Telstra is pushing to grow its 4G customer numbers and so the 3G modems are being discounted in pretty much every retailer that stocks them as well as directly from the Telstra website and retail stores. For $39.50 you can pickup a 3G Elite Wifi Modem with 5G data and 30 days to use it. So I did.The Wifi modem itself is almost as big as a mini mobile phone and will provide connection with up to 5 devices at the same time, ie they can all share the data on the device. Inside the box you have the device, lots of instructions and the sim card (actually already installed for you).First step is to activate the sim card. This can be completed online or via the phone. I ended up having to partly complete the process online and then due to some error I spoke to Telstra via Online Chat and had the sim activated.
I wish Telstra would send you an email or sms advising you that this step has now been completed. What they tell you is that it will take between 5 mins and 24 hours. So if you are in a hurry it can be a little frustrating.
The second part is logging into your wifi network. What you are purchasing here is a network of your own, controlled by the password that Telstra provide you with. Inside the packaging you receive is a glossy card with several key details. First is the name of the Wifi Network eg TEHS_BCA9XX, the second is the Wireless Security Key (WPA). This is your 10 digit password.
In order to connect, you need to turn the Wifi function on your digital device on. This will then trigger it to list the Wifi Networks in your area that you can potentially dial into. In my case, I found the above network. I then needed to enter the Wireless Security Key and I joined the network.
I tested it on my iPad, laptop and mobile phone and the process was very similar regardless of whether you have a Mac or Android device. The device will remember these details the next time you wish to turn it on.
In my testing I linked three devices quickly and easily the speed was reasonable across them all, whilst they where all connected. Mind you the time was about 8pm, which is peak our for mobile broadband use.
The key to setting up, activating and connecting is the glossy card has all of the key data listed on it.
You can see the speedtest on the right, this is what I achieved on an iPad 2 at about 8.30pm.
The next step for me is to unlock it. In order to manage the device, Telstra provide you with an online portal through which you can change the device’s settings and potentially APN should you wish to use an alternate network sim card eg Optus or Vodafone.
