4G speeds atrocious no phone signal either..

[Steve_O_Morse]

Moved from O2 last week because of escalating costs.  PAC Code from O2 instant.  Activated Smarty SIM Thursday and applied PAC to port my number to SMARTY.  Didn't  port next business day as stated. Finally ported this lunchtime.  Despite my area being reported by SMARTY and 3 as being good this pm my phone signal in my property is pants, keeps trying to go to WiFi calling and 4G speeds so slow its laughable.  Not even 1 day and I've decided I'm ditching SMARTY.   I've been robbed.   Porting out as soon as I get myself a new sim.  THOUGHTS.  DON'T JOIN SMARTY. 

[Liquadia49]

The modem is a very small box. It's used for SIM cards and runs off USB. I have a 20,000w portable power bank, and I can plug it into that. As for the rain, a thin plastic bag tied up would suffice. These are the extremes we have to go through to get something. It's not quite on the windowsill either; it's three steps beyond that behind a fence door where it all happens.

This is going to be tricky... But there has to be a way, and at a low cost just havent found the answer yet..

[Liquadia49]

Soooo, I thought I would uodate those interested on the outcome of todays experiment.  I today, purchased a three mobile 4g+ hotspot fron cex, it was second hand and it was £20 cheap.  

So, today I charged it up, out the simcard from my phone into the mobile hitspot device and its sitting on the back of a wooden support bar on the back of my wooden fence door, whixh is wedfed with a rock to sfop the wind blowing it and resultinf it falling on the floor and shattering into pieces.

The result is positive.  I have now 4g signal in my home with at least 53 Mbps, and 10 Mbps upload speeds.

How the hell this works I dont know, because this device is powered of a small battery like the old nokia batteries.  Its sending a wireless or wifi signal out and is going through 3 walls.   So it appears that wifi is stronger than 5g signal maybe but heg, it works..

So yeah cheers for the support...

[MSF]

@Liquadia49  Result then!!👏

How do you know that the sim is not picking up 5G when it sits in the hotspot? Does the manual say that the box will only work on 4G?

That said, what matters is that you get a usable signal, be it 4G, 5G or any other G !! (Not 3G as they're turning it off!!!)

[Liquadia49]

There's an app that allows you to log on to it. It tells you the connection (3G, 4G, 4G+), and if it supports 5G, which it doesn't, it will say so on the app on main screen, only problem is the battery doesnt last long well 2hrs or so not fully tested it yet.  But late last night in the hom struggled with it getting signal so back outside it went..

[MSF]

@Liquadia49  Certainly does sound like it's a problem with the structure of your property. You're not living in a biscuit tin, are you?🤣

[Liquadia49]

I'm not a rat, lol. But it's the area with added complexities of the property.  Its ztill not the greatest option but it will do.

[Liquadia49]

I think I need your genius title. I have a little plastic box that my hamster lives in, and the MiFi goes in it perfectly. So it's covered from the rain, and the power bank is in a plastic bag with the handles facing down, so it's totally waterproof...

[MSF]

@Liquadia49  So the hamster gets the luxury of home wifi?  Now that's what I call a real animal lover! Has it also got its own X-box? 😳

[Liquadia49]

Haha it's an old hamster house roll, it's pirched on top of the fence, I cut a hole under it, and screwed in a mop handle to keep it balanced and fed the cable down the hold into the powersupply.  And no hamster gets a ps4 lol

[MSF]

@Liquadia49  I suggest a name change for you......how about Heath Robinson? 😂

[Liquadia49]

Haha

[Jennife_270378]

Sadly I've experienced same I stepped away from O2 for same reason and have been woefully dissapointed by the low level of 4G with smarty despite all their promises. 

[Chalkychap]

That's unfortunate, @Jennife_270378. You could go-back to O2, without an early termination fee for switching. 

Although I've been happy with SMARTY 4G, and especially their 5G, perhaps O2 is a better choice in the locations you use your mobile phone, @Jennife_270378.

[ClaudiaO_206853]

My 4g with Smarty has been getting steadily worse over the last month. I received a message saying that there will be work going on because they are removing the 3G element to their masts/connections etc and I know that Smarty gets their signal from Three who are the ones doing this, but it's just atrocious now since I got that announcement. I've been with Smarty for over 5 years now and only ever had 4g with them and it's been fine but in recent weeks it's been dreadful. I haven't moved, so there are no other changes except that notification. And I see Three customers are complaining the same. Maybe it's time for Smarty to find another internet supplier? 

[MSF]

@ClaudiaO_206853  Given that both companies are owned by Hutchison, do you think that Smarty get that level of choice?

Also, what do you mean by "internet supplier"? We are talking about mobile signal here.

[JJP2RidesAgain]

Smarty is owned by Three, who in turn are owned by Hutchinson Telecom, so yeah, that’s not happening.