Pocket wifi recommendations please

[dastott]

Have never owned a mobile phone with a SIM card so please excuse my ignorance. I want to get a pocket wifi router to use mobile internet for my iPad for web browsing and using apps. Can anyone recommend:

1. a reliable pocket wifi router.
2. a SIM card/network for internet access in Thailand.
Thank you very much.

[KhunBENQ]

32 minutes ago, dastott said:

Have never owned a mobile phone with a SIM card so please excuse my ignorance.

And you still don't have a smartphone?

Most smartphones nowadays can share their mobile internet connection as a mobile WiFi hotspot.

 

[jonw8uk]

http://www3.truecorp.co.th/truemoveh/product/detail/3208/4G_pocket_WiFi#promotion

 

true aircard here

 

upto 8 connections and 11 hours battery life

 

search dtac and ais for their equivalents

if your in an urban area any of the 3 will be ok. 

 

AIS is the best up country in my experience. 

 

Visit the operator shops in any mall and they will set you up

[The manic]

your smart phone and sim do it all.  what you are talking about is not needed here.  you SP will pick up WiFi and have its own data function 

[Halfaboy]

Tried to do this but did not have success.

 

Do bluetooth and wifi need to be switched on- or off (on the laptop) ?

Edited December 28, 2016 by Halfaboy

[jonw8uk]

1 hour ago, The manic said:

your smart phone and sim do it all.  what you are talking about is not needed here.  you SP will pick up WiFi and have its own data function 

The OP says he has never used a mobile phone with a sim card, let alone owning a smartphone. He asked about cellular routers to connect his ipad.

 

And secondly the only way you can share your internet connection from a smartphone is by having cellular data and creating a wifi hotspot, hence u saying 'ur SP will pick up wifi and have its own data function' doesnt mean a lot for his ipad....

[The manic]

2 hours ago, jonw8uk said:

The OP says he has never used a mobile phone with a sim card, let alone owning a smartphone. He asked about cellular routers to connect his ipad.

 

And secondly the only way you can share your internet connection from a smartphone is by having cellular data and creating a wifi hotspot, hence u saying 'ur SP will pick up wifi and have its own data function' doesnt mean a lot for his ipad....

Yes.  I was trying to provide the OP with a better option.  I have not seen the device he is asking about for years except in countries that have very poor WiFi coverage.  His smart solution is a smart phone with 4G sim and a data package.  However,  I would suggest he goes to Pantip Plaza and have a play with the available kit,  take advice and choose what to do. 

[oldcarguy]

I used an old mobile phone as a hotspot , but agree  that  a dedicated Hotspot  with longer battery life would be helpful ,

 

is there a good cheap unlocked one that can be used in other countries too ?

[Langsuan Man]

 

5 hours ago, oldcarguy said:

is there a good cheap unlocked one that can be used in other countries too ?

 

Don't know if the OP is here in Thailand or back in his home country

 

If in Thailand,  Lazada has numerous "hot spots / portable router available , that are unlocked and will accept SIM cards from other countries 

 

http://www.lazada.co.th/shop-network-components/?q=Wifi&searchclickposition=cat4

[dastott]

Thanks for the answers guys. Won't be getting a smartphone and will also use the pocket wifi router in other SE Asian countries. A small router like a TP-Link M5250 and a local SIM is the way I want to go. Any other suggestions about particular routers much appreciated.

[Gary A]

I have one called Netgear AC762S. It is 4G and it works very well for me. Before that I had a Huawei that worked well but it was only 3G.

[siam2007]

18 hours ago, Gary A said:

I have one called Netgear AC762S. It is 4G and it works very well for me. Before that I had a Huawei that worked well but it was only 3G.

 

 

were you able to buy it in a shop here or was it sent from abroad via lazada or the likes ?

I bought my ZTE60 years ago at Pantip, but it was an overstock clearance sale from a foreign brand (but unlocked), and I do not want a branded TRUE or AIS device

[Gary A]

1 hour ago, siam2007 said:

 

 

were you able to buy it in a shop here or was it sent from abroad via lazada or the likes ?

I bought my ZTE60 years ago at Pantip, but it was an overstock clearance sale from a foreign brand (but unlocked), and I do not want a branded TRUE or AIS device

 

I ordered it from Lazada.

[NanLaew]

On 1/6/2017 at 3:27 PM, siam2007 said:

 

 

were you able to buy it in a shop here or was it sent from abroad via lazada or the likes ?

I bought my ZTE60 years ago at Pantip, but it was an overstock clearance sale from a foreign brand (but unlocked), and I do not want a branded TRUE or AIS device

In my experience, True and AIS hardware isn't locked. My AIS dongle turned up missing last summer while I was up country but I still had the SIM. I bought a True dongle in an IT mall since AIS didn't have any and the generic ones were double the price. It still works with the AIS data SIM in it.

 

I also have an O2 (UK) branded pocket hotspot (a ZTE MF60) that works here with an AIS SIM.

Edited January 17, 2017 by NanLaew

[JamJar]

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

In my experience, True and AIS hardware isn't locked. My AIS dongle turned up missing last summer while I was up country but I still had the SIM. I bought a True dongle in an IT mall since AIS didn't have any and the generic ones were double the price. It still works with the AIS data SIM in it.

 

I also have an O2 (UK) branded pocket hotspot (a ZTE MF60) that works here with an AIS SIM.

 

That was locked to O2 but then unlocked by the user.

It will work with all SIMs in Thailand on the  900 and 2100 MHz  3G bands,  which covers all of them, but AIS offer the most data for your money.

http://www.o2.co.uk/static/www/docs/mf60_universalquickguide.pdf

 

 

[Gary A]

I use a Netgear 4G mifi and have two other units. One is  ZTE from True and the other is a Huawei. Both work with all Thai SIM cards and are 3G. I changed to the Netgear because I needed the 4G. The Huawei works better than the ZTE. The ZTE is a little finicky when using a USB cable. Both work fine using wifi. 

Edited January 18, 2017 by Gary A

[siam2007]

24 minutes ago, Gary A said:

I use a Netgear 4G mifi and have two other units. One is  ZTE from True and the other is a Huawei. Both work with all Thai SIM cards and are 3G. I changed to the Netgear because I needed the 4G. The Huawei works better than the ZTE. The ZTE is a little finicky when using a USB cable. Both work fine using wifi. 

 

 

seems like that Netgear device is not heard of in Thailand yet. At least lazada does not have any vendor offering it

[Gary A]

I took a look on Lazada and the Netgear mifi is no longer on their site. ??? Below is what I paid;     Netgear 762S 4G Pocket WiFi AIS/DTAC/TRUE Europe Spec Original (Black) Sold & Fulfilled by PROLIFE	2,290	1	2,290	Shipment 1 of 1 Standard Delivery Between 15 - 17/06/2016 Track my shipment

[JamJar]

http://www.lazada.co.th/huawei-e5573s-322-4g-wifi-router-150mbps-e5573c-band-5-850mhz-4gmifi-pocket-router-4g-mobile-wifi-11024683.html

 

https://thai.alibaba.com/product-detail/huawei-e5573-4g-lte-cat4-mobile-wifi-hotspot-e5573s-320--60229124414.html

 

[JamJar]

http://www.lazada.co.th/huawei-e5573s-322-4g-wifi-router-150mbps-e5573c-band-5-850mhz-4gmifi-pocket-router-4g-mobile-wifi-11024701.html

[wpcoe]

Is it normal for Alibaba to not offer English language as a choice?  

 

[RichCor]

1 hour ago, wpcoe said:

Is it normal for Alibaba to not offer English language as a choice?  

 

What's wrong, didn't your school teach you a 'world' language along with Latin and those music lessons?

 

...pretty sure that www.alibaba.com is their International English language site version.

th.alibaba.com

 

 

For a one-off purchase the item really should have been sourced on AliExpress (not Alibaba).

 

AliExpress: "huawei e5573 4g lte" 28 Results

 

[wpcoe]

@RichCor: Thanks for the mini-lesson on Alibaba domains.  I've never ordered online in Thailand (other than InvadeIT) so had no idea. Live and learn.  But, no more Latin, please. 

 

Just noticed that by following your link to AliExpress, they don't offer pricing in THB.  It's always something!  

[Langsuan Man]

4 hours ago, wpcoe said:

Just noticed that by following your link to AliExpress, they don't offer pricing in THB.  It's always something!  

 

Despite what the Thais think the Thai Baht is not an international currency,  AliExpress does offer payment in many other currencies

 

 

  

[JamJar]

The model to order is the Huawei E5573s-320.

Such as here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-Unlocked-Huawei-E5573-E5573s-320-CAT4-150Mbps-4G-LTE-FDD-Wireless-Router-3G-Mobile-WiFi/32788174982.html

 

Whether they send the model advertised is another thing altogether.

 

 

[JamJar]

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=AS_20170118203308&SearchText=huawei+e5573s-320

 

Plain white is original.