mobile broadband and SurfacePro3

[veracee]

In have SurfacePro3 and use it by connecting wirelessly to our home broadband router.
When i go on holidays and want to use it, am i able to connect to a mobile broadband by the USB port with a dongle?
I have an ipad which has mobile broadband.....will i be able to tether to that?
Vera

 

[nipponham]

Are you trying to use your iPad as a personal hotspot, or are you wanting to use a USB dongle to connect to 3G/4G network? I suppose you could do both as long as your carrier/plan allows it.

 

[veracee]

Are you trying to use your iPad as a personal hotspot, or are you wanting to use a USB dongle to connect to 3G/4G network? I suppose you could do both as long as your carrier/plan allows it.

Thank you for your reply.
I would prefer to use a USB dongle to connect to 3G/4G network. If i am unable to connect with a dongle on SurfacePro3, then can i use my ipad as a hotspot?
My question is.....does Surface Pro3 allow me to use a dongle to connect?

 

[nipponham]

Although I haven't used a mobile broadband dongle and can't give you any firsthand anecdotes, my question to you would be what limitations do you think SP3 has that would restrict usage of a dongle? It has a standard USB 3.0 port and features a classic x86 architecture. If the dongle works with a generic laptop, there's no reason why it wouldn't work with SP3.

If for some reason the dongle doesn't work, you can use your cellular-enabled iPad to act as a personal hotspot and tether your SP3 to that, as long as your carrier allows tethering. (Some don't). If you're going overseas or somewhere where your carrier doesn't have coverage, then no.

 

[veracee]

No I am not going overseas.
I was led to believe that only the SurfacePro2 was able to get 3G/4G network,
and that the SurfacePro3 could only receive wireless internet.
This is the reason i am here and asking, because i want to know if SurfacePro3 is able to use 3G/4G network by using a dongle in the USB port.

 

[agt499]

No I am not going overseas.
I was led to believe that only the SurfacePro2 was able to get 3G/4G network,
and that the SurfacePro3 could only receive wireless internet.
This is the reason i am here and asking, because i want to know if SurfacePro3 is able to use 3G/4G network by using a dongle in the USB port.

Hi. As nipponham notes, as a rule anything designed to work with a laptop should work fine with the SP3.
The only place I've seen issues is if a device has a very large power draw (like my USB monitor).
Would be 95% sure that you'll be fine - and if you're getting a dongle in-store you should be able to try one.

 

[veracee]

Thank you both very much for your replies.
I will find out when i go into the Telstra store.

 

[nipponham]

I was led to believe that only the SurfacePro2 was able to get 3G/4G network,
and that the SurfacePro3 could only receive wireless internet.

May I ask what lead you to believe that? If you have a cite or source, I'll check it out. There is no reason why a dongle would work on SP2 and not SP3.

However, agt499 mentions a good point. If the dongle draws a large current, the USB port on SP3 may not be able to handle it. In this case, you may need to get a powered USB hub. This is a power supply issue and not a technical one.

 

[GreyFox7]

I use a mobile hotspot and connect my devices to it over wifi as needed, one mobile bill, any device.

 

[veracee]

This page lead me to believe that only SurfacePro2 is able to connect to mobile broadband. I am sure i read it somewhere else on the microsoft site even before i bought my Pro3.
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en...dband/cant-connect-to-mobile-broadband#Mobile

 

[nipponham]

This page lead me to believe that only SurfacePro2 is able to connect to mobile broadband. I am sure i read it somewhere else on the microsoft site even before i bought my Pro3.
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en...dband/cant-connect-to-mobile-broadband#Mobile

Hmm, I just checked out the link but could not find what you are referring to. It looks like a troubleshooting page for Surface 2 but nowhere does it mention that mobile broadband connection is limited to that device.

Are you talking about the native micro-SIM slot some new Surface 2s have? All that means is that you can insert the SIM directly into the device without having to use a dongle. It doesn't preclude the SP line from using a dongle to connect to mobile broadband.

 

[veracee]

Before i bought my Pro3 i checked out all of them. I am sure it said that Surface 2's had mobile broadband access, and pro3's did not.
Maybe that is what they meant, that the 2's had a sim slot and the 3's did not.
It did not say that the pro3 would be able to use mobile broadband by using a dongle in the USB port.
I thought someone could tell me if i can use a dongle for sure.
I realise it does not preclude the SP line from using a dongle to connect, but it does not say that it CAN use one.
Many thanks for replying to me.