Update:

Home now and of course the minute I switched the damn thing on in this country it was all working fine so must have been something to do with the roaming settings in the unit. Anyway, it's all sorted now - I've just took it back to Argos and got my money back!

Reading on the net now that I have the time, MiFi units do have have one serious downside compared to 3G direct to the unit - be it a phone or tablet as, and I can verify this, you can specify the 3G data usage on the 3G phone/tablet i.e. Just 3G data usage for say, emails, WhatsApp, FaceTime etc and it will only use 3G data for those applications. If you are tethering to a MiFi unit, the tethered phone or tablet is then deemed to be working on wifi and unless you are in control of the settings of every unit that is tethered to the MiFi, they will quickly gobble up the data as any apps or updates automatically download on a wifi connection. I wondered why those £5/300Mb add-ons to my mobile were being eaten up fast considering I was just browsing and checking emails - the two iPads and the other iPhone that were tethered to them were auto updating their apps like crazy over the 'wifi' connection. Live and learn!

As I still have the 'Three' 12Gb data sim with 'at home' use while abroad (which is valid for 12 months), plan B, which really should have been plan A, is now in operation. I've just slipped the sim card into my old 3G iPad, enabled roaming and will take that with me and leave my iPad Air 2 at home. I'll find out if that works in Europe in July although I have used UK SIM cards in that iPad years ago when roaming in Spain without any bother.

I'll update this if and when it works! Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

I went in to the Three shop over the weekend to get a sim for my new (to me) mifi.
Apparently Three have stopped you using PAYG data only sim's away from the UK but haven't had a chance to corroborate this yet, the bloke in the shop didn't know what the score was if you already had a PAYG sim... 2000 Xei 1.8 gone
2004 HSE Td4 Auto, MT's, sump guard, sliderz - gone
2014 GS Man - AT's, Mantec Sump guard and tank guard, split charger in boot, towbar, work in progress...

Not according to their web site

Click image to enlarge

..Or their web chat operator 10 minutes ago.

Click image to enlarge

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

Just an update on this - I'm having another go at it this year. Picked up a 'Three' mifi unit from Currys yesterday. £35 including a 1Gb data sim which is valid for 30 days from when you first use it. 'Three' data sims can be used in most of Europe. Been using it fine with what's left on last years sim - still had 10.5 Gb out of the original 12Gb but it expires on the day before we go away this year. A new 12Gb sim arrived today - cost me £25 off of eBay. Very neat little mifi unit and takes up to 5 wifi connections plus 1 USB connected PC. It can run for up to 6 hours on the internal battery or full time if you leaved it plugged in to the charger cable. Only 3G but I don't think they have 4g in a lot of the places that I'm likely to be using it.






All that remains to be seen is how good it works in Spain in a few weeks time but I won't be getting caught out this time - I'm taking my old 3G iPad with me so if it doesn't work, I can pop the sim into that.

Oh, and when I was on to my mobile provider yesterday (EE) asking for a PAC code so that I could join 'Three' so that I could use my data/call/text allowance abroad, they told me not to bother as ALL mobiles will be able to use their data/call/text allowance abroad at no extra cost from June 16th this year. About time!  Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

I went to France last year, set my (contract) phone to roaming (under Virgin Mobile) could NOT make a call for 2 months ...... but could receive calls !
I visited France Orange shop (Orange is the network provider for their Virgin VPN) ....couldn't help with a fix .....
....... could use my 'Unlimited' WiFi, so Whats App came in handy. even managed to watch the F1 using Mobdro ........ except when in Monaco ....... where I watched it live !!!!! ..... just by the Swimming Pool

Unfortunately, you don't get to see how it works ...... until you are there !!

Virgin Mobile could give NO explanation why I could not make calls, but I could receive them

Aha! The Monaco F1 is on while we are away in Spain. If it's not on the satellite, I should be able to watch it on Mobdro on my Fire tablet and 3G wifi. Better still, I'll pop,over the complex and hook up onto their free wif.  Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

A few years ago I spent 4 months in Europe, no phone, no GPS, no computer. Paper maps only. Brilliant, peace & quiet for the whole holiday. Last year the same peace & quiet in outback Australia!

After 4 months of not using a keyboard, it feels very strange. Took a few days to get accustomed to it again. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

No internet for 4 months? I couldn't go 4 hours! Just using up all my remaining data by linking it to my fire stick and watching a film. Works well. I might even take the firestick away with me as well to see if I can watch Kodi/Mobdro in Spain. Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Steve D wrote:

....
All that remains to be seen is how good it works in Spain in a few weeks time but I won't be getting caught out this time - I'm taking my old 3G iPad with me so if it doesn't work, I can pop the sim into that....

Well, we got here last night and it works bloody brilliantly! I've got two iPads, two iPhones and a Fire tablet running off of it. Speeds not too bad either. Brought my fire TV stick but out can't use it as the telly in the villa doesn't have an HDMI input.

I'll have to look into buying an unlocked unit or one locked to a data provider over here that can run on a Spanish sim that we can leave over here for the rest of the family to use.


 Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.