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Mobicarte - Les Options Internet

Mobicarte is the France Telecom / Orange Prepaid SIM card, which is admitted to Orange's GSM/EDGE- and also UMTS/HSDPA-network.

options for internet access:

Option 'Internet Max' (please see actual Posts - looks like this option is not longer available)
€12/month for 'unlimited' web + 10 MB mail access.
Access may be terminated or capped after 500 MB download for the rest of the month, but it is reported, that this limit is not enforced (as of September 2008). It is not possible to renew this plan within the that same month to restore access.
Terms and conditions say the option is only for handset-based access, however it could be used flawlessly from a computer in September 2008.

  • A Mobicarte prepaid SIM can be bought without a phone in Orange shops for 30 euros or for less than € 10 at the French branch of that big auction site. The initial credit is € 4,50 for calls and 100kb for surfing.
  • Coupons for recharging can be bought at post offices, supermarkets and of course orange shops.

  • To activate the 5 MB option, additional credit (e.g. 10 euros) has to be bought. Current balance can be checked by typing #123# + dial button.

  • To activate one of the options described above, call '220' and select 'Découverte Multimedia' or 'Internet Max' from the 'Multimedia Menu'. The price for the option will be immediately taken from the prepaid account.

  • It's also possible to activate one of the options via the #123# USSD dialogue. When the current credit is shown, answer with '00' to go to the main menu and go to 'gerer vos option' from there. Here's a picture of how the screen looks like in that menu:

orange france menu

Mobicard recharging and Internet Max activation tutorial for non-french speakers (like me).
I tested it on 08/17/09 in Paris.

Part 1, Recharging:

  • Press #123# to activate to the mobicard menu.
  • Select 3 for the menu
  • Select 2 for "Recharger"
  • Select 1 "par recharge mobicarte"
  • Enter your 14 digit card code.

Part 2, Activating:

  • Again, select #123# to activate the mobicard menu
  • Select 3 for the menu
  • Select 3, Vos bons plans
  • Select 4, Votre multimedia
  • Select 3, Option Internet Max
  • Acknowledge the following general terms and conditions with 1 (several times)

That´s it. Keep in mind that the activation could take up to 48 hours. You won´t get notified.


GPRS/3G details:

  • APN: orange (tried with 'decouverte multimedia' option but should work for 'Internet max' as well)
  • Username: orange (might not be required)
  • Password: orange (might not be required)
iPhone users are lucky, the settings are automatically configured by orange (tested with my jailbroken iPhone).

WARNING:

If you have an iPhone, when you purchase your SIM card the background data / email downloading can magically drain every last euro in your account before you can set up the Internet Max service, which takes 1-2 days. At that point, you can't even call customer service to complain, since they won't take your call without credit on your account.




Posted Anonymously Latest page update: made by Anonymous , Nov 26 2009, 3:51 AM EST (about this update About This Update Posted Anonymously iPhone user warning - anonymous

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Started By Thread Subject Replies Last Post
Anonymous Internet Max is working if you have activated it earlier 0 Today, 4:01 AM EST by Anonymous
 
Thread started: Today, 4:01 AM EST  Watch
It looks like you can use Internet Max still in the menu if you have activated this option when it was commercially available.
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laptopnomad Sharing Orange Mobicarte 3G with VPN 0 Nov 30 2009, 11:26 AM EST by laptopnomad
Thread started: Nov 30 2009, 11:26 AM EST  Watch
Internet MAX is gone, now only per day or per weekend. Tried the € 3,- per day option with a Nokia N95 8Gb as WIFI router and VPN encryption. Works pretty well. Day starts at moment of activation and expires at 2pm the next day. Sometimes an SMS is shipped to announce the expiration.

Read all about it at :: http://www.laptop-junction.com/toast/content/micro-wifi-hotspot-nokia-n95-iphone
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Anonymous OO44''s French Data Bundle as alternative to internet max? 0 Nov 1 2009, 11:15 AM EST by Anonymous
 
Thread started: Nov 1 2009, 11:15 AM EST  Watch
I spend several months in France each summer and need daily internet access to monitor my business.

Internet max did the job this summer but now its gone, for next year I've been looking at the french data bundles from the UK simcard company 0044 at around £60/month. The main drawbacks seem to be

1) the need to purchase their Orange F dongle for around £100. However there seems to an option on their website to purchase a data bundle on its own. Presumably this could be used with an unlocked dongle with the appropriate APN settings????

2) per month means the 1st to last day of each month - this wouldn't be a problem for a long term user like me but not much good for someone going ,say, from last week July to first week August.

Anyone got any experience or thoughts on this?
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