Cheapest Pay as You Go data for home alarm system

T

TestLink

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I have an alarm system recently installed. It is connected to the home network now for internet connectivity. In the off chance the home internet goes down, I am thinking about a fail over mobile data source. The mobile data will only be used if there is no internet connection in the home. Any idea what is the cheapest pay as you use mobile data provider in Ireland?
 
Probably the €10.99 p.m. (plus €10.99 one-time activation fee) offer that 48 are currently running? Otherwise €12.99 from them (again, 48 charge a €12.99 one-time activation fee) and a few others. There may be time limited offers from time to time from other providers - e.g. Virgin sometimes do €5 p.m. for a few months to existing broadband/phone/TV customers etc.

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You could get a Tesco mobile SIM. Use prepay 15.
Top up by 15 euro.
This gives data for 28 days.
You also get 15 euro credit to use within the 28 days.
Set a calendar alert for day 27.
Use 10 euro credit to buy a once off data bundle.
This will give 5gb of data for a further 28 days.
At the same time use the remaining 5 euro credit to buy another 1gb once off data bundle. This 1gb will run for another 28 days beyond the first 5gb top up.

You can get data for almost 3 months for 15 euro.

If you bought 3 separate 5 euro data bundles it might run to almost 4 months. I haven't tried this, but might work.
 
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I contacted 48 but was told that they dont have a data only plan. It is 12.99 per month. May be I will buy a TescoMobile SIM, initially pay 15 euro for the SIM, when that expires after 28 days, topup by 14 euro. So I will only be charged for any data that may be used. I can then check the remaining amount on the SIM and topup with an amount less than 15 euro.
 
Good idea. You can top by as little as 5 euro. The 5 euro can then buy data for up to 6 months. If the data usage is very low this could be the cheapest way to operate.

If you ask in a Tesco shop they might give you a free SIM.
They do this if you tell them you have a faulty Tesco SIM card.
 
TestLink said:
I contacted 48 but was told that they dont have a data only plan.
Click to expand...
That doesn't matter. You can use their SIMs in devices such as routers etc. which only use the data allowances of the monthly membership. The fact that the device presumably won't use the text and voice calls allowances is immaterial.
 
But I have to pay 12.99 euro every month to keep the connection active even-though I may only ise 10 Mb of data every month.
 
TestLink said:
But I have to pay 12.99 euro every month
Click to expand...
Or €10.99 if you avail of their current offer.
You asked for details of the best pay as you go SIM/data offers and 48 is one of them unless you engage in all sorts of convoluted juggling with the likes of Tesco.
You didn't specify a monthly budget limit up front.
 
TestLink said:
I may only use 10 Mb of data every month
Click to expand...

Prepay out of bundle data is 10c per Mb.
So the 5 euro top up could last 5 months.

A 5 euro top up is usable for up to 6 months.

I use a few modified Tesco mobile phones as digi dialers to monitor burglar alarms for activations. These operate from a 5 euro top up every 6 months.
 
Another option might be Lycamobile but I've always found their offerings and the way that you have to buy/activate them even more complicated than the Tesco shenanigans outlined earlier.

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@S class Do Tesco not force you to top up every 28 days like Vodafone? Or else you have no phone or data service. I think that's how my Vodafone payg works anyway.
 
CharlieMac said:
Do Tesco not force you to top up every 28 days like Vodafone?
Click to expand...
If you top up by 15 euro you get a bundles package that is limited to 28 days.

However if you top up by 5 or 10 euro, you don't get any bundles package. Every call, text or data usage is charged from the top up amount. The top up can be used for up to 6 months.

This can be very beneficial to very low usage customers.

I can monitor my alarms for 10 euro per year.

@ClubMan
There are no shenanigans involved.
There is nothing convoluted.
The OP could achieve his goal for three 5 euro top ups per year.
 
S class said:
There is nothing convoluted.
The OP could achieve his goal for three 5 euro top ups per year.
Click to expand...
In my opinion this is (a) very convoluted, (b) seems to cost more than €5 x 3 for 12 months of data coverage - but maybe I've misunderstood due to (a), and (c) by your own admission, may or may not actually work in practice which is far from ideal when the use case here is a home security system backup communication plan...
 
In order to get fibre installed at my Mother's house something has to be done with the Phonewatch. Apparently it will need a SIM card when the copper line is disconnected.

That's why I like the idea of keeping low the ongoing cost of the sim card. Now if there's anything at all tricky about renewing the data on it, well I would happily work with calendar reminders, but it would probably not be worth suggesting that approach to her..
 
You could register the sim online with Tesco. You can then check the data balance in the Tesco mobile app.

You can also do the top ups via the app.

Your mother would not need to do anything.
 
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@CharlieMac

If you want a 'set and forget' set up for your mother you could use Tesco Mobile 10 euro 30 day SIM, bill pay plan.

10 euro per calendar month for 5Gb data, 150 minutes calls and 150 texts.

I use this plan for my mobile phone.
 
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