Three '3Connect is incompatible' with W10?

Roger1

I still have a Three internet dongle and SIM now costing just over £8 a month, thanks to an MSE offer some years ago. I rarely use it but have retained it for use when travelling in Three's At Home markets.

Trying to use it in Switzerland, previously (almost) OK, is impossible. Going through the help functions online finally produces the result '3Connect is incompatible'. I was using W7 before and am now using W10, which seems to be the problem.

Does this sound right?

I don't really want to call Three atm in view of roaming costs and previously unhappy experience when calling Three CS.

A few months ago when using W7 in Switzerland, I got the 'you have already used XXX' warning which should not have happened in an At Home market. When I returned, I took this up with Three who merely responded that I hadn't been charged and failed to take the cost warning into account.

Thanks for your help.

NiftyDigits

That is ludicrous. Paying £8 per month for something that you rarely utilise. You are much better off getting a SIM as and when needed. Also, better to get rid of the dongle and to use a MiFi or tether using your phone. Then no issues with compatibility. You can easily pay for the MiFi with three months of not paying on a contract that you don't need. Huawei E5331 for 3 for £22.99 or better still this Huawei E5330 for EE for £24.99 which can be unlocked for less than £1.
So then you can use it with a 3 PAYG SIM when going abroad. You'll also have a 6GB/90 day PAYG Data SIM for use in the UK.
You can buy a 3 PAYG SIM with 1GB of data for travel for around £4.50, but if you buy the 3 MiFi for £22.99 it comes with a 1GB data SIM. So £19.49 for a MiFi is not bad.

What benefit is there in paying £96 per annum for the current contract?

As to your technical issue, what brand name and model your modem?

Roger1

Thanks, NiftyDigits, for your comprehensive response. What you say makes perfect sense going forward and I'll be looking at your suggestions seriously when I get back.

I had kept the thing going for use in short bursts when in France, Spain, the USA, Switzerland and Austria and potentially elsewhere. However, I've been using hotel wifi more and more and would be looking for an alternative if/when roaming surcharges stop.

NiftyDigits wrote: »

As to your technical issue, what brand name and model your modem?

It's a Three-branded Huawei E160G.

I also have a Vodafone Huawei dongle (not with me at the moment
so I can't check the model) which I have used regularly with Vodakom PAYG in South Africa. I'm guessing this would also be incompatible with W10.

NiftyDigits

That modem is just too old now. The MiFi will solve these issues and you can carry on using At Home in the same way that you do now.
Whilst I have the modem, I do not have Windows 10 installed, so cannot replicate the problem.
You could try to install the latest version of Mobile Partner to your laptop, then to plug in the modem to see if it installs the Driver for the modem, but I think that the modem may not be supported.
If it is recognised, you may need to enter the APN and profile manually and to stop the 3 Mobile Connect software from auto starting.
If you are familiar with eBay, you might be able to bid on and pick up a Osprey 2 4G MiFi from eBay for around the same price as the 3G Huawei MiFi from Argos.

Roger1

Thanks very much, NiftyDigits.

I tried Mobile Partner but couldn't connect, so I'll be following up the MiFi solution when I get back.

I'm very grateful for your advice.

Nilrem

Theoretically there is no real reason a device that worked with Windows 7 shouldn't work with Windows 10 (IIRC the basic drivers are the same).

You can even get devices from Windows XP and Vista to work in windows 7,8 and 10 much of the time*.

What is probably happening is that the software suite isn't supported for Windows 10 (the same thing happened with my scanner - the drivers work fine, but the software suite does a version check of windows and won't load), and 3 simply don't support it because it's too old, this is quite different from it not being able to work with Windows 10.

What you probably need to do is find out who made the modem, it won't be 3, but it'll likely be one of a handful of chipsets used by third parties who simply package them up with software and branding.
If you can do that, you should in theory be able to simply get the drivers down and tell them to install.

Unfortunately I have no experience with your modem specific, but if you can post any details you have on it (how does windows see it if it'll work on another computer?), that'll give some good clues for finding the generic drivers rather than the 3 branded software/drivers.



*Vista to 7 is relatively easy, XP to Vista was a far bigger jump for drivers (especially as most XP systems were 32bit, whilst most Vista and 7 on are 64bit so tend to need different base drivers).

NiftyDigits

Nilrem wrote: »

Theoretically there is no real reason a device that worked with Windows 7 shouldn't work with Windows 10 (IIRC the basic drivers are the same).

You can even get devices from Windows XP and Vista to work in windows 7,8 and 10 much of the time*.

What is probably happening is that the software suite isn't supported for Windows 10 (the same thing happened with my scanner - the drivers work fine, but the software suite does a version check of windows and won't load), and 3 simply don't support it because it's too old, this is quite different from it not being able to work with Windows 10.

What you probably need to do is find out who made the modem, it won't be 3, but it'll likely be one of a handful of chipsets used by third parties who simply package them up with software and branding.
If you can do that, you should in theory be able to simply get the drivers down and tell them to install.

Unfortunately I have no experience with your modem specific, but if you can post any details you have on it (how does windows see it if it'll work on another computer?), that'll give some good clues for finding the generic drivers rather than the 3 branded software/drivers.



*Vista to 7 is relatively easy, XP to Vista was a far bigger jump for drivers (especially as most XP systems were 32bit, whilst most Vista and 7 on are 64bit so tend to need different base drivers).

Not the case, as I supplied a link to Huawei Mobile Partner compatible with Windows 10.
It might be possible to get it up and running with a bit of fiddling, but frankly, it's time to move on.

Roger1

Reviving this earlier thread, I cancelled the service. I did it by using Live Chat as that way I have a record of the discussion. Three confirmed by e-mail that they would cancel. I cancelled my direct debit online. All should be OK, shouldn't it?

Er, no. I received an e-mail from Three Collections last week saying 'We’d like to remind you that you currently have an outstanding balance on your account etc etc'. Live Chat was not available so I phoned reluctantly. Reluctantly because I had previous poor experience of Three phone CS.

Anyway, they apologised and said they would e-mail confirmation and the PAC code I had requested the next day.

They didn't. I have since e-mailed twice, this time headed 'Complaint', with no response other than they would respond within five working days - which of course they never do.

Should I now involve the regulator? The last thing I want is a stain on my credit record if they post a supposedly missed payment for a service not provided for several months, as outlined upthread. I've had enough of this bunch other than PAYG and want out.

Thanks for your advice.

FunTime

Roger1 wrote: »

Reviving this earlier thread, I cancelled the service. I did it by using Live Chat as that way I have a record of the discussion. Three confirmed by e-mail that they would cancel. I cancelled my direct debit online. All should be OK, shouldn't it?

Er, no. I received an e-mail from Three Collections last week saying 'We’d like to remind you that you currently have an outstanding balance on your account etc etc'. Live Chat was not available so I phoned reluctantly. Reluctantly because I had previous poor experience of Three phone CS.

Anyway, they apologised and said they would e-mail confirmation and the PAC code I had requested the next day.

They didn't. I have since e-mailed twice, this time headed 'Complaint', with no response other than they would respond within five working days - which of course they never do.

Should I now involve the regulator? The last thing I want is a stain on my credit record if they post a supposedly missed payment for a service not provided for several months, as outlined upthread. I've had enough of this bunch other than PAYG and want out.

Thanks for your advice.

Did you give them a 30 day notice and then pay for that month? You probably cancelled your DD too soon.
Why do people do this?
It's much easier to reclaim a few pounds from a DD payment, than to remove a default from your credit record.
Of course if this is already resolved, not a problem.

Why do you need a PAC code for mobile broadband?? You don't. Forget about it. clear any outstanding balance and move along.
Unless you are referring to voice SIM in addition to the dongle(with a data SIM inside).

Roger1

Thanks, FunTime

FunTime wrote: »

Did you give them a 30 day notice and then pay for that month? You probably cancelled your DD too soon.

Yes, by e-mail on 14 August.

Why do you need a PAC code for mobile broadband??

It's a number I can remember and was hoping to use it on a mobile.

Forget about it. clear any outstanding balance and move along.

Well, something is happening.

I received a paper statement in the post, the first paper phone bill Ihave seen for many years. It says they closed my account on 13 September, so about a month after agreeing to close it. They seem to have applied a new charge without a description. Amounts don't tally. They want me to pay £6.20.

The amount is small. I'm tempted to pay up in the hope that the saga will be complete. I'm just disappointed at their refusal/incapacity to get things right.

FunTime

Roger1 wrote: »

Thanks, FunTimeYes, by e-mail on 14 August.It's a number I can remember and was hoping to use it on a mobile.Well, something is happening.

I received a paper statement in the post, the first paper phone bill Ihave seen for many years. It says they closed my account on 13 September, so about a month after agreeing to close it. They seem to have applied a new charge without a description. Amounts don't tally. They want me to pay £6.20.

The amount is small. I'm tempted to pay up in the hope that the saga will be complete. I'm just disappointed at their refusal/incapacity to get things right.

That is the 30 day notice. It is closed 30 days after an agreement to close. Pay the £6.20 and hope that they haven't yet placed anything on your credit record.
Possibly too late for the PAC code.