topic Re: Data only SIMs in Archived Posts

Data only SIMs

MWwoman — Wed, 27 May 2020 15:53:35 GMT

We have a "data only" SIM in a TP-LINK router, which provides us with our home broadband. It works fine. The only problem is that we're capped at 50GB/month, and with the advent of covid-19 and Zoom conferences this is no longer enough. We were able to buy one 10GB extension, but we're now nearly through that and the system won't let us buy any more. In an (annoying) conversation with an EE telephone advisor we were told that if we totally exhausted our quota (50 + 10 extension) we would then be able to buy another extension - but that's no use if you're in the middle of a video conference!

So, we'd like to increase our monthly quota. But we're having terrible trouble trying to do this. We did see what looked like a good deal - unlimited GB for £34 a month - but when we tried to get this, the advisor told us it probably wouldn't work in a router as it was really designed for a mobile 'phone! Can anybody comment on the truth, or otherwise, of this?

The deal we saw is at -

https://shop.ee.co.uk/mobile-phone-deals/sim-only-deals

Re: Data only SIMs

MWwoman — Tue, 26 May 2020 08:41:56 GMT

Hi there, I have the same problem. I have already bought one 10 GB add-on this month, but I now need another one for a video conference this evening. The normal Buy Data page isn't offering me the option of buying another add-on. Help!

Re: Data only SIMs

Christopher_G — Tue, 26 May 2020 08:53:49 GMT

Hi @MWwoman

Welcome to the community.

Could you check which options are available in your My EE account?

Chris

Re: Data only SIMs

MWwoman — Tue, 26 May 2020 09:01:43 GMT

Hi Chris, thanks for that. I've just checked on My EE and it's saying "there are no add-ons available for this plan".

This is the first time I've tried to buy extra data more than once in the same month (I'm on a 50 GB a month allowance) - is there a block on going back for more than one top up in the same month?

Re: Data only SIMs

Christopher_G — Tue, 26 May 2020 09:05:07 GMT

Do you have an active spend cap, @MWwoman?

Chris

Re: Data only SIMs

MWwoman — Tue, 26 May 2020 09:30:15 GMT

Hi Chris, thanks for suggesting that. I've just checked that out and we did have one, which I've removed. I'll give it some more time and then try again.

Re: Data only SIMs

Christopher_G — Tue, 26 May 2020 09:36:27 GMT

Brilliant, @MWwoman.

Let me know if it works please. 🙂

Chris

Re: Data only SIMs

MWwoman — Tue, 26 May 2020 09:55:21 GMT

No joy, alas - the Buy Data page is still not giving me the option of buying another add-on

Re: Data only SIMs

Christopher_G — Tue, 26 May 2020 10:44:14 GMT

OK thanks for trying, @MWwoman

It may be worth speaking to our Mobile Care team so that they can find out why you're not able to purchase an add-on and see what's available from our side.

Chris

Re: Data only SIMs

XRaySpeX — Wed, 27 May 2020 16:39:00 GMT

@MWwoman wrote:

We did see what looked like a good deal - unlimited GB for £34 a month - but when we tried to get this, the advisor told us it probably wouldn't work in a router as it was really designed for a mobile 'phone! Can anybody comment on the truth, or otherwise, of this?

That is balderdash! Networks are not allowed to restrict which devices you can put any SIM in. It breaks all Net-Neutrality rules.

Re: Data only SIMs

bristolian — Wed, 27 May 2020 16:48:01 GMT

@MWwoman While I don't know the answer for sure, my educated guess would be on similar lines to @XRaySpeX - the plan may not be intended for use in a router, MBB device or similar, but so long as your SIM physically fits I don't see any reason it shouldn't work. The fact that it comes with a voice call allowance or capability, could just be viewed as "immaterial".

Re: Data only SIMs

MWwoman — Wed, 27 May 2020 19:51:01 GMT

Thanks for the feedback. We've found that a neighbour is doing similar to us, just a SIM he's stuck in a router and all is well. I assume, from what you've said, that there's no such thing as a "router SIM"? A SIM is a SIM is a SIM?

FWIW, neighbour was paying £60 for 200GB/month. He rang up and they offered him unlimited for £30! That's what we'd like 🙂

Re: Data only SIMs

XRaySpeX — Wed, 27 May 2020 20:59:30 GMT

@MWwoman : Sort of! There's usually :

Phone SIMs with data, calls & texts allowances.
Data SIMs with only data allowances.

Some Data SIMs that EE sells, with the most data, are only provided for its better routers. That's why many mobile BB router users are going for the unlimited data phone SIMs.

Re: Data only SIMs

XRaySpeX — Wed, 27 May 2020 21:03:30 GMT

@bristolian wrote:

The fact that it comes with a voice call allowance or capability, could just be viewed as "immaterial".

You couldn't say the same for its text capability, as most MBB routers can do SMS.

Re: Data only SIMs

MWwoman — Wed, 27 May 2020 22:44:33 GMT

Just tried ringing the SIM's number - "the number you called is busy, to use ringback please ..."

Then sent it a text message - this worked fine. I could read the message on the router's control page. Then sent a text message from the router, using the control page again, to my mobile 'phone and this too worked fine.

Guess that means our current SIM has minutes, text and data, i.e. it's a regular mobile 'phone SIM?

We could stick the SIM in a mobile 'phone, but a little reluctant to do that in case something gets confused somewhere and we lose our internet connectivity!

Re: Data only SIMs

XRaySpeX — Thu, 28 May 2020 00:55:57 GMT

@MWwoman wrote:

Guess that means our current SIM has minutes, text and data, i.e. it's a regular mobile 'phone SIM?

Not quite, again! All SIMs are capable of making calls & texts and using data when the device they are in has the ability to do the same. The distinction lies in whether the plan on the SIM includes allowances for doing these things. If it doesn't have allowances for calls or texts you can still make them but you will charged at standard rates for making them.

You will find you have been charged about 16p for sending a text from your data SIM to a mobile. You can send free texts to 150 with any of its code words.

There is no harm in putting the SIM in a mobile phone & then bringing it back to the router. Use of it a phone will just consume its allowances or be charged outside the allowances.

Re: Data only SIMs

MWwoman — Thu, 28 May 2020 15:02:57 GMT

Well, we finally got through to somebody at EE who knew what's what and they upgraded our current plan to unlimited data. Same SIM, so hopefully it'll all just work. Some of the online reporting seems a little muddled - it's currently telling us that our plan runs from 2018-2019! Hopefully it'll all sort itself out in the next day or so. If not you'll probably hear me screaming!

Thanks to all for the advice given - the heads-up on Net-Neutrality was very useful.

Re: Data only SIMs

XRaySpeX — Thu, 28 May 2020 16:12:55 GMT

Thanks! You're welcome 🙂 ! Glad I could be of assistance & it is now sorted.

Re: Data only SIMs

nbphil — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 13:01:21 GMT

Beware that there is a limit of 12 devices on the unlimited data phone sims when used in a router.

I have a second phone sim on my account which I use in a mobile broadband device on our boat. I can gift up to 100GB of data to it from my main phone sim. However as we are are now using the sim in a router when at home the 100GB will not be quite enough. I was going to upgrade it to unlimited data but although the fair usuge limit is 1000GB there is a limit of 12 devices, which will not be enough at home. So I am going to have to go for a 200GB sim and get another router whether I want it or not. Just trying to work out the benefits of the 4GEE Home Router 2 over the previous model. The EE website gives no information as why this might be worth paying more for.