Three Mobile Broadband SIM in phone?

faddy

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.

spannerzone

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.

faddy

spannerzone wrote: »

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

It will work fine, just make sure you set 3internet as your APN rather than three.co.uk

Kernel_Sanders

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

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

System

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

spannerzone wrote: »

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