Data sims for mobile router

[TJBi]

I am still looking for a sim that will work in a Netgear M6 router, in Europe! O2 data sims do not work in the EU, but that little detail is hidden (one line) in the middle of a massive "terms and conditions" document, despite them advertising that the router will work in any country!

You could use a regular O2 SIM? One that has calls and texts as well. The Network companies are no longer allowed to prohibit their use in routers and often the standard SIM is actually cheaper than a dedicated Data SIM as well.
I use a Sky Mobile SIM (which runs off the O2 network) in my Telefonica/Avtex Router and have done for multiple years now.

But have you tried using your Sky Mobile SIM in your router in the EU? The EU appears to be @Rumour 's sticking point.

 

[korky]

I use the Spanish Tiekom data sim in my Netgear M2 router in EU. Not cheap, but just works country to country if you're moving around.
Aftersales service is very good also.

 

[ProDave]

I get three sims one each for my wife and I, and the third for the router. All with unlimited data for £33 a month.

Is that £33 each or all 3 for £33. If all 3 that is astonishingly cheap. There is nothing like that on EE's website so I assume this was the result of some haggling?

 

[ProDave]

But have you tried using your Sky Mobile SIM in your router in the EU

I gave up with Sky Mobile a few years back when we lost all O2 mobile signal at home and they could not get wifi calling on my phone to work so it became a brick at home. I switched to 1P Mobile and the wifi calling worked straight away.

No good being cheap if your customer service is rubbish and you cannot fix a simple issue like that.

 

[morsefields]

Thee are some prepay sim offers on eBay that are pretty good. This one is 12 months 25gb per month plus texts and calls for £33

O2 Sim Card preloaded with 300GB Data (25GB per month) & Unlimited Calls & Texts | eBay UK

ð¥ð¥ð¥ O2 Sim card preloaded with300GB of data (25GB per month for 12 months!). Plus unlimited calls and text for 12 months.

ebay.us

 

[Rumour]

You could use a regular O2 SIM? One that has calls and texts as well. The Network companies are no longer allowed to prohibit their use in routers and often the standard SIM is actually cheaper than a dedicated Data SIM as well.
I use a Sky Mobile SIM (which runs off the O2 network) in my Telefonica/Avtex Router and have done for multiple years now.

I tried my phone O2 sim in the router in the EU last week while we were in France. It just doesn't work. We get a special deal from Tesco as SO works for them (Bookers) but there have been cases of them not working in a dedicated router as they are O2. I might buy a cheap mobile hotspot. Maybe it will be able to fool O2 that it is a phone.

 

[wildebus]

But have you tried using your Sky Mobile SIM in your router in the EU? The EU appears to be @Rumour 's sticking point.

Why shouldn't it. Sky Mobile have a Roaming option - £2 per day if you use it and 25GB 'fair use' limit per month.
And no, I have not tried it, but if you would like to pay for me to take my router abroad, I will confirm the situation and get back to you. (and I'll even pony up that £2 roaming charge so that will save you a bit of cash )

But bear in mind I have a regular PHONE SIM, and not a dedicated DATA SIM, and THAT is the point I was making.

 

[Bigshug]

I have tesco mobile as one of the sims in my phone, it works great in the UK but in Europe the settings need changed. Tesco helpline were very good at talking me through the changes while I was in France, it has worked fine ever since

 

[Fisherman]

I gave up with Sky Mobile a few years back when we lost all O2 mobile signal at home and they could not get wifi calling on my phone to work so it became a brick at home. I switched to 1P Mobile and the wifi calling worked straight away.

No good being cheap if your customer service is rubbish and you cannot fix a simple issue like that.

As I said I get that deal because I have EE broadband. with EE if you have their broadband their SIM cards are unlimited data.

 

[mikejay]

Not a data sim but just spent 3 weeks portugal,spain and france used my phone as a hotspot on tesco mobile unlimited used 100gb and was mainly a 5g connection.

 

[bktradingd15]

We are just back from a trip to the SW. On plugging in the Firestick it said it was updating. I thought hmm should have checked it before leaving but no matter.... and woosh my data allowance vanished. It's an O2 sim and 3 gig is an eye watering £12.

Suggestions please for a piggy back vendor on the O2 network. We carry usually 3 sims as here is Scotland we have found it's daft to rely on one as the coverage varies so greatly.

TIA

Smarty is the cheapest

 

[wildebus]

As I said I get that deal because I have EE broadband. with EE if you have their broadband their SIM cards are unlimited data.

is it wired broadband or via a 4G/5G service?

 

[Fisherman]

is it wired broadband or via a 4G/5G service?

Yes David it’s on full fibre and I get close to 500mg.
I also have their tv which includes many channels inc Netflix, and discovery plus.

 

[YeoBlade]

OOPS

 

[Geek]

I went with Smarty Mobile for a while and that tended to be a pain as THREE is basically either a terrible network service due to lack of coverage, or very slow due to network overload.

I tried SMARTY a few years ago. It was cheap. I was shocked by how much worse it was than Three itself.

The biggest single issue was getting a different IP address every few seconds, despite having a connection to the same cell.
But in general, once connected, the network was slow and laggy.
Never again!

I'm happy enough with Three, though slightly worried how the Vodafone merger will go.

 

[TJBi]

I tried SMARTY a few years ago. It was cheap. I was shocked by how much worse it was than Three itself.

The biggest single issue was getting a different IP address every few seconds, despite having a connection to the same cell.
But in general, once connected, the network was slow and laggy.
Never again!

I'm happy enough with Three, though slightly worried how the Vodafone merger will go.

I have been using Smarty for Internet at home since 2020, initially with a Teltonika 4G router, more recently with a refurbished 3 5G router, and have experienced no problems. I also use it in the motorhome in the UK (Teltonika 4G router) and have generally found it satisfactory except in some Scottish locations.

 

[Beechowl]

I used an ID sim when we went to France in our Netgear Nighthawk M1. Cost £8 per month for 30 GB which you can use all of that for roaming. 1 month contract. We did almost use up all 30gb when we were there for 21 days but next month clicked in whilst almost at the end of the 21 days. They use three network and it seemed fine wherever we were. We didn’t stream tv whilst there as we tend to not watch much tv whilst we are away, so for heavy streamers a different solution might be needed. Will continue with the ID mobile in the uk now we are back but we can also hotspot from our phones on talkmobile which we get 60GB for £7.99 pm each and they piggyback Vodafone which I know has now merged with three, have to wait and see if that makes any difference. It did take me a while to get the ID sim to work in the Netgear router, but googled the solution and resolved it myself after some messing about. The ID Sim is just a normal phone sim with unlimited calls and texts so could go into the phone if needed.

 

[Geek]

Vodafone-three merger, so that narrows it down a bit, make do with only 3 SIMS. I don't have either, has anyone noticed an improvement sine the merger?

They are only very slowly combining the networks. I understand it will take several years.

They claim to be starting with weak spots, but my cynical view is that they will start where it saves most money.

 

[Geek]

I have been using Smarty for Internet at home since 2020, ...

I strongly suspect that there was a fault when I tried Smarty, but their tech support assured me there was not, and that a new IP address every few seconds was perfectly normal.

I simply left them to it. Other, better, cheaper networks were (and are) available.

 

[voyagerstan]

You could use a regular O2 SIM? One that has calls and texts as well. The Network companies are no longer allowed to prohibit their use in routers and often the standard SIM is actually cheaper than a dedicated Data SIM as well.
I use a Sky Mobile SIM (which runs off the O2 network) in my Telefonica/Avtex Router and have done for multiple years now.

Smarty 80gig. £ 10.00