"I have Plusnet for phone and FTTC at about 1km straight-line from the
nearest Cabinet. I plan to rely totally on a mobile using a *smart
phone as a wifi hotspot. Unlimited calls/texts and some data for, at
least for a while, 49p/month! Long term, for less than £5 a month - way
less than Plusnet's £25+ offer to renew.

"Incidentally, Plusnet are offering me Data only - but it costs more
than data + telephone. Perhaps I've missed something?

"My latest Plusnet profile is 9Mbps. It drops to about 3MBps at busy
times. Way less than the "expected 16 to 31 Mbps" estimate at the last
Plusnet renewal. The mobile does data at about 14 - 15 Mbps.

"This is from August onwards. O2(Lycamobile) and Vodaphone(Lebara)'s 4G
one-bar signal holds up in the house. Better Mbps upstairs than down**.
Wifi works throughout the house with the smart phone at the point of
best 4G signal.

"Can anyone see any problems I haven't thought of?"

Just thought of a possible problem.

What will my SAMSUNG S5s do when 3G is switched off?

At present, the S5 falls back to 3G - which only (at present) means that
the Data rate drops back from 14Mbps to about 3Mbps. But with 3G gone?

PA

Talkmobile 70G, monthly contract @ £9.95/mo ordered today. Plusnet will
disconnect 2nd August 2023.

Peter Able wrote:

> What will my SAMSUNG S5s do when 3G is switched off?
> At present, the S5 falls back to 3G - which only (at present) means that
> the Data rate drops back from 14Mbps to about 3Mbps.  But with 3G gone?

The phone is 4G capable, no coverage in your area?

If it can't get 4G, and 3G is gone, it'll drop to GPRS and EDGE which
are in low hundreds of kbps, and will be painful nowadays ...

On 09/07/2023 21:50, Peter Able wrote:
> "I have Plusnet for phone and FTTC at about 1km straight-line from the
> nearest Cabinet.  I plan to rely totally on a mobile using a *smart
> phone as a wifi hotspot.  Unlimited calls/texts and some data for, at
> least for a while, 49p/month!  Long term, for less than £5 a month - way
> less than Plusnet's £25+ offer to renew.
>
> "Incidentally, Plusnet are offering me Data only - but it costs more
> than data + telephone.  Perhaps I've missed something?
>
> "My latest Plusnet profile is 9Mbps. It drops to about 3MBps at busy
> times. Way less than the "expected 16 to 31 Mbps" estimate at the last
> Plusnet renewal.  The mobile does data at about 14 - 15 Mbps.
>
> "This is from August onwards. O2(Lycamobile)  and Vodaphone(Lebara)'s 4G
> one-bar signal holds up in the house. Better Mbps upstairs than down**.
> Wifi works throughout the house with the smart phone at the point of
> best 4G signal.
>
> "Can anyone see any problems I haven't thought of?"
>
> Just thought of a possible problem.
>
> What will my SAMSUNG S5s do when 3G is switched off?
>
> At present, the S5 falls back to 3G - which only (at present) means that
> the Data rate drops back from 14Mbps to about 3Mbps.  But with 3G gone?
>
>
> PA
>
> Talkmobile 70G, monthly contract @ £9.95/mo ordered today.  Plusnet will
> disconnect 2nd August 2023.

why not get a 4g router and an external 4g aerial? you will get far more
than one bar and a more reliable and robust data connection.

On 09/07/2023 22:01, Andy Burns wrote:
> Peter Able wrote:
>
>> What will my SAMSUNG S5s do when 3G is switched off?
>> At present, the S5 falls back to 3G - which only (at present) means
>> that the Data rate drops back from 14Mbps to about 3Mbps.  But with 3G
>> gone?
>
> The phone is 4G capable, no coverage in your area?
>
> If it can't get 4G, and 3G is gone, it'll drop to GPRS and EDGE which
> are in low hundreds of kbps, and will be painful nowadays ...
>
>
Thanks, Andy,

S5s are 4G-capable. Otherwise my project would be SNAFU from the
get-go. I just don't get good 2G or 4G, although in the optimal place
in the house the 4G can deliver 14-15Mbps and the more-bars 3G is 5
times slower.

Is "GPRS and EDGE" 2G? I guess it'll be faster than dial-up and still
be able to handle texts and calls. Hopefully it won't come to be an
issue as the S5 used in this project will be in a fixed position where I
currently get a dot and two bars on 4G.

Presumably for others it may be a serious issue? Quite a precipice to
fall off. Actually, 2G is not brilliant here. My old GSM (2G?) T280i
sometimes loses sight of O2. The loss of 3G may well degrade some of
the rooms in this house?

And if it like that here, where my local railway station is a London
Transport one - how will this pan out for those really in the Styx?

Again, thanks for your input.

PA

On 09/07/2023 22:55, Peter Able wrote:
> On 09/07/2023 22:01, Andy Burns wrote:
>> Peter Able wrote:
>>
>>> What will my SAMSUNG S5s do when 3G is switched off?
>>> At present, the S5 falls back to 3G - which only (at present) means
>>> that the Data rate drops back from 14Mbps to about 3Mbps.  But with
>>> 3G gone?
>>
>> The phone is 4G capable, no coverage in your area?
>>
>> If it can't get 4G, and 3G is gone, it'll drop to GPRS and EDGE which
>> are in low hundreds of kbps, and will be painful nowadays ...
>>
>>
> Thanks, Andy,
>
> S5s are 4G-capable.  Otherwise my project would be SNAFU from the
> get-go.  I just don't get good 2G or 4G, although in the optimal place
> in the house the 4G can deliver 14-15Mbps and the more-bars 3G is 5
> times slower.

A dedicated LTE router[1] with an external antenna would likely give
solid 4G all the time.

[1] these are pretty cheap these days.

> Is "GPRS and EDGE" 2G?

Some called Edge 2.5G

> I guess it'll be faster than dial-up and still
> be able to handle texts and calls.

The difficulty is restricting the users of data these days - so much
software will think nothing of checking for updates and automatically
downloading 10s or 100s of MB when it fancies.

I remember the end of the dial up era when your internet connection
could be almost unusable for the first 15 mins just with all the
competing demands for data suddenly sensing connectivity and letting rip!

> Hopefully it won't come to be an
> issue as the S5 used in this project will be in a fixed position where I
> currently get a dot and two bars on 4G.
>
> Presumably for others it may be a serious issue?  Quite a precipice to
> fall off.  Actually, 2G is not brilliant here. My old GSM (2G?) T280i
> sometimes loses sight of O2.  The loss of 3G may well degrade some of
> the rooms in this house?

Perhaps... it may also push other users to switch to 4G thus putting
more load on the service you now depend on.

> And if it like that here, where my local railway station is a London
> Transport one - how will this pan out for those really in the Styx?

Really out in the wilds tends to get priority for FTTP since it is
cheaper and easier than trying to run other technologies out (no street
cabinets required, no mains power etc). I got the impression that the
whole run of FTTP out to our area was probably done by a single chap in
about a week...

--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

Peter Able wrote:

> Is "GPRS and EDGE" 2G?

often called 2.5G and 2.75G

> I guess it'll be faster than dial-up and still
> be able to handle texts and calls.  Hopefully it won't come to be an
> issue as the S5 used in this project will be in a fixed position where I
> currently get a dot and two bars on 4G.
>
> Presumably for others it may be a serious issue?
I can only think of one location I can't get 4G, but there will be
others I'm unaware of.

> Quite a precipice to fall off. Actually, 2G is not brilliant here.
> My old GSM (2G?) T280i sometimes loses sight of O2. The loss of 3G
> may well degrade some of the rooms in this house?

Can the S5 handle 4G on all frequency bands? OFCOM used to be quite
rigid about using this frequency for 2G, that for 3G, the other for 4G,
now they can use any frequency that's theirs for any technology ...

Probably not easy to find accurate information for an older phone.

Peter Able wrote:

> The loss of 3G may well degrade some of the rooms in this house?

Depends what technology (4G/5G) they re-allocate the 3G bands to ...

<https://pedroc.co.uk/content/uk-commercial-mobile-spectrum>

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:
> Can the S5 handle 4G on all frequency bands? OFCOM used to be quite
> rigid about using this frequency for 2G, that for 3G, the other for 4G,
> now they can use any frequency that's theirs for any technology ...
>
> Probably not easy to find accurate information for an older phone.

Galaxy S5 G900F (Europe):
Technology GSM / HSPA / LTE
2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20
Speed HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A Cat4 150/50 Mbps
https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s5-6033.php
and
https://www.frequencycheck.com/models/vDae2/samsung-sm-g900f-galaxy-s5-lte-a-32gb-samsung-pacific

According to:
https://www.frequencycheck.com/countries/united-kingdom
the bands 1, 3, 7 and 20 are in use. So the S5 should support all those
bands.

However I think that is a bit out of date. According to here:
https://tools.pedroc.co.uk/earfcn/uk/
bands 8, 28, 32, 38 and 40 are also allocated for LTE, but I'm not clear if
they are in use.

Theo

On 09/07/2023 21:50, Peter Able wrote:

> "I have Plusnet for phone and FTTC at about 1km straight-line from the
> nearest Cabinet.  I plan to rely totally on a mobile using a *smart
> phone as a wifi hotspot.  Unlimited calls/texts and some data for, at
> least for a while, 49p/month!  Long term, for less than £5 a month - way
> less than Plusnet's £25+ offer to renew.
>
> "Incidentally, Plusnet are offering me Data only - but it costs more
> than data + telephone.  Perhaps I've missed something?
>
> "My latest Plusnet profile is 9Mbps. It drops to about 3MBps at busy
> times. Way less than the "expected 16 to 31 Mbps" estimate at the last
> Plusnet renewal.  The mobile does data at about 14 - 15 Mbps.
>
> "This is from August onwards. O2(Lycamobile)  and Vodaphone(Lebara)'s 4G
> one-bar signal holds up in the house. Better Mbps upstairs than down**.
> Wifi works throughout the house with the smart phone at the point of
> best 4G signal.

I posted this earlier:

I did some research and the following are available from Argos:

TP-Link M7350 4G LTE Mobile Wi-Fi Router: £74.99
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8624969

SMARTY UNLIMITED 30 Day Pay As You Go Data Only SIM Card: £1, then £20
pcm for unlimited data
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1122248

I pay about £35 pcm for line rental (BT) plus Internet (PlusNet).

Probably worth considering as backup of PlusNet goes tits up/is
amalgamated and I lose my email address and 250 MB webspace.

--
Max Demian

Max Demian wrote:

> I did some research and the following are available from Argos:
>
> TP-Link M7350 4G LTE Mobile Wi-Fi Router: £74.99
> https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8624969

or for 50p more, TP-link 4G router with wired ethernet as well as wifi,
and option of external antenna.

<https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/products/33092-tp-link-tl-mr6400/>

On 10/07/2023 12:28, Max Demian wrote:
> On 09/07/2023 21:50, Peter Able wrote:
>
>> "I have Plusnet for phone and FTTC at about 1km straight-line from the
>> nearest Cabinet.  I plan to rely totally on a mobile using a *smart
>> phone as a wifi hotspot.  Unlimited calls/texts and some data for, at
>> least for a while, 49p/month!  Long term, for less than £5 a month -
>> way less than Plusnet's £25+ offer to renew.
>>
>> "Incidentally, Plusnet are offering me Data only - but it costs more
>> than data + telephone.  Perhaps I've missed something?
>>
>> "My latest Plusnet profile is 9Mbps. It drops to about 3MBps at busy
>> times. Way less than the "expected 16 to 31 Mbps" estimate at the last
>> Plusnet renewal.  The mobile does data at about 14 - 15 Mbps.
>>
>> "This is from August onwards. O2(Lycamobile)  and Vodaphone(Lebara)'s
>> 4G one-bar signal holds up in the house. Better Mbps upstairs than
>> down**. Wifi works throughout the house with the smart phone at the
>> point of best 4G signal.
>
> I posted this earlier:
>
> I did some research and the following are available from Argos:
>
> TP-Link M7350 4G LTE Mobile Wi-Fi Router: £74.99
> https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8624969
>
> SMARTY UNLIMITED 30 Day Pay As You Go Data Only SIM Card: £1, then £20
> pcm for unlimited data
> https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1122248
>
> I pay about £35 pcm for line rental (BT) plus Internet (PlusNet).
>
> Probably worth considering as backup of PlusNet goes tits up/is
> amalgamated and I lose my email address and 250 MB webspace.
>

or go to Three's website and get a 5g router and unlimited broandband
for £20 a month, minimum term of 24 months.

https://www.three.co.uk/broadband/home-broadband and 1st 3 months is free...

Then after 24 months you can then cease the Three sim and use a
different providers sim.

The router has external aerial sockets so you can buy a 5g aerial from
the likes of solwise.

On 10/07/2023 12:46, SH wrote:
> On 10/07/2023 12:28, Max Demian wrote:
>> On 09/07/2023 21:50, Peter Able wrote:
>>
>>> "I have Plusnet for phone and FTTC at about 1km straight-line from
>>> the nearest Cabinet.  I plan to rely totally on a mobile using a
>>> *smart phone as a wifi hotspot.  Unlimited calls/texts and some data
>>> for, at least for a while, 49p/month!  Long term, for less than £5 a
>>> month - way less than Plusnet's £25+ offer to renew.
>>>
>>> "Incidentally, Plusnet are offering me Data only - but it costs more
>>> than data + telephone.  Perhaps I've missed something?
>>>
>>> "My latest Plusnet profile is 9Mbps. It drops to about 3MBps at busy
>>> times. Way less than the "expected 16 to 31 Mbps" estimate at the
>>> last Plusnet renewal.  The mobile does data at about 14 - 15 Mbps.
>>>
>>> "This is from August onwards. O2(Lycamobile)  and Vodaphone(Lebara)'s
>>> 4G one-bar signal holds up in the house. Better Mbps upstairs than
>>> down**. Wifi works throughout the house with the smart phone at the
>>> point of best 4G signal.
>>
>> I posted this earlier:
>>
>> I did some research and the following are available from Argos:
>>
>> TP-Link M7350 4G LTE Mobile Wi-Fi Router: £74.99
>> https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8624969
>>
>> SMARTY UNLIMITED 30 Day Pay As You Go Data Only SIM Card: £1, then £20
>> pcm for unlimited data
>> https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1122248
>>
>> I pay about £35 pcm for line rental (BT) plus Internet (PlusNet).
>>
>> Probably worth considering as backup of PlusNet goes tits up/is
>> amalgamated and I lose my email address and 250 MB webspace.
>>
>
>
> or go to Three's website and get a 5g router and unlimited broandband
> for £20 a month, minimum term of 24 months.
>
> https://www.three.co.uk/broadband/home-broadband and 1st 3 months is
> free...
>
> Then after 24 months you can then cease the Three sim and use a
> different providers sim.
>
> The router has external aerial sockets so you can buy a 5g aerial from
> the likes of solwise.

and the 5g modem has actually cost you nothing and you've had the 1st 3
months of the 3 sim for free instead of paying 20 quid on a PAYG
unlimited SIM. :-)

On Sunday, July 9, 2023 at 8:51:00 PM UTC, Peter Able wrote:
> "I have Plusnet for phone and FTTC at about 1km straight-line from the
> nearest Cabinet. I plan to rely totally on a mobile using a *smart
> phone as a wifi hotspot. Unlimited calls/texts and some data for, at
> least for a while, 49p/month! Long term, for less than £5 a month - way
> less than Plusnet's £25+ offer to renew.
>
> "Incidentally, Plusnet are offering me Data only - but it costs more
> than data + telephone. Perhaps I've missed something?
>
> "My latest Plusnet profile is 9Mbps. It drops to about 3MBps at busy
> times. Way less than the "expected 16 to 31 Mbps" estimate at the last
> Plusnet renewal. The mobile does data at about 14 - 15 Mbps.
>
> "This is from August onwards. O2(Lycamobile) and Vodaphone(Lebara)'s 4G
> one-bar signal holds up in the house. Better Mbps upstairs than down**.
> Wifi works throughout the house with the smart phone at the point of
> best 4G signal.
>
> "Can anyone see any problems I haven't thought of?"
>
> Just thought of a possible problem.
>
> What will my SAMSUNG S5s do when 3G is switched off?
>
> At present, the S5 falls back to 3G - which only (at present) means that
> the Data rate drops back from 14Mbps to about 3Mbps. But with 3G gone?
>
>
> PA
>
> Talkmobile 70G, monthly contract @ £9.95/mo ordered today. Plusnet will
> disconnect 2nd August 2023.

I've already been doing something similar with a mifi device and a SMARTY
sim - both of which have been mentioned elsewhere. No problems so far.

It's a four storey house. Best 4G reception is with the mifi on the top floor: best
wifi coverage is with the mifi in the middle. Bandwidth in that location is good
enough for me but if I want to squeeze the last drop of performance out of it
I think placing the mifi on the top floor with a decent wifi transmitter would help.

Nick
nickodell49@yahoo.ca

On Monday, July 10, 2023 at 11:37:51 AM UTC, Andy Burns wrote:
> Max Demian wrote:
>
> > I did some research and the following are available from Argos:
> >
> > TP-Link M7350 4G LTE Mobile Wi-Fi Router: £74.99
> > https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8624969
> or for 50p more, TP-link 4G router with wired ethernet as well as wifi,
> and option of external antenna.
>
> <https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/products/33092-tp-link-tl-mr6400/>

My redundant ADSL router (TP-Link TD-W9970) has three operating modes
including 3G/4G and if the OP has something similar attached to his Plusnet
service maybe he won't have to buy anything new.

Unfortunately, although I have switched the TP-Link router over to 3G/4G mode
and it registers the connection to the mifi device I can't actually persuade it to
fi any 4G wi. Any suggestions for me about what else I ought to do to make the
TP-Link device work in this set-up? It would be useful to me and possibly for
the OP as well should they decide to go down the same path.

Nick
nickodell49@yahoo.ca

On 10/07/2023 03:32, John Rumm wrote:
> On 09/07/2023 22:55, Peter Able wrote:
>> On 09/07/2023 22:01, Andy Burns wrote:
>>> Peter Able wrote:
>>>
>>>> What will my SAMSUNG S5s do when 3G is switched off?
>>>> At present, the S5 falls back to 3G - which only (at present) means
>>>> that the Data rate drops back from 14Mbps to about 3Mbps.  But with
>>>> 3G gone?
>>>
>>> The phone is 4G capable, no coverage in your area?
>>>
>>> If it can't get 4G, and 3G is gone, it'll drop to GPRS and EDGE which
>>> are in low hundreds of kbps, and will be painful nowadays ...
>>>
>>>
>> Thanks, Andy,
>>
>> S5s are 4G-capable.  Otherwise my project would be SNAFU from the
>> get-go.  I just don't get good 2G or 4G, although in the optimal place
>> in the house the 4G can deliver 14-15Mbps and the more-bars 3G is 5
>> times slower.
>
> A dedicated LTE router[1] with an external antenna would likely give
> solid 4G all the time.
>
> [1] these are pretty cheap these days.
>
>> Is "GPRS and EDGE" 2G?
>
> Some called Edge 2.5G
>
>> I guess it'll be faster than dial-up and still be able to handle texts
>> and calls.
>
> The difficulty is restricting the users of data these days - so much
> software will think nothing of checking for updates and automatically
> downloading 10s or 100s of MB when it fancies.
>
> I remember the end of the dial up era when your internet connection
> could be almost unusable for the first 15 mins just with all the
> competing demands for data suddenly sensing connectivity and letting rip!
>
>> Hopefully it won't come to be an issue as the S5 used in this project
>> will be in a fixed position where I currently get a dot and two bars
>> on 4G.
>>
>> Presumably for others it may be a serious issue?  Quite a precipice to
>> fall off.  Actually, 2G is not brilliant here. My old GSM (2G?) T280i
>> sometimes loses sight of O2.  The loss of 3G may well degrade some of
>> the rooms in this house?
>
> Perhaps... it may also push other users to switch to 4G thus putting
> more load on the service you now depend on.
>
>> And if it like that here, where my local railway station is a London
>> Transport one - how will this pan out for those really in the Styx?
>
> Really out in the wilds tends to get priority for FTTP since it is
> cheaper and easier than trying to run other technologies out (no street
> cabinets required, no mains power etc). I got the impression that the
> whole run of FTTP out to our area was probably done by a single chap in
> about a week...
>
>
>
All points taken.

As the 4G reception seems to be OK in one part of the house. As that is
where the Samsung S5 will live. As its WiFi can reach the other rooms
in the house, then my sub-£10 S5 will, I hope, will be fit for purpose.
If not, it isn't all set in stone!

PA

On 10/07/2023 07:09, Andy Burns wrote:
>
> Peter Able wrote:
>
>> Is "GPRS and EDGE" 2G?
>
> often called 2.5G and 2.75G
>
>> I guess it'll be faster than dial-up and still be able to handle texts
>> and calls.  Hopefully it won't come to be an issue as the S5 used in
>> this project will be in a fixed position where I currently get a dot
>> and two bars on 4G.
>>
>> Presumably for others it may be a serious issue?
> I can only think of one location I can't get 4G, but there will be
> others I'm unaware of.
>
>> Quite a precipice to fall off.  Actually, 2G is not brilliant here.
>> My old GSM (2G?) T280i sometimes loses sight of O2.  The loss of 3G
>> may well degrade some of the rooms in this house?
>
> Can the S5 handle 4G on all frequency bands? OFCOM used to be quite
> rigid about using this frequency for 2G, that for 3G, the other for 4G,
> now they can use any frequency that's theirs for any technology ...
>
> Probably not easy to find accurate information for an older phone.
>
Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20
Speed HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A Cat4 150/50 Mbps

PA

On 09/07/2023 22:25, SH wrote:
> On 09/07/2023 21:50, Peter Able wrote:
>> "I have Plusnet for phone and FTTC at about 1km straight-line from the
>> nearest Cabinet.  I plan to rely totally on a mobile using a *smart
>> phone as a wifi hotspot.  Unlimited calls/texts and some data for, at
>> least for a while, 49p/month!  Long term, for less than £5 a month -
>> way less than Plusnet's £25+ offer to renew.
>>
>> "Incidentally, Plusnet are offering me Data only - but it costs more
>> than data + telephone.  Perhaps I've missed something?
>>
>> "My latest Plusnet profile is 9Mbps. It drops to about 3MBps at busy
>> times. Way less than the "expected 16 to 31 Mbps" estimate at the last
>> Plusnet renewal.  The mobile does data at about 14 - 15 Mbps.
>>
>> "This is from August onwards. O2(Lycamobile)  and Vodaphone(Lebara)'s
>> 4G one-bar signal holds up in the house. Better Mbps upstairs than
>> down**. Wifi works throughout the house with the smart phone at the
>> point of best 4G signal.
>>
>> "Can anyone see any problems I haven't thought of?"
>>
>> Just thought of a possible problem.
>>
>> What will my SAMSUNG S5s do when 3G is switched off?
>>
>> At present, the S5 falls back to 3G - which only (at present) means
>> that the Data rate drops back from 14Mbps to about 3Mbps.  But with 3G
>> gone?
>>
>>
>> PA
>>
>> Talkmobile 70G, monthly contract @ £9.95/mo ordered today.  Plusnet
>> will disconnect 2nd August 2023.
>
>
> why not get a 4g router and an external 4g aerial? you will get far more
> than one bar and a more reliable and robust data connection.

Could do, but I can get 15Mbps with the sub-£10 SAMSUNG S5. That's
enough for me.

Just hadn't realised that my 3G safety net was about to vanish!

PA

On 10/07/2023 12:28, Max Demian wrote:
> On 09/07/2023 21:50, Peter Able wrote:
>
>> "I have Plusnet for phone and FTTC at about 1km straight-line from the
>> nearest Cabinet.  I plan to rely totally on a mobile using a *smart
>> phone as a wifi hotspot.  Unlimited calls/texts and some data for, at
>> least for a while, 49p/month!  Long term, for less than £5 a month -
>> way less than Plusnet's £25+ offer to renew.
>>
>> "Incidentally, Plusnet are offering me Data only - but it costs more
>> than data + telephone.  Perhaps I've missed something?
>>
>> "My latest Plusnet profile is 9Mbps. It drops to about 3MBps at busy
>> times. Way less than the "expected 16 to 31 Mbps" estimate at the last
>> Plusnet renewal.  The mobile does data at about 14 - 15 Mbps.
>>
>> "This is from August onwards. O2(Lycamobile)  and Vodaphone(Lebara)'s
>> 4G one-bar signal holds up in the house. Better Mbps upstairs than
>> down**. Wifi works throughout the house with the smart phone at the
>> point of best 4G signal.
>
> I posted this earlier:
>
> I did some research and the following are available from Argos:
>
> TP-Link M7350 4G LTE Mobile Wi-Fi Router: £74.99
> https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8624969
>
> SMARTY UNLIMITED 30 Day Pay As You Go Data Only SIM Card: £1, then £20
> pcm for unlimited data
> https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1122248
>
> I pay about £35 pcm for line rental (BT) plus Internet (PlusNet).
>
> Probably worth considering as backup of PlusNet goes tits up/is
> amalgamated and I lose my email address and 250 MB webspace.
>

Gosh, my plusnet phone and unlimited broadband is/was £26

PA

On 10/07/2023 15:04, Nick Odell wrote:
> On Monday, July 10, 2023 at 11:37:51 AM UTC, Andy Burns wrote:
>> Max Demian wrote:
>>
>>> I did some research and the following are available from Argos:
>>>
>>> TP-Link M7350 4G LTE Mobile Wi-Fi Router: £74.99
>>> https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8624969
>> or for 50p more, TP-link 4G router with wired ethernet as well as wifi,
>> and option of external antenna.
>>
>> <https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/products/33092-tp-link-tl-mr6400/>
>
> My redundant ADSL router (TP-Link TD-W9970) has three operating modes
> including 3G/4G and if the OP has something similar attached to his Plusnet
> service maybe he won't have to buy anything new.
>
No RF socketry on my Plusnet Modem/Router.

> Unfortunately, although I have switched the TP-Link router over to 3G/4G mode
> and it registers the connection to the mifi device I can't actually persuade it to
> fi any 4G wi. Any suggestions for me about what else I ought to do to make the
> TP-Link device work in this set-up? It would be useful to me and possibly for
> the OP as well should they decide to go down the same path.
>
> Nick
> nickodell49@yahoo.ca

PA

Peter Able wrote:

> my plusnet phone and unlimited broadband is/was £26

same here, you don't really need to threaten to leave, just as long as
you're willing to extend contract, you should get that sort of price ...

On 10/07/2023 12:46, SH wrote:
> On 10/07/2023 12:28, Max Demian wrote:
>> On 09/07/2023 21:50, Peter Able wrote:
>>
>>> "I have Plusnet for phone and FTTC at about 1km straight-line from
>>> the nearest Cabinet.  I plan to rely totally on a mobile using a
>>> *smart phone as a wifi hotspot.  Unlimited calls/texts and some data
>>> for, at least for a while, 49p/month!  Long term, for less than £5 a
>>> month - way less than Plusnet's £25+ offer to renew.
>>>
>>> "Incidentally, Plusnet are offering me Data only - but it costs more
>>> than data + telephone.  Perhaps I've missed something?
>>>
>>> "My latest Plusnet profile is 9Mbps. It drops to about 3MBps at busy
>>> times. Way less than the "expected 16 to 31 Mbps" estimate at the
>>> last Plusnet renewal.  The mobile does data at about 14 - 15 Mbps.
>>>
>>> "This is from August onwards. O2(Lycamobile)  and Vodaphone(Lebara)'s
>>> 4G one-bar signal holds up in the house. Better Mbps upstairs than
>>> down**. Wifi works throughout the house with the smart phone at the
>>> point of best 4G signal.
>>
>> I posted this earlier:
>>
>> I did some research and the following are available from Argos:
>>
>> TP-Link M7350 4G LTE Mobile Wi-Fi Router: £74.99
>> https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8624969
>>
>> SMARTY UNLIMITED 30 Day Pay As You Go Data Only SIM Card: £1, then £20
>> pcm for unlimited data
>> https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1122248
>>
>> I pay about £35 pcm for line rental (BT) plus Internet (PlusNet).
>>
>> Probably worth considering as backup of PlusNet goes tits up/is
>> amalgamated and I lose my email address and 250 MB webspace.
>>
>
>
> or go to Three's website and get a 5g router and unlimited broandband
> for £20 a month, minimum term of 24 months.
>
> https://www.three.co.uk/broadband/home-broadband and 1st 3 months is
> free...
>
> Then after 24 months you can then cease the Three sim and use a
> different providers sim.
>
> The router has external aerial sockets so you can buy a 5g aerial from
> the likes of solwise.

Tried Three 4G. -126dbm and no connection holdable. Tried O2 (Lyca) 4G.
Works, but consistently weaker/slower than Vodafone. I note that Lyca
have switched to EE - no chance.

PA

On 10/07/2023 12:58, SH wrote:
> On 10/07/2023 12:46, SH wrote:
>> On 10/07/2023 12:28, Max Demian wrote:
>>> On 09/07/2023 21:50, Peter Able wrote:
>>>
>>>> "I have Plusnet for phone and FTTC at about 1km straight-line from
>>>> the nearest Cabinet.  I plan to rely totally on a mobile using a
>>>> *smart phone as a wifi hotspot.  Unlimited calls/texts and some data
>>>> for, at least for a while, 49p/month!  Long term, for less than £5 a
>>>> month - way less than Plusnet's £25+ offer to renew.
>>>>
>>>> "Incidentally, Plusnet are offering me Data only - but it costs more
>>>> than data + telephone.  Perhaps I've missed something?
>>>>
>>>> "My latest Plusnet profile is 9Mbps. It drops to about 3MBps at busy
>>>> times. Way less than the "expected 16 to 31 Mbps" estimate at the
>>>> last Plusnet renewal.  The mobile does data at about 14 - 15 Mbps.
>>>>
>>>> "This is from August onwards. O2(Lycamobile)  and
>>>> Vodaphone(Lebara)'s 4G one-bar signal holds up in the house. Better
>>>> Mbps upstairs than down**. Wifi works throughout the house with the
>>>> smart phone at the point of best 4G signal.
>>>
>>> I posted this earlier:
>>>
>>> I did some research and the following are available from Argos:
>>>
>>> TP-Link M7350 4G LTE Mobile Wi-Fi Router: £74.99
>>> https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8624969
>>>
>>> SMARTY UNLIMITED 30 Day Pay As You Go Data Only SIM Card: £1, then
>>> £20 pcm for unlimited data
>>> https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1122248
>>>
>>> I pay about £35 pcm for line rental (BT) plus Internet (PlusNet).
>>>
>>> Probably worth considering as backup of PlusNet goes tits up/is
>>> amalgamated and I lose my email address and 250 MB webspace.
>>>
>>
>>
>> or go to Three's website and get a 5g router and unlimited broandband
>> for £20 a month, minimum term of 24 months.
>>
>> https://www.three.co.uk/broadband/home-broadband and 1st 3 months is
>> free...
>>
>> Then after 24 months you can then cease the Three sim and use a
>> different providers sim.
>>
>> The router has external aerial sockets so you can buy a 5g aerial from
>> the likes of solwise.
>
>
> and the 5g modem has actually cost you nothing and you've had the 1st 3
> months of the 3 sim for free instead of paying 20 quid on a PAYG
> unlimited SIM. :-)

better value - but Three is no good here. I tried it!

PA

On 10/07/2023 14:52, Nick Odell wrote:
> On Sunday, July 9, 2023 at 8:51:00 PM UTC, Peter Able wrote:
>> "I have Plusnet for phone and FTTC at about 1km straight-line from the
>> nearest Cabinet. I plan to rely totally on a mobile using a *smart
>> phone as a wifi hotspot. Unlimited calls/texts and some data for, at
>> least for a while, 49p/month! Long term, for less than £5 a month - way
>> less than Plusnet's £25+ offer to renew.
>>
>> "Incidentally, Plusnet are offering me Data only - but it costs more
>> than data + telephone. Perhaps I've missed something?
>>
>> "My latest Plusnet profile is 9Mbps. It drops to about 3MBps at busy
>> times. Way less than the "expected 16 to 31 Mbps" estimate at the last
>> Plusnet renewal. The mobile does data at about 14 - 15 Mbps.
>>
>> "This is from August onwards. O2(Lycamobile) and Vodaphone(Lebara)'s 4G
>> one-bar signal holds up in the house. Better Mbps upstairs than down**.
>> Wifi works throughout the house with the smart phone at the point of
>> best 4G signal.
>>
>> "Can anyone see any problems I haven't thought of?"
>>
>> Just thought of a possible problem.
>>
>> What will my SAMSUNG S5s do when 3G is switched off?
>>
>> At present, the S5 falls back to 3G - which only (at present) means that
>> the Data rate drops back from 14Mbps to about 3Mbps. But with 3G gone?
>>
>>
>> PA
>>
>> Talkmobile 70G, monthly contract @ £9.95/mo ordered today. Plusnet will
>> disconnect 2nd August 2023.
>
> I've already been doing something similar with a mifi device and a SMARTY
> sim - both of which have been mentioned elsewhere. No problems so far.
>
> It's a four storey house. Best 4G reception is with the mifi on the top floor: best
> wifi coverage is with the mifi in the middle. Bandwidth in that location is good
> enough for me but if I want to squeeze the last drop of performance out of it
> I think placing the mifi on the top floor with a decent wifi transmitter would help.
>
> Nick
> nickodell49@yahoo.ca

I've tried a Mifi with a Vodafone (the best signal) SIM. No problem
with its WiFi and it could recognise the SIM - but no connect. Also, it
wouldn't retain the connect parameters.

PA

On 10/07/2023 16:23, Peter Able wrote:
> On 10/07/2023 14:52, Nick Odell wrote:
>> On Sunday, July 9, 2023 at 8:51:00 PM UTC, Peter Able wrote:
>>> "I have Plusnet for phone and FTTC at about 1km straight-line from the
>>> nearest Cabinet. I plan to rely totally on a mobile using a *smart
>>> phone as a wifi hotspot. Unlimited calls/texts and some data for, at
>>> least for a while, 49p/month! Long term, for less than £5 a month - way
>>> less than Plusnet's £25+ offer to renew.
>>>
>>> "Incidentally, Plusnet are offering me Data only - but it costs more
>>> than data + telephone. Perhaps I've missed something?
>>>
>>> "My latest Plusnet profile is 9Mbps. It drops to about 3MBps at busy
>>> times. Way less than the "expected 16 to 31 Mbps" estimate at the last
>>> Plusnet renewal. The mobile does data at about 14 - 15 Mbps.
>>>
>>> "This is from August onwards. O2(Lycamobile) and Vodaphone(Lebara)'s 4G
>>> one-bar signal holds up in the house. Better Mbps upstairs than down**.
>>> Wifi works throughout the house with the smart phone at the point of
>>> best 4G signal.
>>>
>>> "Can anyone see any problems I haven't thought of?"
>>>
>>> Just thought of a possible problem.
>>>
>>> What will my SAMSUNG S5s do when 3G is switched off?
>>>
>>> At present, the S5 falls back to 3G - which only (at present) means that
>>> the Data rate drops back from 14Mbps to about 3Mbps. But with 3G gone?
>>>
>>>
>>> PA
>>>
>>> Talkmobile 70G, monthly contract @ £9.95/mo ordered today. Plusnet will
>>> disconnect 2nd August 2023.
>>
>> I've already been doing something similar with a mifi device and a SMARTY
>> sim - both of which have been mentioned elsewhere. No problems so far.
>>
>> It's a four storey house. Best 4G reception is with the mifi on the
>> top floor: best
>> wifi coverage is with the mifi in the middle. Bandwidth in that
>> location is good
>> enough for me but if I want to squeeze the last drop of performance
>> out of it
>> I think placing the mifi on the top floor with a decent wifi
>> transmitter would help.
>>
>> Nick
>> nickodell49@yahoo.ca
>
> I've tried a Mifi with a Vodafone (the best signal) SIM.  No problem
> with its WiFi and it could recognise the SIM - but no connect.  Also, it
> wouldn't retain the connect parameters.
>
> PA
>
Kudos for knowing the correct spelling of storey !!

On 10/07/2023 17:16, Andy Burns wrote:
> Peter Able wrote:
>
>> my plusnet phone and unlimited broadband is/was £26
>
> same here, you don't really need to threaten to leave, just as long as
> you're willing to extend contract, you should get that sort of price ...
>
I didn't even try to haggle! Just told them that after many years with
them, I was off. They actually, off their own bat, refunded me the
final £26 back. As I'll now pay £9.95 less £4.90 for the Lebara SIM
I'll cancel, That's the next five months for free, then £5.05 per mo.

PA