Using 3G - Which UK carrier to go with?

[StrickenBiged]

So I've been looking at connecting my Vita to 3G.  However, I doubt that the 3G will get tonnes of use, so I don't want to set up a contract.

 

The most common PAYG option seems to be 1GB for £10, but at the end of the month and unused data is lost!  I would rather avoid these kinds of deals as I anticipate that I won't use the 1GB in a month, and would rather not give the networks my money for nothing.  

 

However, the networks are all telling me that their systems can tell whether the SIM is put into a phone or not, and so a normal PAYG SIM, which lets you use all of the minutes/data/texts you paid for without expiring at the end of the month, wouldn't work in the Vita.

 

Does anyone have their Vita connected to 3G, and if so, which carrier do you use?  What's the deal like?

 

I'd like to do this to make some of the location based trophies easier, but its no biggie if its not possible.

 

Thanks.

[Dirty Stinking Hobo]

So I've been looking at connecting my Vita to 3G.  However, I doubt that the 3G will get tonnes of use, so I don't want to set up a contract.

 

The most common PAYG option seems to be 1GB for £10, but at the end of the month and unused data is lost!  I would rather avoid these kinds of deals as I anticipate that I won't use the 1GB in a month, and would rather not give the networks my money for nothing.  

 

However, the networks are all telling me that their systems can tell whether the SIM is put into a phone or not, and so a normal PAYG SIM, which lets you use all of the minutes/data/texts you paid for without expiring at the end of the month, wouldn't work in the Vita.

 

Does anyone have their Vita connected to 3G, and if so, which carrier do you use?  What's the deal like?

 

I'd like to do this to make some of the location based trophies easier, but its no biggie if its not possible.

 

Thanks.

 

Have you tried vodafone?

[Xxleonardo97xX]

Either Vodafone or MEO

[StrickenBiged]

 

Have you tried vodafone?

 

Yup.  They have the £10 for 1GB, but left-over data expires at the end of the month.  If I can find an option where they won't expire my data then I might go with them.

 

Either Vodafone or MEO

 

MEO?  Never heard of them, and can't find them online.  Who're they?  Maybe not operating in the UK?

 

 

 

Generally - I just ordered a free SIM from Tesco Mobile, which I might try when it arrives in the post in a few days.  The guy on the customer service chat thing seemed to think that it would work...  

 

But if anyone has got one up and running please let me know.

 

Thanks again.

[Dirty Stinking Hobo]

Yup.  They have the £10 for 1GB, but left-over data expires at the end of the month.  If I can find an option where they won't expire my data then I might go with them.

 

 

MEO?  Never heard of them, and can't find them online.  Who're they?  Maybe not operating in the UK?

 

 

 

Generally - I just ordered a free SIM from Tesco Mobile, which I might try when it arrives in the post in a few days.  The guy on the customer service chat thing seemed to think that it would work...  

 

But if anyone has got one up and running please let me know.

 

Thanks again.

 

If you can any sim, I think three has that "All you can eat data" plan. I don't know if it's compatible with the Vita 3G tho. Also Vodafone's plan is bad but I think they are the only one offering something that work on the Vita 3G.

[Nasty_Rory]

I used to just pull the sim from my phone and stick it into the Vita, but that was a pain in the arse.

The Vita seemed to self regulate and stop using the service once it crossed 20MB per day.

So now I set my phone up as a wifi hotspot, set a password and connect the vita that way.

This way I dont have to worry about multiple sims and I have never got within consumption of half my phone data allowance 2GB per month anyway.

[StrickenBiged]

If you can any sim, I think three has that "All you can eat data" plan. I don't know if it's compatible with the Vita 3G tho. Also Vodafone's plan is bad but I think they are the only one offering something that work on the Vita 3G.

 

Yeah, I get all you can eat data - my phone is through 3.  I might see if Nasty_Rory's idea works...  Other providers work apparently, although Voda was the "preferred partner" when the console launched.  I think the situation was different in the states where you had to go with AT&T or something...

 

I used to just pull the sim from my phone and stick it into the Vita, but that was a pain in the arse.

The Vita seemed to self regulate and stop using the service once it crossed 20MB per day.

So now I set my phone up as a wifi hotspot, set a password and connect the vita that way.

This way I dont have to worry about multiple sims and I have never got within consumption of half my phone data allowance 2GB per month anyway.

 

My phone SIM won't fit as its a small one.

 

I will try tethering later, but I have a suspicion that 3 have blocked it on my contract.  Thanks for the tip, I had forgotten this was possible!

[FleaSixty]

Virgin Media, monthly rolling contract that includes unlimited calls, texts and data for £15 a month, You won't get cheaper than that. I have a wifi vita though, so I just set my phone up as a hotspot and connect via that while out and about. 

Edited April 3, 2014 by FleaSixty

[Dirty Stinking Hobo]

Yeah, I get all you can eat data - my phone is through 3.  I might see if Nasty_Rory's idea works...  Other providers work apparently, although Voda was the "preferred partner" when the console launched.  I think the situation was different in the states where you had to go with AT&T or something...

 

 

My phone SIM won't fit as its a small one.

 

I will try tethering later, but I have a suspicion that 3 have blocked it on my contract.  Thanks for the tip, I had forgotten this was possible!

 

Yea three is better for connection but I don't think online gaming works proplery. 

[malo898]

I got a PAYG 3 sim for my vita. I put £10 on it when i got it and am just using it as credit. I think they charge 1p a MB. I've had my vita for nearly a year and so far I've spent £1.10 of my credit! the best thing about 3 is my credit will never expire. 

 

I tried vodafone and giffgaff but there internet was shit. i never got a H or 3G signal with them.

[StrickenBiged]

I got a PAYG 3 sim for my vita. I put £10 on it when i got it and am just using it as credit. I think they charge 1p a MB. I've had my vita for nearly a year and so far I've spent £1.10 of my credit! the best thing about 3 is my credit will never expire.

I tried vodafone and giffgaff but there internet was shit. i never got a H or 3G signal with them.

You got a good deal then, cuz I went to them first and they told me that the only PAYG option for Vita was to buy the £10 for 1GB, but that any remaining credit would expire after a month. When I pointed out that I was anticipating minimal usage, so most of that 1GB would lapse, they seemed unapologetic.

WTF happened to getting what you pay for with mobile? It was simple when I was a kid: I topped up my phone, and that bought me a certain amount of credit. When I used the credit up, I had to top up again. But no... now any unused credit lapses, forcing you to top up again. When the F did consumers become ok with this rip off?

I'm hoping the guy I spoke to at Tesco Mobile knew what he was talking about, and that the SIM they're sending works.

P.S. I just tried tethering. As soon as I turned the option on on my phone, I got a text from 3 informing me that I hadn't paid for tethering. Lol.

[malo898]

You got a good deal then, cuz I went to them first and they told me that the only PAYG option for Vita was to buy the £10 for 1GB, but that any remaining credit would expire after a month. When I pointed out that I was anticipating minimal usage, so most of that 1GB would lapse, they seemed unapologetic.

WTF happened to getting what you pay for with mobile? It was simple when I was a kid: I topped up my phone, and that bought me a certain amount of credit. When I used the credit up, I had to top up again. But no... now any unused credit lapses, forcing you to top up again. When the F did consumers become ok with this rip off?

I'm hoping the guy I spoke to at Tesco Mobile knew what he was talking about, and that the SIM they're sending works.

P.S. I just tried tethering. As soon as I turned the option on on my phone, I got a text from 3 informing me that I hadn't paid for tethering. Lol.

you can still get the deal im on. i just got a normal phone sim and put that in and it works fine. as long as you dont buy any ADD-ONs then it just uses your credit at 1p a MB. ADD-ONs expire after 30 days but your credit never expires.

 

heres a link http://www.three.co.uk/Store/Pay_As_You_Go_Price_Plans

[StrickenBiged]

you can still get the deal im on. i just got a normal phone sim and put that in and it works fine. as long as you dont buy any ADD-ONs then it just uses your credit at 1p a MB. ADD-ONs expire after 30 days but your credit never expires.

 

heres a link http://www.three.co.uk/Store/Pay_As_You_Go_Price_Plans

 

Huh, that's the exact one I spoke to them about and they said would be able to detect whether it was inserted into a phone or not, and wouldn't work with other devices.  Maybe they were confused and only meant the initial activation had to be with a phone...?

 

I might go in again then on the weekend and ask them to put a SIM in my Vita to see if it works.  They must have an activated one lying around.

 

Thanks man.

Edited April 4, 2014 by StrickenBiged

[malo898]

Huh, that's the exact one I spoke to them about and they said would be able to detect whether it was inserted into a phone or not, and wouldn't work with other devices.  Maybe they were confused and only meant the initial activation had to be with a phone...?

 

I might go in again then on the weekend and ask them to put a SIM in my Vita to see if it works.  They must have an activated one lying around.

 

Thanks man.

your welcome

I'd just order one online mate its completely free. they don't know what they're talking about in the shop or they're trying to sell you something you don't need. 

when you get it pop it in your vita and see if you get a signal before topping up. you might have to change some settings cant remember just google it if you do.

[Nasty_Rory]

P.S. I just tried tethering. As soon as I turned the option on on my phone, I got a text from 3 informing me that I hadn't paid for tethering. Lol.

I dont understand this. What the fuck does it matter to any mobile company if you use your phone as a wifi hotspot and tether another device to it?

You are paying for the internet ability of the phone, its down to you as the customer how you use it.

I have had phones in the past that were not capable of tethering and even one that straight out of the box was consuming 100mb of data a day (never worked out why, got that one replaced in under a week!)

But, I have never been told by my service provider (either O2 or Orange/EE) that I couldnt do it.

[StrickenBiged]

I dont understand this. What the fuck does it matter to any mobile company if you use your phone as a wifi hotspot and tether another device to it?

You are paying for the internet ability of the phone, its down to you as the customer how you use it.

I have had phones in the past that were not capable of tethering and even one that straight out of the box was consuming 100mb of data a day (never worked out why, got that one replaced in under a week!)

But, I have never been told by my service provider (either O2 or Orange/EE) that I couldnt do it.

 

Well, I think its so that you don't overload their system.  With my contract on 3, I get unlimited data.  I think they worry that, if I tethered it, then I could use the phone to download much bigger files to a laptop or other device than would be typical use for a smart-phone.  If they allowed everyone to do this, their network would quickly be overloaded by the minority of customers, ruining it for everyone.

[Nasty_Rory]

Well, I think its so that you don't overload their system.  With my contract on 3, I get unlimited data.  I think they worry that, if I tethered it, then I could use the phone to download much bigger files to a laptop or other device than would be typical use for a smart-phone.  If they allowed everyone to do this, their network would quickly be overloaded by the minority of customers, ruining it for everyone.

You would still be restricted to the capacity of the signal you had. When you can stream youtube and live tv to your phone you are consuming lots of data in a short space of time, and I have seen people stream whole movies to their phone on a train.

Even if you were to dl 10Gb through your phone for one file its going to take quite some time to do that. I think its just arseholeism on behalf of 3.

Its like buying a tv and being told you can only watch the first 10 channels and you cant put the volume above 7.

[StrickenBiged]

your welcome

I'd just order one online mate its completely free. they don't know what they're talking about in the shop or they're trying to sell you something you don't need. 

when you get it pop it in your vita and see if you get a signal before topping up. you might have to change some settings cant remember just google it if you do.

 

Just to provide some resolution to this thread, this ^^ worked.

 

The standard "3/2/1" PAYG SIM from 3 works fine.  The guys in the store and on their customer support either don't know what they're talking about or were trying to sell me something I don't need.

 

Thanks for all the help everyone.

[malo898]

glad you got it sorted mate