Hi,
Not really a Linux question, except that it'll be mostly Linux devices that use it...
A few years ago when 4G was being tested in pilot areas, but not on the Llangollen canal, I wrote a piece for a canal/river boat magazine about using the internet afloat. At the time I borrowed some demo kit from suppliers and a boat from the Llangollen Wharf for testing and for photos. One option was a 3G USB dongle for a laptop, another was a 3G modem/router to create a WiFi hotspot. Or just use my old 3G smartphone and either a USB or WiFi 'tether'.
Now down south I've got my own (very old and very cheap) boat and 4G is widely available. So should be great eh? Well not so much. As far as I can find out it is impossible to buy data only SIM cards with data contracts that last until the data is used. You have to buy 'bundles' of data/phonecalls/text and they expire after 7, 14 or 28 days. When I'm not on the boat I don't use 4G at all. When I am going away on it I have to guess how much data I might need and load up the SIM. Last time I did that the boat broke down, we came home early and £20 worth of data just expired at the end of the 28 days.
With my old 3G phone (on PAYG) it simply used the same account for texts, calls or data - and I only enabled 3G when I really needed it. But it seems none of the phone providers will offer 4G that way.
I can't see there's any technical reason, it's just that phone providers are conniving bastards. Does anyone know of one that has broken ranks with the cartel and will offer me what I want?
-- Phil Thane
www.pthane.co.uk phil@pthane.co.uk 01767 449759 07582 750607 Twitter @pthane
I feel your pain Phil. As an ex Merchant Seaman I had the same problem, and after moving house twice in the last two years I was in a similar predicament whilst waiting for Internet and phone to be connected.
My solution lately has been a "my-fi" dongle with a Three data sim from Amazon. ID mobile does do data sims on 30 day contracts as an alternative. ID mobile is the carphonewarehouse using the Three network. They were rubbish to deal with so be warned!
There are data sims out there that last for 12 months but they can be hard to find. Even when searching Amazon you have to be careful and read the description properly to make sure you are buying one that lasts for 12 months from activation. They are usually more expensive for the same amount of data than ones that only last 30 days from activation. Also it's normally cheaper to buy several sims and just throw empty ones away rather than top-up once you've used the data.
Something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mobile-Pay-Trio-Data-Preloaded/dp/B01CMD4VKC/ref=sr...
Hope this helps.
Martin
On 16/11/17 20:47, Phil Thane wrote:
Hi,
Not really a Linux question, except that it'll be mostly Linux devices that use it...
A few years ago when 4G was being tested in pilot areas, but not on the Llangollen canal, I wrote a piece for a canal/river boat magazine about using the internet afloat. At the time I borrowed some demo kit from suppliers and a boat from the Llangollen Wharf for testing and for photos. One option was a 3G USB dongle for a laptop, another was a 3G modem/router to create a WiFi hotspot. Or just use my old 3G smartphone and either a USB or WiFi 'tether'.
Now down south I've got my own (very old and very cheap) boat and 4G is widely available. So should be great eh? Well not so much. As far as I can find out it is impossible to buy data only SIM cards with data contracts that last until the data is used. You have to buy 'bundles' of data/phonecalls/text and they expire after 7, 14 or 28 days. When I'm not on the boat I don't use 4G at all. When I am going away on it I have to guess how much data I might need and load up the SIM. Last time I did that the boat broke down, we came home early and £20 worth of data just expired at the end of the 28 days.
With my old 3G phone (on PAYG) it simply used the same account for texts, calls or data - and I only enabled 3G when I really needed it. But it seems none of the phone providers will offer 4G that way.
I can't see there's any technical reason, it's just that phone providers are conniving bastards. Does anyone know of one that has broken ranks with the cartel and will offer me what I want?
-- Phil Thane
www.pthane.co.uk phil@pthane.co.uk 01767 449759 07582 750607 Twitter @pthane
main@lists.alug.org.uk http://www.alug.org.uk/ https://lists.alug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/main Unsubscribe? See message headers or the web site above!
On Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 11:28:10PM +0000, Martin Collins wrote:
I feel your pain Phil. As an ex Merchant Seaman I had the same problem, and after moving house twice in the last two years I was in a similar predicament whilst waiting for Internet and phone to be connected.
I too have similar issues on a canal boat in France.
My solution is to bypass 3g/4g completely and use WiFi. I have a TP-Link outdoor WiFi 'router' and have a FON account. It's rarely that I can't find an SFR/FON WiFi within range when stopped.
I also have a 'Free' (that's a French brand) account which gives me even more WiFi choices.
Very expensive though if you don't have a BT account, which I don't.
-- Phil Thane
www.pthane.co.uk phil@pthane.co.uk 01767 449759 07582 750607 Twitter @pthane On Friday, 17 November 2017 12:08:41 GMT Chris Green wrote:
On Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 11:28:10PM +0000, Martin Collins wrote:
I feel your pain Phil. As an ex Merchant Seaman I had the same problem, and after moving house twice in the last two years I was in a similar predicament whilst waiting for Internet and phone to be connected.
I too have similar issues on a canal boat in France.
My solution is to bypass 3g/4g completely and use WiFi. I have a TP-Link outdoor WiFi 'router' and have a FON account. It's rarely that I can't find an SFR/FON WiFi within range when stopped.
I also have a 'Free' (that's a French brand) account which gives me even more WiFi choices.
On Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 08:47:32PM +0000, Phil Thane wrote:
A few years ago when 4G was being tested in pilot areas, but not on the Llangollen canal, I wrote a piece for a canal/river boat magazine about using the internet afloat. At the time I borrowed some demo kit from suppliers and a boat from the Llangollen Wharf for testing and for photos. One option was a 3G USB dongle for a laptop, another was a 3G modem/router to create a WiFi hotspot. Or just use my old 3G smartphone and either a USB or WiFi 'tether'.
Now down south I've got my own (very old and very cheap) boat and 4G is widely available. So should be great eh? Well not so much. As far as I can find out it is impossible to buy data only SIM cards with data contracts that last until the data is used.
…
I can't see there's any technical reason, it's just that phone providers are conniving bastards. Does anyone know of one that has broken ranks with the cartel and will offer me what I want?
I have a similar issue with my Nexus 7 - in general I used it near wifi, but it's really handy to be able to fall back to the 4G when I'm travelling. I ended up with a 24G/24 month Three SIM (which has the advantage of also working when I'm out of the UK). Exclusive to Amazon, and currently out of stock:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Trio-Preloaded-Exclusive-Amazon-Black/dp/B01M...
J.
Looks like a good deal, when they are in stock! Maybe santa will bring me a 4G modem/router to put it in. Thanks.
-- Phil Thane
www.pthane.co.uk phil@pthane.co.uk 01767 449759 07582 750607 Twitter @pthane On Friday, 17 November 2017 12:12:03 GMT Jonathan McDowell wrote:
On Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 08:47:32PM +0000, Phil Thane wrote:
A few years ago when 4G was being tested in pilot areas, but not on the Llangollen canal, I wrote a piece for a canal/river boat magazine about using the internet afloat. At the time I borrowed some demo kit from suppliers and a boat from the Llangollen Wharf for testing and for photos. One option was a 3G USB dongle for a laptop, another was a 3G modem/router to create a WiFi hotspot. Or just use my old 3G smartphone and either a USB or WiFi 'tether'.
Now down south I've got my own (very old and very cheap) boat and 4G is widely available. So should be great eh? Well not so much. As far as I can find out it is impossible to buy data only SIM cards with data contracts that last until the data is used.
…
I can't see there's any technical reason, it's just that phone providers are conniving bastards. Does anyone know of one that has broken ranks with the cartel and will offer me what I want?
I have a similar issue with my Nexus 7 - in general I used it near wifi, but it's really handy to be able to fall back to the 4G when I'm travelling. I ended up with a 24G/24 month Three SIM (which has the advantage of also working when I'm out of the UK). Exclusive to Amazon, and currently out of stock:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Trio-Preloaded-Exclusive-Amazon-Black/dp/B01M 3VJ2B2/
J.
This any use, Phil?
https://www.idmobile.co.uk/datarollover
Bev.
On 16/11/17 20:47, Phil Thane wrote:
Hi,
<snip>
With my old 3G phone (on PAYG) it simply used the same account for texts, calls or data - and I only enabled 3G when I really needed it. But it seems none of the phone providers will offer 4G that way.
I can't see there's any technical reason, it's just that phone providers are conniving bastards. Does anyone know of one that has broken ranks with the cartel and will offer me what I want?
-- Phil Thane
www.pthane.co.uk phil@pthane.co.uk 01767 449759 07582 750607 Twitter @pthane
_
It's a thought but probably too restrictive. For about half the year I won't use 4G at all, boating will be limited to re-fit work and the odd short test trip. Even during the summer I might go a month without using it, then maybe take a two week trip or more and use it every day.
-- Phil Thane
www.pthane.co.uk phil@pthane.co.uk 01767 449759 07582 750607 Twitter @pthane On Friday, 17 November 2017 16:05:32 GMT Bev Nicolson wrote:
This any use, Phil?
https://www.idmobile.co.uk/datarollover
Bev.
On 16/11/17 20:47, Phil Thane wrote:
Hi,
<snip>
With my old 3G phone (on PAYG) it simply used the same account for texts, calls or data - and I only enabled 3G when I really needed it. But it seems none of the phone providers will offer 4G that way.
I can't see there's any technical reason, it's just that phone providers are conniving bastards. Does anyone know of one that has broken ranks with the cartel and will offer me what I want?
-- Phil Thane
www.pthane.co.uk phil@pthane.co.uk 01767 449759 07582 750607 Twitter @pthane
_
main@lists.alug.org.uk http://www.alug.org.uk/ https://lists.alug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/main Unsubscribe? See message headers or the web site above!
On 16/11/17 20:47, Phil Thane wrote:
With my old 3G phone (on PAYG) it simply used the same account for texts, calls or data - and I only enabled 3G when I really needed it. But it seems none of the phone providers will offer 4G that way.
I'm using Asda payg. They connect via EE (I believe) and I get 4G with that phone here in Norwich.
Nev
-
Bev Nicolson -
Chris Green -
Jonathan McDowell -
Martin Collins -
Nev Young -
Phil Thane