Can I tether with Three Mobile Broadband SIM?

[Fourstar]

My parents are going away for a week and rather than pay the extortionate hotel WiFi fees using my old phone tethered to their laptop would be much cheaper.

Three do a SIM only PAYG Mobile broadband product with 1GB for £10.49.
http://store.three.co.uk/view/product/ql_catalog/threecatdevice/2454

I went into a Three shop earlier and they told me categorically that tethering is blocked on this plan and it would not work in the way I describe above. I would have to get a One plan, a bolt on or a USB dongle/MiFi device.

Later on I called up Three and they told me exactly the same thing.

Buying the SIM card and placing it in a USB dongle, dedicated MiFi or a phone is doing exactly the same thing and tethering the mobile broadband to a computer. Surely all or none should work?

 

[lsg1r]

Just grabbing a sim (mobile broadband type) should work, assuming phone is unlocked and able to tether etc.

I would guess three were trying to 'upsell' the other bits or maybe thought you were looking at a sim which focused more on calls than broadband.

Looks to me like you would need the £7.50 option on that link for 1gb

 

[Fourstar]

I would guess three were trying to 'upsell' the other bits or maybe thought you were looking at a sim which focused more on calls than broadband.

I bet I confused them by saying I wanted to use my mobile phone. Their training probably didn't distinguish between "phone" and "mobile broadband" tariffs.

They are right that on a phone tariff you can only tether with One or bolt ons. This is one of the reasons I went with giffgaff recently.

Think I'll just go back and buy one in the morning regardless of what they tell me.

 

[Marvin]

No-one's ever asked for that way round probably. Phone SIMs with unlimited data in MBB which have fixed data are restricted (besides One Plan), but not many would want to put a limited data SIM into a phone!

No reason why that way around shouldn't work that I can think of. Obviously requests can be used for phone SIMs in MBB, but the other way around would need to be as open as possible.

 

[Fourstar]

No-one's ever asked for that way round probably. Phone SIMs with unlimited data in MBB which have fixed data are restricted (besides One Plan), but not many would want to put a limited data SIM into a phone!

I bought a Three Mobile Broadband PAYG SIM this morning and it works fine for tethering.

The shop assistant (different shop this time) was again protesting it wouldn't work and couldn't comprehend my assertion that a phone can operate in exactly the same manner as the MiFi device they sell for £50.

To him the MiFi wasn't tethering. Only a phone can be tethered. They must really have had the phone = no tethering training drilled into them.

You are right that I'm probably the first person they've encountered doing this. There can't be many people with a suitable spare phone just to use as a modem.

 

[d_brennen]

Used my iPhone 3GS to tether on O2, who wanted an extra 5 or 10 quid a month to "allow" tethering

Used my Samsung SII in the same manner without problems even though it isn't really allowed

 

[Fourstar]

Used my iPhone 3GS to tether on O2, who wanted an extra 5 or 10 quid a month to "allow" tethering

Used my Samsung SII in the same manner without problems even though it isn't really allowed

I'm on Giffgaff who use the O2 network. Their policy is tethering is not allowed on AYCE data but detection hinges on you using more than they reasonably think you could use on a phone alone then giving you a warning. O2 may be the same.

Three are far more proactive and must use Deep Packet Inspection as lots of people complain of being blocked immediately if they try tethering on a non allowed tariff.

Virgin (EE) are in the midst of updating their policy and moving to ban tethering. They are also talking of new detection methods coming soon.

No idea about the other carriers.

I almost never need to tether but it's useful to have in an emergency.