ipad SIM cards

[lustyd]

It's a little bit technical, but they monitor traffic going to port 80 or 443 on the content server with a User Agent showing it is initiated by a web browser and a content type of web data. Email uses other ports.
MS AutoUpdate traffic as well as updating other programs will eat into the 500MB, as will Skype and most video streaming as this will all be counted as other data, based on content type and/or destination port.

The ports are not really used in this these days, it's all done by a big proxy system. A company called Byte Mobile does this (they are the ones putting the lower quality images in too where you have to press ctrl + R to improve).

 

[spynappels]

The ports are not really used in this these days, it's all done by a big proxy system. A company called Byte Mobile does this (they are the ones putting the lower quality images in too where you have to press ctrl + R to improve).

And it is still done using ports and traffic/content types....(ask me how I know)

 

[lustyd]

And it is still done using ports and traffic/content types....(ask me how I know)

The content types it certainly is, but using the port to identify traffic was abandoned after people started configuring web proxies on port 25 You probably know for similar reasons to why I do!

 

[spynappels]

The content types it certainly is, but using the port to identify traffic was abandoned after people started configuring web proxies on port 25 You probably know for similar reasons to why I do!

Looking at your location, I think I may know! You don't happen to work for a large US company whose name starts with C?

 

[lustyd]

Looking at your location, I think I may know! You don't happen to work for a large US company whose name starts with C?

No, I'm a consultant but I did some work at Byte before they were bought

 

[Deej]

No, it quite clearly states on the site that email and web traffic are inclusive and that video etc are not.
"Always browse and email, plus 500MB data for watching videos and downloading music. "

As I said, I have yet to be charged any more than the £5 initial top up (which is supposed to be £10).

Something sounds wrong here....

The plan detail says, "Join a plan and top up £10 each month to get....unlimited free uk texts.....100 minutes". Top up £5 more and also get...free internet.

That reads to me like you have to top up £15 per month to get what you describe. It sounds like something has gone wrong at their end (to your benefit).

Without wishing to insult your intelligence, are you sure that all this heavy usage has been on 3G and not WiFi?

 

[lustyd]

Something sounds wrong here....

The plan detail says, "Join a plan and top up £10 each month to get....unlimited free uk texts.....100 minutes". Top up £5 more and also get...free internet.

That reads to me like you have to top up £15 per month to get what you describe. It sounds like something has gone wrong at their end (to your benefit).

Without wishing to insult your intelligence, are you sure that all this heavy usage has been on 3G and not WiFi?

Positive it's been on 3G (I'm a senior technical consultant so can tell the difference not insulted, always good to check)

The offer was iPhone specific and included unlimited browsing. You're right though I hadn't noticed the bit at the side so prehaps the offer I had isn't on anymore.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Positive it's been on 3G (I'm a senior technical consultant so can tell the difference not insulted, always good to check)

The offer was iPhone specific and included unlimited browsing. You're right though I hadn't noticed the bit at the side so prehaps the offer I had isn't on anymore.

I have called them again today to check.

They said again that all data is charged at the same rate, email and browsing.

 

[maxi77]

I have a 3 dongle and it depends on how you top up, if you buy the 'package' for UK service they time expire, but if you just put cash in your account it as you have to do roaming it lasts for ever, we were back in the UK this year and needed a mobile connection and the cash on my account from 2 years ago still worked.

You could also look at giffgaff which operates on O2 and give you the option of cash or package and the cash is not time limeted. I use it for my Iphone when back in the UK and have no problems and they supply a microsim

 

[pvb]

You could also look at giffgaff which operates on O2 and give you the option of cash or package and the cash is not time limeted. I use it for my Iphone when back in the UK and have no problems and they supply a microsim

The giffgaff cash offer is quite expensive though; 20p a day for up to 20MB, then 20p per MB for over 20MB that day. Otherwise, giffgaff is great for ordinary call/text use.

 

[Deej]

Positive it's been on 3G (I'm a senior technical consultant so can tell the difference not insulted, always good to check)

The offer was iPhone specific and included unlimited browsing. You're right though I hadn't noticed the bit at the side so prehaps the offer I had isn't on anymore.

I withdraw the faux-insult, anyway - I think I see what you mean now. Just had another look at https://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/sim-only/#simloaded and there is an iPhone-only offer of 12 months free internet that you redeem by sending a text message once you activate the SIM. The SIM is 'free' but you pay £10 for an initial top-up and you keep that credit.

From what you say, the SIM should work in an iPad too. Did you activate your SIM in an iPad or iPhone?

 

[lustyd]

I withdraw the faux-insult, anyway - I think I see what you mean now. Just had another look at https://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/sim-only/#simloaded and there is an iPhone-only offer of 12 months free internet that you redeem by sending a text message once you activate the SIM. The SIM is 'free' but you pay £10 for an initial top-up and you keep that credit.

From what you say, the SIM should work in an iPad too. Did you activate your SIM in an iPad or iPhone?

mine was activated in the shop and I only had to top up a fiver. I then put it straight in the iPad. There is another thread on here with loads of people with the same sim who are happily browsing for almost free. As I said, I browse a lot and email a lot with attachments and the 500MB is untouched. I often use youtube and iplayer and not been charged so far.

 

[Jamesuk]

mine was activated in the shop and I only had to top up a fiver. I then put it straight in the iPad. There is another thread on here with loads of people with the same sim who are happily browsing for almost free. As I said, I browse a lot and email a lot with attachments and the 500MB is untouched. I often use youtube and iplayer and not been charged so far.

Really youtube and lplayer and your 500mb is untouched? Are you sure your not on wifi for those. I am very careful with what i browse and i can go through 1 GB in 10 days.Possibly, ybw.com/forum has something to do with that but i never ever watch you tube or iplayer using 3G unless i am at an airport about to leave the UK and i want to use up mb that i have paid for!

Just wait until 4G comes out, i read O2 was doing London trials and the most active users, downloaded 200GB worth of content in a month !!!! WOOWW with Prange and T mobile launching in just a few weeks. WAIT and be amazed.

 

[pteron]

I withdraw the faux-insult, anyway - I think I see what you mean now. Just had another look at https://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/sim-only/#simloaded and there is an iPhone-only offer of 12 months free internet that you redeem by sending a text message once you activate the SIM. The SIM is 'free' but you pay £10 for an initial top-up and you keep that credit.

From what you say, the SIM should work in an iPad too. Did you activate your SIM in an iPad or iPhone?

I'm on the second year of this. It requirs a text message to be sent to activate the 12 months free data - you can't do this from an iPad. I did it from an iPhone.

 

[jakeroyd]

I tried lustyd's t-mobile suggestion the last time it was doing the rounds.
Like some have mentioned here you have to activate it which you can not do with an iPad.
I activated it by slipping it in my Nokia , this uses a normal sim card but you can line up the contacts for the chip on the mini sim card and it will work.

Maybe I should have used an iPhone To do this.

I found I did have the £10 credit but this got used up and did not last like lustyd's and pteron's

This is not a criticism of lustyd , just a note to mention maybe it does not always work. I wish it did. Might try again and activate using an iPhone.

In the meantime I am going to try GiffGaff and put credit on it rather than a 'Gigabag' this should not expire.
It is quite expensive but like others I only want it for when the iPad has no wifi available

I can also use my Joiku hotspot with my Nokia which the iPad can connect to.

 

[lustyd]

Really youtube and lplayer and your 500mb is untouched? Are you sure your not on wifi for those. I am very careful with what i browse and i can go through 1 GB in 10 days.Possibly, ybw.com/forum has something to do with that but i never ever watch you tube or iplayer using 3G unless i am at an airport about to leave the UK and i want to use up mb that i have paid for!

Just wait until 4G comes out, i read O2 was doing London trials and the most active users, downloaded 200GB worth of content in a month !!!! WOOWW with Prange and T mobile launching in just a few weeks. WAIT and be amazed.

I'm positive, as I said earlier I'm pretty technical. Are you on iPad or Android out of interest? I've noticed my Android devices use considerably more data.

4G doesn't make you download more. It's not even faster in its first iteration, it just changes the way the bandwidth is used. In places like London this will make no difference unfortunately because of congestion but in the sticks it should give a boost. Eventually more spectrum will be added to allow higher bandwidth. For instance some of the analogue tv spectrum, the 2g mobile spectrum and some others will be added.

 

[pteron]

I tried lustyd's t-mobile suggestion the last time it was doing the rounds.
Like some have mentioned here you have to activate it which you can not do with an iPad.
I activated it by slipping it in my Nokia , this uses a normal sim card but you can line up the contacts for the chip on the mini sim card and it will work.

Maybe I should have used an iPhone To do this.

I found I did have the £10 credit but this got used up and did not last like lustyd's and pteron's

This is not a criticism of lustyd , just a note to mention maybe it does not always work. I wish it did. Might try again and activate using an iPhone.

Yes, you need to use an iphone to activate it - they check this. I had to phone them as the SMS activation didn't work at first and they could read off that I was using an iphone.