Three 3G/HSDPA USB Modem

[fryrpc]

I am using a usb data modem from Three (http://www.three.co.uk/personal/products_services_/mobile_broadband_/index.omp)

For web surfing / email it is great and can be used outside of the house as well.

£10 - 1gb per month
£15 - 3gb per month
£25 - 7gb per month

HSDPA = 3.6Mbps connection speed (actual throughput for me 1.6Mbps down 300kbps up)
3g = 384kbps down
2g = 56kbps

So basically if you are in a 3g Turbo area you get HSDPA speeds. If you are in a standard 3g area you get 384kbps and outside the three area it automatically switches to Orange 2g at 56kbps - see http://www.three.co.uk/personal/coverage_/broadbandCoverageChecker.do for coverage details.

[miken]

Says I should be able to get Turbo* already but all i'm conserned with is the max speeds currently offered and the very low transfer allowence Id do 7gb in 1 or two days sometimes.

However there could be some future to the technologie as I saw a while ago about Vodafones

"download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps and upload speeds of up to 1.4Mbps" However currently only available in areas of mainly London

[stormy]

Yeh, not really a viable alternative yet.

[Adrian]

Turbo coverage apparently, but the contention will be bad as I can' t see the base stations having lots of bandwidth... normally they are only fed with 2mbit links...

[dylan]

I do like the idea of it, but at those transfer rates, I'd feel safer sticking with Karoo at the mo. I do wonder what the latency is like though? Capable of online gaming would you say?

[pdwright2k]

Three have now knocked 50% off their broadband packaged, but only for exisiting 3 mobile customers,

Oh and dont forget their is also quidco cashback as well

Paul

[Ihatekc]

Just received mobile broadband from 3. Got it half price modem and usb stick along with half price monthly rental (£7.50 5gb up to 2.9 connection). Had to subscribe to a mobile so got phone on £21 pm 700 minutes. Total monthly cost £28.50. This saves me at least £30pm on the KC and Karoo package. Only one problem, it is total crap!!!!! Broadband speed at 10am 212K half of dial up. The only thing positive about it is that the router worked well. If you are interested in BBCi or download heavy files, forget it. Watching the tigers through live streaming at away games would also not work. I doubt if you would be able to get through your monthly allowance at these speeds. Sent it all back, no hassle there so long as phone isn’t used. Be warned.

[Robo]

Turbo area, what turbo area?
I live in a strong turbo area and am lucky to get a signal at all on either my handset or broadband(dialup more like).
Do 3 care, do they heck like, this must be the worse service I have ever seen in my life and don't even talk to me about customer service, they make Krapoo look GREAT.
So I am tied into a sub standard service for the next 16 months, thank you 3 crap.

[Fr34ky]

Turbo area, what turbo area?
I live in a strong turbo area and am lucky to get a signal at all on either my handset or broadband(dialup more like).
Do 3 care, do they heck like, this must be the worse service I have ever seen in my life and don't even talk to me about customer service, they make Krapoo look GREAT.
So I am tied into a sub standard service for the next 16 months, thank you 3 crap.

The wife has just bought this and boy or boy is she not amused She can hardly get connected and when she does it takes that long to do anything she switches it off.

Whats more is throughout the whole house she can only connect in one place and that is on top of the tv infront of the front main window???

i told her not to bother or send it straight back but do they ever listen....no so now she stuck with a lengthy contract

[Robo]

3 are the biggest thieves going, allthough I have been unable to use it at home, they still insist on me honoring the 18 month contract, they even had the cheek to send me this :-

I’m sorry to hear that you’re still facing network issues and have problems to use our services.

I understand how important it is to be able to use the services without any interruptions. I understand although the coverage is good in your area, you’re still facing problems to use our services.

I think, you’re facing this problem because your services have been affected due to any of the below reasons:

• Structure of the building
• Prevalent weather conditions
• Many customer’s using the phone at the same time

In such a situation, we request you to select the network manually. I understand you weren’t expecting to hear this-I’m sorry to disappoint you.

Your 18-month contract isn’t due to end until 1 December 2009. I do understand your reasons for wanting to cancel, but if you close your account now you’ll have to pay your remaining line rental of £244.80 approximately. This amount reduces on a daily basis and excludes any outstanding balance on the account. 

If you’d still like to do this, please let us know – we’ll need 30 days’ notice to close your account.

You have an option to transfer the account in the name of your friend or a family member. To do this there shouldn’t be any outstanding balance on the account and the person you wish to transfer the account too should meet the below criteria:

• Be over 18 years of age
• Be able to make a debit or credit payment using their own card. Please keep in mind cash or connect card, visa electron and solo cards are not accepted.
• Agree to 3's privacy policy and terms and conditions.

Please let us know if you want to go for this option and we’ll give you a code to be passed on to the recipient.

I cannot afford a CCJ or I would just stop the standing order, so all I can do is say to anyone thinking of using these MUPPETTS ( Make sure you can get coverage or dump them within 14 days)
 3 customer services must be the most ignorant of the lot.

[Fr34ky]

" 3 customer services must be the most ignorant of the lot."

I struggle to understand any of them

[Robo]

I did not want to say that myself    however I have had to put the phone down on 3 of them as they did not speak English properly.
All said and done tho I do not blame these people as they have a living to make reading scripts, I blame 3 for failing to provide a decent service in my area.
They have now lost 6 people that I know of as I have told them to get any other supplier

[grabo1530]

I too subscribed to 3 when I cancelled Krapoo last may .the speeds are nearly always slower than an old dial up connection .I use it only in extreme emergencies  and that’s only well out of peak hours. The dongle is not even heavy enough to use as a paper weight.
3 customer services are either none understandable or if on the off chance you get someone who you can understand just pain ignorant.
I too have warned at least 12 people away and will carry on.
 
Oh yes and the 3 internet accelerator doesnt work it just screws up eset antivirus among other things.

I echo do not waste your cash on Three.

[richardmyers]

Was in PC World buying the girlfriend a laptop for my girlfriend on Tuesday, as I was picking it out the sales bloke said "May I also interest you in a free laptop sir through 3?", to which I referred him to this thread on Karoo Forums. I've been with 3 for my mobile for the last year and I find their customer service infuriating, when I first signed up the Indian I was trying to talk to had to take my address 4 times and my name 5 times as she couldn't understand me and I couldn't understand her... Not ideal to say the least.

[Robo]

3 are really the pits, can't wait to be shot of them..

Anyone want some carma as I feel in the mood to give everyone some since some mupett decided to smite me for nowt