Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
Information and Services in Turkey Section => Telephones, Broadband and Mobiles => Topic started by: teetee on April 03, 2013, 12:14:34 PM
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I have a problem that I am trying to find a solution to.
This year on out trips out I will have no choice but to take an iPad with me for work...yes I know. It isn't 3G enabled but I can connect via my iPhone to get 3G in Turkey but as my provider is Vodafone the data is expensive when away.
So I am looking for an easy and cheap solution to get mobile internet on a iPad whilsy away.
I have read that others have a Turkish dongle but these do not work with an iPad so any suggestions for a solution would be appreciated as I wish to avoid taking a laptop and getting a Turkish dongle for it.
Thanks in advance.
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I am looking into MYFI, I know that Vodaphone and Turkcel do these, I am waiting to get to Turkey before buying to weigh up the options. Maybe someone in Turkey already has this and can shed more light.
http://www.turkcell.com.tr/bireysel/cihazlar/Sayfalar/vinnailesi/Turkcell-VINN-WiFi.aspx (http://www.turkcell.com.tr/bireysel/cihazlar/Sayfalar/vinnailesi/Turkcell-VINN-WiFi.aspx)
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Hi Loz thanks for the info I have had a look but it looks like you have to have a 12 or 24 month contract for this although if they did a pay as you go version it would be perfect.
Will wait to see if anyone in Turkey has any other ideas.
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I do believe there is a pay as you go version, I had a look last October, ended up not needed it, but I think I will this time.
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Teetee,Today in Fethiye we purchased the Turkcell VNN mini wireless wiFi cost 265Tl included Sim, topped up with 39TL for 4GB, it has been used for 3 hours only used 130mb and it is very fast. it s currently sitting 6ft away, it is the size of a very small mobile phone. total 304Tl Pay-as-you-go, no contract needed.
Purchase on the back street same side as Pasha kebab restaurant Turkcell shop Dogus Electric, great help and cheaper than some of the other shops.
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Hi loz thanks ever so much for the update. We are out in a few weeks and will invest in one of these. Does the top up run out if not used for a period of time?
Also when you say the back road am I right in thinking this is the one way going round the back by the fish market as I am not familiar with pasha?
Many thanks teetee
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Loz, does the sim card fit into the wifi or via a dongle?
I have a dongle and would like a wifi modem thing to plug it into so I can share my internet.
I can see what I want on the net but i dont know if it will work with a turkcell dongle.
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If you have a sim already then i see no reason it will not go into the wireless one, you could take it along to the shop to try,
amazing little gadget.
(http://s19.postimg.org/5dkgvp7fn/image.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)
upload foto (http://postimage.org/)
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If you have a smart phone along with you, you can still 'upload' data only packets (20tl/1GB or 40tl/4GB or 80tl/10GB) to your local SIM card and turn the Personal Hotspot feature on your phone (it is very simple with iPhone, but should be just the same with other smarties).
If you have an 'unlocked' smart-phone (using SIMcard technology -in US AT&T does, Verizon does not-) from your country of origin, you can pop in a local (TurkCell, Vodafon, etc) SIM card that will work for about 30 days+. After that you have to go through the headache of 'registering' it with the communication authorities. Assuming you are coming as a tourist for 3 weeks, you can get away with it without investing in a 265tl WiFi device.
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UPtownr I appreciate what you are saying but if my UK smart phone is not unlocked and I wouldn't know anyway are you saying I can get a iPhone sim from say Vodafone and used it in my UK regsitered phone for up to 4 weeks before it gets blocked?
If so I would have to get a new sim everytime I come over and also would my iPhone be ok tio use when I returm to the UK. The only benifit of doing it as suggested is that I can use the iPad away from the apartment.
Can you confirm please?
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Also, on return visits (say following year) won't you find your phone / imei thingy has been blocked in Turkey?
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Mine has never been blocked but the longest I have been away is 6 months
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I was away Sept to June and first my mini sim for ipad was blocked and the next visit after a similar period, I had a data sim in my phone and my phone was then blocked.
Unfortunately, I have no idea on the rules etc so now my phone is unblocked, hope to buy a pay as you go data sim and use my phone as wireless for my iPad.
Baris at Avea in Fethiye is very helpful and speaks good english.
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I don't have a iphone, my phone is an old turkish mobile, it phones it text, exactly what it says in the box cost me approx 50tl many moons ago.
This little gadget will be going to the UK, I will take it along to "the man that can" unlock it to a UK simGB.
My UK phone is the same as my Turkish mobile, phones and text, PAYG nothing fancy, cost me no more than £5-£6.
Little gadget is great, put it in my pocket, 5 hours battery life, or charge up through usb, simple, use it for the chromebook, laptop or android, magic, and when I return at a later date to Turkey I will not have the problem of registering it at the tax office for 100tl.
I intend to set up an account with Turkcell online to put credit on should i be away for longer than 6 months if not get a friend in Turkey to do it on line for me after purchasing a pay card, same as the phone to keep it alive.
Anything for an easy life.
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Hi Again Loz onne question I have regarding the VINN wifi device you purchased is it portable, so can you charge it and take it out with you? Many thanks
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Yes, and approx 5-6hours (so far).
I have been reading up on these mini wifi, not sure how this would work in Turkey, buy one in PC world, again I am not sure if they are locked to a certain sim, bring to Turkey, but then you would have to go to the Tax office to pay 100Tl to register it, would it then be possible to use any sim card?
I didn't buy one in UK as I wanted to use mainly for Turkey and pc world staff could not answer this question, I didn't want to buy one in the uk for the same money and find I had to buy a Turkish one.
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You can find out from your local (UK) service provider if your phone is eligible for unlocking. Usually the first contract period (say a two-year plan) you are locked into using your phone only with that provider that in effect subsidized your smart phone purchase. If you are a long term customer, and you own the phone for more than one contract period, you only need to ask them to unlock it and they will do it -or send you to an internet link where you can do it online yourself by supplying some basic info about your phone ID (this is again an option you have in the US, but I trust UK is also efficient like that).
And yes, your phone will work once you return back to UK and reinsert your UK SIM card. As for having to buy a new SIM card 'each time' you come to Turkey.... I do not know how often you plan to come back here, if VERY often it might pay for you to register your phone -that will set you back a 100tl and some bureaucratic run-around-, but if you plan on coming say every 6-7 mos, the SIM will remain 'active' for I believe 9 months (or 6 mos at least), and even then if you ask a friend who lives here, to load a 7.00 tl basic -hold- plan, the SIM will remain active for another 9 mos (based on TurkCell provider). Alternately, to activate a new SIM card each time is about 30-40 tl. You can do the math based on your frequency of visits which option is best.
Not sure what you meant about this option to be viable only when you are away from apt. When you are at a public space, most restaurants and cafes have free WiFi for you to tap in. The problem is IN the apt where you do not have WiFi. If you are at an aparthotel, they usually have free WiFi as well. If you are in the wilderness you will need a solution -but hey, enjoy the open air when you are wandering ;)
I agree with loz that if you want convenience and money is no object (not a big one anyway) invest on a wifi device and take it anywhere -yes they are rechargable usually so no being tethered to a wall outlet for power. As for next time you come, if your phone will not be blocked ...no first hand experience on that, sorry, but i do not think they track it consecutively. based on most of what i heard from others it is a crap shoot -some get to use it again and again, some loose it, it is probably a function of how long they hold on to information before they purge it, and how long you've been away before using the same device.
loz, i agree again that if you spent 10 bucks on a plain vanilla phone and it does the job for you, go ahead and spend 265 tl for your iPad. This was for those who are already users of an iPhone for 2 years and more.
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Thanks for the info.
Little gadget is great, It is great to be sat in our villa on the internet as opposed to carting around a laptop/android/ipad when going out for the day or evening.
I can find my way around a computer no problem, give me a phone and I am lost!! hence the cheapest of cheap mobiles on the market, the battery will go out of production before the phone gives up.
If you go onto Turkcell site you can register (must be in Turkey to do it) you get a password and you can pay online for sim credit anywhere in the world, so if you are out of the country for more than the 6 or 9 month period you can keep a sim alive, make at least one phone in that period too. Good way not to bother friends or buy the kontor cards before you leave and ask them to top up the credit online, I just like my independence.
On saying all this, Vodaphon and avea must have the same system. Personally I like Turkcell. and spending half our time now in Turkey ad UK they suit me fine.
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As of the 1st of January 2013 the cost of registering an imported mobile telephone at the tax office increased from 100tl to 120 tl,
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Great info Loz. Thanks
I looked at these last October. I tried to get one last night at a couple of shops but no joy. I'll try the one you suggested
Thanks
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Did I not read somewhere recently that you cannot now register foreign phones in Turkey?
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Loz I was told that if you buy data pre-pay and you use up your data before your 3 months limit (or whatever) you can not buy more top-op early. Sorry that is a rubbish description !
The way I plan to use my MyFi is guests in our villa will use it If they run out of data I want them to easily top it up irrespective of how quickly they use the data or when tey need to top it up
Any thoughts gratefully accepted
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I have heard that said about the VINN dongle also that once you choose a package you are stuck with it. However, I have bought various amounts of gb some of which have run out before the end of the period and have just gone into Turkcell and topped up again for the period and gbs that suit me at the time.
Can't see why it should be any different with Myfy.
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I purchased the mobile dongle , and yes great gadget but how do I know how much data I have left ?
Anyone know - thanks
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Is yours the Turkcell Vinn, the same as we are discussing?
not sure if this works with them all. Go to the browser at the top and type http://192.168.1.1 (http://192.168.1.1/) press enter
This should open an admin page, the password is admin, once in you can check your usage and change your password for the device.
In this page you can also send and recieve messages/emails (just like a mobile phone) to the number on the sim card
Bringing a whole new meaning to 'Talk to your Dongle'
;D
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Loz, coming out (again ;D) in a 10 days, so where is this shop that you bought your mifi (not myfi) device from?
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Steve, The only Turkcell shop that I could make understand what I wanted and charged me the correct price was the Turkcell shop on the back road, going from Pasha Kabab restaurant Pastpatur follow the oneway system.
The young girl in the back desk speaks a little English and once pointed to the picture she kindly sorted for me.
I purchased 4Gb and was enough for us both for 3 weeks, I have since purchased another 4 and not a problem I did not take the mifi with me but had the sim card cut out bit, she loaded extra from that info.
The first time you buy the mifi gadgey remember your passport.
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Thanks Loz. On your recommnedation and advice I'm going to get one. Please PM your UK address to me so that I can get my money back if not absolutely delighted. ;)
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Thanks again for the info Loz. That saved me a stack of leg work.
I bought mine last night from the Azda in Hisaronu. The guy was vey helpful. They didnt have it kn stock but got it from one of their other shops within a couple of days.
Regaring usage it shows the data used on the front of the gadget when you activate the screen.
I havent had time to have a good play yet. I can see the top up applied via the SMS message and ghe data used but I am not sure whga happens when it is topped up (does the data count reset or do you cleaf that manually to reset the counter)
Very impressed so far
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The counter continues, then I started playing around with the setting in the online admin (slapped wrist) and had to reset it. !!!!
this meant that it reverted back to the shop purchased settings including the password.
After much huffing and puffing and beating myself up I eventually got it and understood.
I reached the 4Gb, put on another 4Gb just before running out, and had used 5GB in Total when I cocked it up! now it is reset I t will go to 3Gb and I will need to add more Gb.
The messages are still online, I have changed (again) the manufacture password for the gadget.
Now time to leave it alone.
How it is made is my favourite program on TV, I just help but take things to bits or push to the limit. Job Done!! ;D
PS
Sorry, in answer yes you can see how much is remaining, as in a previous post go online password will always be admin http://192.168.1.1 (http://192.168.1.1/)
,
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thanks for the prompt reply loz , back in the uk now but will check when i am back in a couple of weeks .
has any one been able to top up credit on line ?
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I am just trying to sort through the info ready for our return to UK and then back here again.
https://csi.turkcell.com.tr/services/rechargeMGBPackets
Ignore the translations figures with the £ sign it should read TL. T?he package ??i am currently trying to find info is the 3 month 1Gb 39.90Tl, is this pay for 3 months and at the end pay another 3 months? this is on the international travel pack. I would image log onto the internet for a short period anywhere in the world to stay connected. (When using this service remembeer to omit the first 0 of the telephone number)
Not sure if you can pay through your Turkish bank for this one.
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Thanks for sharing the info , looks easy enough to use !!
I am sorry not really sure about the other tariffs i opted for the 4g for 1 month at 39 lira , the lady in the shop said i can change anytime so next time visit it might be worthwhile to go for a 3 month option and then after that I can revert to a months credit , they also said that you can go 6 months without topping up before the sim is disconnected
I don't have a turkish debit card, do you think English cards will be accepted
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For those considering buying one of these in the UK and taking it to Turkey here's what what some poor sod had to say on the TL forum
"Hi, I originally read all the posts on various ways of accessing the internet and eventually decided to buy a MiFi in the UK as some insisted it was the best option. I parted with my £70 and bought a sim free HUAWEI E556. Arrived in Turkey 24th May, hotfooted down to the Turkcell shop where I was advised my European MiFi would not work in Turkey but I insisted it would because I had been told on this forum it would, so he reluctently sold me a sim card for 30tl took my passport and registered the sim and loaded 4gb of data for 39tl, he inserted the sim and lo and behold it worked, then it didn't, then it worked, then it didn't. "Just as I said" he said, "lots of Europeans buy these and they will not work in Turkey"
Finally my solution was to buy a mini sim for my Ipad2 for 15tl and he transferred my data allowance from the sim to mini sim.
If you need a MiFi in Turkey buy a Turkish Multi Vinn DO NOT LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO SAY BUY IN THE UK, THEY DO NOT WORK.
Anybody want to buy a brand new, never used HUAWEI E556.
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I bought a dongle from Vodafone in Turkey, paid about 70 lira I think, it seemed to work fine although I only use it in my laptop for updates during power cuts. It has stopped working recently and so I wondered if the credit is time related, I used my online banking to top up 30 TL to the phone number associated to the dongle but still doesn't work, any ideas?
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Rimms, if you top up phone number from Turkish bank account it could be that you topped up for phone kontors, you need to top up GB totally different animal, you put the Sim in a phone and transfer the credit to the usual phone.
Tina b.
you can buy Gb through the Turkcell website, I am waiting for my new Turkish bank card, I did think about using my uk card but then decided against it, use the links I posted previously.
When the GB are getting low you get a small envelope appear in the dongle window, to read go to http://192.168.1.1/html/login.html (http://192.168.1.1/html/login.html) user name admin, password default is admin, once in click on the envelope and it should tell you how much Gb or Mb remains (only when getting low) also envelopes to confirm credit put on, and loads of the usual rubbish info.
When I have been topping up I have just taken the card that the Sim card came out of and hand it over, I wish they sold Gb cards like phone Kontor cards.
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thanks again will try when I am out next, will attempt to let you know how it goes !!
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I bought one of the mini gadgety yesterday from the Turkcell shop in Fethiye. Exactly as Loz described it, charged up the battery for a few hours and connected up to t
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he Internet without a problem. Damn iPad keyboard is just too sensitive. Loz isn't the assistant in the Turkcell shop the spitting image of Thelma off Scooby Do?
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Scooby Doo and Thelma, now that you mention it ;D
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Can anyone answer the following questions please.
What is the range of the mini Wi-Fi unit. ie: could my neighbour use my signal.
I have a Turkcell 3G dongle with a sim card.Does this card fit into the mini Wi-Fi unit or is it a different size?
I know you have to top up a sim card on a phone at least once every 6mths and make one call or text to keep card activated.
How do you keep Wi-Fi card activated if you are out of Turkey for more than 6 mths and it does not connect because you are outside of the country?
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The range is supposed to be 30 mtrs but I haven't tested it at that range. I'm currently sitting about 5 mtrs away from it. Your neighbour could only use your connection if you gave him the access key. The first time a device connects you have to type in the key. The sim card that I purchased give me a months access. I will purchase another card when I come out.
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Well loz I have today become the proud owner of a Vinn dongle work grat and easy to set up. Asu aka Thelma was extremely helpful and we left with a smile on our faces.
The Turkcell shoo is call Dogus but it only say Turkcell on the sign.
Thanks for sharing you research with us saved me loads of time.
Finally there was a guy in there trying to dairy out a UK 3 dongle and she told him that he cannot register a Turkish sim in it anymore even though he was able to last year.
Happy surfing all :)
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:)
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you can disable the access key and use it in a wireless router you can leave it open aswell so you dont need a password for the wireless router but not recommended as a wireless router can cover an area of 300 square meters
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Unless it is a Sky wireless Router. Mine has a range of about 10m
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Is there a way to change the online admin screen into English? My Turkish isn't good enough yet to allow me to navigate my way around it. I dont want to start pressing buttons when I've no idea what they do.
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There is an option to choose a language. it is a drop down menu, click on Turkce and choose English.
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Update of the Turkcell MyFI now back in the UK.
As we are moving and awaiting a BT phone line I thought I thought i would give the myfi a go.
I did not need to have it unlocked as I found the Data card from 3Store (mobile phone shop) works great. 3 GB pay as you go last 3 months, so no need to worry about topping up monthly.
The cost for this was £20.49 but worth it to know that it works in UK and Turkey.
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Can someone clarify this for me?
Can I connect via a router to this mini wifi unit and then set up a few wireless security cameras?
Is there an "upload limit" on this device?
I'm thinking laptop, cameras, dynamic dns, cheap security system.