Italy: Options for heavy internet usage for a month

[Effendi]

Originally Posted by vegemite

Please let us know how you go! So to get the card, did you have to produce any ID or anything? Did it take long? How much in total to get it, and any activation codes you have to use to activate data? Are the APN's configured on the card or do you need to configure the phone? How much are voice calls on it? Any roaming charges to watch out for? Where can you get a Wind card from? I'll be using two Wind SIMs in a Nokia E71 and HTC Desire (Android).

Vegemite all the things you are asking have been asked already many times and I already wrote the answers several times. I'm Italian, I live in Italy I've been using Wind as my operator for 10 years, I know quite well how it works.

BTW, let's write it down once again.

1) To buy a Wind (or TIM, Vodafone, 3...) card you need PASSPORT and the CODICE FISCALE. If you don't have the latter and find a smart clerk he/she will produce it for you. If not you won't get your simcard. Don't trust any dealer which tells you you don't need the Codice Fiscale, he/she's not honest and will use someone else's personal data (which is a crime in Italy).

2) Activation of a Wind prepaid card can take from 2 minutes to 1 day, you just need to be lucky. Usually it's very fast.

3) The card costs 10€ including 5€ of data. Then you can add more credit whenever you want at any Wind store, Tabacchi, Newstands, Lottomatica and many more... To activate a data option you do have to send an activation SMS. It's all written HERE.

4) You do have to configure your phone/modem. The only thing you have to set is the APN which is internet.wind

5) It's all written HERE.

6) If you are in Italy and far from the border with other countries (France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia) you have no roaming problems. If you are by one of those borders set your phone to manual network selection.

7) Any Wind or multi-brand shop, HERE is a complete list of Wind shops.

[wco81]

Well I am having software issues which may not be related to this USB 3G key software (BTW, where do you enter the APN on Linux, are there Linux clients of this software?).

But now that I'm up in Lake Como, I see full signal on my Nokia E61i everywhere. However, when I put the SIM in the modem, Wind EASY Connect fails to detect the modem (says no modem).

Back in Liguria, signal was weak until I went outside and then Wind EASY Connect prompted me for the SIM PIN. Up here, either the signal isn't being picked up by the modem or it just can't communicate with the modem.

I'm using hotel Wifi to post this.

Very hit and miss. I may go to a Wind reseller around here and see if there's anyone speaking English. Maybe if they have a Mifi type of device which is reasonably priced ...