Best �easy� set up and use ...

..... 4g sim using router ?

A family member wishes to ditch their landline. No fancy requirements, just that it should be easy to use.

Question 2 ... who is doing the best deals for the SIM at the moment please ?

Thanks.

The provider they choose depends on data volume requirements and signal strength (speed) from local masts.

I only know about Three wrt ease of setup, where it was literally a case of inserting the SIM that came with the router, plugging in and turning on the router, then waiting a while as what was a TR-069 or similar did its thing. Three like to configure SIMs even for phones with several downloads.

If there is only one person in the household, then just upgrading their phone SIM for the amount of data could be adequate. Assuming their phone is 4G capable. Tether the computer and maybe a tablet to it. That's what I did until I needed broadband for a cloud-updating 24/7 security camera setup, as obviously when the phone went out with me the cameras became useless.

(I think there are now some security cameras that have internet connection built in, needing a SIM in them of course. Which for more than one would be uneconomic when a router can handle several).

Remember also that any setup like this is useless for gaming, due to the latency being all over the place.

A good tip is to get £1 PAYG SIMs for EE, Three, Vodafone from a newspaper shop and load a tenner onto each, assuming they have a 4G-capable smart-phone. Try them all out for a few minutes at a few times of day and at weekends. EE will probably come out the winner on performance. Three could be perfectly acceptable, as it is for me, and cheapest.

Cheers Bob.

Online gaming ? Hahahahahaha err, no.

I got a Smarty sim a couple of months ago. "Unlimited" data, list price £25 a month although I'm paying a bit less.
I've had no problems at all with it. Used it in a cheapo ebay 4G router with very good results.
It's presently in the young lad's phone because he's using tethering from that for his TV.

No hassles setting it up. It's sort of PAYG - just cancel the direct debit so it doesn't renew if you want to cancel.

Thank you for that.

Do you recall exactly which router you�ve been using ?

The current list price on Smarty website is £20pm.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

The current list price on Smarty website is £20pm.

Smarty are quite good with their discounts too. For example I was paying £18.75 when the price was £25 (equiv. 20% off). When they reduced the unlimited tariff for all to £20 last month they also dropped the people with their discount @ £18.75 tariff down to only £15. Good to see as the T&C's didn't state that this was a percentage discount.

The thing is, that Smarty is Three, at the same website price, but without the contract. Surely there must be a snag?

Interesting that the Three combo router + SIM is now subject to price based on location. Starting at £22. I expect that is because of readying for 5G, where I seem to remember for new customers there will be a higher price. The adverts so far have been that all SIMs are 5G ready, at no extra cost when it becomes available.

Which is great for those like me already on the system on 4G, but not a good pricing structure for areas that already have it at the time a new punter joins.

There�s another thought. Does anyone know Smarty�s policy on 5G?

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Interesting that the Three combo router + SIM is now subject to price based on location. Starting at £22. I expect that is because of readying for 5G, where I seem to remember for new customers there will be a higher price.

Really ? I can't see anything suggesting that on their website.

http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Devices/Huawei/E5573...

The plans don't mention anything about location. I can't imagine how that would even work anyway ?

Is this what you are referring to:

"Fast 4G Broadband from just £22 per month (subject to location)"

If so, I think they mean the "Fast" bit is subject to location, not the £22 bit ?

Also, they are pricing their 5G mobile broadband service completely separately, which they can do because (for now) you need their 5G router to get it (as buying a 5G router as a consumer isn't practical yet).

They have priced it separately at £30/month:

http://www.three.co.uk/store/broadband/home-broadban...