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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Diamond Black Geezer on 02 June 2025, 22:29:44

Title: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: Diamond Black Geezer on 02 June 2025, 22:29:44
After a 4G router as I'm living 'off grid ' to an extent, so no chance of getting a phone line to me where I am

Also o2 will only offer me a paltry contract deal after a mere 24yrs loyal custom. I'm on 600mins, unlimited texts and 1gig data.

Anyone know of anything out there?
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 02 June 2025, 22:58:51
Consider looking at the comparison sites like U Switch.

Lots of different deals out there. :y
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 02 June 2025, 23:05:52
I find Lebara (Vodafone) hard to beat for mobiles.
A fiver a month for calls / texts, and iirc 4gb of data. Which is far more than I will ever need.
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: LC0112G on 02 June 2025, 23:06:20
I have one of these...

https://www.johnlewis.com/tp-link-m7350-4g-lte-mobile-wi-fi-router/p3129652?s_ppc=2dx_mixed_technology_BAU&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gad_source=1

Works OK in the UK, Europe and Australia. Does NOT work in the USA (different frequency band plan). You need to put a SIM Card in it and it works as a WIFI hotspot that your computer can connect to. Has an internal battery which lasts a few hours, and is recharged via a USB connection.

I've also got one of these...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196837829679

It's basically a USB dongle that you can plug into a USB socket on your PC to make it 4G data capable. Again, works OK in UK, Europe and Australia, but NOT in the USA.

As for SIMs, no idea. I just buy £10 3 Sims which last a month and give you 10GB of data more or less worldwide.
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 02 June 2025, 23:45:23
https://www.three.co.uk/broadband/home-broadband

No good if you can't get a 3 signal tho....  ;D
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 03 June 2025, 00:04:37
https://www.three.co.uk/broadband/home-broadband

No good if you can't get a 3 signal tho....  ;D
That should get worse now they're part of Vodafone >:D
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: Diamond Black Geezer on 03 June 2025, 09:43:32
This is all great, thanks all. Keep it coming!

Will have a research when the boss is out. (I have to rob work's internet currently!)
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: TheBoy on 03 June 2025, 17:02:24
I'm with Evil Everywhere, unlimited everything, and free EU unlimited roaming.

In the UK, its a bit shit, but then I don't pay for it.
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 03 June 2025, 20:14:07
I'm with Evil Everywhere, unlimited everything, and free EU unlimited roaming.

In the UK, its a bit shit, but then I don't pay for it.
I left them because they kept charging me for roaming in countries they didn't cover just because I flew over them... Canada being a prime example.
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: zirk on 03 June 2025, 20:44:46
After a 4G router as I'm living 'off grid ' to an extent, so no chance of getting a phone line to me where I am

Also o2 will only offer me a paltry contract deal after a mere 24yrs loyal custom. I'm on 600mins, unlimited texts and 1gig data.

Anyone know of anything out there?
First thing I would say is source and buy your own Router 4G / 5G CPE, then go down an SIM Only option on Pay Monthly or Upfront SIM Payment, rather than go down the SIM and Router together option, it will work out cheaper long run and will give you better options for early upgrade of hardware or adding external Antennas etc. also some of the Network Routers could be SIM Network locked (Routers do not fall under the same rules of New Phones must now be Network UnLocked) also Network Branded Routers will almost in most cases be Firmware Locked to the Network, main reason is so the End User can't mess or twerk with it too much and gives the Network easier Support for the Hardware.

5G CPE Routers are fairly cheap to pick up second hand but make sure where possible you selected an Network Free and not a a network Branded Model, also try and source a CPE that has external Antenna options if your looking at ling term use.

SIM Only wise your really looking at Contract or or Bulk Pay in Advance, you can get Data Only Sims but its sometimes cheaper to get a bundled Phone SIM with bundled Mins and Text and just use the Data.

Also worth pointing out that a lot of these Unlimited Data deals from the Network can have limitations if or once you've hit Thier FUP (fair use policy), example EE Network will slow you down once you hit 600Gbs in any month.

Also try and get a SIM that is not Speed Capped, so Unlimited Speed but rember you may get hit with Speed on the FUPs.

CPE Router wise I would be looking at Huawei, Zyxel, ZTE, Nokia and Oppo to name a few as good budget starters, personally I would go Huawei, there Equipment is well designed and made and have been in the game a long time. Just stay away from the unknown cheap Chinese Tat that your probably come across

Go for Unlocked 5G CPE Router any good makes will fall back to 4G+ as the CAT rating will or should be higher than CAT18 which is really the bare minimum Rating now for CPE Routers
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 04 June 2025, 08:10:04
I'm with Evil Everywhere, unlimited everything, and free EU unlimited roaming.

In the UK, its a bit shit, but then I don't pay for it.

We are seeing interesting results with EE, coverage is not what they market it as  :-X
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 04 June 2025, 08:19:08
It's always been x percent of population coverage rather than land coverage.
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 04 June 2025, 08:35:47
It's always been x percent of population coverage rather than land coverage.

Yes but the results we are seeing is it also does not cover x percent of the population either......
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: TheBoy on 06 June 2025, 08:00:55
It's always been x percent of population coverage rather than land coverage.
Apart from EE, because they have the ESN, they have to approach 100% 4G coverage of the UK landmass.  Admittedly, ESN has a higher priority on cell sites so can grab a signal when non prioritised handsets have none.

But the kindest thing I can say about Evil Everywhere is that it's signal is "variable" ;D.  Its mostly better than Three in most places and mostly better than Voda in the Home Counties north of London, usually on par or just below VMO2.

In places where it can get a strong (full 5 bar) signal that has genuine SA 5G, it's quick enough though, knocking on the door of 1Gb down, and around 150Mb up.  The asymmetrical nature is making it less useful for a home broadband though, especially with many working from home, and/or the amount of cloud storage we all use.
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: TheBoy on 06 June 2025, 08:03:20
example EE Network will slow you down once you hit 600Gbs in any month.
I'm guessing this could depend on the contract, as I don't appear to suffer that, although this month could be interesting as I reckon I did 200+GB roaming in the last week ;D
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: zirk on 06 June 2025, 15:49:07
example EE Network will slow you down once you hit 600Gbs in any month.
I'm guessing this could depend on the contract, as I don't appear to suffer that, although this month could be interesting as I reckon I did 200+GB roaming in the last week ;D
It depends how old or when you started the Contract, if your on an old one then you can just fill your boots with unlimited Data and no Speed Capping, All new'ish Unlimited Plans now have the 600gb per month Speed Capping, I think the UL Speed Capping thing kicked in around the same time EE decided to take away Free Roaming, so what's that, 3 years ago maybe.

Having said all that, EE's Speed Capping after the 600gb+ pm is actually done by switching off your 5G access untill your monthly refresh date, even though your Phone will still display 5G, so most folk don't notice as they still have UL Data but only on 4G+ etc, which is good enough really on the EE Network
Title: Re: Any internet or phone deals?
Post by: TheBoy on 07 June 2025, 19:38:02
Most of EE's 5G outside of cities is 4.5G anyway.

I'm on a bit of a unique contract with EE, so what I get might not be available to most.