Can a 3 dongle SIM be used to make a smartphone a hotspot?

Kernel_Sanders

I've tried my 3 mobile broadband SIM in an unlocked 2G phone, but not sure if it's been rejected just because 3 are all-3G.
I'm planning to buy a cheap Android smartphone with 'wi-fi hotspot' feature, mainly to get a better signal in the house for my netbook.

culpepper

I think 3 are all 3g now as my old 3 phone could not take a more modern 3 sim when I tried it either.

paddyrg

3G coverage is still far from universal, so 2G connectivity should still be the fallback position for 3G dead spots. It even is still for 4G handsets. However a data-only SIM probably doesn't connect to the 2G as it has little need.

Can a 3 SIM go into a non-network-locked Android handset, yep certainly. You can also however look at getting either a 'mifi' (which is a dedicated wifi access point to 3G network device, has no frills of a phone, just does the job), or something like a TL-MR3220 (many other brands available, this is just the one I have) which cheaply turns your USB dongle into a much better wifi hotspot than a phone can provide, plus also support ethernet connections plus also network storage options etc. Best of all worlds, and doesn't duplicate any functionality, just use your existing dongle.

Linton

The 3 network is 3G only. This has rarely been a problem cruising in some pretty out of the way places on my canal boat. I find that most places with no 3 3G connectivity dont have usable mobile phone connectivity either.

Stooby2

You don't need a special SIM to run the hotspot on an Android phone. It'll work so long as your provider and your plan support tethering - and most do these days. And it'll work whatever speed your phone has connected at - it just gets slower and slower as you go from 3g+ to 3g to E to G.

I'm on Orange, previously had an HTC Desire I used to use as a hotspot for my laptop, now have a Galaxy S2 which is also working fine as a hotpspot.

Kernel_Sanders

culpepper wrote: »

I think 3 are all 3g now

Linton wrote: »

The 3 network is 3G only.

I know it is; hence use of the word just in my OP. The query was whether my Mobile broadband SIM would connect in the same way a phone SIM does.
Anyway, bought the Android phone yesterday and it does.
However, it states it won't tether by USB cable with XP; only with Vista, W7, and Linux.