Three Mobile Broadband SIM in phone?

faddy
faddy Posts: 508 Forumite
Will a Three Mobile Broadband SIM work in a phone? (I don't want to make calls, just use an old phone as a hotspot).

Local Three store has told me it won't, but their reason, "they work on different frequencies", didn't convince me. I can't see what Three would have to gain by preventing such use, unlike their bar on phone SIMs working in dongles.

Comments

  • spannerzone
    spannerzone Posts: 1,566 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 24 October 2014 at 9:44PM
    I don't think it'll likely work for very long, Three usually detect if you use a broadband data SIM in a phone and will warn you to stop by text if I recall, similar if using a phone voice/data SIM in a mifi/dongle.

    Occasionally people get away with it for ages but I've certainly not been able to do it for more than a few mins before I got a text warning.

    edit: mine was the other way around, using a phone (voice/data) SIM in a tablet which Three said I needed to use a data broadband SIM in it.

    Never trust information given by strangers on internet forums
  • faddy
    faddy Posts: 508 Forumite
    I don't think it'll likely work for very long, Three usually detect if you use a broadband data SIM in a phone and will warn you to stop by text if I recall, similar if using a phone voice/data SIM in a mifi/dongle.

    Occasionally people get away with it for ages but I've certainly not been able to do it for more than a few mins before I got a text warning.

    edit: mine was the other way around, using a phone (voice/data) SIM in a tablet which Three said I needed to use a data broadband SIM in it.

    I can see the sense in barring phone SIMs in tablets - for the same reason as restricting or barring tethering to limit the greater data use on a tablet or laptop. But the other way around makes no sense to me unless there's some technical barrier.

    Three Support on Twitter have confirmed what the local store told me though.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,317 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    It will work fine, just make sure you set 3internet as your APN rather than three.co.uk
    This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
  • Kernel_Sanders
    Kernel_Sanders Posts: 3,617 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 28 October 2014 at 1:08AM
    My APN is set to three.co.uk yet I've been using mine in my phone, both for browsing and tethering, as well as in my dongle when needed for years. Never received any request not to nor even heard of such a restriction until today. Why should there be one in any case; a phone hotspot does what a dongle does.
  • spannerzone
    spannerzone Posts: 1,566 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    It certainly can work as you have found but it's something that Three are particulary hot about and whereas most other networks don't really seem to do anything, Three can and often will warn and block the 'wrong type' of sim working in a device they don't deem suitable.

    I agree though, data is data, voice is voice, does it really matter if you use a phone as a hotspot to tether or use a mifi to tether, the result is the same in terms of data used

    Never trust information given by strangers on internet forums
  • System
    System Posts: 178,317 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    3 are more bothered about a handset sim in a dongle/tablet than vice versa as the handsets can have all you can eat data.

    3internet is a better access point for internet access and is less 'restricted' than three.co.uk ;)
    It certainly can work as you have found but it's something that Three are particulary hot about and whereas most other networks don't really seem to do anything, Three can and often will warn and block the 'wrong type' of sim working in a device they don't deem suitable.

    I agree though, data is data, voice is voice, does it really matter if you use a phone as a hotspot to tether or use a mifi to tether, the result is the same in terms of data used
    This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
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