Just tried to upgrade my 3G dongle to 4G and failed miserably, because I
don't have a smart phone. Been with 3G for 4 years. I gave up trying to
make sense of someone in that India who can barely speak English, who
could not upgrade me because I can't read a security text to a mobile
number that I haven't got on a phone.

So..... cancelled the 3G DD.

Got on to EE. Spoke to a very nice Welch lady who was very patient with
me, and because I couldn't open a shared screen to read the contract,
read it all out aloud to me.

Consequently I now have two 4G dongles coming tomorrow, free delivery,
unlimited usage, one for me and one for the X^5, for when we go AWOL.

So far I have found all dealings with EE very helpful.

I'm glad Plusnet transferred me! Mind you they weren't bad either. I
might have been speaking to an Indian with them, but at least he was
resident in Sheffield and spoke Yorkshire.

Tone

On 15/02/2024 15:20, Hymermut wrote:
> Just tried to upgrade my 3G dongle to 4G and failed miserably, because I
> don't have a smart phone. Been with 3G for 4 years. I gave up trying to
> make sense of someone in that India who can barely speak English, who
> could not upgrade me because I can't read a security text to a mobile
> number that I haven't got on a phone.

You should have been able to access the texts on your Three dongle by
connecting it to your pooter? BUT I gave up with them after a few months
because the particular place I wanted to use it was apparently "in the
middle of a canal!". Yes, I said, that's exactly where I am...

> So..... cancelled the 3G DD.

They cancelled my contract cos they couldn't supply the service. It took
a total of nearly 8 hours on the phone to India for about 7 hours and
then the last bit they escalated to somewhere in Scotland and their
'highest level technical support' and was sorted very quickly.

> Got on to EE. Spoke to a very nice Welch lady who was very patient with
> me, and because I couldn't open a shared screen to read the contract,
> read it all out aloud to me.

I was with Orange before Three - never had a problem that they couldn't
readily fix. It helped having a call centre in Glasgow or nearby...

> So far I have found all dealings with EE very helpful.

I returned to Orange and was moved to EE. Likewise always helpful. The
last call centre I had to call turn ed out to be in Ireland somewhere..

Still happy - less so swmbo - who is with three and only gets a 3G
signal on her 4G phones :-/

Chris

On 15/02/2024 16:36, chrisnd@privacy.net wrote:
> On 15/02/2024 15:20, Hymermut wrote:
>> Just tried to upgrade my 3G dongle to 4G and failed miserably, because
>> I don't have a smart phone. Been with 3G for 4 years. I gave up trying
>> to make sense of someone in that India who can barely speak English,
>> who could not upgrade me because I can't read a security text to a
>> mobile number that I haven't got on a phone.
>
> You should have been able to access the texts on your Three dongle by
> connecting it to your pooter? BUT I gave up with them after a few months
> because the particular place I wanted to use it was apparently "in the
> middle of a canal!". Yes, I said, that's exactly where I am...
>
>> So..... cancelled the 3G DD.
>
> They cancelled my contract cos they couldn't supply the service. It took
> a total of nearly 8 hours on the phone to India for about 7 hours and
> then the last bit they escalated to somewhere in Scotland and their
> 'highest level technical support' and was sorted very quickly.
>
>> Got on to EE. Spoke to a very nice Welch lady who was very patient
>> with me, and because I couldn't open a shared screen to read the
>> contract, read it all out aloud to me.
>
> I was with Orange before Three - never had a problem that they couldn't
> readily fix. It helped having a call centre in Glasgow or nearby...
>
>> So far I have found all dealings with EE very helpful.
>
> I returned to Orange and was moved to EE. Likewise always helpful. The
> last call centre I had to call turn ed out to be in Ireland somewhere..
>
> Still happy - less so swmbo - who is with three and only gets a 3G
> signal on her 4G phones :-/
>

I have that problem, too. I have two Lumia 650s, one on 3 which gets 3G
only, and one on Lebara (Vodaphone) that connects on 4G. However, when I
go to my brother's place in Tadcaster, my 3 SIM gets a 4G signal. So I
conclude that even given 3's adverts, I must be in a 4G "hole". 3G is
enough for me to run a wireless hotspot though which I can connect my
Roku box, internet radio etc. 9.6Mbps down, 1.7Mbps up.

--
Chris Elvidge, England
I WILL NOT BRING SHEEP TO CLASS

Hymermut wrote:

> I now have two 4G dongles coming tomorrow

Nothing wrong with 4G, but most notjbexs are no more zbarlous for 5G now.

chrisnd@privacy.net wrote:

> swmbo - who is with three and only gets a 3G signal on her 4G phones

Oh, does she know that 3G is for the chop by the end of the year?

<https://www.three.co.uk/support/network-and-coverage/our-plans-to-switch-off-3g>

On 16/02/2024 03:51, Tease'n'Seize wrote:
>chrisnd@privacy.net wrote:
>
>> swmbo - who is with three and only gets a 3G signal on her 4G phones
>
>Oh, does she know that 3G is for the chop by the end of the year?

Oh yes. It will be 'intetesting' :-\

Chris

On 16/02/2024 09:23, chrisnd @ukrm wrote:
> On 16/02/2024 03:51, Tease'n'Seize wrote:
>> chrisnd@privacy.net wrote:
>>
>>> swmbo - who is with three and only gets a 3G signal on her 4G phones
>>
>> Oh, does she know that 3G is for the chop by the end of the year?
>
> Oh yes. It will be 'intetesting' :-\
>
> Chris
>
>
The 3G only problem might be due to the age of her SIM.

3 will send her a 4G capable SIM for SFP. There are very few devices
still in use which do not support 4G, and all networks transparently
support 4G, whether they are nominally 4G or 5G. All 5G devices support 4G.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.

On 16/02/2024 09:57, John Williamson wrote:
> On 16/02/2024 09:23, chrisnd @ukrm wrote:
>> On 16/02/2024 03:51, Tease'n'Seize wrote:
>>> chrisnd@privacy.net wrote:
>>>
>>>> swmbo - who is with three and only gets a 3G signal on her 4G phones
>>>
>>> Oh, does she know that 3G is for the chop by the end of the year?
>>
>> Oh yes. It will be 'intetesting' :-\
>>
>> Chris
>>
>>
> The 3G only problem might be due to the age of her SIM.
>
> 3 will send her a 4G capable SIM for SFP. There are very few devices
> still in use which do not support 4G, and all networks transparently
> support 4G, whether they are nominally 4G or 5G. All 5G devices support 4G.

Interesting. She was sent another sim but declined to put it in whilst
everything was working...

It will be my first suggestion when/if things stop working.
Actually my second, I have previously suggested she contact Three with
the current issue - but it didn't happen. Neither of us like to change
things that (mostly) work!

Chris