MiFi & iPad - PAYG, Abroad?

quintron

Hopefully someone can help.
Heading over to Berlin for a couple of weeks in Sept with my iPad and trying to figure out the cheapest way to get online. Last year, cost me a fortune in roaming fees! I'm thinking a PAYG MiFi or similar with a German PAYG sim. Has anyone any experience of doing this? Any advice appreciated!
Cheers, Q.

Basq

You have two options worth exploring and someone might be able to tell you more on this:

1. AFAIK, Three.ie don't have roaming fees as long as you join the Three network in the country you're in. I don't have first hand knowledge of it or whether it's subject to certain conditions and criteria, but I have heard this. Not sure if it applies to PAYG though.

2. If you have an unlocked MiFi, you can use a Vodafone PAYG sim card with the Vodafone Live APN while roaming and get up to 50MB access a day for 99c. See details here: http://forum.vodafone.ie/index.php?/topic/4268-differences-between-apns/

Live APN (live.vodafone.com)

* can access most web sites and use most apps but some ports are restricted
* can't be used for tethering
* default is that it uses a proxy but can be turned off if you want
* usage comes out of any data bundle or add-on on your account (e.g. 2GB on Perfect Choice Access Plus)
* out-of-bundle cost is 99c per day up to 50MB then €1 per MB thereafter
* roaming cost is same as in country cost where you're using a telco with whom Vodafone has a data roaming agreement
* roaming usage also comes out of data add-on allowance where you're using a telco with whom Vodafone has a data roaming agreement
* with other telcos where there is no data roaming agreement the Live APN will not connect, so you won't incur unexpected costs as long as you're configured to use the Live APN

naasrd

No harm downloading a wifi finder app and also check if there's a wifi service provider like bitbuzz or if Starbucks offer free wifi with a starbucks card like they do over here. Top up with a fiver, register and you've got as much free wifi you can take! 30 minutes on google will sort you out.

talla

Have used an unlocked mifi with a Vodafone PAYG sim on the Vodafone live APN as Basquille sugests in France. 99c a day, can't go wrong.

quintron

Great. Thank you all! Now to go on the hunt for an unlocked mifi Thanks again!

Megatron_X

quintron wrote: »

Great. Thank you all! Now to go on the hunt for an unlocked mifi Thanks again!

If you are going to go with the Vodafone sim, sign up to Vodafone 360 to get 100mb daily limit (up from the usual 50mb) for 39c a day. The only thing is that you have to top up by €20 in one go and you get the low rate/big limit for a month, but it could still work out as a good deal for you

https://www.vodafone.ie/vlive/internetmobile#prepay

quintron

Another good tip! Thanks!

quintron

First of all, sorry to resurrect an old thread.
Just wanted to update and ask a couple of more questions.

So, I got a prepaid Vodafone sim and put it in my unlocked iPhone3GS.
First thing I noticed is that I can't edit the carrier settings with the Voda prepay sim in as I can do easily with my o2 sim, but I'm assuming its defaulting to the live APN?

Anyway, instead of plumping for a MiFi device, I'm using the MyWi app as my "mifi" on the iPhone.
Then, I bought €20 credit for my phone/trip.

All good so far..

Just did a test there and it works fine with my iPad. After I tested to see if all worked, I checked my credit on the phone after the test and it had deducted 99c so, again, I'm assuming all is good there. 99c per day up to 50MB. Does what it says on the tin.

Next, I went online to the Vodafone 360 website to sign up (in order to avail of the 100MB daily limit [and potentially cheaper price. someone mentioned 39c per 24 hour period instead of the regular 99c..]).
Anyway, after a bit of faffing around (site was up/down/up etc) I got in to Vodafone 360 and got all signed up, downloaded the iPhone 360 app and synced up my contacts.

Now, here are my two questions.

1 - Can anyone just please confirm from experience that the PREPAY price for using the live APN on vodafone networks abroad is 99c/39c per day up to 50MB/100MB. I can't find anything explicit on their site about prepay roaming and someone i spoke with in CS said that was only for pay monthly customers..

2- Now that I've joined 360, I don't see anywhere on the 360 site that says my new data limit is 100MB, never mind the 39c thing. There is simply no mention of it. How does one check this? How does one know that this has been 'added on' to the account or verified etc?
I don't mind spending a couple of euro testing it tomorrow but I just wanted to know how others have sorted this satisfactorily for themselves?
Cheers all for the help and here's to low roaming bills this time around!

Sorry if these are simple questions but I don't want to get robbed blind again when I go abroad.

culabula

quintron wrote: »

First of all, sorry to resurrect an old thread.
Just wanted to update and ask a couple of more questions.

So, I got a prepaid Vodafone sim and put it in my unlocked iPhone3GS.
First thing I noticed is that I can't edit the carrier settings with the Voda prepay sim in as I can do easily with my o2 sim, but I'm assuming its defaulting to the live APN?

Anyway, instead of plumping for a MiFi device, I'm using the MyWi app as my "mifi" on the iPhone.
Then, I bought €20 credit for my phone/trip.

All good so far..

Just did a test there and it works fine with my iPad. After I tested to see if all worked, I checked my credit on the phone after the test and it had deducted 99c so, again, I'm assuming all is good there. 99c per day up to 50MB. Does what it says on the tin.

Next, I went online to the Vodafone 360 website to sign up (in order to avail of the 100MB daily limit [and potentially cheaper price. someone mentioned 39c per 24 hour period instead of the regular 99c..]).
Anyway, after a bit of faffing around (site was up/down/up etc) I got in to Vodafone 360 and got all signed up, downloaded the iPhone 360 app and synced up my contacts.

Now, here are my two questions.

1 - Can anyone just please confirm from experience that the PREPAY price for using the live APN on vodafone networks abroad is 99c/39c per day up to 50MB/100MB. I can't find anything explicit on their site about prepay roaming and someone i spoke with in CS said that was only for pay monthly customers..

2- Now that I've joined 360, I don't see anywhere on the 360 site that says my new data limit is 100MB, never mind the 39c thing. There is simply no mention of it. How does one check this? How does one know that this has been 'added on' to the account or verified etc?
I don't mind spending a couple of euro testing it tomorrow but I just wanted to know how others have sorted this satisfactorily for themselves?
Cheers all for the help and here's to low roaming bills this time around!

Sorry if these are simple questions but I don't want to get robbed blind again when I go abroad.

Corfirm that the prepay price is 99c for 50mb while abroad.

Never had any luck with Vodafone 360.

quintron

Cheers Cula! That'll do me. The rest is gravy. Can anyone else shed light on this mysterious 100MB club?

culabula

quintron wrote: »

Cheers Cula! That'll do me. The rest is gravy. Can anyone else shed light on this mysterious 100MB club?

Have heard it said that if you ring them, they will cheerfully apply that to your profile and then you only pay 12,39€ out of your 20 each month for data. If you succeed, do let us know.

quintron

Grand. I'll give them a bell tomorrow, put it to them, and see whats what.

quintron

So I spoke to some people in Vodafone.....
Initial Customer Care was funny. Said that prepay roaming for 99c = not a hope and that prepay roaming is €12 per day, the 99c does not apply, etc etc. He was resolute. I pointed out some info from their sites and after a bit of holding and general faffing around, he said, oh yeah, its 99c per day when roaming, sorry about that.
Phase 1 complete. Roaming 99c up to 50MB abroad. Confirmed (I know, I know... for the millionth time, but I've been stung many, many times over the years people).

Phase 2, Vodafone 360 & the promotional offer of 100MB for 39c per day.
I asked the CC guy about that, he put me on hold. Came back and said 100MB was only local, no roaming.. I figured it was past his erm, knowledge base...
He said I needed to sign up for Vodafone Passport any way and he also mentioned that I was not showing up on their system as having joined 360. I assured him I had and I was staring at a screen showing me as logged in.
Anyway, i asked him to sign me up for passport and then pass me on to someone in Vodafone 360 support.
Spoke with a lovely lady there, who assured me that its the same price for roaming as at home (I told her, her previous colleague wouldn't agree). She said, bottom line, it is BUT you need to opt in to it. I was not automatically opted in to it. She also confirmed that I didn't show up as being a Voda 360 subscriber.
She sorted it out, opted me in and ...............that's all she wrote folks.
Phase 2 > Confirmed. The PrePay Vodafone 360 Promotional offer of 100MB for 39c per day applies when roaming in EU (where Vodafone networks exist). This will apply until 30th Sept 2010 when it will be reviewed or discontinued.
All of the above applies to the Vodafone Live APN.

culabula

quintron wrote: »

So I spoke to some people in Vodafone.....
Initial Customer Care was funny. Said that prepay roaming for 99c = not a hope and that prepay roaming is €12 per day, the 99c does not apply, etc etc. He was resolute. I pointed out some info from their sites and after a bit of holding and general faffing around, he said, oh yeah, its 99c per day when roaming, sorry about that.
Phase 1 complete. Roaming 99c up to 50MB abroad. Confirmed (I know, I know... for the millionth time, but I've been stung many, many times over the years people).

Phase 2, Vodafone 360 & the promotional offer of 100MB for 39c per day.
I asked the CC guy about that, he put me on hold. Came back and said 100MB was only local, no roaming.. I figured it was past his erm, knowledge base...
He said I needed to sign up for Vodafone Passport any way and he also mentioned that I was not showing up on their system as having joined 360. I assured him I had and I was staring at a screen showing me as logged in.
Anyway, i asked him to sign me up for passport and then pass me on to someone in Vodafone 360 support.
Spoke with a lovely lady there, who assured me that its the same price for roaming as at home (I told her, her previous colleague wouldn't agree). She said, bottom line, it is BUT you need to opt in to it. I was not automatically opted in to it. She also confirmed that I didn't show up as being a Voda 360 subscriber.
She sorted it out, opted me in and ...............that's all she wrote folks.
Phase 2 > Confirmed. The PrePay Vodafone 360 Promotional offer of 100MB for 39c per day applies when roaming in EU (where Vodafone networks exist). This will apply until 30th Sept 2010 when it will be reviewed or discontinued.
All of the above applies to the Vodafone Live APN.

Good, this bears out what I have been told. Must get my own tweaked.

culabula

quintron wrote: »

Grand. I'll give them a bell tomorrow, put it to them, and see whats what.

Seems I'm achieving this painlessly, over Twitter. Sorry.

quintron

Ya lost me...
edit: I assume you mean plain answers?
Maybe the people on Twitter should answer the phones?
I guess I should have tried Twitter for a quick reply, but its hearing someones reassuring voice; I can tell if they are clueless, making it up as they go or, are genuinely aware of and in control of the situation..

culabula

quintron wrote: »

Ya lost me...
edit: I assume you mean plain answers?
Maybe the people on Twitter should answer the phones?
I guess I should have tried Twitter for a quick reply, but its hearing someones reassuring voice; I can tell if they are clueless, making it up as they go or, are genuinely aware of and in control of the situation..

Nope: I just asked 10 minutes ago and it's been done. No hassle, no uninformed staff, no tiresome human voices! An all-digital, all-Ireland solution.

However, he has made me aware of this:

VodafoneIreland: You'll need to sync the App once every 30 days to remain on the rate otherwise you'll revert to the regular rate. I've opted you in again!

Splendid fellow.

quintron

culabula wrote: »

However, he has made me aware of this:

VodafoneIreland: You'll need to sync the App once every 30 days to remain on the rate otherwise you'll revert to the regular rate. I've opted you in again!

Good to know! I thought it was your initial request to sign on to the 360 package? How could you be opted in "again"?

culabula

quintron wrote: »

Good to know! I thought it was your initial request to sign on to the 360 package? How could you be opted in "again"?

Well, no. After signing up and going through the motions, I never used it again. The site itself is very flaky and the instructions vague. It seems simply signing up is not enough to 'opt in' for the rates promised. So, that is what I have done this morning. Without an iPad app though, it's going to be difficult to remember to sync every 30 days.