In reply to a post by onthenet:

If you go to google and type in whatsmyip and compare that with the WAN IP setting in the router, if they are both the same then you are not on CGNAT. If they are different then you probably are.

That's what I would do. There are lots of places that will show the IP you are coming from, including the hilariously named IP Chicken or IP Qail sites. - https://ipchicken.com/ - http://ipquail.com/

I've been trying to find on the web the different APNs, but Three used to use three.co.uk for mobile phones, and a different APN for mobile data (e.g. data dongles). The first was CGNAT and the second was routable IPv4.

This can of course change at any time due to IPv4 exhaustion. See the thread on here from the user wanting to game over an EE mobile connection. They had to use an L2TP tunnel from AAISP to get a public IP that inbound traffic could reach.

Edited by jchamier (Sat 01-Dec-18 10:39:03)

My router APN with this SIM in is just 3internet, CGNAT off.

My phone is three.co.uk, CGNAT on !! What was that I said earlier

In reply to a post by onthenet:

My router APN with this SIM in is just 3internet, CGNAT off.
My phone is three.co.uk, CGNAT on !! What was that I said earlier

That is what I remembered! Thanks. Not sure if phone contracts are allowed to use the 3internet APN it may be only available to data contracts. So when using a phone SIM in a router (or a phone tethered to a router) is going to give CGNAT....which will make some online gaming impossible.

Not a problem for everyone, but one to be aware of if switching from traditional broadband.

There just won't be enough IPv4 addresses left for everyone with a 3 phone to have a public IP. I suspect a lot less data contracts.

Edited by jchamier (Sat 01-Dec-18 10:38:01)

At the moment I have the £20/mnth phone SIM in my three router, the APN is 3internet and CGNAT off.

I'll keep an eye on it to see if it changes.

In reply to a post by onthenet:

In reply to a post by 23Prince:

Three started to do Unlimited again - everyone jumped on it again, speeds dropped for all - again

Three have always done unlimited, it never went away. I've had an unlimited phone contract for years @£19/mnt and there is a PayAndGo Sim @£35/mnth with no tethering limit.

I was on the Three Home broadband product so this is just the same except I don't have to worry about going over the 100GB limit for normal data, Netflix was unlimited.
I don't think I will be downloading terabytes of data suddenly.

The max you could get until 2 weeks ago was 100GB - maybe you were lucky to have a contract unlimited sim - but everyone else was turfed off theirs - PAYG has always been known to have unlimited tethering, but this is on another APN and was not monitored due to low user numbers

And i know all to well about CGNAT But solved by Frogmila.

In reply to a post by 23Prince:

The max you could get until 2 weeks ago was 100GB - maybe you were lucky to have a contract unlimited sim - but everyone else was turfed off theirs - PAYG has always been known to have unlimited tethering, but this is on another APN and was not monitored due to low user numbers

Three in Ireland have been offering unlimited Home broadband via 4G HERE, for a few years now for 30Euro/mnt with no issues.
I'm sure the UK will cope as well.

In reply to a post by onthenet:

In reply to a post by 23Prince:

The max you could get until 2 weeks ago was 100GB - maybe you were lucky to have a contract unlimited sim - but everyone else was turfed off theirs - PAYG has always been known to have unlimited tethering, but this is on another APN and was not monitored due to low user numbers

Three in Ireland have been offering unlimited Home broadband via 4G HERE, for a few years now for 30Euro/mnt with no issues.
I'm sure the UK will cope as well.

Ireland has more capacity and a better way of using it. same with their internet.
The UK didn't cope - that's why the OnePlan and all unlimited was pulled in 2015 with everyone being shifted onto another tariff. How long it last for this time - is anyones guess

That deal is still being advertised on their website

Edited by deleted (Sat 01-Dec-18 21:40:16)

In reply to a post by 23Prince:

That deal is still being advertised on their website

That/This deal is one of the loads of "extended" Black Friday deals from myriad suppliers of many different things. IIRC this one ends on 4 December. Otherwise, 3 December. I am assuming, with near certainty in my mind, that they have learned from the OnePlan failure. They will have addressed the problems I expect, otherwise they would be being remarkedly stupid. They also are no doubt aware of the effect of Black Friday takeup, for better for worse, and have calculated accordingly.

I'm almost certainly going to take a punt on it. I have been using the service since Wednesday, and so far it works perfectly.

I shall probably decide on Sunday what to do. Over the days since receiving the SIM I have done multiple speed tests upstairs and downstairs, with it as a WiFi hotspot in my phone and with the phone containing it plugged into my bog standard ASUS RT-N66U router's powered USB slot as a "modem". I have at very close times done EE 4G speed test from my Huawei P10 Lite from both upstairs and downstairs.

Which phone, as opposed to connection provider, is better re antennae etc. I have no idea over the long-term. There's only one way to find out.

Umm, not sure I used it tethered to the laptop or as a modem to the ASUS. I don't care , as there is no way any EE tariff other than as an internet-connected phone on a retention deal works for me. I have done sufficient testing to convince me.

I have also obtained a PAC for my main phone/number to move the number to Three if the almost certain decision is to dive right in, as I have found the performance with the containing phone downstairs (worst mast connection) is perfectly adequate for normal use whether as a WiFi hotspot with my laptop and iPad connected or USB-tethered to the laptop as a USB modem or as a simply USB-charging WiFi hotspot.

Whether or not to use the PAC is what will be decided on Sunday. FTTC is definitely on the skids, decision taken.

The final decision, whether or not to ditch the landline, I shall still need to ponder. The inclination is to "Yes". As things are, if keeping it, I can reverse everything except the retention-deal good EE SIM-only contract with no penalty other than the remaining months on the Three contract.

A new AAISP FTTC Home::1 requires no setup fee if for six months+. A new line with Pulse8 would cost a bit but at this time on a Saturday night I shan't look. In any scenario, if the full-blooded change doesn't work I would have £40pm saved towards the reinstatement of almost exactly the status quo ante.

I expect you can see my thinking process.

I have other related contingency thoughts about other scenarios I haven't mentioned, but believe me they are there. Tomorrow, (it's now 23.35), I shall decide and action whatever that decision is.

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 01-Dec-18 23:42:40)

That's all fair comment. I do sincerely hope Three have upgraded their system to allow for this - otherwise they rick problems and fines, money much better spent on actual improvements.

Sounds like you have a good system there - as for AA yes I agree, I had 6 months service with a free landline install - but yours is likely to be the start of a stopped line unless your area is really busy and your line gets nicked at the DP for someone else. Either way it's free reconnection.

I would have dropped cable in a shot if EE could have maintained the speeds I used to get - my last speed test was 220mbps and then now I am lucky to get over 90 - that's fine as Virgin Media is capped to 70/30 on limited packages and 50/50 on the unlimited sim. I tried a friends three sim last night - and it's still sub 10Mbps round here - so not worth the switch for me.

My only concern would be wearing out the phone quicker if it's tethered all the time - but if it's a reasonably cheap phone who cares?