4G Internet

[martyn94]

Let us know about your experience with the aerials, and the phone.

I have just set up a HUAWEI B315 router, plus “wired” phone, with a special offer Free mobile subscription.

The set-up itself was easy enough, except that the router must be one of the few devices left which still uses a full size SIM card. Fortunately my local Maison de la Presse has a Free terminal which allows you to exchange an existing SIM card for a different-sized one, at a cost of €10 (but be warned: you have to have the existing SIM card in a phone as you do this, in order to receive a verification code on line). Apart from changing the network name and password through the router interface, there was nothing else to do.

Once you plug a phone into the router, it just works, on the mobile number associated with your SIM. I have any incoming voice messages sent to me by email, and HUAWEI have an app (Hi-Link) which picks up SMS messages. I don’t imagine the line will get much use, but the marginal cost is zero (so long as your SIM has voice service), and some older friends still prefer to call us on a landline in the first instance on the assumption that it will cost them less (I won’t disabuse them).

I believe that you can also set up the router to send and receive voice calls using SIP, but I decided long ago that that was well above my pay grade.

The internet speeds and WiFi coverage were pretty much identical to my previous router, so I doubt that I’ll bother with external aerials.

[Ted & Jemima]

On a related issue, there is a useful web site to determine if your village/town has 4G coverage:
https://www.ariase.com/couverture/aude-11
This is the Aude page but you can select your own departement. Our village was only graced with 4G a couple of months ago and it made a significant difference to internet speeds. Also a useful site for expanding fibre optic cable coverage which can achieve a speed of 1Gb/s in towns such as Carcassonne with prices starting at 20 Euros/month.

Yours,
Ted & Jemima