Discussion
Zed 44 said:
3 told me that they do not allow tethering. I asked them how they would know but the guy just shrugged.
That's what I read, but my tethering allowance doesn't go down, and it still worked in France. I had actually bought the data sim just in case but didn't really need it - lent it to my parents to use up as their internet had stopped working,EDIT : My contract allows tethering, but they don't seem to know when I do.
Craikeybaby said:
I am tempted to move, but I'm not convinced about the reliability. I had a PAYG SIM for a recent trip to the US, but had a few days where the roaming data didn't work, restarting the phone etc didn't fix it. I'd also be concerned about signal strength in the UK, especially in the countryside - what is that like?
I have a 3 sim for me an orange work phone and the Mrs Vodaphone The Orange always cuts out before the 3.In the Lake district 3 out performed the other two networks and I have no issues in London or Lincolnshire with my 3 phone.
I don't have digital radio in my car so use my 3 phone through the stereo it never loses it's signal now been with 3 for 3.5 years.
Craikeybaby said:
I am tempted to move, but I'm not convinced about the reliability. I had a PAYG SIM for a recent trip to the US, but had a few days where the roaming data didn't work, restarting the phone etc didn't fix it. I'd also be concerned about signal strength in the UK, especially in the countryside - what is that like?
I live in the Cheshire countryside, I have experience of Voda, O2 and EE and non can give me a data connection better than GPRS.My Three sim gives me constant 3G. I've never seen it lower than 3G any where in the UK since using it.
sicasey said:
I live in the Cheshire countryside, I have experience of Voda, O2 and EE and non can give me a data connection better than GPRS.
My Three sim gives me constant 3G. I've never seen it lower than 3G any where in the UK since using it.
I could be wrong here, but that's because Three NEED 3G to work? So in other words, you'll get 3G or No signal at all.My Three sim gives me constant 3G. I've never seen it lower than 3G any where in the UK since using it.
audi321 said:
sicasey said:
I live in the Cheshire countryside, I have experience of Voda, O2 and EE and non can give me a data connection better than GPRS.
My Three sim gives me constant 3G. I've never seen it lower than 3G any where in the UK since using it.
I could be wrong here, but that's because Three NEED 3G to work? So in other words, you'll get 3G or No signal at all.My Three sim gives me constant 3G. I've never seen it lower than 3G any where in the UK since using it.
I was on 3 from November 2011 until December 2015, main reason I left was because I wanted the Nokia Lumia 950 XL which they are not carrying, but over my last 7/8 months with them I was getting more & more signal issues, it was a regular occurrence that my local mast had an issue one day a week. Usually a Thursday I would wake up to find I had no signal and it would stay like that for hours on end, but if I drove about 6 miles down the road suddenly it would jump on to the next mast and in came all my messages.
Complained endlessly to three about this and got fobbed off over & over. I asked for one of there sure signal box's on numerous occasions and was told they couldn't because there was a known fault with the mast and I had to wait for that to be fixed first & then see how things where. Even when I phoned back after I was told the mast was fixed with the same problem they still wouldn't and gave the same excuses. Think the best I got was about £6 knocked off my bill one month. But apart from that nothing else.
When I first joined them they were a good network, excellent service, but towards the end shocking.
Very timely thread this.
I was on three right at the beginning when they had the big clamshell phones, it was terrible. In my block in central london, it constantly shifted between 3g and the network they were piggybacking off for 2g, which meant that 50% of the time I had no signal. I left them and have been on EE since then.
However, I just bought the mrs a Three payg sim, she's off to Sri lanka, Bali and Hong Kong for a month imagine my surprise when I saw that all 3 of those places were covered by feel at home. £20 sim, unlimited data (actually limited to 12gb roaming) loads of texts and about 200 min of calls whilst shes away, is unbeatable. Their little online estimator shows that would be a "saving of £12k". Obviously not, since she'd get local sims or only use wifi, but a hell of alot cheaper than alternatives and far less hassle.
I'm going to activate the sim a day or two before she goes and if it works well in my flat, I see no reason not to switch back to them. If only they'd add Jersey, and thailand they'd be covering pretty much anywhere I'm in danger of going.
I was on three right at the beginning when they had the big clamshell phones, it was terrible. In my block in central london, it constantly shifted between 3g and the network they were piggybacking off for 2g, which meant that 50% of the time I had no signal. I left them and have been on EE since then.
However, I just bought the mrs a Three payg sim, she's off to Sri lanka, Bali and Hong Kong for a month imagine my surprise when I saw that all 3 of those places were covered by feel at home. £20 sim, unlimited data (actually limited to 12gb roaming) loads of texts and about 200 min of calls whilst shes away, is unbeatable. Their little online estimator shows that would be a "saving of £12k". Obviously not, since she'd get local sims or only use wifi, but a hell of alot cheaper than alternatives and far less hassle.
I'm going to activate the sim a day or two before she goes and if it works well in my flat, I see no reason not to switch back to them. If only they'd add Jersey, and thailand they'd be covering pretty much anywhere I'm in danger of going.
I probably would be on 3 but for there not being one shred of signal where I'm at for about 5 miles.
I have used their PAYG sim abroad with decidedly mixed results. In the USA I could call out but no one could call me and I never got the data to work once. In Ireland the data kept accusing me of tethering so I could only use it one time in four. No issues in France. Still, it's worth testing considering how cheap it is.
I have used their PAYG sim abroad with decidedly mixed results. In the USA I could call out but no one could call me and I never got the data to work once. In Ireland the data kept accusing me of tethering so I could only use it one time in four. No issues in France. Still, it's worth testing considering how cheap it is.
Thinking about moving to Three myself. Got a PAYG sim recently and used it for the cheap roaming while on a four week, five state excursion to the USA. Data was OK (not lightning fast) in Colorado, Minnesota and Iowa, but got nothing in Washington state nor Oregon.
Not sure about the comments regarding them piggy-backing somebody else's 2G network. In the UK I understood that it was 3G or nothing. While carrying the SIM around in my old phone in the UK, I got 3/4G or nothing - no 2G, even when I had something on my Virgin SIM.
My only concern now is how often I'd lose signal completely when out in the boonies.
Very tempted!
Not sure about the comments regarding them piggy-backing somebody else's 2G network. In the UK I understood that it was 3G or nothing. While carrying the SIM around in my old phone in the UK, I got 3/4G or nothing - no 2G, even when I had something on my Virgin SIM.
My only concern now is how often I'd lose signal completely when out in the boonies.
Very tempted!
Just wrote a long reply and then lost it 
I used to use a PAYG 3 SIM with my Nexus 7 when they were cheap on Amazon and never had any problems (until Amazon tripled the price, that is).
About time I binned off Orange. They were so good in the mid-late 90s but have been a shambles at best (and liars at worst) IME in more recent times. Lying to my dad about sending him a femto-cell to assist with his non-existent coverage at home in order to get him to sign up to an expensive 2 year iPhone contract; sending my wife a "free" 3G dongle after she specifically said she didn't want it and after she realised she was being charged for it refusing to refund anything and actually reducing her to tears by threatening to take her to court if she didn't buy out of the rest of the contract; my £12ish monthly contract costing around £30 most months due to mystery charges and an excessive non-inclusive answerphone rate; I could go on but feel my bloody pressure rising...
I used to use a PAYG 3 SIM with my Nexus 7 when they were cheap on Amazon and never had any problems (until Amazon tripled the price, that is).
About time I binned off Orange. They were so good in the mid-late 90s but have been a shambles at best (and liars at worst) IME in more recent times. Lying to my dad about sending him a femto-cell to assist with his non-existent coverage at home in order to get him to sign up to an expensive 2 year iPhone contract; sending my wife a "free" 3G dongle after she specifically said she didn't want it and after she realised she was being charged for it refusing to refund anything and actually reducing her to tears by threatening to take her to court if she didn't buy out of the rest of the contract; my £12ish monthly contract costing around £30 most months due to mystery charges and an excessive non-inclusive answerphone rate; I could go on but feel my bloody pressure rising...
I was with BT Cellnet and O2 for years, had a brief affair with Orange around 2006 but learned the error of my ways and returned to O2 until September 2014. Got a divorce when I finally got fed up of no 3G or 4G signal half the time and entered into a new relationship with Three.
Been happy ever since with at least a 3G signal everywhere I got only 2G on O2, 4G at no extra cost quite often and made use of their feel at home abroad feature last year with a trip to the US lined up later this year. £15 a month for 200 minutes, unlimited texts and data.
Been happy ever since with at least a 3G signal everywhere I got only 2G on O2, 4G at no extra cost quite often and made use of their feel at home abroad feature last year with a trip to the US lined up later this year. £15 a month for 200 minutes, unlimited texts and data.
NiceCupOfTea said:
Well, while the anger was still flowing, I put it to good use:
Orange PAC code receieved
3 SIM card ordered.
a few months shy of 20 years with Orange. Their best retention offer was same price, less data...
Pretty much the same story with me. After 18 years the only retention offer I got was worse than what I was already on. Having used a 3 PAYG SIM for use in my iPad while on holiday in Austria, and having been very impressed with it, I went to 3 and signed up for a SIM only all-you-can-eat deal. I have had no regrets at all about switching to 3, and would definitely recommend them.Orange PAC code receieved
3 SIM card ordered.
a few months shy of 20 years with Orange. Their best retention offer was same price, less data...
I've been using the 3 12GB data sim for a couple of years, mostly when in Europe. Apart from Germany, it covers the countries I need.
Based on that and dissatisfaction with Giffgaff data speeds I moved my phone over too. I get poor signal in some of the buildings at work, which causes dropped calls. Fine otherwise.
Based on that and dissatisfaction with Giffgaff data speeds I moved my phone over too. I get poor signal in some of the buildings at work, which causes dropped calls. Fine otherwise.
Zed 44 said:
Anyone have any experience of 3 Mobile? I quite like the look of their free data roaming in Europe.
There is no 'free data roaming in Europe'. You can use your home data plan in a handful of countries. A handy handful if they're countries you frequent; a pointless handful if, like me, those 17 countries of 196(?) worldwide aren't ever on your itinerary.As for tethering... they do know when you do it, or when you turn your 'phone into a wifi hotspot and close you down within minutes. Even if you're paying for the £5 per day Europass.
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