PAYG None expiring Data sim anyone?

[barryd]

I thought this might be a good one to post on here as there are many of you that use mifi units etc.

ITs not for me its for a client out in the sticks. They have a wifi system over three sites for their broadband and its great while it works. Its fired in from 12 miles away but occasionally it goes down. I am thinking of putting in a 4g router with a data sim in purely as a back up for when the main system goes down but two things are causing me an issue. The phone signal is not great there but Vodafone is pretty good as is I think is 3. EE is terrible (or so I am told).

Trouble is it might only get used once every six months and Vodafone are either monthly contracts or they expire after 30 days on PAYG.

Its not something Im clued up on so does anyone know of a data sim that doesnt expire? Even 12 months would do say where you pay for 50gb and it lasts a year.

 

[wildebus]

I thought this might be a good one to post on here as there are many of you that use mifi units etc.

ITs not for me its for a client out in the sticks. They have a wifi system over three sites for their broadband and its great while it works. Its fired in from 12 miles away but occasionally it goes down. I am thinking of putting in a 4g router with a data sim in purely as a back up for when the main system goes down but two things are causing me an issue. The phone signal is not great there but Vodafone is pretty good as is I think is 3. EE is terrible (or so I am told).

Trouble is it might only get used once every six months and Vodafone are either monthly contracts or they expire after 30 days on PAYG.

Its not something Im clued up on so does anyone know of a data sim that doesnt expire? Even 12 months would do say where you pay for 50gb and it lasts a year.

what kind of data use?
I am using Sky Mobile for Data. They are phone SIMs but allows full tethering and I have one in a 4G Dongle as well. Initial 12 Month contract but what I like is that unused data is not lost but rolled into a piggybank and can be put back onto the SIM when needed (or Data can be bought if piggybank is empty).
I have around 70GB in the piggybank which I can add 1GB at a time to any of 3 numbers (Data is saved in the Piggybank and used on a FIFO basis)

Oh - Sky Mobile runs on the O2 Network.

 

[molly 2]

Would internet with legs work for you 12 months sim 12 gig data .about £26 full year

 

[barryd]

Would internet with legs work for you 12 months sim 12 gig data .about £26 full year

Thanks. That might do it. Just googled it and came up with this. Three Mobile Pay As You Go Mobile Broadband 24 GB Data: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

I think thats 24 months as well and 24gb. I could just stick one of them in a four port 4g router and attach it to their office network if the main one goes down. Im told 3 is ok in that area but the only way to find out would be to test it I reckon.

 

[Nabsim]

We use(d) 3G SIM cards in Sarian DR range ADSL2 routers for a big customer for years. Originally they had a contract sim on Vodafone for under £2 a month but data use was low, just for cards if line went down. After a few years the company pulled out as it was costing them more to supply us with the service and we had to find something for now more cost!!!

We ended up with Orange pay go sims and that worked okay, we could monitor through web page and top up a fiver when needed and data never ran out. A year or so after it became EE they stopped doing the 3G cards and went to 4G, problem then was data didn’t roll over, lasted 30 days then lost and minimum top up was a tenner so we stopped doing them.

There are companies out there and best I found was £1.75 a month on contract, each card having 1MB data but it pooled across the estate, we were looking at 650 sims so was plenty for us for this customer but was told it was too expensive!!

The other problem you will have (we had) was right provider for area to get a signal. If you are using a mifi you could be fine but for the £700 pro routers it was a nightmare. If I remember right there is a company in Isle of Man that do data sims and they have full uk roaming, no mainland company in uk offers that, their roaming is only abroad.

You can get them shopping round but not sure what deal you will get for 1 sim, may have to just bite the bulletin. They ‘should’ look at how much it would cost in time and inconvenience if they have no line then willingly pay ten or fifteen quid a month

 

[ricc]

were using the 3 internet with legs sims. got one 12 gig 12 month one in a tablet and another 24 gig 24 month one in a tp link archer mr200 router. this laptop is wired to the router and we can turn wifi on if needed.
router also has provision for unplugging the arials and using extension cables to raise them out the window but ours works fine sat on the desk.

initially we had a 12 month sim in the router , the data lasted six months or so , topping up the existing sim was more expensive than buying a new one off ebay.... its time i bought another one ready for when the tablet one runs out.
as far as i can see any of the pay monthly sims work out more expensive.


only thing i have found is the tablet wouldnt work in the canary isles.... aparently you dont get roaming on the 3 sims unless you pay for a top up. had to use the mobile phone with an ee pay monthly sim with roaming as a hotspot so no big deal.

 

[jann]

Three 24gb or 24 months whichever comes first.

 

[barryd]

We use(d) 3G SIM cards in Sarian DR range ADSL2 routers for a big customer for years. Originally they had a contract sim on Vodafone for under £2 a month but data use was low, just for cards if line went down. After a few years the company pulled out as it was costing them more to supply us with the service and we had to find something for now more cost!!!

We ended up with Orange pay go sims and that worked okay, we could monitor through web page and top up a fiver when needed and data never ran out. A year or so after it became EE they stopped doing the 3G cards and went to 4G, problem then was data didn’t roll over, lasted 30 days then lost and minimum top up was a tenner so we stopped doing them.

There are companies out there and best I found was £1.75 a month on contract, each card having 1MB data but it pooled across the estate, we were looking at 650 sims so was plenty for us for this customer but was told it was too expensive!!

The other problem you will have (we had) was right provider for area to get a signal. If you are using a mifi you could be fine but for the £700 pro routers it was a nightmare. If I remember right there is a company in Isle of Man that do data sims and they have full uk roaming, no mainland company in uk offers that, their roaming is only abroad.

You can get them shopping round but not sure what deal you will get for 1 sim, may have to just bite the bulletin. They ‘should’ look at how much it would cost in time and inconvenience if they have no line then willingly pay ten or fifteen quid a month

Currently in the main office (There are three spread over the site) there is still BT Business Broadband connection that can be used for backup and but its hopeless. Speed is almost unusable. Its costing them a fair wack each month and its hardly ever needed and when it is its hopeless so cost isnt really the issue, just reliability so I think a router like this one TP-Link 300Mbps Wireless N 4G LTE Router | Ebuyer.com and that 3 24 month sim would be ideal. Just order another one every two years.

 

[spigot]

Three 24gb or 24 months whichever comes first.

Keep the eyes open for offers, my last 24 month sim cost £39.99 which works out much cheaper than £26 for 12 months.

 

[barryd]

Sadly it looks like "3" coverage might be patchy at this location.

 

[ricc]

That link to tp router looks like the. Current version of the one we've got.

We're supposed to be in a dodgy 3 area but it works fine. There's all ways the option of extending the Aerials on leads or even getting better outdoor Aerials. It's really not mega bucks to buy one to try it out.