That's so cheap!!! Just $9 for Optus E3372 4G USB Modem 4GB
4G Connection on the go
- Easy to set up and use
- Slim and sleek design
- Includes 4GB start-up data
Optus E3372 4G USB Modem 4GB $9 (Was $39) @ Coles
210
Scrooge McDeal on 02/03/2023 - 12:57 shop.coles.com.au (1018 clicks)
Last edited 02/03/2023 - 13:10 by 1 other user
Last edited 02/03/2023 - 13:10 by 1 other user
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Some people just have data only sims.
Hotspot is good for temporary use for a device or two but if you're using it permanently or semi-permanently with lots of devices then there's a lot of negatives to using your phone.
This doesn't have WiFi.
Thanks, completely missed that.
I guess saves phone battery power if you're using on the go, then.
Or if you're trying to limp through gaming or something, guessing you'd have a little better performance in regards to latency?Or, if you have a good deal on a data sim that you'd like to use preferable to your phone data.
@snoopydoop: If you receive a call and you are using hotspot, you will loose internet connection . Annoying when you are in meetings/or payment is in progress.
i have the telstra wi-fi version ….great when on holidays if no non, plug into charger and ready to go ….. rest of the time i have it car so that i can use laptop or tablet when parked rather than hammer mobile phone battery …..
Using hotspot on a phone will also give much faster speeds. I've got this USB modem and it's really slow. Using an Optus SIM in this modem I got speed test results of about 5 to 10 Mbps download. Then I put the same SIM in a phone and got 40 to 50 Mbps.
Ouch, I'd probably stay away from it if that's the case then.
Yeah, most of these old dongles are only CAT-nothing.
Yeah these are CAT-astrophic going by how slow they work then.
I've got one, flashed with "Stick Mode" firmware. The default on most is "Hi-Link Mode" which will probably work fine as-is on most modem/routers that support 4G backup via a USB dongle, but I've got one old modem/router that only works when the USB dongle is in "Stick Mode".
Can you still do that? I thought the newer hardware revisions meant this wasn't possible.
The one that I have is an E3372h-607. If the date stamps on the files that I downloaded are anything to go by, I flashed it to Stick Mode in July 2019, so I probably bought it a bit before then.
@Colin2905: That makes sense. When you said you "got one" I assumed it was from this deal and therefore recent.
Pretty sure 608s can't be flashed in the manner you describe and it's been 608s only since…2021 probably.
@fitzy87 some people in regional areas don't have any wired broadband like friends of ours at Shute Harbour. The community's too small for even NBN wireless so they're offered Satelite which is painful. He uses mobile broadband because it's faster than satellite and it's connected to a roof antenna and the home router so that he can enjoy home wifi like most Australians assume everyone has.
Should look at Starlink!
Starlink is now through all of the Whitsundays. Funnily enough when I was at Shute in 2016 the Vodafone version of this modem was decently fast and I just kept pumping it full of Vodafone's bonus data.
I didn't know Derek used an external antenna.
A dongle is more convenient if you need or want to use USB tethering and there is no battery in these to go flat or bad. Use it with a travel/full size router or a laptop. With stick firmware the host device can control the modem which it might not be able to do with the standard HiLink firmware. You'd probably only be doing this with a separate SIM unless you didn't care about calls while the SIM was in the dongle. A phone that supports USB tethering would often support higher download speeds but you run the risk of smashing it against the floor when you move the laptop it is attached to. Another alternative is a router with embedded 4G but unless you router is portable than your 4G isn't.
Is it locked to optus?
What does it say on the website?
Yes
I was searching this on Amazon and there's one answer saying it's not locked, and the other one says it is LOL.
There have been multiple hardware revisions using the same model number E3372. The current revision E3372h-608 seems to be locked. Previous revisions may not have been.
I bought 2 before Covid & both were unlocked. As you said that may not be the case now.
Yes, I know it says it is locked to Optus. Traditionally these haven't actually been locked to one carrier's network or the other. But each carrier's similar product is a different model of E3372h that only supports the bands that network uses. And its set up to log in to that carrier's network so you have to know how to get into it and change that if you want to use another network.
At the price they are now you don't care whether its locked to one network. If you want to switch carriers, or have the choice of whichever is available in an area, you just buy one from the other mob too.
Got one for $9 from Coles last night. It's locked to Optus.
Am interested in unlocking it as I would like to chuck a cheap sim card in it and use it as an SMS gateway.
Do we now need to be prepared for more SMS spams ?
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Tell me, how do you know its locked to Optus? It doesn't have a screen like a phone does to tell you that was the problem. Did you just put a different carrier's SIM in and it didn't connect, or did you use the admin login and password to access its internal web site's configuration page, and reconfigure it for the other carrier's login parameters, and it still didn't work?
I'm not saying you don't know how to set up a Huawei hilink modem like the E3372h or E8372h, I'm just trying to figure out if you do. Because a lot of people who don't know how to aren't able to make them work because they try to configure them from whatever they're plugged into, like you do everyone else's dumb 4G modems. The only time you need to reconfigure one is if you buy one from one carrier, and try to use it on another carrier's network.
Because a lot of people who don't know how to aren't able to make them work because they try to configure them from whatever they're plugged into, like you do everyone else's dumb 4G modems.
I would have thought those people wouldn't know about APNs.
The only time you need to reconfigure one is if you buy one from one carrier, and try to use it on another carrier's network.
Some MVNOs require use of their own APN for service or correct charging. Sometimes other settings need to be tweaked.
BTW, I couldn't tell which comment you were responding to.
you can get unlock codes on ebay ….other option is wait 6 mths optus unlock if you ask and say traveling overseas …..telstra it’s still $25 after 6 mths, free after 2 years , but the telstra modem is wireless hotspot ….….
it was difficult to find, after searching in three different shops. I got the very last one, dusty.
the box is from Huawei (not Optus), so I assume it's unlocked version?will try soon and update you guys.
btw, the SIM Card attached was expired 2 months ago…. which is funny.Huawei wouldn't be providing an Optus SIM card unless it was product intended for Optus. Some devices have an outer sleeve with carrier branding on it. A phone I bought earlier this year was shrink wrapped. Removing the shrink wrap and an outer Optus branded sleeve revealed the Optus SIM and another shrink wrapped box box that had no Optus branding but there was a sticker on that shrink wrap that indicated it was an Optus model and included the SIM expiry date.
btw, the SIM Card attached was expired 2 months ago…. which is funny.
Not surprising though given its old stock. You can see what the manager of the store might do for you but I reckon you might have better luck with Coles support or Optus directly. If you get onto Optus they would be very likely to offer you whatever recharge is closest but I don't know if chat/telephone support are able to send out starter kits/SIMs. You might be able to obtain a free SIM at an Optus store but there can be a wait and the staff would rather be selling stuff.
It's a locked E3372H version.
Tried different methods online to unlock it:
1) short the USB to enter the COM mode, but no luck. (2 hrs wasted)
2) eBay to purchase a unlock code, but seller said it's unsupported. (3 mins wasted)worst, have to use Optus official method… which is $25 after 6Months.
any thoughts?a) Check out the price of an Optus unlock by starting the unlock process by texting menu 9999 from an Optus SIM. It might be cheaper on an existing service.
b) See if you can sweet talk/con Optus into giving you a free unlock. People seems to have had good results with Optus chat in the past but its hard to tell if they were existing Optus customers or because chat is slow slack/useless.
c) dc-unlocker.com claims the E337H is supported so maybe try other code sellers or try dc-unlocker yourself. Looks to cost €7 if you're not buying credits in bulk.
d) Give up and just use it on Optus and their MVNOs only. It probably doesn't support B5 (850Mhz) since Optus like to knobble products which will limit its usefulness with Vodafone 4G and Telstra 3G.
Bought one and contacted Optus to unlock it and was told it is designed for Optus SIM only.
Many of the Optus reps are fairly clueless. I'm sure ChatGPT would do a better job than most of them. Yes, its missing some frequencies of other networks but that doesn't mean it won't work at all on them. Since you can self-serve an unlock by texting the word "menu" to 9999 on an Optus service give that a try first. You might be lucky and score a free unlock particularly if you use an older service. If there is a charge and you'd rather not pay try your luck with Optus chat. Optus telephone support seem a bit more clueful but I think they might be more likely to direct you to use the self-serve method plus they work shorter hours than the chat-bods.
An Update(after failed from hardware jailbreaking): Manage to ask Optus unlock the dongle for FREE.
I had some history of using Optus (2015-2017 ~ 15months cheapest plan)…
shifted to other much cheaper providers til now.The Optus online customer service didn't ask too much and provide an unlock key, and it works.
Worth trying.
What do people actually use these for these days? I would just hotspot if needed connection to another device.