wifi on the hoof

[flichobay]

Hi we are in Germany at this time in our M/H. We have just travelled through Holland and are on our way to France on Monday. Can anyone tell us how to get wifi - easily while travelling? we have Mifi device which we use with a local data sim. The problem is they don't work. We bought a Vodafone one in the UK - didn't work. In Holland we purchased a KPN data sim - didn't work. Having spent some £s and Euros on these and many hours in the various mobile phone shops trying to get the thing we paid for to work, we have really given up. Any thought, ideas gratefully received. Many thanks Chis & Hazel.

 

[Tezza33]

Is your mifi unlocked to all networks?, if it isn't then you cannot just put another sim card in.

 

[whitevanwoman]

In the past day or so I've read somewhere that all 3 devices are unlocked. There is a page on the ofcom website about unlocking devices, can't give you the link now but should be easy to find, gives details of the unlock processes for each network plus costs.

 

[Tezza33]

In the past day or so I've read somewhere that all 3 devices are unlocked. .

Here is the support page from 3 with the info, if it is a 3 mifi bought after Jan1st 2014 it will be unlocked

Note: If you bought your device from us after 1 January 2014, your device will already be unlocked.

The OP hasn't stated which Mifi he has and the network it was originally on, if he/she can post the details it is easier to find the unlocking process

 

[whitevanwoman]

Thanks for posting that Tezza, I'm using android so can't "like" thus but I would have if I could.

I'm currently trying to get an old Sony Xperia Miro unlocked so I can register and use the new EE100gb deal which Admin posted details of. Its locked to Voda and I've submiyian online unlock request yesterday but apparently the request has to go to manufacturer which could take 10 days. So much for technology eh?


I'm hoping that I can use the new EE 100gb data sim in my 3 mifi which was bought last march, so should hopefully be unlocked. Otherwise it will have to be used in mobile phone for hotspotting.

Sighs... Nothing is ever as straightforward as the instructions say it will be - as the original posters seem to have also discovered. Good luck to them. I wonder whether it might be worth finding a cheap unlocked, even second hand, android mobile which they could use in place of the mifi for hotspotting (wireless tethering).

 

[campertwo]

We are near Adge, south of France at the moment. Although on a campsite that has free WiFi, I did manage to log on yesterday using a huwei box with a pay as you go sim card installed on the 3 network. But down here it goes to Orange network. I guess the 3 network piggy backs off them? Not bad signal though. BTW, its a lovely 30 degrees here!

 

[Talbot]

I have a TP Link WIFI Router and last year in France and Italy we purchased a Three Preloaded data sim with good reception everywhere we went. There was no setup required and it just works as soon as switch your mifi router on. I purchased each preloaded sim card from a Three mobile shop. I think they cost 20 Euros each for 1gb (or was it 3gb) but they work well. The only problem is once you leave one country you have to buy another sim card for the next country you enter. It was good for convenience but I didn't get good value as I struggled to use up 1gb in one month. I seem to recall only using about 400mb on each sim. I'm still searching for a better solution as we travel from country to country. I understand you can purchase a Three preloaded sim card in the UK before you set off to France and it will work in the Feel at Home 18 zones/countries as defined by Three, which includes France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. If they add Holland, Belgium, Germany and Portugal it will be a winner.

 

[kenj]

I have a 3 dongle and buy sims off eBay and do not top up just keep buying one month or three months as we do no want a contract as when we go out we just drop a sim in and use it cheapest way to do wifi I think!

 

[jagmanx]

Dongle or mi-fi

If you only use a laptop then a dongle is fine.

But if you want to also use a tablet or 2 then mi-fi wins.
mine is unlocked and I have used it fine with
vodaphone in nz
a german simcard
O2..uk only
Three uk only but expect to use it in France with no extra costs or problems

 

[flichobay]

Hi and thanks for the many replies to my post. To clear up one point we have a TP Link MiFi device which is unlocked. It worked fine in Australia where we bought a Telstra data sim card for 10$. this had 1GB and lasted for a month - worked fine. In the UK did the same with Vodafone, £15 - didn't work. Many visits and lots of wasted time to various Vodafone shops, no explanation as to why it won't but they do have our money and so, gave up. In Holland similar story, 10 Euro this time - didn't work. Many visits and lots of wasted time to KPN shops, no explanation as to why it doesn't work, but they do have our money - gave up. Some of the replies to our dilemma sound good so will try these and see if we get a result. Many thanks again to all the replies. Chris & Hazel.

 

[Tezza33]

Have they gone into settings and put the correct ones in for your data card, I don't know the settings for your data card but you could google that, to change to a giffgaff data card (I know that isn't yours but this is an example) you have to

Connect to the SSID of your TP-Link .. this info (including the password) is on a sticker on the inside lid of the battery cover.
Login to the control panel. It should be on http://192.168.0.1
Once in, click on the Wizard tab.
Click the next button.
On the Dial Up settings section, you must enter some new details [the standard O2 onces come on the SIM, you need the GiffGaff settings]... do this by clicking the Create button and entering the info below.. the password is 'password' (without the quotes).

View attachment 30978


Once entered, click Save, and make sure you new profile is selected in the drop down.
Now click Next to get to wireless settings... change these if you wish... I made the password a bit easier to remember.
NB, if you do change the wireless settings, you will have to reconnect to the mifi once you have finished.
Click Next again to get to the Finish screen.
Click Finish to save the settings.

If you find your data settings and use them following the instructions above it should work

 

[Talbot]

Hi and thanks for the many replies to my post. To clear up one point we have a TP Link MiFi device which is unlocked. It worked fine in Australia where we bought a Telstra data sim card for 10$. this had 1GB and lasted for a month - worked fine. In the UK did the same with Vodafone, £15 - didn't work. Many visits and lots of wasted time to various Vodafone shops, no explanation as to why it won't but they do have our money and so, gave up. In Holland similar story, 10 Euro this time - didn't work. Many visits and lots of wasted time to KPN shops, no explanation as to why it doesn't work, but they do have our money - gave up. Some of the replies to our dilemma sound good so will try these and see if we get a result. Many thanks again to all the replies. Chris & Hazel.

I can't say I've encountered the same problems that you're having. Each sim card I have purchased has worked as soon as I put it in our TP-Link with no set up required. I've never had to go into the device settings 192.168.0.1. Last year we also purchased a SIMPA Sim preloaded sim for Croatia. Worked a treat. I only buy Data Sims though as I understand that minutes, SMS and data bundle sims restrict the use of the data if tethering or using mifi's. This might be what your problem has been. Let me know how you get on and which sims actually work? Overall TP-Link wifi routers are a brilliant device and the speed is almost as good as broadband at home. Hope you get it sorted.

 

[Tezza33]

I can't say I've encountered the same problems that you're having. Each sim card I have purchased has worked as soon as I put it in our TP-Link with no set up required. I've never had to go into the device settings 192.168.0.1. .

Most of mine have because 3 and most operators send the correct settings automatically to your device when the sim card is put in but giffgaff do not, it is quite possible his doesn't or his Australian Mifi does not accept them automatically (cannot see why it wouldn't) so worth checking

 

[jagmanx]

Australian Mi-Fi

Sim card needs to be upside down.

Or dip it in Lager first

 

[TJBi]

Where was the TP-Link MiFi unit purchased? If it was purchased in Australia, is it possible that it operates on different protocols/frequencies to those used in Europe? Alternatively, has it simply developed a fault?

Tom