# Mifi use in Ireland



## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

We are visiting Ireland later this year and I have a Three 12 GB sim for my mifi which should work according to their website.

I usually take a backup SIM card in case Three doesn't have a signal so have been browsing the web for alternative networks.

I see that Eir formerly Meteor have a reasonable package of 30gb for €19.99 for 30 days. I wonder is it possible to buy a SIM when we get there without having an Ireland home address?

I have a new EE data SIM that I haven't bought a data package for yet.
They do 10gb for £22 valid for 90 days but not sure if that will work in Ireland.

Any advice would be great.

Steve


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## steviegtr (May 2, 2018)

I assume there is an argos in Ireland & they sell everything sim. Not sure about the address thing. Remember in Ireland there are a lot of travellers. Gipsy type without addresses & i am sure they use sim cards. Just a thought.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

I'm afraid it was a while ago (2013) but it was very easy to buy Sims in Ireland, the minimum of checks and security. I have bought Sim cards in many Countries and after Portugal (where you didn't have to provide anything) Ireland was the easiest, just show your passport.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Can you not just check it out with 3 ?

I use MIFI on all my travels , via the Three shop 

Never been to Ireland with it though 

But I expect they would advise 

Sandra


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## TeamRienza (Sep 21, 2010)

I use a 3 mifi (hawuei) and buy my sims from amazon. I use mine in France, Spain and the Republic of Ireland. I live in N. Ireland. It is important (with 3 anyway) that you activate the data sim whilst still in the Uk or else the data just runs away. I tried to buy a 3 data sim a few years back in Waterford in a 3 shop. They are a different company, and could not be sure that their 3 sim would work in a Uk 3 mifi!! I was not prepared to take a chance.

I don’t know what the legalities of buying a sim are, but buying in the Uk off amazon would suggest nobody really cares.

You should get good coverage in most of Ireland, but remember a lot of Ireland is fairly rural, so you may hit blank areas where no company has coverage, possibly Scotland might have the same scenario.

I do hear of people complaining that they don’t get 4g when on the continent and partner networks only offer 3G. I should imagine it is the same in the Rep of Ireland. My usage (anywhere) is email, web browsing, usually forums, weather and newspaper etc. This profile of my use has perfectly acceptable speeds and quality. 

As an aside, do make sure you have phones etc set to airplane mode or off whilst on the ferry or charges are horrendous unless you specify the free WiFi on the ferry which is pretty rubbish (Irish Ferries)

Enjoy your trip, and have a look at motorhomecraic.com our Irish forum, free and fully searchable for any queries and advice, but try to be specific with questions, especially about locations for best replies.

Davy


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I find the monthly contracts on three MIFI reasonable for trips
You need to remember to cancel them a month in advance though 
I pay around £15 a month and never run out on my I pad when travelling 

Sandra


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## Webby1 (Mar 11, 2012)

We used our 3 sim all over Ireland last year........................contracts are now limited to 13gb a month when abroad or there are horrendous charges.

The 12gb sims do not need to be activated in UK and are very useful as a back up. 

Many campsites now offer free or cheap WI FI and our most useful purchase was a cheap USB aerial to boost the signal from Reception.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Mobile coverage in the RoI is astoundingly good, even in very remote places.

Way back donkeys years ago when mobile phones were the size of bricks I had a phone fitted in my car, service was very patchy in the UK and in NI. I was astounded to find on business trips to the west of Ireland that my phone had good signal on roaming and worked almost all of the time. Sims haven't been difficult to buy in RoI though I haven't bought one for quite a few years now and maybe that's changed. I generally bought Vodafone because their coverage was very good back then.

Have a look at 3G coverage here http://www.three.ie/explore/coverage-checker/ for the 3 network and Vodafone here https://n.vodafone.ie/network/coverage.html

Excellent coverage.


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## TeamRienza (Sep 21, 2010)

I have to disagree with webby regarding 3 Data sim activation.

http://www.three.co.uk/Support/Roaming_and_international/Roaming_abroad

Read the left hand paragraph. I have also found that if I top up a PAYG data sim that the rate of usage is extremely rapid.
There is also some evidence that you should turn on the data sim again when you return to the uk, otherwise 3 assume you are still abroad and count the days as if that were the case. There is an upper limit of about 60 days roaming (per trip) I am led to believe before 3 deactivate the sim. I do not have personal experience of this but recall reading about this on forums.

I have to say my bad experience of data being used super fast was probably about 4 years ago, perhaps before roaming rates were harmonised, but a new sim of a few gb (can't remember exactly) lasted literally 15 minutes and a top up about 5 minutes.

Davy


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## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

Thanks for your helpful replies.

I will activate the new Three 12GB SIM before we set off. I still have one with about 3GB left on it so will use that up first.

I won't bother with the EE SIM but it may be useful for touring the UK later in the year.

We had a problem with the Three SIM in one area of SW France a couple of years ago and ended up buying an Orange data SIM which cost €25 for about 5GB which didn't last very long.

Recently we accidentally streamed a one hour BBC programme which used over 1GB so won't do that again!

Good tip about airplane mode on the ferry thanks

Steve


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

Steve worth also checking automatic updates are disabled as they can eat your data too.

Terry


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

TeamRienza said:


> I have to disagree with webby regarding 3 Data sim activation.
> 
> http://www.three.co.uk/Support/Roaming_and_international/Roaming_abroad
> 
> ...


Someone fairly recently on here said (s)he'd activated a 3 SIM when abroad. I had just given the same advice as you state Davy, and whoever it was came back n said it was no longer necessary.

However, if there's any doubt, better to be safe than sorry.


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## Webby1 (Mar 11, 2012)

I don't think the 12g preloaded sim is counted as a PAYG sim as in the terms you refer to @TeamRienza

Anyway we've just activated ours in Europe with no problem.................I'm sure many others have also done so.

Get the correct information....................... cos if you have a few as back up and have to activate them all before leaving UK...................the time starts ticking and their

value as a back up is a bit pointless.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

I purchased a 3 data only sim and didn’t activate it until I got to Spain (In March) no issue whatsoever in registering it there. 
If you want extra data it’s better to buy a new 3 data only sim rather than top up an “old” one. A new sim is valid for 12 or 24 months depending on whether it’s 12 or 24Gb. A top up only lasts 30 days then you lose any unused allowance. 
Keep an eye on the Internet, sometimes you can get a really good deal on 3 data only sims. Amazon and Argos also sometimes have deals as well. 

I have also used my mobile as a “hotspot” rather than use up my Mifi allowance on occasions, but you do need to keep a careful eye on your usage to avoid exceeding your monthly allowance. (I’ve only got 1Gb/month with my BT Mobile) 

Andy


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## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

Andy,
I've never tried using my Samsung phone as a hotspot and only have a Three PAYG SIM in it. I think I have to buy an add-on package to use it abroad. I also have a spare Three payg phone SIM preloaded with an All-in-one 15 add-on with 5GB valid for 30 days once activated so I'll take that as a spare.

I rarely use my mobile for calls and texts except when we are on the road but I guess the younger generations must need the 3000 minutes + 3000 texts in a 
month!

Steve


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## TeamRienza (Sep 21, 2010)

Pleased to hear that the 3 sim can be activated whilst abroad. I have a current one with about 6gb left on it and a new 24 gb valid for 24 months sitting in the van for future use. This will make for better value and efficiency. Although it has proved impossible to replicate the value of the current one which was 24gb 24 months for about £24 on amazon. I checked frequently, but not repeated that I could see.

Thanks for the update.

Davy


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Living where we do I have used Polish Orange for years, it costs 100polish slottis, about 25€ ,for 5 months not sure how many gb it is, but I now have 124gb because each time I renew the old gb remain and not removed as they are by other monthly sims.
I'm in Germany using it right now. Just thought I'd mention it.:laugh:


:laugh:


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