UKH

I've finally run out of patience with Three - their 'customer service' has always been poor and is now Utter BILGE. For the last few years I've been using a small mobile wifi loaded up with 20GB of data each month to run my laptop. When that has occasionally run out I've used my phone data (also Three) as a mobile hotspot. I'm looking at getting a sim-only deal from a smaller provider (like iD Mobile) who piggyback on Three. Would I still be able to use my phone as a mobile hotspot to run my laptop (and ditch the wifi device altogether)? Thanks in anticipation.

In reply to Lankyman:

Yes hot hotspoting will work exactly the same, just costing a lot less.

Look on uSwitch as you can usually get better deals there. 

In reply to Jenny C:

Thanks. I've been looking on Money Saving Expert mostly (and directly at iD Mobile). Will check out uSwitch.

In reply to Lankyman:

Last time I looked you could get unlimited calls/texts and 60GB for about £10/month. Also generally a rolling monthly contract, so can move supplier or change package any time.

In reply to Jenny C:

I think 60GB is probably too much for my use? I was brought up to leave nothing on the plate so unused data would be like a knife to my heart. It looks (to me) like a 1-year deal works out at a reasonable rate - I've seen 25GB for £7/month with iD Mobile. That's about my current usage.

In reply to Lankyman:
I don’t use a phone as a hotspot very often now, but some thoughts, which maybe out of date, just in case they is important to you -

1. Phone battery will be used when it’s a hotspot so drain quicker.

2. You may not have full use of the phone for other things when it’s a hotspot (this may not apply to modern phones nowadays). On the other hand a separate data hotspot would allow multiple devices to connect (including your phone and if you don’t need a lot of data for it by itself when near the hotspot it could be cheaper overall?).

3. Some contracts used to ban tethering from phones completely (had to have a certain dearer contract to get tethering), or some permitted but slowed down data (throttling) if used too much in a certain time period and/or after a certain total usage in the contract (more so with “unlimited data”). Just check T&Cs before you sign up to see if it meets your needs.

4. Some companies allow unused data to roll over to next period if your usage varies a lot; might allow a smaller/cheaper package overall?). I “think” ID mobile do roll over ], as do EE, Sky, O2 and maybe others.

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Thanks. I've just been checking iD Mobiles website for some of the points you've raised. It looks like  their sim-only deals do allow hotspot usage to run other devices. I'm not too worried about the phone battery drain as it's very rare I take my laptop (the only device I connect to the phone) out of the house so charging the phone's not an issue. iD Mobile do say they roll over data. Some of their customer reviews are poor but mostly a helluva lot better than Three (who really are the pits). I'd also be paying less than half what I currently pay Three so looks like I'll be switching.

In reply to Lankyman:

Worth trying the comparison tool on "Moneysupermarket mobile phones" (you can filter to sim only) and mobiles.co.uk

Also worth considering waiting until Black Friday in late November because the last 4-5 years I used that website on Black Friday and always got (what I think) is a really good deal.

That mobiles.co.uk is crazy because they'll offer a deal through (say) Vodafone, or O2 which is literally a million times better than those companies can offer you directly, and as soon as you get the phone (or just SIM) through from mobiles.co.uk your relationship with them is over and you're just a normal O2 / vodafone / whoever customer like any other, except on a better deal.

edit: really makes me think that probably the vast majority of mobile phone contract holders are being properly ripped off and paying 20-400% more than they could be.

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Yes battery drain on the phone is an issue with using it as a hotspot. 

Not sure how they can stop you using your phone as a hotspot. Surely they will have no way of knowing if the data is being used by (or through) the phone?

In reply to elliot.baker:

Thanks. I used Moneysupermarket to get my car insurance recently (after finding GoCompare weren't coming up to scratch). My current main goto is Money Saving Expert which I've used for savings accounts deals and now probably for a SIM deal.

In reply to Jenny C:

I believe they do know about how the data is used. When a phone connects to the network it transmits its unique ID and that then determines whether data, mms, texts, voice are included in the contract and how much. The network will know that it phone form the IMEI number as opposed to say a dongle etc.

The details of how it fully works I don’t know, but when I was with a previous provider (who at that time did have some contracts that banned tethering, and currently still throttle data in some packages I understand) there were often posts on it’s forum about being found out and stopped or severely throttled, etc. Maybe things have moved on nowadays and no mobile provider is too bothered; sorry not checked T&Cs in recent years which is why I suggested OP check that the contract suits them.

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

I know nothing about how ISP etc work, so yes maybe you're right. I always assumed it was something they did to the handset to deactivate the option (like locking to only handsets to their network), which obviously wouldn't work if you are on a SIM only deal.

In reply to Lankyman:

I'm on a GiffGaff Golden goody bag (O2 network).  Rolling monthly top up 20GB data plus unlimited calls/texts for £10pcm.  As I run an online business I hotspot when on holiday/day trips as emails and checking the website are essential activities.  Never used the 20GB or even got close and I now have data on all the time.  I am careful if in a restaurant/ pub/ cafe to use their wifi though as I am old school and remember when this stuff cost a small fortune.

There is limited tech support as that is their thing, but the community support and a google search has always fixed my issues.  Support people frequent the forums too.  No longer have a landline 'phone just a fiber connection at home.

well after a year or so of lurking, i finally signed up today and immediately there is a topic to which i can contribute [unlike 99% of the others].  Shame it is not about climbing...

section 5.2 in the link below answers your question

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/148100/ofcom-approach-...

In summary, providers have to allow tethering, and cannot restrict your speed.  If you do not have an unlimited package, clearly that might get expensive.

In reply to tallsteve:

Thanks. I'm probably going to go with iD Mobile even though they piggy back on Three just because Three give better reception round here.

In reply to wittenham:

Thanks - welcome to the forums!