help for Luddite who needs unlimited data asap

thimble

Hi - I hope you can help.

Because of Covid-19 it looks as though I'm about to have to work from home - workplace will almost certainly be closed. However, I've no home internet and don't think this could be set up fast enough. So I think I'll need to work from a hotspot on my phone (still need to work out how to do that!).

My phone is an old (I think about 4 years) very basic Vodafone smartphone, bill pay, long out of contract. My plan is also old, and has limited data. Out of plan charges would be very high if I had to work from home, and work wouldn't pay for this. (Long story - don't ask!)

Vodafone doesn't seem to have an unlimited data plan so I think that means switching companies. Who should I switch to? Can I do this in the next 1-2 days? (I see people talking of getting sims sent in 10 days - that would be too slow. Can I go into a bricks & mortar shop and get what I need?) I really, really don't want to get stuck with no phone at all if everywhere shuts down. I'm in Dublin and unlikely to be travelling anywhere soon, so I presume reasonable coverage won't be a problem, and I suppose I can always switch again after this crisis. I would want to keep my existing number,

Help please! No idea how this works as I've not switched before. Many thanks.

Slippin Jimmy

Quickest way would be to go into a shop to pick up a sim. It may take a few days to port the number over. You could always pick up a wireless dongle and use that instead and keep your Vodafone plan.

thimble

Many thanks for the fast response Jimmy. I'm afraid this is so alien to me that I'm still a bit lost. Wireless dongle - how does that work? Does it connect my phone to my laptop? And if so, would that still not use up my monthly data allowance just the same? Can I get this in a phone shop or would it be somewhere like PC World/Harvey Norman etc.?

Sorry if these are stupid questions - like I said, I'm a complete Luddite when it comes to this.

babelfish1990

thimble wrote: »

Hi - I hope you can help.

Because of Covid-19 it looks as though I'm about to have to work from home - workplace will almost certainly be closed. However, I've no home internet and don't think this could be set up fast enough. So I think I'll need to work from a hotspot on my phone (still need to work out how to do that!).

My phone is an old (I think about 4 years) very basic Vodafone smartphone, bill pay, long out of contract. My plan is also old, and has limited data. Out of plan charges would be very high if I had to work from home, and work wouldn't pay for this. (Long story - don't ask!)

Vodafone doesn't seem to have an unlimited data plan so I think that means switching companies. Who should I switch to? Can I do this in the next 1-2 days? (I see people talking of getting sims sent in 10 days - that would be too slow. Can I go into a bricks & mortar shop and get what I need?) I really, really don't want to get stuck with no phone at all if everywhere shuts down. I'm in Dublin and unlikely to be travelling anywhere soon, so I presume reasonable coverage won't be a problem, and I suppose I can always switch again after this crisis. I would want to keep my existing number,

Help please! No idea how this works as I've not switched before. Many thanks.

Mobile Internet is not generally reliable enough for remote working, and even less likely if you choose an operator with an "unlimited plan" in the current crisis, with millions of students and workers stranded at home. If you live in Dublin, your mobile coverage might be ok, but your network is likely to be heavily congested at peak times. Video conferencing and audio conferencing require a stable un-congested connection with low latency and jitter. Many work applications working over VPN also require low latency. This lockdown is likely to last 3-4 months. Your home almost certainly has a landline, even if you weren't using it. Eir or one of their re-sellers can probably reactivate it within a week. Don't hog the mobile bandwidth - leave it for the health service and essential service workers who are on the move and need it badly.

ED E

1. Don't switch, get a new SIM for this temporary use and discontinue later.


2. For unlimited data Three is the choice. €20 / 28 days.


3. Its gonna SUCK. Normally the mobile networks can split the load, workers in town - kids and stay at home parents in the burbs. Weekends people go out etc. Now everyone is camped at home watching Netflix. That puts load up everywhere and suburban load way up.


4. It might work if its just general email etc. If you have to use a VPN intermittency might be frustrating. Skype/Teams/etc might be a problem.

august12

thimble wrote: »

Many thanks for the fast response Jimmy. I'm afraid this is so alien to me that I'm still a bit lost. Wireless dongle - how does that work? Does it connect my phone to my laptop? And if so, would that still not use up my monthly data allowance just the same? Can I get this in a phone shop or would it be somewhere like PC World/Harvey Norman etc.?

Sorry if these are stupid questions - like I said, I'm a complete Luddite when it comes to this.

Mobile dongle is a a little box with a Sim slot, you place the sim in it and you then have wireless mobile broadband, hopefully, the 3 network has unlimited broadband, you could try that for starters, chances are, it will be slow if lots of people pulling from the same mast, the more built up areas, the less speed you will get, the dongle is broadband only, not a mobile phone.
Ps, if you purchase the dongle with the sim from 3, chances are it will be locked to the network, you are better off buying an unlocked dongle or router. This way, you can try other network sims.

testarossa40

Word of caution about Three...


Setting up your mobile as a mobile hotspot is also known as "tethering". Tethering is not permitted by Three's Ts&Cs. If detected, they will throttle your bandwidth.



What Three (& Vodafone) offer instead is 4G mobile broadband via a separate mobile SIM + router:
https://n.vodafone.ie/shop/broadband/mobile-broadband.html
https://www.three.ie/plans/mobile-broadband/


If you're already happy with Vodafone 4G reception & data at home then you're probably safe to stick with them for broadband. If you're considering Three, then as suggested, test a PAYG SIM on your phone first to make sure you're happy with their data etc.


Don't know what options eir/GoMo have - somebody else can chime in...

august12

testarossa40 wrote: »

Word of caution about Three...


Setting up your mobile as a mobile hotspot is also known as "tethering". Tethering is not permitted by Three's Ts&Cs. If detected, they will throttle your bandwidth.



What Three (& Vodafone) offer instead is 4G mobile broadband via a separate mobile SIM + router:
https://n.vodafone.ie/shop/broadband/mobile-broadband.html
https://www.three.ie/plans/mobile-broadband/


If you're already happy with Vodafone 4G reception & data at home then you're probably safe to stick with them for broadband. If you're considering Three, then as suggested, test a PAYG SIM on your phone first to make sure you're happy with their data etc.


Don't know what options eir/GoMo have - somebody else can chime in...

Gomo is capped at 80gb per month, it's depends where you live like all providers, works great for me at 9.99 per month.

kevovek

testarossa40 wrote: »

Word of caution about Three...


Setting up your mobile as a mobile hotspot is also known as "tethering". Tethering is not permitted by Three's Ts&Cs. If detected, they will throttle your bandwidth.



What Three (& Vodafone) offer instead is 4G mobile broadband via a separate mobile SIM + router:
https://n.vodafone.ie/shop/broadband/mobile-broadband.html
https://www.three.ie/plans/mobile-broadband/


If you're already happy with Vodafone 4G reception & data at home then you're probably safe to stick with them for broadband. If you're considering Three, then as suggested, test a PAYG SIM on your phone first to make sure you're happy with their data etc.


Don't know what options eir/GoMo have - somebody else can chime in...

Three do not enforce the tethering thing in anyway. Ive been using a three pay as you go sim in a router for well over 5 years. If your stuck and need something for a short period then three would be the cheapest way to go. You will have to pick up either one of these https://www.three.ie/online/data/prepay/huawei-e5573-black/ https://www.three.ie/online/data/prepay/huawei-e5577/ and then pick up a three pay as you go sim as well and top it up by 20 quid for 28 days service.

Ten Pin

IMO buying a modem from three may present a problem as they will know for sure that a phone SIM is being used in a modem. Someone posted recently that they got cut off doing that.

An unlocked modem (from Amazon etc) is a better option with a 3 PAYG phone SIM. Other option is to use a spare phone and tether that way.

In any event, it really depends on how much data is required and what type of work it is. A few emails with attachments and normal browsing is fine but anything that requires high bandwidth for most of the day is going to struggle on a mobile network and even more so in the current situation.

My phone is an old (I think about 4 years) very basic Vodafone smartphone, bill pay, long out of contract. My plan is also old, and has limited data.

Do you know how much data you need? There are a couple of Vodafone PAYG plans that have 30GB data (Vodafone X) for 20e for 28 days. You could use your current handset but would need to check that tethering works on the handset (Vodafone have a couple of hurdles to get over on some handsets, the older handsets are better in this regard). You could just buy a PAYG SIM and leave your current SIM as it is for the time being (put it in a spare handset to use for calls).

You should also request an unlock code (NAC) for the Vodafone handset as it's out of contract and belongs to you. And consider switching to a SIM only plan that is most likely cheaper than what they are charging you now.

thimble

Thanks everyone for all the advice. Running round trying to sort out a laptop as well as the data issues (quite apart from all else I need) so didn't get a chance to come back here, and so didn't see much of your advice before proceeding but I do appreciate it all.

To be honest, I've no idea how much data I would use. I'd be online about half of the day - mostly accessing and downloading text information/pdf files, but with a moderate proportion of stuff that's graphics heavy and a little multimedia.

I went to Three and ended up getting the €30/mth plan with unlimited data, which isn't much different from what I'd been paying for my old contract. I'd been half thinking of looking for a better phone plan anyway, so no harm this crisis gave me a push. I asked the sales guy whether hotspot was ok or if I should be getting a dongle/router and he indicated hotspot was fine. With so many people working from home you'd have to think a lot will be doing this, and it would be massively bad publicity if Three started undermining home working in the most significant national crisis we've had in decades, and it's good not to have two similar-sized bills for phone and broadband if I can avoid it, especially if tied in for a contract period.

Will definitely seek an unlock code for my old phone.

Thanks again for all the info.

Ten Pin

Is it this plan...
https://www.three.ie/plans/sim-only/bill-pay/

Did they give you the half price for 6 months deal?

Your phone will need to be unlocked before a 3 SIM will work in it.

Fireball81

3 also have a rolling day broadband SIM plan, whether you use a phone or a mifi device you won't be locked into a contract- €20 a month.

Ten Pin

The 20 per month 3 broadband plan is a 24 month contract and it's 20 for only the first 6 months.

https://www.three.ie/plans/mobile-broadband/bill-pay/

In any case 3s phone plans are actually unlimited whereas their broadband plans are limited to 750GB and charges apply beyond the limit.

mikecb

I'm aiming to hotspot my mobile phone by tethering it to my laptop and then use my laptop to join in video conferencing. Anyone know the necessary mobile phone sophistication need to do this. I think having 2Gb of Ram and quad core might suffice but I'm not sure if I've understood this correctly.
Can anyone help me please?

opus

ED E wrote: »

1. Don't switch, get a new SIM for this temporary use and discontinue later.


2. For unlimited data Three is the choice. €20 / 28 days.


3. Its gonna SUCK. Normally the mobile networks can split the load, workers in town - kids and stay at home parents in the burbs. Weekends people go out etc. Now everyone is camped at home watching Netflix. That puts load up everywhere and suburban load way up.


4. It might work if its just general email etc. If you have to use a VPN intermittency might be frustrating. Skype/Teams/etc might be a problem.

This is exactly what I've done as having to be on a VPN to work 5 days a week was eating up my GoMo data. Now have an old phone with the 3 SIM plugged into my PC working as a hotspot & it's fine. My work said they's stump up the €20 to cover the expense so costing me zero.

Once things get back to some sort of normality then I'll let the prepay 3 SIM go & stick to my GoMo one as that's plenty data for my normal use.