve .

Bear in mind that 3 Home Broadband is intended for use AT HOME.

HBB

www.three.co.uk

"This plan and the equipment we provide as part of it is only intended for use in your home. As such, roaming is not included. If you do roam with this equipment, you’ll be charged in line with our current Mobile Broadband Price Guide, which is available at three.co.uk/priceguide"

I have used my '3' home broadband in hundreds of places while travelling, it is excellent and the best thing that I did was to ditch Virgin Media, while it says 'at home' and roaming isn't included I have never had a problem in the UK, I wouldn't expect it to work in Europe

 

[Drover]

Asda have offers on and they are on Vodafone.
I did have smarty but they have switched off their 3G signal on three. Coverage now rubbish ,at least for me.