Best Value Data Sims for Internet Access: Ideas anyone?

[Gmonster]

My data sim is just about to expire and have noticed the the '3 Network - 3gb - 3Mth' sim seems to have shot up in price recently to circa £21. Anyone identified a better value solution than this?


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[pumpsmynads]

I got my 12 month, 12GB sim for £55 at amazon. They're about £80 at the moment tho. If you can wait they come on at the lower price every so often.

[M1tchy]

I paid about £18 for 3GB or 3 months. Just finished my first one and onto the second now. Very good coverage and good speed too.


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[Guest 2]

giffgaff truly unlimited data for £12/m. Runs on O2 network so coverage is pretty good.




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[lloydtown]

Out of interest.. How much data on average are people finding their car uses a month? Does a 3GB cover it?


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[pumpsmynads]

Out of interest.. How much data on average are people finding their car uses a month? Does a 3GB cover it?


Hidden in the telephone menu somewhere is data usage and according to mine I've used 300MB in 3 weeks.

For information: I have the satnav set on google earth setting for every trip and have checked out nearest petrol station prices once. Everything else is easier to find on an iPhone so pointless in my eyes.

I also only drive the car 3/4 times a week.

[Gmonster]

The price of the 3 network seems to be climbing. Got a 3gb one for £15 last oct. now it's £21; which sticks in the gullet a wee bit. May try a giff gaff £5 a month for 500gb. Need to check if that's enough data.


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[Guest 2]

The price of the 3 network seems to be climbing. Got a 3gb one for £15 last oct. now it's £21; which sticks in the gullet a wee bit. May try a giff gaff £5 a month for 500gb. Need to check if that's enough data.


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MB, not GB.

if you wanted unlimited just get a phone sim and get the £12/m

else £7.50 will get you 1gb a month.

[Gmonster]

Yeah sorry 500mb. Current card is just about to expire. Need to check the usage. Don't connect to the wifi; it's only the google earth maps and bit of Audi connect etc. 500mb should be ok.


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[Gmonster]

Checked my in car data usage using the MMI menu: Sim was activated on 4/11/13; and to date I have used only around 290mb; its just about to expire as its a 3month/3gb sim. In Car Internet used mainly for google earth maps inc limited street view use: Also limited use of audi/connect services: Not used the in car wifi at all really; which shows in the usage total. Do fairly long journeys around Scotland Central Belt; Glasgow; Edinburgh, Stirling and Edinburgh; maybe 3-4 times a week. Think I could get by with a Giff-Gaff £5/500mb Sim.

[Sheroo]

Apologise if this has been asked. If I use a SIM in the dash, can I connect a bluetooth phone and make/recieve calls?

[belly buster]

Check out the PAYG 321 plan from 3.

You can get a free SIM and then it is just 1p/Mb with no expiry, plus you get 150Mb data when you top up £10. So if you are only using 300Mb/month. The £10 top up should be good for nearly 4 months.

Order - Free SIM - Support - Three (https://www.three.co.uk/Support/Free_SIM/Order)

This should be fine for google earth. If your usage is higher (my teenagers rack up usage with the iPad in the car), then the 12Gb 12 month SIM can be had for about £80 (sometimes less).

[belly buster]

Apologise if this has been asked. If I use a SIM in the dash, can I connect a bluetooth phone and make/recieve calls?

Yes this has been covered at length in other threads. The simple answer is that if you have a MY14 car (built after approx June 2013) then yes you can; otherwise it depends on your phone.

[Gmonster]

Thanks Belly Buster: will check out 3 PAYG.


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[Sheroo]

Yes this has been covered at length in other threads. The simple answer is that if you have a MY14 car (built after approx June 2013) then yes you can; otherwise it depends on your phone.

Thanks, mine is a 62 plate so late 2012. I'll have to experiment...

[belly buster]

Thanks, mine is a 62 plate so late 2012. I'll have to experiment...

Useful info here Using in dash sim and handsfree bluetooth at the same time (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?150596-Using-in-dash-sim-and-handsfree-bluetooth-at-the-same-time)

[boof]

Have a look at ovivo.com

As near as make no difference free so long as you stick under the data limit.

[belly buster]

Have a look at ovivo.com

As near as make no difference free so long as you stick under the data limit.

Could be a good option. Anyone got experience of them? What's the 3G coverage like?

[Guest 2]

OVIVO Mobile | Coverage (http://www.ovivomobile.com/offer/coverage/)

Their deals sound impressive! Can't see coverage map on my phone.

[Gmonster]

Seems to be the vodaphone network which according to web chatter have some issues with there data/3G coverage. May be worth a go tho. My in car sim is still hanging on so got a bit of time to research this.


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[Hex69]

Blimey, I've got a 3 mob broadband deal with 15Gb/month for £8.67, I kept saying I was going to leave, and they dropped the price to virtually peanuts.

[boof]

Yup Ovivo are a virtual network hanging off vodaphone. So I think you get, as mentioned, all vodaphones sometimes less than stellar coverage.

However it's pretty much £0 if you plan on keeping it a while.

I have an ovivo sim in my mobile for my own use - no real issues other than sometimes iffy reception, but I knew that going in as my partner is on vodaphone and she gets the same issues. I had the sim in the car for a while and, despite their web ad proxy stuff, had no issues. Seemed to work ok.

I'd have another one for in the car all the time if I didn't have one of the older c7's where you don't seem to be able to mix and match phone books between paired bluetooth handsets and the in car sim...

[Gmonster]

My data sim died today; only used circa 400mb of the bought 3gb; in just over 4 months since it was inserted. Meant to be going to Egypt/sharm thurs (!?); so will get something sorted on my return.


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[fest0r]

How about 100mb a month for free or £4.95 for 1GB? They use the Three network.

UK Pre-Paid Data SIM card - The smart choice for data (http://www.dataroam.co.uk/products/uk-data-sim-card?)

[Buneet]

Sorry for the late reply guys!
Personally I would use a company called Ovivo (http://www.ovivomobile.com/offer/ovivo-for-data/) (if I'm not allowed to say the company name could a mod please edit it out? Thank you!) They charge £20 upfront cost for 1gb data, however from then on the sim costs £0 per month! Yes £0!! I think the network runs with Vodafone, but don't quote me on that.

[Necroscope]

Sorry for the late reply guys!
Personally I would use a company called Ovivo (http://www.ovivomobile.com/offer/ovivo-for-data/) (if I'm not allowed to say the company name could a mod please edit it out? Thank you!) They charge £20 upfront cost for 1gb data, however from then on the sim costs £0 per month! Yes £0!! I think the network runs with Vodafone, but don't quote me on that.

Crumbs that would seem to represent excellent value, so whats the catch? Is 1GB/month enough in most cases? If so I may sign up today to make sure I miss any extra charges on my mobile plan.

[Buneet]

Crumbs that would seem to represent excellent value, so whats the catch? Is 1GB/month enough in most cases? If so I may sign up today to make sure I miss any extra charges on my mobile plan.

Whoops, I didnt see the previous post mentioning Ovivo as it was on page 2, my apologies.
I don't think there is a catch buddy.

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[Gmonster]

In the end ; went for the 3 Network - PAYG '321' Plan.

You get a Free SIM; Order online and gets delivered via post. Then it is just 1p/Mb with no expiry: Plus you get 150Mb data when you top up £10.
As far as data consumption goes; I was only using circa 100Mb/month: So.....The £10 top up I put on should be good for yonks....circa 9-10 months!?.
(Sounds to good to be true...need to monitor the next three months and see where I am etc)

[lloydtown]

Those guys who have a OVIVO data sim.. Do you get the ads pop up in the car? Do you have a other problems regarding the web proxy that you get with OVIVO sims?


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[M1tchy]

I've wondered this also. Their website days you have to stay on their advertising page for 10 seconds and them can continue for free. If it does bring up a page for 10 secs and then everything else streams as it should for free, it seems like a right bargin!


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[belly buster]

In the end ; went for the 3 Network - PAYG '321' Plan.

You get a Free SIM; Order online and gets delivered via post. Then it is just 1p/Mb with no expiry: Plus you get 150Mb data when you top up £10.
As far as data consumption goes; I was only using circa 100Mb/month: So.....The £10 top up I put on should be good for yonks....circa 9-10 months!?.
(Sounds to good to be true...need to monitor the next three months and see where I am etc)

I would be interested to know how you get on with this. One benefit of the 321 compared to the data only SIM is you can use it for calls as well. Useful for the odd occasion when you leave your mobile at home and need to make the odd call.

[chody]

if your a light user your best deal will be ovivo sim £20 to but you get for free every month 500 meg of data so no more top ups looks a great deal

[lloydtown]

if your a light user your best deal will be ovivo sim £20 to but you get for free every month 500 meg of data so no more top ups looks a great deal

It is a great deal without doubt, the catch is when browsing the web you are diverted now and then by web proxy to adverts.

Now the question is, how does this effect the in car use? Ie. sat nav, Audi connect etc.
According to there website, they will disconnect your service if they find out your using it for such.

Some insight from existing OVIVO users would be great to clear this up.


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[Necroscope]

As it looks like there will be no way to rsap my S4 or Z1 to the car it looks like a new SIM is the only way forward for google maps (very disappointed in this TBH).

Anyway talktalk have this SIM only deal:
12 month contract
6 months @ 3.75
6 months @ 7.50
500 minutes
unlimited texts
1 GB data

Any good? Do we have an answer on the ovivo proxy situation?

[Scott K]

There seems to be mixed reviews of Ovivo with some comments stating that the data connection is poor. Still might be worth a punt at £20. My car doesn't arrive until May but I am watching this carefully as it could be really useful when the kids are in the car.

[Gmonster]

Belly-Buster: Thanks for the original tip on this: I will let you know how the 3 PAYG option goes: Tho I likely wont make a lot of use of the calls quota: as I tend to solely use the mobile/bluetooth function for calls: Be useful to be able to switch it in an emergency I guess: (and I could then dabble in the MMI texting functionality... which i have never used.)


I would be interested to know how you get on with this. One benefit of the 321 compared to the data only SIM is you can use it for calls as well. Useful for the odd occasion when you leave your mobile at home and need to make the odd call.

[pumpsmynads]

I would be interested to know how you get on with this. One benefit of the 321 compared to the data only SIM is you can use it for calls as well. Useful for the odd occasion when you leave your mobile at home and need to make the odd call.

My understanding is that a telephone sim with data won't allow to be used as a mobile hotspot like a tablet or dongle data only sim. Whether this is a consideration for passengers in the car or not is up to you to decide.
Obviously the data usage for google maps etc.. will be the same.

[Gmonster]

Pumpsmy: Interesting point: will test that out and let you know outcome. My thots were that if required; and I was going on a mad road trip with some wifi surfing friends I could stick some extra cash on the PAYG account to cover it.


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[belly buster]

There is a setting in the MMI menu to switch between using your bluetooth phone and the dash SIM for making / receiving calls. You can't do this "on the fly" - when you change the setting it reboots the MMI which takes 2 or 3 minutes to properly jump back into life.

[retired99]

My understanding is that a telephone sim with data won't allow to be used as a mobile hotspot like a tablet or dongle data only sim. Whether this is a consideration for passengers in the car or not is up to you to decide.
Obviously the data usage for google maps etc.. will be the same.

Not quite sure what you mean, but I use a Vodafone SIM which supports data and calls in the car's SIM slot and I've used a tablet, and my kids use their phones, to access the internet via the car's WiFi hotspot.

[Hex69]

For those of you on Ovivo, sorry :(

BBC News - British firm Ovivo Mobile shuts down without warning (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26659929)

OVIVO Mobile. (http://www.ovivomobile.com/)

[Wuffles]

I wonder who it was who got rich from that little s̶c̶a̶m̶ failed escapade into the mobile provider world?

[fest0r]

My previous experience of giffgaff data (o2 network) up here in Scotland has been poor so I will be trying the dataroam sim which uses Three. I don’t think anyone will get away with the free 100mb over 3 months, but maybe 1gb would be enough? I see one post saying 300mb over 3 weeks using it every trip… is that above average?

Anyway, the dataroam sim is £4.94 for 1GB, £14.94 for 5GB and £19.70 for 10GB and whatever you add lasts for 3 months… 30 day contract which you can leave at any time. It actually looks like you get the free 100mb too so it might actually be 1.1gb for £5. Also gives you another 100mb of roaming data too.

UK Pre-Paid Data SIM card - The smart choice for data (http://www.dataroam.co.uk/products/uk-data-sim-card?)

[Scott K]

Quite a few 6gb for about £16 and they last for 90 days. Think I might try one of those when the car eventually arrives. That way I can see which is giving the best coverage before committing to a long term plan.

Those are all on ebay by the way.

[Olio]

I have used less than 400 MB in 3 months according to the MMI info, so I am going to replace my ovivo sim with a 3 sim, PAYG with £10 credit, at 1p / MB, that should last me 6 months...

[Gmonster]

Yes I rec'd the 3 PAYG plan: great coverage ; and it never times out: so will suit individuals usage rates; need more data; just update your my3 account online. Smashing.


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[boof]

I've also flipped from ovivo over to the 321 3 plan. Will be more expensive than ovivo but only in terms of pence, not enough to be upset about!

[Splash]

Can't quite remember how I did it, but I've got a 3 SIM with 300mins OR texts (any mix) for about £6.20 per month. Somehow I've managed to get 2.5Gb data included along the way and it can be used as a hotspot too! Happy Days!

I tend to divert me normal mobile to this 3 SIM and the few calls I make from within the car don't eat much into the 5 hrs allowed.

Just wish I had an rSAP handset as I wouldn't have to faff about, but most of my regular 300 mile journey now resides on the HDD at maximum Google resolution (I hope).

I don't think you can go far wrong with the 3-2-1 SIM, but giffgaff also offer 20Mb for 20p if you need calls and only the odd bit of data to supplement your HDD Google maps. My dog's GPS collar sends its location for next-to-nothing this way as data is charged pro-rata upto 20p.

[sbaffi]

Has anybody tried MobiData?

SIM Only Contracts | Mobile Broadband Plans and Pricing | MobiData (http://mobi-data.co.uk/plans-and-pricing.php)

[Splash]

T-Mobile occasionally do a "sale" so their 1Gb is £5/month. BUT I believe I've read in my Ts&Cs that email is not counted within that (so effectively free). You can also make calls (at prohibitive rates) and receive calls and texts. Handy if your normal phone runs out of battery.

I've never tested it as mine is in a tablet, but I guess the free email facility could be handy if it is still free when used as a hotspot.

[Wuffles]

T-Mobile occasionally do a "sale" so their 1Gb is £5/month. BUT I believe I've read in my Ts&Cs that email is not counted within that (so effectively free). You can also make calls (at prohibitive rates) and receive calls and texts. Handy if your normal phone runs out of battery.

I've never tested it as mine is in a tablet, but I guess the free email facility could be handy if it is still free when used as a hotspot.

Woah there. Data doesn't work like that. If they are offering "email" for "free" it'll be through their servers as that's probably the only way to monitor (ie. exclude from data allowance) which would most likely mean using one of their email accounts that uses one of their servers, which isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Most mail for example goes via the provider's smtp gateway on the way out and directly from the provider's pop or whatever other incoming method they use on the way in. So if you're on gmail, or hotmail or whatever, it'll have to use gmail or hotmail's servers for incoming and outgoing, not T-Mobile's, which would render it not free? Otherwise it could be considered relaying, which is another thing for them to worry about.

Could be wrong on all of that, I mean they could say that anything on "pick a port number" is not within your data allowance, but then different providers use different ports, especially when sending via ssl.

I'm a builder, so don't quote me.

[Splash]

No reason to doubt that, especially as most of it's over my head ;), but with my home broadband the ISP (?) recognises the type of data used as it categorises it in the reports. Wouldn't a Data SIM work in a similar way?

It's too expensive to test the concept at the 1Gb limit, but I'm just interested to understand it as I've increased the frequency of email syncs because of my (mis)interpretation.

[Wuffles]

I'd have to see the "report" and how detailed it is to figure out how they're doing it for that. Most non SSL (secure) email goes "out" through port 25 and generally speaking most incoming mail comes in through port 110, but that's a generalism.

So theoretically if they're monitoring those ports and ignoring data sent through them then you'd be fine. Then it's open to abuse, so they might be a bit silly to do that.

They could add the commonly used SSL ports, and other commonly used IMAP, POP and SMTP ports too, but I think as things like Google Drive (like dropbox but more googley) perhaps uses those ports, then they'd be again open to abuse, a bit, by someone intent on getting something for free, like me.

[Tomcat75]

Thanks for the Mobidata link. My Three 3 month SIM has now expired and I have ordered a Mobidata SIM to replace it. With Google maps on the Nav I used 690 MB in since I collected the car at the end of November.

One question though...despite the Three SIM being expired I still have Google Maps being displayed on the Nav ? I was expecting that to stop working ??

[Wuffles]

Cached I expect.

[sbaffi]

Tomcat,

Please let us know how it the MobiData works out, picking up the car tomorrow and I would like to get a data sim asapl.


Wuffles you beat me by the second....I though the Google Map data would be downloaded and stored in the HDD. Maybe somewhere in the engineering menu there is a way of checking?

[Guest 2]

Maps are cached and temp stored on the HDD, not sure for how long though. Street view isn't stored but the actual google map is, obviously not it all.


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[belly buster]

Just got an "emergency" 321 SIM from Three to keep in the glovebox if I forget/lose/drain the the mobile phone.

When I topped it up it gives me 150GB for 30 days so it is now in the dash. Just for fun I switched the incoming calls option to the SIM rather than the bluetooth and can confirm that incoming and outgoing calls and texts all work with this SIM. The text message option function shows the SMS on the MMI screen, and has some handy reply templates like "I'm in the car driving and will call you back later". On receiving an SMS the car does a delicate beep with a little MMI message (that only stays on the screen shortly) and an envelope icon on the status bar that stays lit while there are unread messages.

I'll use the free 150GB and then put my 12 month 12GB sim back in. But I suspect the 321 will be a cheaper option once the 12 months are up.

I'm concluding this is probably the "best value data sim for internet access" with the added benefit of three's very solid 3G network.

[Gmonster]

I agree Bellybuster; and thanks; think it was your tip that originally brought me to this solution. Also: the in car wifi option also works fine; someone suggested a few comments back that this sim couldn't be used a a mobile wifi hotspot: it can. It's all good.


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[pumpsmynads]

Just got an "emergency" 321 SIM from Three to keep in the glovebox if I forget/lose/drain the the mobile phone.

When I topped it up it gives me 150GB for 30 days so it is now in the dash. Just for fun I switched the incoming calls option to the SIM rather than the bluetooth and can confirm that incoming and outgoing calls and texts all work with this SIM. The text message option function shows the SMS on the MMI screen, and has some handy reply templates like "I'm in the car driving and will call you back later". On receiving an SMS the car does a delicate beep with a little MMI message (that only stays on the screen shortly) and an envelope icon on the status bar that stays lit while there are unread messages.

I'll use the free 150GB and then put my 12 month 12GB sim back in. But I suspect the 321 will be a cheaper option once the 12 months are up.

I'm concluding this is probably the "best value data sim for internet access" with the added benefit of three's very solid 3G network.

150GB! That's a heck of a lot :-)

Seriously though, good to know how it all works in practice.

[pumpsmynads]

I agree Bellybuster; and thanks; think it was your tip that originally brought me to this solution. Also: the in car wifi option also works fine; someone suggested a few comments back that this sim couldn't be used a a mobile wifi hotspot: it can. It's all good.


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It was probably me that said something like that. I didn't say the car can't do it but that it is dependent on the network provider and sim. It's their way of charging just that little bit more for using data that you've already paid for. It appears from the above that 321 sim allows for being used as a hotspot. BellyBuster-did you have to activate this functionality or available on this sim 'out of the box?'

[jk88]

I bought a 321 sim about 6 months ago for my A7 and it worked fine out of the box. I don't use it that much so the fact that it doesn't expire for over three years is a real bonus.

[Gmonster]

Yeah the mobile wifi/tethering works straight out the box; no activation or setting up required. Your right some networks don't offer this at all; Tesco Mobile for one.


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[belly buster]

It was probably me that said something like that. I didn't say the car can't do it but that it is dependent on the network provider and sim. It's their way of charging just that little bit more for using data that you've already paid for. It appears from the above that 321 sim allows for being used as a hotspot. BellyBuster-did you have to activate this functionality or available on this sim 'out of the box?'

The main issue is that when you register to top up they send you a text message with a validation code. You need to have device that has GSM capability for this to work. For example an iPad doesn't have a phone module so you can't use that. I have a three dongle so just popped it in there to register before putting it in the dash. You could probably do similar just using the car, providing you set calls to be received by the SIM and not to the mobile / bluetooth. Also remember you need a normal sim size, not a micro / nano etc.

You only have to register once though - once done you can just top up online.

[belly buster]

150GB! That's a heck of a lot :-)

Seriously though, good to know how it all works in practice.

GB on the brain! Should be MB obv.

[sbaffi]

Ordered the MobiData on Friday morning and received it yesterday afternoon, activated for 1GB and so far so good

[belly buster]

Ordered the MobiData on Friday morning and received it yesterday afternoon, activated for 1GB and so far so good

I really hope the mobidata SIM works out. I was always sceptical on Ovivo because there was free usage but an up front cost - and of course they disappeared. Good think at least with modidata is no up front cost.

I think when using these "piggyback" providers it is important to understand which actual network they are using, and any other restrictions (like the ads etc.)

The best thing we can do is try these providers out and report back to this forum on people's experiences.

[Tomcat75]

I've been using my mobidata SIM for about a week now. So far it performs identically to the previous SIM which was a 3GB 3 month on the Three network,

[SamF]

Just picked up a PAYG data sim from EE. Preloaded with 6GB of data usage, for £15. The data is only valid for 6mths but if figure I won't be using anywhere near that. Pick the car up on Friday so will let you know how it goes.


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[Gmonster]

Sam; £15 for six months sounds attractive. Where you pick that up? Online? Shop?


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[SamF]

Picked up in CPW, Fosse Park, Leicester.

And sorry, it was £20 not £15, but still a good deal I think.


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[SamF]

Wish I saw this sooner, could have saved £2 :Blush:

For all that are interested:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/EE-Combi-valid-after-activation/dp/B00DUWOODE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396031257&sr=8-1&keywords=ee+4g+sim

I will let you know how it goes after I pick the car up on Friday - 4 sleeps left!

[Nemo78]

With the data sims that are preloaded like 3 network I.e. Get 1gb preloaded and then just top up...how long would 1GB last in the car (forget the 30day usage for a moment)

Do you need to register the sim online pre placing in to the car or can I just zap it in and away I go?


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[sbaffi]

With the data sims that are preloaded like 3 network I.e. Get 1gb preloaded and then just top up...how long would 1GB last in the car (forget the 30day usage for a moment)

Do you need to register the sim online pre placing in to the car or can I just zap it in and away I go?


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I got the MobiData with 1Gb rolling contract and in 2 months used barely 500 mb, Google Earth/Traffic and Audi Connect on. Consider that I am using the car weekends only but even if you use it daily for work commuting I think the usage would not be high as the Google maps are cached.

[Nemo78]

Thanks sbaffi that's really helpful on usage. Is there anything built in to MMI to help understand the data usage at all?

If anyone knows the answer to popping a three sim in or does it have to activated first that would be great as well.


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[TheWineLake]

Silly question most probably, but can the system not work as a WiFi client - and then get access to the Internet via a "MiFi" dongle or a phone running "personal hotspot" or similar? If not, why not?!

[Gmonster]

Three sims don't require any activation; just pop in and go.

I was/am averaging only 100mb a month for google earth mapping and some limited internet access. The thing that can bump it up is if you have passengers using the in car wifi and streaming a bit of data etc.

Also ; within the MMI telephone menu there is a data consumption monitor that you can monitor the usage etc.


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[Scott K]

I have an ee 6gb 3 month data sim. I have used just over 1gb in a month. Didn't need to activate from a laptop just put it in although it took a while to register. I probably use more as my kids use the wifi when they are in the car. The sim was about £16 from ebay.

[Nemo78]

Thanks Gmonster, I think I'll try a three preloaded sim first sneaky currys have increased the price by £1 overnight but worth getting a few of these then surely? Yes it's a pain to change it monthly but £48 for 12 months and 12gb

- Cheap Deals | Currys (http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/search-keywords/xx_xx_xx_xx_xx/three+data+sim/xx-criteria.html)




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[belly buster]

Thanks sbaffi that's really helpful on usage. Is there anything built in to MMI to help understand the data usage at all?

If anyone knows the answer to popping a three sim in or does it have to activated first that would be great as well.


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Yes there is a menu option; off the top of my head it is Tel/Data Connection/Consumption Meter

[Scott K]

Has anyone looked at the sharing option from ee. I am coming up to the end of my contract and noticed you can take a contract and add a data sim for £5 per month which uses the data allowance from the contract. This might be a good way to do it.

[Olio]

For £5 you get 500 MB from 3... And if you don't use it it costs nothing.

I used a bit under 400 MB in 3 months when I had an ovivo sim card in the dash.

So unless you have passengers who use wifi (and you can't attend to these with your own hotpost on your phone), I doubt it's worth it.

[Scott K]

I have used just under 2gb in 6 weeks so definitely need a decent amount. My kids use it whenever we are in the car. At the moment I have the 6gb 3month ee some which cost about £16.

[Westyfield2]

Today I got a new SIM in the post, purely to use for the data connection in the car.


Previously I had used an Orange PAYG SIM, where a £10 topup got me 1GB of data. But then Orange decided to mess everything up after a couple of months of it all working fine. First the Orange website decided that my password was invalid when I went to topup (despite me having the password written down on a piece of paper in the car!). Then the Orange website refused to do a password reset, saying that my username didn’t exist. Then the Orange website said that the telephone number was invalid when I tried to register for a new online account. So I’d then tried to topup by putting the SIM into a phone and calling 450, but then when I “pressed one for topup” it decided that “You have entered an invalid number, press one for topup”, and got stuck in a loop. The only way that the SIM would topup was by going on the Orange website for a one off guest top up (where you can gift a topup to another number). But then it would just apply a £10 topup as PAYG credit – it didn’t assign it to the 1GB data that it should have done. So I was getting charged the ridiculous charge 65p per Mb of data. A £10 top-up got me a whole 15Mb of data. :rolleyes: Thanks Orange!


I’ve gone for a Three SIM, and specifically the ready-to-go mobile broadband one that’s preloaded with 12GB of data to last 12months. I explicitly didn’t want to sign a contract with Three, as they’re known for poor customer service. There’s loads of data SIMs to chose from, but I really wanted one where the data doesn’t expire after 30days. I wanted the data to last until I’ve actually used it up. That’s not possible these days, but this 12month SIM was the best I could find. Also I needed one where tethering is allowed (as the Car’s WiFi hotspot appears as tethering to the cellular network). At £70 it’s not cheap, but when you work it out it’s only £5.83 per month or per gigabyte, whichever expires first. When it runs out, I’ll just throw the SIM away. You can topup an expired SIM with 1GB of data for £10, but it only lasts for 30 days. So I won’t’ top it up and will just get another 12month preloaded SIM again.
For some reason, Three won’t sell you the SIM in store. If you’re buying in store, you have to get it with a USB dongle for an extra £15. So I bought it online.

[TheWineLake]

Actually, Three customer service has improved massively - or at least the others have got a lot worse, so I'd rate Three customer service as among the better ones now.
The other great thing about Three (not sure if other carriers do it as well) is that they have this thing that in certain countries, calls and data cost exactly the same as if you're at home - so that means effectively free roaming - WHEN IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES ONLY.
That included Austria, which was nice when we were out there earlier this year.

[Nemo78]

I've got the three sim as exactly wanted to pop in and go - went for the 1Gb 30 day sim as these were £2.99 in Currys now £3.99 as it worked out cheaper than the 12 month data sim...yes it's a pain to change sim every 30 days but not that much when it's a decent saving

[Westyfield2]

I've got the three sim as exactly wanted to pop in and go - went for the 1Gb 30 day sim as these were £2.99 in Currys now £3.99 as it worked out cheaper than the 12 month data sim...yes it's a pain to change sim every 30 days but not that much when it's a decent saving

Good spot! I'd looked at the Three website and saw that the 1GB 30day one is £10.49, so I skipped it. Didn't think they'd be cheaper in Currys!

[Tredders]

Do the 3 SIMs need activating, or do they work straight out of the packet? I picked up my Ultra Black Edition yesterday (which is lovely, by the way!), and had previously bought one of the EE pre-paid 6GB SIMs from Amazon. Popped it into the car, and it bought up an EE registration page which promptly froze. I ended up having to take it into the local Carphone Warehouse, and ask them to pop it into a tablet for me to go through the registration process. Not a major headache, but if the 3 SIMs just work out of the packet, I'll use those in future.

[Westyfield2]

Do the 3 SIMs need activating, or do they work straight out of the packet? I picked up my Ultra Black Edition yesterday (which is lovely, by the way!), and had previously bought one of the EE pre-paid 6GB SIMs from Amazon. Popped it into the car, and it bought up an EE registration page which promptly froze. I ended up having to take it into the local Carphone Warehouse, and ask them to pop it into a tablet for me to go through the registration process. Not a major headache, but if the 3 SIMs just work out of the packet, I'll use those in future.
Straight out of the packet :). No registering or anything.

[Tredders]

Straight out of the packet :). No registering or anything.

Thanks for that - sounds like I'll be going down the 3 route once the EE data has been used up.

[M1tchy]

The new A7 that is coming out later this year will be 4G capable but not sure about the others.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[roydoshi]

My new a6 BE is on order and expected September,i know its a few months away but I am reading all there is to know and be prepared with all your members help.
Do i need to purchase broadband-pay as you go+12 for £70.49 from 3 standard sim ?nearer the time and take it to the dealer on handover or is it easy for me to configure the
the data sim and my iphone 4 when i am at home?My car has tech pack standard as an option.What is Audi connect,is it a dealer sim card fitment?or is it an American
thing.Pardon my ignorance but there is so much technology in this cars and i suspect the dealers may not have all the answers.
Thanks Royston.

[Nemo78]

My new a6 BE is on order and expected September,i know its a few months away but I am reading all there is to know and be prepared with all your members help.
Do i need to purchase broadband-pay as you go+12 for £70.49 from 3 standard sim ?nearer the time and take it to the dealer on handover or is it easy for me to configure the
the data sim and my iphone 4 when i am at home?My car has tech pack standard as an option.What is Audi connect,is it a dealer sim card fitment?or is it an American
thing.Pardon my ignorance but there is so much technology in this cars and i suspect the dealers may not have all the answers.
Thanks Royston.


It's all straight forward and simple to do yourself don't worry...

I did ours last week and it was straight pop in the sim chip and the MMI started asking for access to data services.

If it doesn't you can just go to Audi connect and that'll do it.

The three 1gb PAYG data sim has been the best I've found - currently at currys for £3.99 vs. three selling for £10.49. Only valid for 30 days but I have a few of them so overall cheaper.

In a week so far where I've used Audi connect and permanent google maps I've only used 9mb of data. Presume it sucks data when you tether.

[belly buster]

Just a quick update on the three 321 SIM. These work just fine in the Audi. But you can't take the SIM out and put it in your tablet or dongle. It's against their T&Cs apparently, it has to be used in a "phone". Because the Audi has phone capability, that is just fine.

[johnsimcox]

The new A7 that is coming out later this year will be 4G capable but not sure about the others.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Current version of MMI does not support LTE (aka 4G) but assuming the facelift to the A6 gets the same as the A7 then it will support LTE. I think the new A3 already supports LTE and I am sure other models will follow as they receive facelifts

[Gmonster]

I use a 3 network 123 sim. I have been using it as data only. I use the Bluetooth capability to connect my mobile phones for calls etc. today I tried to use Audi connect and got this on screen message.http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/17/runa9u4e.jpg Not sure what to do now.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[jk88]

I've got the same and, like you, use it for data only, albeit very occasionally (the reason I went for the 123 sim is that the credit doesn't expire for three years). Not had this message yet, but probably a matter of time. Wonder if making an occasional phone call from the sim would make a difference?

[Splash]

There's an offer at Sainsbury's (you need a code coupon from the checkout) and get 2Gb data plus 800 mins for free when you activate their SIM (on Voda network). It's valid for 30 days.

You'll need to put £10 on to activate, but this gets you £5 off your next shop (runs out soon), but net £5 for 2Gb is pretty good. Their data after that is something like 50p for 25Mb on the days that you use it - so maybe just enough (if you don't use Google maps or hotspot) to utilise the £10 credit. If not, calls are fairly cheap @ 8p/min.

[johnsimcox]

I use a 3 network 123 sim. I have been using it as data only. I use the Bluetooth capability to connect my mobile phones for calls etc. today I tried to use Audi connect and got this on screen message.http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/17/runa9u4e.jpg Not sure what to do now.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Most mobile companies seem to dislike people using voice and data phone plans purely for data. As suggested may be worth trying to make a call on it (or even just change the MMI settings to activate it as a phone and then switch it back) and see if the message goes away once it realises the car is effectively a phone not a pc or tablet. Just wondering if you have recently removed the SIM from the car and then put it back in. If so that may have started the process of it reinitialising itself with network and resulted in the message

[TheWineLake]

Yeah, it's a real shame that the Audi has to insist on its own data connectivity, rather than being able to work off WiFi as a client. If that were the case, you could get an unlimited data Android phone and tether your car to that.
Thing about Android is that they don't pass on the fact that they're effectively a WiFI hotspot (like a "MiFi") to the networks. Apple devices are a bit more "honest" in that you can only have tethering (AKA Personal Hotspot) with the agreement of your network.

[chesterfield]

Cant you tether the car to the phone via bluetooth and let it use the phones (android) data connection?

[johnsimcox]

Cant you tether the car to the phone via bluetooth and let it use the phones (android) data connection?

yes if the phone supports rSAP. The issue is that increasingly fewer phones do, Apple not at all and many Android phones either don't or require additional software to make it support rSAP. Going forward this will of course become a thing of the past as Audi adopts Android Auto and Apple Car Play

[chesterfield]

I appreciate that, though as a samsung galaxy user it seems im one of the lucky ones. Im thinking of changing my phone from the S4, so will be researching which android phones support rSAP. I believe the S5 does, and that would be my first choice of phone at present having not yet done much research.

I added an "add on" to my curent three package of all you can eat data for £3 a month. Im not a very heavy user of the phone at all for calls or texts, but do browse a heck of a lot with it. The £3 a month for unlimited data was too good to pass up. Cant see if they allow you to bolt that onto any contract though - maybe worth looking for those that dont already have it.

[Gmonster]

Update on 321 sim issue. Reset telephone MMI to use the sim for calls. Made a call; and reset calls back to Bluetooth etc. Data only access back now. Bit of a faf as whole MMI had to reset itself twice. See how long it lasts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jpdw01]

giffgaff and 3

Since getting my A6 Ultra in May I've been using a giffgaff sim. Initially a £10 1Gb goody bag. Seemed to work well though the MMI defaults to trying to use O2's connection details which need to be updated. After the 1st month, I let the goody bag lapse and just used the £5 credit I had on it. Just using it for data including casual laptop/ipad use by passengers I was amazed how little it seemed to consume. One odd thing... for a few days after getting it, the giffgaff sim would rarely connect as 3G, mainly just 2G, which didn't work at all.

I've now switched to a 3 Mobile Broadband 1 month contract - £1Gb data for £7.50/m. Slightly cheaper than giffgaff but will roll over charging till I cancel. Main reason to get this is it purports to allow me to use the 1Gb in their 'feel at home' countries as part of the data allowance including France and Italy where I'm heading next month. I say purports as, of three "3" agents I spoke to, 1 thought it didnt apply, the other 2 did - I'll see if the majority were right !!

In both cases I'm only interested in using it for data not voice - giff will do both but 3 apparently wont.

[sbaffi]

Still happy with my MobiData data only SIM, 1Gb/month £6 VAT included...Driving all the way down to Italy next week, will see what the charges are then....

[retired99]

Still happy with my MobiData data only SIM, 1Gb/month £6 VAT included...Driving all the way down to Italy next week, will see what the charges are then....


Using abroad costs 15p per MB.

That means 1GB will cost £150. Don't know how much data you will use, but it might turn out to be quite expensive.

[Splash]

I was doing some homework on EE's 3G network as they have a mast just over 500m away from my relatives' house and the next nearest is over 4 miles away. Although you can still get some tariffs from T-Mobile and Orange, the virtual network operators like Virgin are still offfering a wider range.

Until the end of Sep 2014, The Peoples Operator are offering unltd calls, unltd SMS and 3Gb for £3.99 for two months after which it reverts to £14.99 on a SIM-only rolling 30 day contract. w (http://www.thepeoplesoperator.com/paymonthly)ww.thepeoplesoperator.com

As I already have a 3 SIM with 2.5Gb for a bit more than this I'm not going to bother, but if anyone gets one, let us know ASAP how you get on please. And don't forget to cancel...

[belly buster]

My 12 month 3 data sim just ran out and my 321 emergency SIM got the message that Gmoster got "Your SIM will only work in your phone"

So I did a trawl and EE are doing a 6GB 3 month PAYG for £14.99 on ebay, so I've bought and will report back on how I get on.

EE 4G Network Standard/Micro Sim 6GB Data Card with 90Days Validity | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360922089336)

[Gmonster]

That's funny Buster as my 3 sim came back with the same message a few days back. My reset technique didn't work either. So I need to come up with a solution. Will check the data left on the 3 sim first. Then it might be an EE trial for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SamF]

My 12 month 3 data sim just ran out and my 321 emergency SIM got the message that Gmoster got "Your SIM will only work in your phone"

So I did a trawl and EE are doing a 6GB 3 month PAYG for £14.99 on ebay, so I've bought and will report back on how I get on.

EE 4G Network Standard/Micro Sim 6GB Data Card with 90Days Validity | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360922089336)

I can confirm the EE sims work flawlessly. bit of a faf activating but after that is perfect and fast.

Sam

[Tredders]

I can confirm the EE sims work flawlessly. bit of a faf activating but after that is perfect and fast.

Sam

I was just about to say the same. Works perfectly, but one word of advice, make sure you've got the means to activate the SIM outside of the car. I couldn't get the damned thing activated from via the MMI screen, and didn't have an EE-compatible phone, so ended up driving to the local EE store, and doing it in one of their handsets.

[Gmonster]

So you need a sim free phone to activate?


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[Tredders]

So you need a sim free phone to activate?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I couldn't get activation through MMI to work (although it did bring up an activation screen on the MMI), and had to activate mine through a phone at a local EE store.

[SamF]

I couldn't get activation through MMI to work (although it did bring up an activation screen on the MMI), and had to activate mine through a phone at a local EE store.


It took me a while to figure it out but you can activate via the MMI as I did because I am stubbon and didnt want to admit defeat!
When you get to the activation screen and use the dial to select (highlight) the text button, when you move down one more the highlight disappears and doesnt seem like it has selected anything, but it has. If you click the button down at that point it does work.

If your local to me I can show you or have a play yourself, I assure you it does work.

[Tredders]

It took me a while to figure it out but you can activate via the MMI as I did because I am stubbon and didnt want to admit defeat!

Haha! You have more patience than I do - I scrolled around a bit, tried to click the Activate button, and then gave up. Glad to hear that it can be done via MMI though - that's good news.


If your local to me I can show you or have a play yourself, I assure you it does work.

Cheers for that (I was in Leicester today with work, funnily enough), but I've been given an old T-Mobile Android handset which should do the job in future. Thanks anyway, though :beerchug:

[belly buster]

Can't you just connect via the in car wifi using a phone or laptop to register?

[belly buster]

My 12 month 3 data sim just ran out and my 321 emergency SIM got the message that Gmoster got "Your SIM will only work in your phone"

So I did a trawl and EE are doing a 6GB 3 month PAYG for £14.99 on ebay, so I've bought and will report back on how I get on.

EE 4G Network Standard/Micro Sim 6GB Data Card with 90Days Validity | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360922089336)

While waiting for my EE card I thought I would see how far I would get with 3 fixing my current data access.

I had a circular argument with them telling me I had to use the 321 in a phone and I should get a data sim, and me telling them well how do I use the phone for voice calls with a data package.

After being put through to sales, they said the would send me a new 321 sim which wouldn't have the data block and should work fine (I assume they record the calls).

I think the 3 SIMs are still fine if you only want to use data, but I can't recommend them any more for both data and voice.

[Gmonster]

Think I will try phoning them to Buster; see if they will send me a unblocked sim etc. Bit peeved that I have got a current sim with £10 plus credit on; that I can't use for data.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MFGF]

While waiting for my EE card I thought I would see how far I would get with 3 fixing my current data access.

I had a circular argument with them telling me I had to use the 321 in a phone and I should get a data sim, and me telling them well how do I use the phone for voice calls with a data package.

After being put through to sales, they said the would send me a new 321 sim which wouldn't have the data block and should work fine (I assume they record the calls).

I think the 3 SIMs are still fine if you only want to use data, but I can't recommend them any more for both data and voice.

I have been through the exact same conversation with Three Customer Support. She was telling me I can't use the sim in a tablet or 3G dongle. I told her it's not being used in either of those two, but in my car's phone. She then asked me what type of phone it is, and got lost when I tried to explain it was integrated with the car - asking me for the make and model of the phone. In the end she told me I need a data sim, but couldn't answer the question about how I can make and receive calls. Sigh.

For now I'm using a Vodafone data sim and disconnecting it and linking my phone via bluetooth whenever I need to make a call. The car is in for a service today, and I have reported the freezing issues with my MMI and given them the part number of the latest software update. I'm hoping they will install the update, and I can use my phone via bluetooth while the data sim is still connected.

MF.

[Justinos]

I have had the exact same issue with 3 and the 3-2-1 sim. It locked out the data after about 2 weeks, and making calls on it doesn't unblock the data. I phoned them and at first the chap said they would send a different sim card which would work, he put me through to another department who knew nothing about this and recommended another operator for the type of use I wanted. He explained it was as a result of people abusing the unlimited data sims they had a while ago. I can understand that, but not on a sim card where it is 1p per mb, ie you are paying for the useage. As others have said no amount of reasoning will alter this.

I have managed to get a £3.75 per month Talktalk sim (vodafone) online as the house phone and internet is with them, with 300mins and 600mb. After 12 months it goes to £7.50 which is when i will cancel it. You do need to be an existing TT customer t get this, and it was an online deal. Bit of a faff setting up as the APN was defaulting to vodafone, I had to over ride it with the TT settings.

[Gmonster]

Got my EE 3 month sim up and running. Bit of a faf; but got there. If anything would say it appears a bit slower that the 3 network. At least I am back on line for three (3) months. Will keep you posted.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[belly buster]

My EE SIM is running fine. It was 0.0 effort to get working. Pop in dash. Go to Nav / Info / Audi Connect. Scroll down and click to accept the T&Cs. Bingo.

[Gmonster]

Will remember that for next time buster; setting sim up via phone involved a bit of entering names, email address, this and that, which is a bit of a faf. If it's a single click via the mmi then that's defo the way to go. Speed; have a wee speed app on a phone that was connected to cars wifi: the speed recorded on the app was pretty dismal; less than 1mbs etc: maybe it's misleading.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Splash]

Well that's 4x faster than my home broadband speed...

On the rare occasions I've needed to watch something using the car as a hotspot for my tablet, the MMI times out after about half an hour. Does anyone know if it can be coded to stay on for say 2 hours, which should be long enough to watch most films?

I don't know the impact on the other systems when the "ignition" is on as I guess it could be detrimental to the glow plugs - especially if repeated 3 or 4 times during a film. Maybe there's a way to use it as an "accessory".

Talking of old-skool, if you haven't got a clue what I'm talking about, they're more commonly called "movies" these days. Well my car takes diesel and gas is what you put in an LPG car (or boat)...

[GT20T]

My EE SIM is running fine. It was 0.0 effort to get working. Pop in dash. Go to Nav / Info / Audi Connect. Scroll down and click to accept the T&Cs. Bingo.

Sounds good. Which EE sim/plan did you go for?

[belly buster]

Sounds good. Which EE sim/plan did you go for?


My 12 month 3 data sim just ran out and my 321 emergency SIM got the message that Gmoster got "Your SIM will only work in your phone"

So I did a trawl and EE are doing a 6GB 3 month PAYG for £14.99 on ebay, so I've bought and will report back on how I get on.

EE 4G Network Standard/Micro Sim 6GB Data Card with 90Days Validity | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360922089336)


:o

[GT20T]

:o

Thanks.

[Sw1000]

Thanks.

Hi All,

Does anyone know if you can simply go and purchase another EE 3 month Pay as you go SIM, my 3 months expired and they want 10 for 500mb.... and it only last 30 days.

As you need to register does anyone know if they are limiting these?

If so does anyone know of any other good deals, I have read all the issues with 3, it seems a little bit flakey and prone to them stopping it at any time.

[M1tchy]

Yes you can. I'm on my 4th sim from 3 now. Never registered one, just put it in the car and 3 months later put the new one in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[fat controller]

I've been with Three for a few months now, and so far they have been the most reliable network we have had, particularly for data

I was very dubious before going to them given their reputation, but they appear to have upped their game

[Sw1000]

I've been with Three for a few months now, and so far they have been the most reliable network we have had, particularly for data

I was very dubious before going to them given their reputation, but they appear to have upped their game

Hi All,

Just an update to help people on the forum, ordered my 2nd EE 6GB prepaid data sim, worked fine despite having previously registered my e-mail address with EE, 14 for 6gb for 3 months is a reasonable deal.

Only hassle was finding a device to activate that has a micro SIM, all my phones now have nano sims...:aargh4: I tried doing it via the MMI but it was hassle, in the end plugged it into my mums iPAD. All sorted.

[belly buster]

Hi All,

Just an update to help people on the forum, ordered my 2nd EE 6GB prepaid data sim, worked fine despite having previously registered my e-mail address with EE, 14 for 6gb for 3 months is a reasonable deal.

Only hassle was finding a device to activate that has a micro SIM, all my phones now have nano sims...:aargh4: I tried doing it via the MMI but it was hassle, in the end plugged it into my mums iPAD. All sorted.

Maybe I lucked out or it was already registered, but my EE SIM was set up in no time (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?154546-Best-Value-Data-Sims-for-Internet-Access-Ideas-anyone&p=923365#post923365)

[GT20T]

If you have a contract with EE you can add a micro sim to your contract that shares your main data allowance : £7 per month (24m contract) or £8 per month for rolling 30day contract.
Not bad for an ongoing maintenance free option.

[Splash]

Been trying EE's £1 a week data SIM with 100Mb. As most of my journeys are regular and the maps cached it looks like my £5 top-up will last, er, 5 weeks! Plus you get 10 mins and 10 SMS for emergency use. My T-Mob £5/month for 1Gb is back in my tablet and can be swapped over for larger data use, plus I've notice you can add an extra 1.5GB for £5, so handy when the kids come on a long journey. Not sure if EE offers the same add-on but the £1 a week is worth it just to not have to swap SIMs often.

[Olio]

Well, you could also stop the £1 / week package and keep your credit.

I have put one of these PAYG sims with 100 MB for life in my A6. I have ordered it as PAYG, and made sure I had no weekly topup required.

The first month (last month) I had to stop the google maps display after 2+ weeks, as I was about to go over the allowance. I just kept the normal maps + traffic alerts which use nearly nothing. Now that the local maps are cached, I'll leave it on.

Last year when I had an Ovivo card in, I used just over 250 MB in 4 months, so 100 MB / month should be more than enough.

Data connection count as a "keep sim active" activity, so the sim shouldn't stop and you can use your 100 MB...

[Splash]

Interesting. Let's hope they don't get wise to it and withdraw the free 100Mb. Not entirely sure that it applies to my Data Pack, but I'll consider it a bonus if it does. I guess you "cut your coat according to your cloth", so 100Mb a week should feed my intrigue of Google Earth as well as allowing for traffic and some occasional Connect use. I'd rather have that facility even if it means using some credit at the expense of a future week's £1 i.e. an earlier top-up. I'll find out what happens in another 3 weeks, but doubt I could remain on the "lite" version without scratching the itch in the same way as I get uncomfortable if I ever get a low fuel warning. Nice to have something up your sleeve...

[steven9709]

Hi all

New member here - due to pick up a new A3 on March 1st.

Can anyone advise if it's possible to use a Three phone PAYG sim with data in the car, or do Three not allow that in their T&Cs? I'm looking at maybe using the PAYG 321 on Three - Pay as You Go 321 - Price Plans – Three (http://www.three.co.uk/Store/Pay_As_You_Go_Price_Plans) - as it's only 1p per Mb and the credit never runs out.

If that's not possible, is the 3 month EE sim for £14.99 still the best option?

Thanks :-)

[belly buster]

Hi all

New member here - due to pick up a new A3 on March 1st.

Can anyone advise if it's possible to use a Three phone PAYG sim with data in the car, or do Three not allow that in their T&Cs? I'm looking at maybe using the PAYG 321 on Three - Pay as You Go 321 - Price Plans – Three (http://www.three.co.uk/Store/Pay_As_You_Go_Price_Plans) - as it's only 1p per Mb and the credit never runs out.

If that's not possible, is the 3 month EE sim for £14.99 still the best option?

Thanks :-)

Sadly three are restricting the use of "phone" SIMs for data use so the 321 may work for a little while and then stop. Three data SIMs are fine though. And yes I think the best deal is the EE £14.99 90 day option. When the 90 days are up throw it away and get a new one, as topping up is £10 for 30 days.

[rob.french.773]

How much data do people use in the car? I have a 10gb per month contract on my phone and I'm just going to get an extra sim on the same account. Family discount means extra sim is £3.

[Gmonster]

Bit of an open question that. Depends on your usage tendencies ; eg; your use of audi connect, number people using in car wifi etc. In car mapping doesn't use that much; my three month EE sims seem to expire with only 500-600 mb having been consumed. I don't have peeps using the in car wifi generally.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[rob.french.773]

Good point. Probably only navigation and music is going to use data, if I can use deezer.

[steven9709]

It's a shame I can't tether my phone. I have a 30 day One plan with 3 that has unlimited data including tethering, but my LG G2 doesn't support RSAP (as far as I know) :-(

[Nemo78]

Normal map data usuage is so so small. I'm still on the PAYG 3 data sims that picked up from Currys 6-7months ago for £2.99 (great sale that was)

[ken-ken]

hi guys , had my car for 2 months now - still cant get my sim connection sorted out ! O:(
been back to audi and all they said was nothing wrong with car - its my sim , anyway they told me it works 100% on EE and i can confirm that too .
my problem is , i have brought a TALKTALK sim card - anyone here can tell me what is the APN / connection setting , as i think this is my problem
many thanks in advice :beerchug:

[belly buster]

hi guys , had my car for 2 months now - still cant get my sim connection sorted out ! O:(
been back to audi and all they said was nothing wrong with car - its my sim , anyway they told me it works 100% on EE and i can confirm that too .
my problem is , i have brought a TALKTALK sim card - anyone here can tell me what is the APN / connection setting , as i think this is my problem
many thanks in advice :beerchug:

Connect your phone to the in-car wifi and browse to any page. What happens?

Also can you confirm the following:

Signal strength is showing.
The small 3G icon with the two arrows is lit
Audi connect is working
This traffic mode shows "Online" and not "TMC"

If one or more of these isn't the case then there is a problem, which could be:

Your SIM is not registered correctly
There is no credit on the account
You've run out of data allowance - GB or time
Incorrect APN settings (these are usually changed automatically though)
No signal
Temporary Network problems
General SNAFU with the Audi module

[ken-ken]

THANKS BB !
when i put a EE sim , i can see 'online' not TMC ,and google map looks great ,and tried search RAILWAY STATION in destination , that work , but none of this works on my talktalk sim !??
i can make phone call via the talk talk sim , and i get the sms icon when there is a msg on the talktalk sim , i did try in the past connecting to the wifi and pretty sure it worked too
can NOT ever connect to audi connect - keep getting error message .
talktalk sim is a 500min / 500mb a month plan , costs £3.75 think - bargain !

will try the wifi again later and report back , very grateful for the speedy help mate :beerchug:

[ken-ken]

THX Jamie , i brought a EE prepaid , managed to activate the card on my MMI interface ( a bit of guess work there ,but i did it ) , all working 'online' rather than TMC , Audi Connect showing petrol prices etc , nearby interest etc etc
would love to know how you active the TALKTALK card , i have used it on my phone and tablet with no problem so i have no idea , having said that , isn't talktalk a bit weird as it uses vodafone network
i keep thinking its the APN setting , anyway the furthest i got with the talktalk sim was to make calls , no wifi , no 'online' and can NOT connect to the audi connect :O(

btw , what your true mpg on your bi--turbo? i came form an A6 3l FWD (46-48 , 53-56 on the run, now a 3l Quatrro i can only get 38- 40 and 42-45 best O:(

[merry2]

Might not be relevant, but when I got my car the other day I got a Giffgaff Sim. I could make calls but not get any data. The car had picked it up as O2. I manually changed the apn details to those listed by giff gaff and I now have data too. Good luck.

[AllotmentChap]

Another new owner here, picking up a 2012 A6 Allroad (with MMI+ Touch) on Friday and looking to figure out the best way to get the car connected...

So far, it seems I have a few options:

1. EE/3/GiffGaff/whatever PAYG SIM per the previous threads here. Looks like it's going to cost £8-10/month for that.
2. I called Vodafone (my current cellphone provider) and they can add a second line to my existing one, sharing the 2GB data, for £8/month.
3. Voda can also do me a separate SIM with 250MB for £5.23/month.
4. My phone is an HTC One M8, which (according to Home (http://www.android-rsap.com/)) works with rSAP

I'll have to see how I use the car when I get it. The traffic on the satnav is useful but not essential, and sending destinations via the MMI Connect app is handy but not critical. I won't be streaming music or using the wifi hotspot for passengers. I probably only use satnav once or twice a month, if that, so the benefit is marginal.

So it may be that even shelling out a fiver a month isn't anywhere near being worth the expenditure - I suspect that'll be the case. If rSAP works, then I've got the best of all worlds - I can use if if I want, at zero extra cost, but most of the time can just ignore it. The downside is that rSAP requires root, and I don't know if I can be bothered to root my device.

[Splash]

Another new owner here, picking up a 2012 A6 Allroad (with MMI+ Touch) on Friday and looking to figure out the best way to get the car connected...

So far, it seems I have a few options:

1. EE/3/GiffGaff/whatever PAYG SIM per the previous threads here. Looks like it's going to cost £8-10/month for that.
2. I called Vodafone (my current cellphone provider) and they can add a second line to my existing one, sharing the 2GB data, for £8/month.
3. Voda can also do me a separate SIM with 250MB for £5.23/month.
4. My phone is an HTC One M8, which (according to Home (http://www.android-rsap.com/)) works with rSAP

I'll have to see how I use the car when I get it. The traffic on the satnav is useful but not essential, and sending destinations via the MMI Connect app is handy but not critical. I won't be streaming music or using the wifi hotspot for passengers. I probably only use satnav once or twice a month, if that, so the benefit is marginal.

So it may be that even shelling out a fiver a month isn't anywhere near being worth the expenditure - I suspect that'll be the case. If rSAP works, then I've got the best of all worlds - I can use if if I want, at zero extra cost, but most of the time can just ignore it. The downside is that rSAP requires root, and I don't know if I can be bothered to root my device.rSAP would be the best way, but I'm with you on the rooting issue.
EE did an offer where all PAYG SIMs got 100Mb a month free (as long as you keep it "live" by occasional top-up). I have this on my £1 data SIM. They may repeat it...?
GiffGaff charge pro-rata upto 20Mb per day, or did. ie. upto something like 20p; but then steps.
Sainsburys (Voda) 25Mb for 50p per day and cheap calls too if needed.

[CharlesElliott]

EE do a 3 month PAYG SIM with 6Gb lasting 90 days - you can get them on Amazon for just under £15. When it runs out don't top it up, just get a new one. It will still be around £5/month, but you will get 2Gb/month.

[AllotmentChap]

Thanks, saw them, but I don't need 2GB a month, so it doesn't make much odds. What I really want is a 10GB 12 month SIM for about £35, but I don't think they exist. ;)

I'll see how/whether I even care about having data for a couple of weeks, and then maybe try one of the EE 3-month SIMs, and then evaluate whether I care enough to replace it after 3 months...

[Olio]

Some of the MVNO offer good options.

For example vectone, £5 for a phone sim with 500 MB / month, or £10 for a phone sim with unlimited everything, Just stick them in a phone evey now and then...

I've got a EE sim with 100 MB free per month in mine, and would get another one for myself if they still offered it.

[AllotmentChap]

They're all just the same really. Basically, it doesn't matter who you go to, you'll pay about £5 a month, for about half a gig of data (plus/minus a bit). That's a lot to shell out for traffic info when I get it free on Google Maps on my phone anyway (and have never actually used it ;)).

[Olio]

Which is why the free 100 MB for life offer was so good. It allows to get the traffic info as well as google maps and the import of addresses from gmaps for peanuts (a phone call every 3 months)

[M1tchy]

Just found this, looks a very good deal.

EE 4G 6GB Pay As You Go Mobile Broadband Nano SIM https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FSDCCM8/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Jz8lvb1Q0BPBE
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FSDCCM8/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Jz8lvb1Q0BPBE


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AllotmentChap]

Yeah, I think that was mentioned earlier in the thread. Still equates to a fiver a month though!

[AllotmentChap]

So, interesting discovery (for me, anyway) today - I was able to connect my HTC One M8 using rSAP and use Google earth etc through MMI. This was not using the Android-rSAP application, it was supported natively by the OS, without the need to root. So basically, I'm set up and can use my existing SIM - and it All Just Works. Chuffed!

[hshah]

I saw this the other day:
3 Original Broadband Ready to Go 12GB Preloaded Sim: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Broadband-Preloaded-discontinued-manufacturer/dp/B004K2XO1G)

Doing some research before I get my new A6 in July :)

[AllotmentChap]

12 x 1GB per month, for about £80. Seems worse value than some of the other offers out there.

[hshah]

12 x 1GB per month, for about £80. Seems worse value than some of the other offers out there.

Maybe, but depending on how much you use it may be easier than swapping the SIM every 3 months :)

[AllotmentChap]

Maybe, but depending on how much you use it may be easier than swapping the SIM every 3 months :)

Lol. Lazy! I think for a few quid I can go to the trouble. ;)

[SG77]

Hi new to A6 C7, does the Google maps not work without a sim ie. Using data straight from phone?

[johnsimcox]

Hi new to A6 C7, does the Google maps not work without a sim ie. Using data straight from phone?
Only if your phone supports rSAP. iPhones do not and some Android phones need to be "Jailbroken" to allow rSAP functionality

[Splash]

Some of the MVNO offer good options.

For example vectone, £5 for a phone sim with 500 MB / month, or £10 for a phone sim with unlimited everything, Just stick them in a phone evey now and then...


I see Vectone are offering 50 Mb (plus 50 mins or SMS mixed) for just £1/month. Ideal for whover it was who uses next to nothing with just traffic data. http://www.vectonemobile.co.uk/pay-as-you-go/offer/low-cost-international-calls-uk.aspx

They could even afford an emergency £1/1 day 125Mb data SIM or blow the budget on the £3/7day 250Mb option. http://www.vectonemobile.co.uk/pay-as-you-go/offer/mobile-internet-data.aspx ;)

[AllotmentChap]

Quick question for anyone out there who uses rSAP.... Is there a way to:

A) Automatically connect, without MMI popping up a messages saying "Google maps will use data, do you want to connect?"

B) Stop my carrier (Vodafone) sending messages every time my phone connects/disconnects me there's been a service charge so they're sending new configuration. I had 12 sms messages today, while nipping to a couple of shops!

Why can't this stuff just work without these annoyances?

[M1tchy]

A. Yes, go into tel and data and set it to connect automatically.

B. Don't know sorry.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AllotmentChap]

Okay, found the setting - it's annoying as it's not there (even greyed out) until the car is on and connected, so unless you know to explicitly look for it, you'll never find it!

Now just need to find the solution to B)....

[AllotmentChap]

Seems there is a solution - you can get Vodafone to add your account to a blacklist to no longer receive these configuration messages.

Configuration texts on rSAP disconnect! - Vodafone eForum (https://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Nokia/Configuration-texts-on-rSAP-disconnect/td-p/1409290)

[fest0r]

Depends how much data you need, but this might be worth a try:

Free mobile voice, text and data plans coming to UK - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-32704051)

Free Wireless Internet | Free Internet | 4G Wireless Internet - FreedomPop (http://www.freedompop.com/uk?experience=organic.default)

[Splash]

And iD Mobile (via CPW) now has free data roaming in 22 countries if that floats your boat. 1Gb for £7.50 upto 20Gb for £20 from memory.

[AllotmentChap]

Signed up for the FreedomPop beta programme. They make their money by people using more than 0.5GB per month, but for my car use, that'll be very nice thank you. ;)

[belly buster]

Found this:

T-Mobile Micro&Standard SIM+12MonthsInternet for mobile&tablets & dongles | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291501430883)

Allegedly it is 6 months pre-paid + credit for a further 6 months data on T-Mobile for £46. Unlimited browsing and 1GB /month download/streaming (not sure how they tell the difference). I say allegedly cos I guess I'll find out in 6 months if there really is an extra 6 months credit!

Received fine works fine without registration. If you enable roaming I believe it will also use the EE network (i.e. Orange) if there is no T-Mobile.

Will report back.

[Holymoly]

I think you need to take care when assessing "best value". You need to look at the bandwidth/speed available with those plans as I would guess the cheapest will give you the slowest speeds. A client of mine who travels the length and breadth of the north of England and Scotland has a phone for each of the UK providers and has found that by far the fastest data is provided by 3. I suppose you need to look at what data you are needing to shift. If it is purely a case of downloading Google Maps then it probably doesn't matter how fast the connection is however if you are setting your Audi up as a wifi hotspot for your family to log into while on a long drive then you probably need to be looking for the best data transfer speeds. I have no idea where you can get de facto information on the internet about this but if you are prepared to go with anecdotal evidence then I suggest you source a sim from 3.

[Splash]

A client of mine who travels the length and breadth of the north of England and Scotland has a phone for each of the UK providers and has found that by far the fastest data is provided by 3.I do this too because of my previously poor broadband. Now that I've switched to satellite it's improved 40-fold to 10 Mbps which is what I also recorded on Vodafone here (9.7 down 4.1 up). This is in stark contrast to the current O2 connection I'm sending this via which despite connecting to 4G down South, manages just 12kbps here. Since my son blew our satellite BB quota within about a week (he discovered he could do some gaming) I'm stuck with it for a few more days.The OpenSignal app provides some useful information locally but operates on a via crowdsourced feedback, whereas the Ofcom website provides 3G and 4G coverage for the main players in one tool but doesn't give any speeds.I would agree with the comment on 3, and I've ordered a "test drive"SIM from Rok Mobile - a 3 MVNO who include a music subscription which doesn't eat into the 4GB of tetherable (I think) 4G data. If it works here it won't eat into my satellite allowance either for streaming music... ;)

[loz65]

Given the recommendations around '3', I was planning to go for the following:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mobile-Broadband-Preloaded-Standard%C2%A0SIM-Tablets/dp/B003Z0T3X2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1439813397&sr=1-1&keywords=Three+data+only+sim

Is this what I need for a FL A6?

Is it a standard, micro or nano sim that I need to purchase?

Thanks

[loz65]

Just noticed this:

EE 4G 6GB Pay As You Go Mobile Broadband Combi Sim: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics (http://www.amazon.co.uk/6GB-Pay-Mobile-Broadband-Combi-White/dp/B00FSDAMT8/ref=pd_sim_23_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=155GT1E02SK5T445XDD0)

This is cheaper, has 4G rather than 3G and has 6Gb of data rather than 3Gb - no brainer? Not sure what EE coverage is like around Stoke-on-Trent?

[Nemo78]

Just noticed this:

EE 4G 6GB Pay As You Go Mobile Broadband Combi Sim: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics (http://www.amazon.co.uk/6GB-Pay-Mobile-Broadband-Combi-White/dp/B00FSDAMT8/ref=pd_sim_23_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=155GT1E02SK5T445XDD0)

This is cheaper, has 4G rather than 3G and has 6Gb of data rather than 3Gb - no brainer? Not sure what EE coverage is like around Stoke-on-Trent?

Currys were selling these last week at £5.99 to get rid of stock....

As they are also selling the 1GB 3 PAYG preloaded sims for 97p

Finding the odd bit of stock however is mission impossible

[Nemo78]

Is it a standard, micro or nano sim that I need to purchase?

Thanks

The non FL model is using Standard sim

[loz65]

The non FL model is using Standard sim

Mine is a new FL model - due to collect on 1 September - will that be a normal SIM I need, or micro or nano?

[kennyh]

Mine is a new FL model - due to collect on 1 September - will that be a normal SIM I need, or micro or nano?

It's a standard sim.

[SG77]

Not sure if it's been mentioned but use the giffgaff £5 per month for 500 mb and that seems to be more than I need. Runs on O2 network so pretty good coverage
Saves having to change the data settings for a different network each month potentially!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[pany]

Have ordered the free EE SIM from online. Gives minutes and texts, but get 100 gb for first 2 months with code. Only needs £10 top up and sim is free.

Just double checked, its 50 minutes, 50 texts and 1 Gb. This is increased to 100 gb for the first 2 months by texting SUMMER100 to 150 once activated. I don't work for EE.

[Nemo78]

Have ordered the free EE SIM from online. Gives minutes and texts, but get 100 gb for first 2 months with code. Only needs £10 top up and sim is free.

Just double checked, its 50 minutes, 50 texts and 1 Gb. This is increased to 100 gb for the first 2 months by texting SUMMER100 to 150 once activated. I don't work for EE.

That's a good little deal - brill if anyone is going to hotspot the car

100GB Free Summer Sims | EE PAYG Sim | EE (http://shop.ee.co.uk/campaigns/summer-sim-from-ee)

[gunner786]

I use the three 321 aim. 1p per mb cant go wrong in my taxi pda

[Akash]

That's a good little deal - brill if anyone is going to hotspot the car

100GB Free Summer Sims | EE PAYG Sim | EE (http://shop.ee.co.uk/campaigns/summer-sim-from-ee)

Using something similar but the 200GB EE Xmas sim
£10 top up = 100GB x2 over 2 months

[belly buster]

Three's 12 month 12GB data sim is now only £56 direct from the three website:

http://store.three.co.uk/Mobile_Broadband/Plans/Pay_As_You_Go?includedInternetAllowanceInMB=12GB

[bingodingo]

I get the EE 4G ones off Ebay. You get 6GB to use over 90 days from activation for £15 posted. If you use the 6GB it expires or you can top up. I normally just get a new one every 3 months. If you only use the Sat Nav etc you will struggle to use up 6GB but if you have the WIFI hot spot feature and the kids get a hold of it your 6GB could disappear in one good journey. I have had about 8 of them and never had an issue and the EE service is normally good (east midlands).

[Bar Shaker]

I shared my phone's unlimited data allowance to a data sim. O2 charge me about £4/month for this.

[Splash]

I shared my phone's unlimited data allowance to a data sim. O2 charge me about £4/month for this.

Is that using one of their more recent "sharer" tariffs or another way? I too have truly unlimited (legacy - no cap or throttle) O2 on 3G, but need an rSAP phone to get the full benefit. Hence I swap SIMS (a variety) when the kids are travelling on long journeys. Otherwise my 200 MB Freedom Pop SIM covers my normal data needs for the princely sum of £0.00. Thanks again to whoever enlightened me.

[Bar Shaker]

I have a separate SIM. I have an iPhone, so no rSAP. Your 200mb would be ample.

[Splash]

I've had a look on O2's website and can only find a shared data SIM for £7.50 upwards, but that needs the correct tariff on the master SIM to enable it to use that SIM's data allowance. For that price I have a T-Mobile SIM with 2GB - but with an unlimited cap of £3 per day. Since my home broadband is by satellite, the SIM is normally used in a tablet as for hotspotting if the satellite gets iffy and I also get a rare blip of 3G. The Freedom Pop free deal is handy, but there's also some anxiety about breaching the 200MB limit accidentally as the MMI doesn't have a limiter.

Your O2 facility may be on a business deal not available to Joe Public, but if you've got any more details I'd be grateful as £4 isn't much to pay for not having to juggle SIMs.

[arley]

Three's 12 month 12GB data sim is now only £56 direct from the three website:

Search Results (http://store.three.co.uk/Mobile_Broadband/Plans/Pay_As_You_Go?includedInternetAllowanceInMB=12GB)
Price of this SIM has dropped to just £30 for 12gb valid for 12 months!


Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

[belly buster]

Price of this SIM has dropped to just £30 for 12gb valid for 12 months!


Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

That's a cracking deal. I thought the £56 deal was cracking too .... which is why I bought one last week ..... DOH!

[A6S]

Someone mentioned freedom pop earlier in this thread.
Had mine a month now other than the £7 delivery fee it's totally free for life. 200mb is more than enough for the sat nav traffic. In a month it's used about 20-30mb and mine is always on for my 60 mile commute each way.
Uses three network so signal is great around here.

[Splash]

Delight Mobile. Same 3-2-1 rates as Three i.e. 1p per MB but over EE network so can also work on 2G in remote areas. Shouldn't have "device is not a phone" issue like Three and bundle options plus voice if needed. Some giffgaff low data users are moving to Delight, a sister MVNO to Vectone so same APN and it's been going a few years.

I've been using Freedom Pop, but will be using Delight in another "vehicle" that can't use 3G, or on trips when FP's 200MB might be a bit tight and/or better coverage required.

[DickieJ]

Does anyone have any experience of using a Three SIM abroad? I got a 3 month version, will get a 12 month shortly

[pany]

Does anyone have any experience of using a Three SIM abroad? I got a 3 month version, will get a 12 month shortly
They treat the SIM as if it's in the UK in a lot of countries, ie,no roaming charges. Best to check website for exactly which are now, but I've used in Egypt, US, Austria Italy.

[Skippy73]

3 Network PAYG 4G Trio Data SIM Pack Preloaded with: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004K2XO1G/ref=pe_2046921_126755351_em_1p_0_ti)

Link shows the 12month 12gb 3 simply at only £32

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[belly buster]

Amazon are doing a three 3G 24GB, 24 month data SIM for £28.40

Three Pay As You Go Trio Data SIM Preloaded with 24 GB: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Trio-Preloaded-Exclusive-Amazon/dp/B01M3VJ2B2)

[chroma28]

i got a 12 month sim card on 3, its preloaded with 12gb of data ( no voice ), it costs 23.99 from mymemory.co.uk

link : 3 PAYG 4G Trio Data SIM Pack Preloaded with 12GB of Data £23.99 - Free Delivery (https://www.mymemory.co.uk/SIM-Cards/3/3-PAYG-4G-Trio-Data-SIM-Pack-Preloaded-with-12GB-of-Data)

code for extra 5% off - VBOX5

[Gmonster]

The 24gb/ 2 year card referred to by buster is the best deal I've seen to date ; I bought one and put it into my data sim stock... [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lazyoaf]

I got this, by far the best deal I could find

EE PAYG 4G Data Sim Card Preloaded With 6GB-500MB A Month For 12 Months | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262704722508?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT)

[A6S]

Have to be careful with the three SIM cards.
The one I got last year got blocked cause three thought I was tethering as the t&cs says no tethering. The mmi acts as a router so that's how it busted me.
It might have changed since then.

[pany]

Have to be careful with the three SIM cards.
The one I got last year got blocked cause three thought I was tethering as the t&cs says no tethering. The mmi acts as a router so that's how it busted me.
It might have changed since then.

i had the 3 12 gb for 12 months SIM. Worked fine as a hotspot tethering, just raced through the allowance.

[belly buster]

Have to be careful with the three SIM cards.
The one I got last year got blocked cause three thought I was tethering as the t&cs says no tethering. The mmi acts as a router so that's how it busted me.
It might have changed since then.

This can happen if you use a voice sim for data (was discussed a few pages back), but not if you get a data only sim like the one I posted above.

[Harley8588]

I got an iD Mobile SIM which carphone warehouse operate using the 3 network. Not strictly a data SIM but for £5 a month on a rolling one month contract you get 500mins 5000txts 1Gb data.

[noscream]

I got an iD Mobile SIM which carphone warehouse operate using the 3 network. Not strictly a data SIM but for £5 a month on a rolling one month contract you get 500mins 5000txts 1Gb data.


I got a very similar one from iD (carphonewarehouse)

ShockProof (4G)

Plan iD: SP5-1D116-1


250 minutes

5000 texts

1.5GB data

1 month



£5,00 rolling , the MMI uses approx 300mb / month for my daily trips with Google eath satnav. all on 4G.
My car is 2011 with 3G but the DATA still uses the super fast 4G network and just goes to 3G for the hope to my SIM.

[Justinos]

I have just ordered one of these, previously paying £4 per month for 600mb from Talk Talk, with calls also, but never used them. After 12 months its jumped to £8 after the deal ran out, and so decided to shop around. These deals annoy me, and ultimately has cost them as I have moved. The new card will be a big saving, and will have more data. If I want/need to make calls through it, will just use my VOIP app (Freedom Pop)


Amazon are doing a three 3G 24GB, 24 month data SIM for £28.40

Three Pay As You Go Trio Data SIM Preloaded with 24 GB: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Trio-Preloaded-Exclusive-Amazon/dp/B01M3VJ2B2)

[Gmonster]

My data sim in the car MMI/Nav system has just expired. Any recent updates on best value deals?

I have in the past gone with Three network Trio ‘internet with legs’ cards which lasted 12 months... but these seem to shot up in price now (c£30 a go.. )


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Elansear]

I use the 3 one with 24 months on it think the last one was about £45 even £30 for 12 months is cheaper than a monthly plan.

[OmegaV6]

ASDA pay as you go ... put as much, or as little as you like, no expiry date ... and for data just 5p / MB

Free Pay As You Go SIM — Order Yours Today | Asda Mobile (https://mobile.asda.com/pay-as-you-go)

[Gmonster]

Thanks for replys chaps. Just taken note from the car there that over last 12 months car has received c3Gb, and sent c1Gb off data.. so I am not a great user of data over the 12 month period: Mainly for background maps and the odd internet location search etc. The Asda sim would have cost c£200 for 4Gb of data (Am I doing my sums right?) So the 12Gb Three sim sounds like the best value option, even tho I only use a third of the data on it.

[gav28uk]

I've been using this for the past 3 years, hasn't cost me a penny Order your Mobile Broadband SIM | Three. (https://www.three.co.uk/Free_SIM_MBB/Order) A free SIM from Three, you get 200mb of data and that has sorted my needs if/when I needed to use the onboard satnav. My use is even less now as I now use Apple Car Play with the iPhone.

I guess it depends whether 200mb of data per month is sufficient for you or not?

[Justinos]

I'm using the 'free' sim card which came with my Virgin broadband for now, has plenty of data included. Will see if this is a long term option once the intro period of 18 months is up and the monthly virgin fees double for our 200mb speed line.

[Gmonster]

I just got my 3 network 'free 200gb' a month sim... and was going to give this a go. I am having problems registering it, as i dont have a tablet/phone that will allow me to point it towards the three registration site. Plus i cant figure out how to get the nav screen to do the same. Any tips from anyone?

[Elansear]

Hi. Think you will need a device to register the sim, ie phone or tablet or pc. Once registration is done just plug it in the car.
The MMI is just a receiver for the sim there won’t be a way of registration I would think. Maybe give them a ring to get it activated.

[gav28uk]

If you don’t have a phone you can borrow to register, then guess you’ll need a visit to a Three shop?

[Gmonster]

Cheers guys... it’s having to come up with a phone with an old school sim size etc..


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[mazerati]

I got min activated by visiting the website and using "live Chat"

I explained that my car would not receive the registration link

so they sent it to an email address instead and followed it from there.

[Gmonster]

Good advice Maz! I did the same this afternoon. Tho I am still struggling to get the nav system to recognise the sim. See some screen shots if the settings. Should it recognise it automatically.. or do I need to change anything? https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201024/976211ba50a614c56a0aa1b6a834c515.jpg


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[Gmonster]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201024/370e8d6159ead353c7f9d2b720b2df6d.jpg


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[Bishop187]

I've been using this for the past 3 years, hasn't cost me a penny Order your Mobile Broadband SIM | Three. (https://www.three.co.uk/Free_SIM_MBB/Order) A free SIM from Three, you get 200mb of data and that has sorted my needs if/when I needed to use the onboard satnav. My use is even less now as I now use Apple Car Play with the iPhone.

I guess it depends whether 200mb of data per month is sufficient for you or not?

Thanks I just ordered one, as my Three 24 month data sim is bout to expire soon.
Do you have to activate something to get the free 200mb a month or does it come set up?

Cheers


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[mazerati]

Hi,
Not familiar with your car but are you sure its not still looking at the phone for its data sourse.
is there a setting to use the separate sim?
Or try disconnecting your Bluetooth phone ten insert sim.

[gav28uk]

Thanks I just ordered one, as my Three 24 month data sim is bout to expire soon.
Do you have to activate something to get the free 200mb a month or does it come set up?

I think I had to enable it first from a mobile, then simply put the sim into the sim slot in the car and it worked. The 200mb just automatically refreshes each month. It certainly wasn’t difficult or have loads of hoops to jump through. IHTH

Gavin

[Gmonster]

You need to get the data reward setup and activated. Need an email address allocated to it that they can send an activation code to: either that or contact them direct via their online support chat facility. They send a link that you can then logon and update the password and that should be you setup/ready to go: install sim in car and you should be working.

However I’ve done all this and sim is still not getting recognised. Maz: thanks for info. There is a setting for a bonded mobile phone to provide calls only via Bluetooth: I’m sure that is set: I will check. There are separate setup screens for the data connection in the mmi telephone menu area. These are the photo’s I included previously. Did your registered sim work automatically? Are your data connection settings different to mine? (A lot of questions I know...)


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[Gmonster]

Is anyone still successfully using a Three Network data reward sim? I had problems with mine but thought I had eventually got it setup. Turns out it has now been cut off/ cancelled as it was not getting used. So I am now back in the market for a data sim. Should I try the data reward sim again… or another best alternative?


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[nevbadger99]

I was using an ordinary 3 SIM and using PAYG, it needed topping up so infrequently that it worked out pretty cheap. I hadn't heard of the data reward SIM but they seem to be still available so I just ordered one - thanks for the tip!

[Gmonster]

No worries on the data reward. Mine took a bit of setting up; then I seemed to have issues keeping it alive/active. (Eventually got it setup using the Three online chat support channel) The concept here being that the free 200mb a month, which tho not carrying over every month, would be enough for keeping google maps updated and even do the odd online internet search. Being honest I never got to point that this setup was working as planned.

However… I think I will order another and have another go. I think there are others on here who have successfully got this setup.


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[nevbadger99]

Ok so I got one in the post and tried to set it up. I put it in my phone to set it up, you have to claim the free data package.
That didn't work so the online chat people said they had a technical glitch at their end and gave my 1GB data to get me going.
In the car the online traffic works ok, Google earth overlay doesn't work but that seems intermittent at best these days.