[delinquentwoody]

i'm a happy bunny tonight!

i've just plugged my n73 with X Series Silver add on into my PC for the first time, and found that with a little software app on the nokia CD called One Touch Access I can use my handset as a modem!

The CD supplied in the 3 package comes preloaded with all the settings to connect to the net through 3, which was very handy.

So I've been surfing away all day, and call me old fashioned or whatever but I'm really happy with my 460kb/sec connection speed for a fiver a month!!!

My only concern is the 1gb monthly limit, and how much they'll charge if I go over that. I've got two weeks of this month left, and I bet i'm nearly there already :/ downloading film clips and stuff.

[Hands0n]

Nice one del :D And great that you got 3 to play ball with you - something they've not been famous for when coming up for early renewals.

I presume the £180 is used up by their standard call/text rates - have you worked out how many minutes/texts that works out to? I guess you are able to use that £180 on any of their tariffs (i.e. Videocall etc...).

1GB sounds a lot until you consider that it incudes the uplink also. But is is thrilling to get even 460Kbps when mobile, especially if you've any experience of 2G/2.5G GPRS. It is a world apart, and not too unlike 512Kbps ADSL broadband. Do 3 say what they charge (or what happens) if you go over the 1GB? I'm using T-Mobile's Web N Walk, they say that if you go over the 3GB allowance they'll "have a word" with you, and if you persist they'll reduce your throughput, but no mention of charging more for the additional data used.

I think you can get you Data Usage direct off your handset, its there on the Nokia 6280 so I would anticipate it being in the counters of your N73 - but I'm only guessing here.

[delinquentwoody]

It says on the letter they sent me "Your allowance can be used for anytime, any network UK voice calls to mobiles and fixed lines including voicemail, plus standard text and MMS messages".

So no video calls, but I never used those anyway.

There's nothing in the small print that says what happens if I go over the fair usage limit, it simply says "unlimited data is subject to a fair usage limit of approximately 1GB per month". I suppose if I went over it I could argue over the use of the word 'approximate', i just hope they wont charge by the megabyte lol.

Theres no official data counters for me on my3, i'll have to use the inbuilt one on the phone which i guess i'll have to figure out pretty sharp!!

The download speed is pretty decent, i've been downloading files at 57kb/sec.

[3GScottishUser]

Be careful!!!

It was never in any doubt that the N73 etc could work as a modem on 3, all of their handsets will do the job but its the terms and conditions that make the modem use a big problem.

3 specifically state that there is no modem data use with the x-series and can easily identify when a data connection is made because the handset has to dial in to make a connection (*99# usually). That said 3 are quite entitled to charge for modem use at their current data rate of £7.50 per MB as modem use is not included in any of their tariffs.

So I would be very careful about modem use until such times as there is evidence that 3 wont charge and even then its still a big gamble as they could initiate charging at any point and even charge for data retrospectively.

[delinquentwoody]

It looks like I'm not being charged for it - when I go on my3 on the phone and look on the section "What you've spent since your last bill" it says £0.00, and i've been surfing away for the last two days! So modem use is definitely included.

[3GScottishUser]

Modem use is definately NOT included!!

3 may not have set up the My3 service to display data charges but that is no guarantee that they wont bill for data use when you use your device outwith the terms and conditions.

From 3's x-series T + C's .....

"[...] X-Series services are for your personal use only and do not include using your mobile as a modem with your PC or laptop.

[...] We will also consider your use unfair if you use the X-Series services in any way designed to unfairly exploit the unlimited usage or cause us loss, for example, by using the services for commercial purposes, accessing services that are not included or using an unauthorised device."

So it's pretty clear that using x-series for data via modem access is a big gamble and one that I personally would not reccomend!

[Ben]

It'll be interesting to see how this pans out. I'd imagine it is probable that, providing you remain within fair usage limits, no action will be taken and you'll be able to use your handset as a modem.

[Hands0n]

How scary - can Getti get us a definitve answer to the question (or one of his colleagues) before delinquentwoody gets bankrupted by February 2007!

Edit: It could well be that 3's T&Cs have not caught up with the actuality of the x-series offering as of January 2007, a changing map I'd suppose. But caution has to be the watchword as the data charges out-contract can be extremely high. I'd say that £7.50 per megabyte is specifically designed to PREVENT the use of out-contract data use!

[3GScottishUser]

Aye... the devil is in the detail as always....

You can buy a car that does 130MPH no probem but we all know what happens if you drive at that speed on a motorway and get caught!!

What is technically possible is one thing.....what the rules allow is often very different so I suppose it all depends on how one quantifies the risk. With modem use specifically dialing into a server and being identified and authenticated during the initial handshake process the network can clearly identify every data session and as the terms clearly exclude this type of connection I would'nt chance it with the level of charge that could potentially be billed.

[getti]

From what i know data charges are £2 per mb. Only Vodafone charge £7.50 on payg for data (laughable)

I personally managed to use X-Series as my modem when on 3 training but i advise you NOT to until its definatly written down as 3 can at any time check what you are doing data for i.e using the *99# code for modem access.

I will check when back in work on Tuesday if there is any news on modem use on the X-Series but will have to check what i can put on here as i dont want to get slapped wrists for info i should not publish.

For now though i will say... yes you can phisicly use XSeries as a modem but i suggest you dont use it any more to be safe.

Nothing worse than getting a £500 bill through for data which you cant argue because T&C say no to modem use

[3GScottishUser]

Yep.... it's £2 a MB so better than the Threestore staff told me!!

Still could end up a heafty bill and I'd suggest taking heed of getti's wise advice.