Having internet connectivity everywhere you go has its attractive advantages. No more you are slave to WiFi-spot monopolies such as that infamous one ran by Mobinil and LinkDotNet.
Vodafone or Etisalat?
Both Vodafone and Etisalat offer 3G USB modems for the public.
Vodafone’s offer is 2GB per month over a 150KBytes/sec connection for 120LE — you buy the 3G modem (a Huawei E220) separately for 555LE… if you cross the 2GB quota, Vodafone charges you 1LE per Megabyte. The modem’s price is subsidized by Vodafone over the period of a year in the form of discounts on your bills; you pay about 70LE for the first year instead of 120LE.
Etisalat’s offer is unlimited downloads over 50KBytes/sec connection for 150LE per month… you pay 12 months in advance, and they give you the modem (also a Huawei E220) for free… if you cross a 6GB per month quota, your connection downgrades to about 5 to 8KBytes/sec (from 3G down to GPRS which is just like regular dial-up speed).
I gave it some thought, then I went for the Vodafone offer. My rationale was that I knew Vodafone has larger and more reliable coverage than Etisalat. Also, given my usage patterns, 2GB were enough… plus, I don’t have to pay for an entire year (what if I wasn’t satisfied?) as with Etisalat’s offer.
The First Month With Vodafone
The first month started just fine. Vodafone’s service is reliable, just as I expected. What I didn’t believe is that I could NOT know my usage statistics (How many megs did I download? How many are remaining to reach the 2GB mark?) except by using a program that monitors my usage. I don’t have a problem with the concept. However, I’m a “power user” who generally uses multiple computers and multiple operating systems. So “a program that counts usage” doesn’t cut it for me.
A Vodafone sales rep. told me before I buy the line that I can know my usage anytime during the month, and I would get an SMS when I reach the 2GB quota. It turns out that this is not true… he basically lied to me to make a sale!
I got aggravated. I kept asking and asking Vodafone for an entire month to tell me my usage, and their answer was always “we can’t do that”. The typical “you pathetic customer, bang your head against the wall” attitude.
I was impatiently waiting for that month to end. I was guesstimating my usage, knowing that if I was wrong, it will be a disaster… Days passed, and on the morning of a bright sunny day, I did get an SMS from Vodafone. “Dear customer, your unbilled amount has reached 2400LE”… I couldn’t believe what I was looking at, I stood still staring for a whole minute at the SMS and the 4-digit figure. They sent me an SMS only when they thought it was “nice” to notify me that I’ve already passed my 2GB quota limit by light years!
Thank you Vodafone, CONTRACT TERMINATED!
Hey… but it isn’t over yet. Remember the USB modem I bought? I can’t even return that back. Vodafone politely told me “The USB modem is yours”… Grinding my teeth, I thought “Sure, no problem, since it is mine, I would just go ahead use it with Etisalat”. It turns out the USB modem is locked to Vodafone — you can’t use it with any other operator.
So basically I bought something that is mine, but that I can only use with Vodafone! Well, Vodafone, you should go straight to hell for being absurdly unfair to your customers. Unlocking the modem myself was therefore the only choice I had. After some digging around I did manage to unlock the Huawei E220 modem using this lifesaver blog entry.
Fortunately for me, Etisalat sells a Data Line separately and charges you 150LE per month for unlimited download quota over a reasonable connection (50KBytes/sec). I’ve used that with the unlocked modem, and finally, I’ve found peace of mind!
Bottom Line
Avoid Vodafone like the plague! Etisalat’s data line gave me the best deal. For the best value for money: either buy yourself a 3G modem from somewhere, or buy the Huawei E220 from Vodafone then unlock it and use it with a data line from Etisalat.
** IMPORTANT UPDATE **
None of all the above USB modem solutions provide you with a real IP address, and there is no port forwarding of course. For the non-technical people, this essentially means that P2P programs such as muTorrent or eMule will always be as if they are behind a firewall (low ID). You also can never be able to run any kind of server application that accepts connections from the internet.
This is a major disappointment, especially for people like me who substituted their home DSL by a 3G modem solution.
** IMPORTANT UPDATE #2 **
I’ve cancelled my subscription with Etisalat, only because their 3G coverage where I live (Al-Rehab City, New Cairo, Egypt) isn’t good enough. It was pretty decent at first, but lately I’ve been having hard time connecting at 3G speed.
hello.
I am a foreigner, currently studying in Egypt. We rent a house, but my house didn’t have any phone line or nearby internet cafe. So using internet with usb modem is our only choice.
I would like to know what are the requirement or what are the procedure when subscribing to Etisalat Data Line?
ms, welcome to Egypt!
Getting an Etisalat data line (if you have a modem) is an easy process. It requires an ID (which in this case might be your passport), and about 270LE. Afterward, you pay 150 LE per month.
If you don’t have a modem, you’ll have to pay one year in advance and get the modem for free.
I’ve tried it for almost a month now, and the service is just great.
For further info you can check http://www.etisalat.com.eg or directly call them at 3534 6 333 (landline) or 011 1234 333 (mobile).
My friend has made a visit to Etisalat centre early this year. The Etisalat spokeperson said that he need to have a creadit card, and need to present a copy of his paycheck. Well, as a student, we don’t have those. We thought that because he is small in size, the Etisalat person may doubt him.
But I think that a permanent address is required to post the bill, right?
I think I’ll have to make a visit to Etisalat center myself. Anyway, thanks for your reply. Your blog is a saviour.
Great article i must say
really helpfull and so simply put 
i spent like a whole hour going back and forth trying to compare the services ^_^ , was gonna go buy one real soon till i read the thingy about “no portforwarding , no IP ” …can’t live with that :s …
) we they tell you that the issue was RESOLVED … lol
Me too am a power user , and more importantly a devoted online gamer
now i gue its back to being stuck with TEDATA lame DSL and …well …i must say worst customer service ever … my connection sucks real bad and well … everybody knows the routine don’t ya :
1) Turn it off and on again … repeat 3 times…
2) Trick ur router by unplugging it from the power socket !!!
3) Reset to factory defaults !!!
4) 2asfeen giddan yafandem …2el moshkella fel Central we hansala7ha fe khelal youmein…
2 days later : Aloo 2e7na 2el central …feih 2eih ya fandem ? (i swear sounds like he wants to torch you or something) … tab tab hanrod 3aleik kaman 30 minutes … and then ….la 7ess wala khabar
(we if god forbid u DARE to call customer service again … they “pretend” to know your problem (they really care about you to keep a log
Soooooooooorry if this is way offpoint bas i felt the need to blow off steam since i was realy hoping the 3G thingy would be alot better or more versatile than this :s …guess we have to wait and see
Thx alot for ur article it was really very helpful , but sadly i guess for a power user we will have to wait for a better solution
hey,
i was really glad when i read your article, because it was my exact way of thinking, i got a vodafone Data 120 promo, willing to change it to Etisalat sim card, but I got the new USB modem , Huawei K3520(E169) Vodafone Mobile Connect. can you help me cracking it (unlock it)… would be perfect…
mohamed
hey mohamed,
AFAIK, you have three options:
1. try an unlocking process on your own risk.. check this link out for example
2. use an unlocking service.. this may cost you around 40-50$ plus shipping if remote unlocking is not available.
3. you might try to intelligently adapt the unlocking process for the E220 to your E169.. this requires you to have some advanced technical knowledge.
/Moataz
Vodafone 3G is much more cost effective, but I went for Etisalat;
pros:6 GB quota and downgrading to GPRS speed if exceeded “that’s much safer than charging for the extra MBs specially when there is no real solution to tracking usage for power users”.
cons:1/3 speed offered by competitor, +30 LE/month,long term binding contract unless you already have a 3G modem then it’s just a data SIM 50LE+Insurance 200LE if you don’t have a credit card or a car license and finally the monthly subscription 150LE, less network coverage (though they may be on par with other networks in the coming years)
Inconveniences to using 3G ISP:
1. speed they say 3G that 3.6 Mbps for HSDPA but even the faster Vodafone offer does not measure up.
2. the provided modem is usually locked so you can buy one separately, or use your mobile as a modem “though there are no data/voice plans in Egypt so your phone will be dedicated to this use unless it can hold more than one SIM”, or go through the hassle of unlocking the modem.
3. till now there is no modem I could find with in-built memory for logging internet usage so that’s a deal breaker for power users who were interested in Vodafone offer.
4. finally the tech support here sucks, Etisalat guys plugged the modem in my notebook but they couldn’t connect so I just made them activate the line on my mobile, verified it with it’s browser, and googled my way to setting it up on my notebook “turned out there were extra initialization commands that were not added by default to the created dial-up connection”.
Very well rounded-up, mustafa. Good points you have there. Point #4 especially resonated with me. Technical support is practically worthless, not just in Etisalat, but in almost all hi-tech companies I’ve dealt with so far in Egypt.. Etisalat, Vodafone, TEData.. you name it.
A solution to P2P port forwarding problem is NAT traversal it had been done in many P2P file sharing software where each ordinary peer must establish a connection to a super peer, NAT Traversal is then handled by an ordinary peer sending to its super-peer, which forwards it on to a second super-peer, which forwards it to the ordinary node that is the destination. This approach works well when there are enough peers with public addresses and sufficient horsepower to become super-peers.
There is another approach that can be also implemented where there is just a single class of peer and every peer maintains a set of connections to other peers. Messages are routed along the connections between peers similar to the way packets are routed between routers in the Internet. Look up DHT for more info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributed_hash_table
Finally a broader solution that provides connectivity through the whole spectrum of applications and not just P2P file sharing is ICE, STUN, TURN
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAT_Traversal
http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-mmusic-ice-19
http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-behave-rfc3489bis-18
http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-behave-turn-12
As you can see from those drafts it’s early to say that ISP control is over but it can be done, for the time being encryption and various NAT traversal solutions guarantee privacy and freedom.
It’s hard to fathom why ISPs are moving towards control, I do know that they need to manage their bandwidth efficiently to provide good service as any IT admin. , help prevent child pornography… other illegal activities but it shouldn’t be by policing the internet it’s not their job, I think it’s better to leave it to the authorities by providing their logs if requested by a court order.
An insight tech support failure in Egypt “probably applies to the whole job market here also”
1. from the employers end they are the ones you should mostly blame;
first they are not willing to make the effort to find the right person for the job, they mostly get their employees through referrals (that’s some fancy name for unequal opportunities in getting a job or just plainly “Koosa”).
Second is the unreal requirement they put, not taking in consideration the failing education system in Egypt and how it is completely disconnected from real life so merits with your degree mean nothing.
And finally the low income and sparse job benefits presented here actually drive competent workers to leave in search for an employer who values them, that’s usually abroad.
2. from the employee end even thought there are still very bright people who result from our education system but it’s not attributed to their education, it’s mainly due to their own drive for success. And they are often dis-hearted by the hostile job market and their degrees not being valued “you know what they say 2el 3adad fel lamoon and the musical chairs theory is the one in play in our schools which makes any degree holder equal unless they get some fancy post graduate degrees”
3. the lack of mediators and good recruiting agencies.
therefore we end up with incompetent workers who have to be trained from scratch to just operate at the basic level, thus there will be no room for creativity.
I know it’s sad but that’s the harsh reality.
I was on my way to buy a vodafone usb…u saved me
placebo: may be if I had done some research like you before choosing Vodafone I would have avoided them too in the right time… one doesn’t learn for free
Dear Tifa (Ahmed mustafa)
you said up there that you had to google your way to figure out the rest of the procedures “turned out there were extra initialization commands that were not added by default to the created dial-up connection” can you please post the steps or the websites that have the steps.
thank you all for the precious info i did too was about to buy Vodafone USB.
p.s i loved ur comments about the education system here.
Sincerely Cheeto
@ Cheetos
1. plug-in your 3G modem and it’s drivers will be installed automatically along with a connection software, the latter can be skipped if you want to connect using your system dial-up dialog box otherwise skip to step 4
In case of using your dual SIM mobile as a modem, install your cellphone pc suite or just it’s modem driver then connect via bluetooth or cable.
2. create a new dial-up connection using the modem you have already setup
and name it e.g. “3G”, enter phone number “*99#”
3. do not enter any name nor a password, and do not make it the default connection “we don’t want dial-up to pop up when your modem is not plugged in”
4. open your device manager from the control panel right click your modem and select properties, select the advanced tab you’ll see a text box for the extra initialization commands, enter the following line keeping in mind to change the last name between the quotations according to the dial-up connection name you chose:
+CGDCONT=1.”ip”,”3G”
5. dial the connection and happy internet surfing (^_^)
Hey forgot to tell you the same steps apply to all of you with a 3G modem module built in your notebook, this caught my attention when mobinil offered an Asus eee with an external usb 3G modem rather HP mini 1000 with it’s built in “well actually a hidden and wasn’t marketed feature” HSDPA modem. !!
check this blog HP Mini 1000 Has a Secret 3G Modem at http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/11/hp-mini-1000-ha.html
and it’s review
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/hp-mini-1000/4505-3121_7-33351192.html
@ cheetos
correction:
+CGDCONT=1,”ip”,”3G”
sorry for the typo I replaced the comma with a period
I tried the tutorial and after some research on AT commands ,
the last parameter is the access point name APN on your sim not the dial-up connection name so,
for Etisalat
+CGDCONT=1,”IP”,”Etisalat”
similarily for vodafone and mobinil just insert the sim in your mobile to view the access point name.
my mistake (o_O)
i have a project about etisalat’s usb modem is it a success here in egypt as it was in UAE or not and who are the people making benefit of it
so if u guys use those modems please reply me with any information..
thanks
Hello Angie,
While it is not possible to give any general conclusions, I believe that Etisalat’s USB modem is gaining popularity. I’ve seen around 4 to 5 of people I know get Etisalat’s USB modem, while.. practically zero of them has bought any of Vodafone’s or Mobinil’s packages.
Vodafone’s package of Home DSL + USB modem may actually be a good deal, but most people already have DSL at home.
regards..
I bought Mobinil USB Modem a month ago. It is gr8 but i have a problem with it when i play world of warcraft using this connection during the morning and the day my connection is stable and i have around 200 ms latency (which is good btw)
but at night i cant connect to world of warcraft or even the official website of the game and the weird thing is that i can connect to anything else.
do u have any idea what might be causing this?
Thanks for the Blog Post.
But I have another similar issue.
I Have an Etisalat Modem (with an Etisalat Sim Card) And I need to unlock it so I would be able to use it with any Sim Card as i am travelling abroad.
The Model Is HUAWEI E 160.
Thanks in advance.
I’m applying for a job in Al rehab City am I to understand that there isn’t any adsl?!
@kate
The only comment I had about my experience with Etisalat’s USB 3G is that their coverage in Al-Rehab City is strong in the main central places (Food Court, Malls) and weak in others… weak meaning that a connection can be established but either the speed is very low, or the connection drops frequently.
I filed a complaint and Etisalat said they’re working on it… but still no guarantees the issue will be resolved soon.
To sum up… if you’re going to work in Al-Rehab, you can buy any of Etisalat’s packages and hope for the best… or, you can go for Vodafone who has better 3G coverage… but then you’ll have to live with Vodafone’s infamous “arrogant and unsatisfactory™” customer service… and the fact that up till now, Vodafone would not tell you anything about your bandwidth usage!
Hello everybody,
I’d like to share my experience with you on both Vodafone and Etisalat. I’m a heavy Internet user because of my business and I move a lot inside Egypt. So I decided to get the Vodafone USB modem and it was really working great but the problem is that Vodafone has no 3G coverage in Ismailia and also the package they offer is not suitable for the traffic amount I do monthly. So I decided to move to Etisalat and I got their Huwaei e960 router, and it was working really great for almost three months. And in the fourth month trouble started to show as the speed dropped badly, and the modem itself started to do strange things like moving rapidly from 3G to 2G everywhere. Anyway I contacted Etisalat support center and they said that everything seems right on their side and asked me to do few technical steps and nothing new happened.
So I decided to take the router to Etisalat’s branch in Smouha, Alexandria. Where was a surprise waiting for me as the support guy there told me that I exceeded my 6GB limit for this month and that I did 10GB of traffic. I went to Etisalat in the 10th day of the month, which simply means that I did 10GB of traffic in 10 days. In these 10 days I didn’t download or upload a single file, so I asked him, did I make the 10 GB in Internet surfing only?!
Anyway, I decided to take the router to them back again as a new problem aroused, the router started to show as 3G connected with full signal. But in the same time it was delivering very very low speed ranging from 2kb to 10 kb, The tech guy there tried to connect the router to his laptop but he failed to do so, so he told me that this router must be defective. And since that I’m still in the warranty period, I can change the router. I said that’s more than fine for me, but he said you have to deliver the full package including the router box, which I already left in another city.. Anyway to make it short, Etistalat is not satisfactory for me anymore neither do Vodafone nor the landline DSL services.
I have unlocked E220 of vodafone, but tel me one thing about the dailer? As vodafone offers the VMClite and it connects only to vodafone network so what did you do to connect to etisalat?
regards
Vinay
@Vinay
You need to install this firmware upgrade as I recall. Huawei’s generic software called “Mobile Partner” will be installed in the process. With “Mobile Partner” you will be able to connect to your network.
Hi Manany,
I have upgraded the firmware, but i didnt notice Mobile partner getting installed. So if i use the etisalat sim in vodafone e220, how can i connect unless there is a software to get it connected?
regards
Vinay
Nice article I have been using etisalat 3G modem for a over 6 months now, but currently I’m experiencing bad connection quality and unstable connection
vodafone is currently offering a new package with 6 GB and 64 K later on (same as etisalat offer) but for little more 250 if I’m not wrong . Can you tell me how do u find vodafone service compared to etisalat (quality, if line dropps frequently, latency (online gaming))
One more thing I would like to add that vodafone sells a 7.2MB modem and 2 MB upload speed have any one tried that and noticed any difference?
any solution for port forwording?
thanks in advanced
Hi Amro,
I’ve finally settled for a Home DSL + 3G Modem combination using Etisalat’s 3G service. I’m a subscriber in the 1GB package for 99LE per month. So far, I can assert that Etisalat’s service has been consistently great (in almost everywhere I’ve been to other than El-Rehab City where I live!).
Since I have an “on the move” kind of job, I got to “test” Etisalat’s 3G services in many places all over Cairo.
I’d say the service is superb, with consistent good performance.
The best thing about Etisalat is that with a single short phone call, you’ll be able to know how much you have used from your monthly quota. Unlike Vodafone, which still treats your monthly usage as a military secret.
I also have that issue with Vodafone’s customer service. They all sound like mindless automatons who just keep repeating the same lines over and over. Many times I tried to have reasonable conversations with their customer service representatives, but failed to do that because the guys/girls kept repeating their lines, over and over!
Here’s a real-life example:
me: “How come I couldn’t know my monthly quota?”
VF rep: “Sorry sir, I can’t do that.”
me: “There must be some way to do it?”
VF rep: “Sorry sir, but I can’t do that.”
… and so on. That’s a clear case of mistaking professionalism for being a provoking broken CD.
As for port forwarding, AFAIK the only way to do it is to have a real IP, and Etisalat/Vodafone do not provide real IPs except for businesses.
I do not know about Vodafone’s offers, but I wondered why prices weren’t listed in their Ads in the newspapers.
hey every one , id like to emphasize the point mentiond. avoid vodafone like the plague. the treat customers unfairly, ther are scams on their network by other customers that vodafone declines to interfere. they dont even warn they customers about such threats. i must say that i am very impressed with mobinil given the fact that its mostly egyptian and its surprising that they handle themselves and theyr customers better than big ol multinational supsodly excelent voda fone. iv treid both and thats my verdict. and i think thats why mbinils marketshare is 40 % of the egyptian telecom market. lastly the only drawback mobinil had/has is that since half the country is on theyr bandwidth they have a highr load on theyr networks that would cause ocasional cutoffs or faliur to comlete the call. but they also have the oldest network wich has been sold and replaced by a new one in the last year . so i guess its solved that problem . hope this informs..
cheers all
corporate bastards
Hello Guys..
well.. don’t know what to say expect that mobinil”a” and etisalat tala3o 3ein ahly.. i started with the 3 gega premium offer from mobinil, using my imate as a modem.. for 8 months i didn’t get one single correct invoice!! and no need to tell u about the very weak customer support.. so i cancelled the service and bought the etisalat modem and the unlimited offer.. 150 pounds per month.. for the first 3 months it was very good.. and since last May am suffering.. and the only answer they have is “they will improve the network in my area on the next phase”!!! i live near cairo stadium .. salah salem street!! sa7ee7 they promised me free subscription the next coming 2 months but this won’t change the fact that my modem disconnect sometimes every 5 seconds.. brief.. kolo zeft.. anyway sorry for being so pessimist..
Regards..
Nabil
hey guys… etisalat modem is gr8 in the north coast.. el areish .. sharm il shekh.. but suxxx in cairoo.. i live in nasr city – el nady il alhly.. and i never get a speed higher than 8 kBps :S and the connection is lost every once in a while.. if ur thinking about getting a 3g modem and u live anywhere near me.. get vodafone they give you what they promise! f*** etisalat! :@
Hey guys.. well talking about the Recent offers from the 3 SPs in egypt, Mobinil offers the best in which lowest prices among ALL and since most of them now have the same coverage in Open areas or High places it actually doesn’t matter if we are going to discuss the performance . I bought the Vodafone Modem 500MB package and i was shocked when i knew that the free 1GB doesn’t include (youtube,hotmail& yahoo) while the Mobinil’s offer include the previously mentioned Websites as Free under Fair Use terms. etislalat offer is the worst with 2 or 3 free websites THEY SUCK
.
eventually if u live in an open area or high spot and not surrounded by taller buildings Get Mobinil’s modem it’s the Best .. Oh and i forgot to remember they are the only ones offering the ability to Buy 1GB for 30 L.E. if you screwed your quota . Cheers
forgot to MENTION*