Hello everyone,
Don't know how to go about this so hoping someone can help. Need internet connection for my daughter's i-pad 2 whilst we're in France for a couple of weeks at the end of this month. My 18 year-old daughter has severe anxieties + asperger syndrome and the i-pad is invaluable (as a distraction and coping mechanism) when she goes onto the internet and looks up her favourite things.
Tried to look this up and have found there are sim cards you can put into the i-pad (Le French Mobile) but will it work in a rural area where there's a possibility of bad wi-fi connection?
Thanks, Andrea
Hello Andrea,
Yes I think that will be a problem. I looked at the specifications of the iPad2 and if it is not the 3G version I don't think there is a sim card slot. In that case you cannot connect to a mobile network, even in 2G.
It will only connect to the internet where there is a WiFi connection. I looked at local cafè's, and couldn't find one with a Wifi connection. You will know the local ones better than me. Otherwise it is the Mairie, an umbrella and warm coat!
The only other option I can see is to use one of your mobile phones, must be with 3G and bluetooth, put in a french 3G data sim card as I described previously,and 'tether' the Ipad to the phone using the phone as your 'Wifi hot spot'. That should work fine.
Anything further, let me know!
Hello Andrea,
Maybe I can help!
The first question is: Is the iPad an Ipad 2 with 3G - I presume it is?
If that is so then you have to think beyond mobile access, because your daughter will want to us DATA to surf the internet, and that is usually much more expensive with a prepaid card, and the card has to support DATA!
Salignac, 79110 is, according to the Free.fr mobile site, covered by 3G, but it would be good to check your actual address. You can check it out here:
http://mobile.free.fr/couverture/
and fill in the address with the post code.
If it is covered, and Salignac shows up as covered by 3G, then there is a possible solution:
Free.fr offer an unlimited calls package,(in France and 40 odd destinations) together with a 3G internet package of 3GB, at a monthly fee of €19.99 and no contract.
http://mobile.free.fr/
So you can cancel it almost as soon as you open it. You could do this IF you have a French bank account and are able to send them a RIB. They will simply send you a sim or mini-sim for the Ipad, and to your address in France.
Let me know if you need any more?
Tim
This should be ok with a sim as the maps give the 3G coverage. That is the coverage you need to obtain Internet through a carte sim.
Wifi is different and will come from an Internet provider’s livebox, usually attributed to a single residence or building.
That may be one of the reasons your laptop didn’t work.
As for how good a SIM card is in a pad, I have no idea.
Best regards
Alternatively try connecting to a livebox wherever you happen to be.
Hi there are a few maps available showing which areas receive the best signals (in theory) If you know where abouts in France you will be, you can narrow it down.
Here is the Orange map
Here is the Bouygues interactive map
and here is SFR's interactive map
Those are sort of the big three, so you should be able to find one which covers your area.
Good luck and enjoy your time in France.