Query 3G connection/Mifi??

[claire8606]

Hi i recently brought a scroll extreme 9.7inch tablet, i was a bit unsure at the beginning as their seems to be a lot of different android tablets on the market, and this was a bit more than i wanted to pay.. but it seems to work fine.

The only problem i have is there isnt a 3G connection, this is ok when im at home as i can connect to my wifi connection, but when im away from home this is a bit rubbish! ive been informed that i can buy a mifi and contact to my mobile connection, is this correct?

[stubaldock]

Hi Claire8606

when I'm away from a wifi signal and need / want to use my tablet i set my mobile up as a wifi hotspot, not sure if that is the same as mifi??? it works like a dream tbh and is generally quicker than the local wifi lol but with some mobile providers they may charge.... hope this helps

[KLRichards]

The Extreme, like many other tablets doesn't have 3G built in, most people buy the iPad without 3G these days, as to be honest, it is a big monthly charge if you are only going to use it away from home once in a while.

So, how do you get over this... You could...

1. Buy a 3G dongle from a mobile network. They vary in tariffs and contracts, so be careful to read the small print, as you may get stung for lots more money than you planned. ALSO, the Extreme does not support all 3G dongles. Many posts on here listing ones it doesn't support, not found one saying it does work with this model yet, so be careful, if you go down this route, and get a compatible dongle, or you'll waste your money.

2. Buy a MIFI router. A MIFI router, is a wireless router, which works on the 3G network, so it is portable, providing you have a 3G service. They usually allow multiple connections, so your mobile, tabled, and laptop can use it at the same time. These, like the dongles, have to be subscribed to a mobile network, and are EXPENSIVE. You will either tie yourself to a £30 per month tariff, or have to spend £80+ buying the MIFI router and then a £15 per month tariff. I have looked into these, as my son, daughter, wife, me, all want access when out and about. But cant justify the cost.

3. As already said. Your existing MOBILE phone, may be able to "TETHER". This allows you to connect your tablet (or any other wireless device) to the phone, so that you can use the mobile data allowance on your mobile contract. This works on a 3G network, so should be as fast as the dongle and MIFI. BUT, not all phones can do this, and the networks are now clamping down on it, with the increasing number of tablets. What you used to be able to do as part of the mobile contract, is now being sold as add on bundles. Orange, Vodafone, 02 and TMobile (the big boys) all now sell Tethering bundles on top of the mobile contract, and say it is against their T&Cs for you to tether a device to your phones contract without buying the extra bundles. Don't know how they know if you do this, I suspect there are ways they can find out. BUT, if it is very light usage, and your phone and mobile contract allows it (ie you have a data allowance) its worth a go. Just don't forget how quickly you can eat up your allowance on a tablet, as apposed to the phone.

4. MY RECOMMENDED APPROACH... There are increasing WIFI hot-spots out there. Loads of them are free, so use them. Be careful with security, as loads of hacking goes on, and you could unwittingly allow your passwords to go amiss, but be sensible and this is the best option. Also, who is your Broadband with. Loads of people don't realise, that most Broadband suppliers today, offer "free WIFI hot-spots", which means using one of their apps to find the hot-spots, you can be surfing out and about as if you where home. BT offer the most hot-spots, only because as part of the BT Broadband contract they opt you into the Hotspot offering. Which means that a portion of your home Router is sectioned off for other BT customers (who are out and about) to use. This means that you are highly likely to be in a BT hot-spot in most of the country. OK, not going to find one out on the moors, but you probably wont get a 3G signal there either. Google WIFI Hotspots, you'll find one...



Not sure if this has helped you... I hope it has, and check out 4 above (Hot-spots) it could save you a packet, in the long run.....

[claire8606]

Thank you for your help Kevin, Ive got a pay as you go mobile phone with giffgaff. They do a tablet bundle cost between £5 &£15, heres a link, what do you think?

http://giffgaff.com/goodybags#data, Giffgaff is part of o2.

[KLRichards]

Claire, sorry I don't know. From what I read it seems that this is just the contract ie the sim, you will still have to buy a dongle that is compatible with the Extreme, as there is no 3G port inbuilt.

So if you can find a compatible unlocked dongle on eBay, then a sum from giffgaff should get you up and running, but that's not a guarantee.

[Mitre]

i use an old tmobile android for 3g with a payg sim you dont want a usb dongle as you would have to have the OTG cable hangin out

[claire8606]

how does this work mitre??

[Mitre]

turn on the phone and an app like wifi tether put it in your pocket or bag
then open tablet type in the security code and surf
you only have to type the code once its a bit like your home router I can also tehter to my contract phone but the tmobile one has a good euro deal for your hols
£10 for 30 days 500mb

[maljay48]

I use a 3 Mifi, which is very easy to unlock for other networks. Then bought a pre pay data sim, 12 gig for 12 months for about £56 (on 3 network). This should easily last a year, I surfed for over an hour in my hotel room the other night and only used 27 mb. Saved myself £15 in extortionate hotel wifi charges.

Cheers Mal J.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

[maljay48]

Hi Claire, sorry cant reply to your PM as haven't used the forum enough to have this feature enabled.

A Mifi is just a battery powered 3G modem with wireless access, so as long as you can get a 3G signal, you have your own personal Wifi Hotspot which you can then connect your tab to. You can pick one up for about £35 - £40 if you look around. You will also need a data sim, you can get one under contract but unless you are going to use it a lot, it will be expensive. You can get a pre paid data sim, the best deals are usually on the 3 network. You really need to figure out how much data you are going to use as most sims tend to be time limited. For instance you can buy a 3 data sim from Amazon pre loaded with 3 gig of data for about £12, but it will only last 3 months whether you use the data or not. The MiFi itself is pretty small, about 3" x 1.5" and less than half an inch thick. The battery should last about 4 -5 hours on one charge.

Hope this helps

Mal J.