# 3G mobile Connection and Data card difference



## suyash_123 (Aug 12, 2012)

Hi all,

i was thinking about one thing today ... 

I have a Idea 3G Connection , Right now using 3g on PC via Mobile.

I was thinking if i Put my mobile sim in any one of the 3G USB dongles  (netsettlers) , will it work ?????

has any one tried it ????

how to Install and configure the USB dongle to access 3G on PC ???

how much is speed if possible ????


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## pratyush997 (Aug 12, 2012)

yup it will work


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## ideacellular (Aug 18, 2012)

suyash_123 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> i was thinking about one thing today ...
> 
> ...



Dear Customer,

We regret the inconvenience caused to you. May we request you to reply to us with your complete account details such as Full name, mobile no., alternate contact number and the type of Inconvenience you are facing. Also mention the token ID 205IC270731 in the subject.

Regards,
Idea Cellular


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## ramakanta (Aug 18, 2012)

yes, and must work. use network setting to 3G , thats all.


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## CyberKID (Aug 18, 2012)

That works very well. You have to just purchase an unlocked data card (not the ones the telecom service providers give, but those from Micromax, Huawei, Alcatel Lucent, Lava, etc.). This gives you freedom to change operators/plans which suits you the best. And you can get excellent speeds, even better than you might be getting on your cellphone. I've been able to get 7.1 Mbps download and ~4.5 Mbps Upload speeds at peak. Most of the Unlocked 3G data cards let you send and receive SMS's, and phone calls, which the data cards from various service providers don't.


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## windchimes (Aug 18, 2012)

Haven't used any personal datacard but just 2G services on mobile. Now I am planning to buy a datacard and got a few basic noob queries. 

1) Wonder whether national roaming is free in all datacards ? 
2)If buying a datacard seperate from a company like Micromax or Huawei is there anything specific to be taken care of? 
3) If we just ask for 3G service wit 3rd party datacard do the telecom service providers provide same tariffs as they give with their datacard?


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## CyberKID (Aug 18, 2012)

1. AFAIK, national roaming doesn't affect data services. I've used it in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Uttarakhand, apart from Delhi.
2. Yes, just like purchasing any other hardware we are required to take care of things, same is with data cards. There are various things we should take care of while purchasing one.
   a. The maximum Uplink and Downlink speeds: The higher, the better. Normally, most data cards have a max downlink speed of 7.2 Mbps (Megabits per second), commonly called HSDPA and a max uplink speed of 5.76 Mbps known as HSUPA. This collectively is called HSPA. Since now, most service providers including Airtel and Reliance are providing speeds in excess to HSPA+ i.e. 21.6 Mbps and 28.8 Mbps Downlink speeds respectively. Can't say about others. It's not that hard to find one with downlink speed of 21.6 Mbps. Though, they are a bit costlier than the 7.2 Mbps ones, but if you're getting download speeds anywhere above 10 Mbps, it's worth the premium.
   b. The User Interface and driver support for OS'es: The user interface and support for OS'es is also an important factor. For example, my Lava 720G has drivers for Windows XP only. Though it runs well on windows 7, but doesn't on windows 8, so I am required to start the application, then connect the data card to the internet from the Internet Connectivity Options available in Windows. Lava has stopped it's production. The new model from lava, i.e. the 730G has almost the same features with somewhat small form factor, but, it's not as good. That's why I don't recommend it to anyone. The user interface  should be user friendly and also should not compromise with features. The addition of features like sending and receiving SMS's and the ability to make and receive phone calls also adds to the list of advantages.
3. In most cases, no. Most of the telecom service providers have separate plans for data cards and mobile phones, among which the plans for Data cards are cheaper than those for mobile services, but in that, you're losing the flexibility to switch operators as per your choice, and not to mention added features like SMS and phone calls. Since, using third party unlocked data card, you'll be purchasing a separate sim card for your data card, you'll have to select a 3G data plan available for mobile devices, and given that the 3G data tariffs have really come down to very affordable prices, IMO, it's good to go in for an unlocked data card with normal mobile sim card.


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## windchimes (Aug 18, 2012)

Thanks a lot Cyberkid! That was really helpful.

So can you recommend me a good unlocked datacard? And which would be the best service. I'll be travelling around South India and Mumbai mostly.


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## CyberKID (Aug 18, 2012)

I think, it's upto you to decide on the data card as well as the service provider and the data plan. Haven't really had a chance to use my data card in Central and South India, so can't say about that. One thing that I can suggest is that since the 3G inter circle roaming pact between Airtel, Vodafone and Idea has been scrapped by TDSAT, you can't rely on airtel in areas where it doesn't have 3G services. It's 2G data services are really pathetic here in north India and I guess it's same for the ROI as well. As far as data card is concerned, there are a lot of options to choose from. You can start looking for one from Flipkart. But, please be wary of some of the OEM data cards (like those of airtel, idea, and reliance, etc, which are unlocked using software), which might look cheaper, but, you might not get a warranty for that. IMO, you should go in for Huawei's data cards, as Huawei has got a lot of experience in mobile telephony. Though micromax too has a host of good offerings, I can't suggest one, because, I personally don't like micromax.


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