It's really great for finding your post about SIM card in Italy. :)

I have some questions about the setting, mainly Mifi (portable wifi rounter). Would you mind teaching me how to set?

I got a HUAWEI portable wifi rounter, and I'm planning to visit Italy. Will bring along with my portable wifi rounter. I may purchase either TIM or WIND sim card for data roaming, internet. As I know, I need to change/input the APN for it. But from your post, it mentioned that we need to send an SMS by phone to activate the SIM card, then it's different from Mifi setting?! So, would you mind teaching what is the method for Mifi? Many thanks :)

Kim

Depends on the model. My Huawei E585 has a "3" web admin UI -- has their branding featured.

One tricky thing was that there was an auto mode which I guess is suppose to discover the APN. But I went manual and set it to the value listed in this forum for TIM.

One place to start is to Google the Huawei model. Someone is bound to have a video or a guide of some kind out there.

Going to Florence at the end of this month.

Still have 5 Euro credit on my TIM that I used last June.

So the plan is to top up and activate one of the data plan options. Do I need to go to a TIM shop to top up? Or are there other outlets, especially any that might be open on a late Sunday afternoon or evening, which is when I expect to arrive?

Any Tabacchi shop will reload your card. You surely find at leat one at every ariport/station in Italy.

I have purchased the Internet Senza Limiti:*10 GB/month in Roma Termini. It is really great.

May I know that can I use this SIM outside Italy? If it supported, do I need to change the APN?

Besides, I am using this SIM in Huawei Mifi. Do I also need to set the data roaming function?

Many thanks

It looks like they've re-arranged/re-named a lot of the prepaid data options:

Da PC Ricaricabile | TIM

They no longer have time-based options but the Senza Limiti plans have clear caps, 2, 5 and 10 GB levels. Do they throttle after those thresholds or cut you off?

Looks like they have some initial 4G (real LTE) plans but those plans are off the charts price-wise. Doesn't make sense for a visit but if you live there, you should be able to get by with 20 GB per month for both home and mobile use. Of course the coverage must be very limited.

Has anyone tried using one of the TIM smart phone plans on a Mifi to tether several devices?

Could save money if you don't have big data needs but wonder if they can detect you're connecting several devices:

TIMxSMARTPHONE Maxi | TIM

My 119.it account shows the SIM being tied to my Mifi device (Huawei E585). Not sure if that was registered by the shops where I bought the SIM or recharged it or they detected it from the IMEI.

There should be no problem using a Mifi device

Eh, it's only online that it's 2.5 Euro instead of the normal 5 Euro a week for 500 MB.

The main advantage is no 5 Euro activation fee.

However, I often find the little hotels and B&Bs in Italy (and other parts of Europe) have poor Wifi. So I've used mobile data there instead of using the Wifi.

So the Internet Start may be a better option.

It'll be interesting when they expand LTE coverage and you can get 4G devices relatively cheaply.

Nexus Galaxy has LTE for $350 but you probably can't count on support for LTE outside the US.

Has Vodaphone, Wind or 3 announced any LTE plans?

DATA Sim Card for Italy
 

I'm from Malaysia and will be in Italy from May 8-14. Im looking for a data sim card for my WIFI doggle. Does it support Skype ? I will using Skype to make calls. I need the data sim card to browse internet, check email as well. I saw TIM Sim card in your website.
1) How to purchase the sim card? Can I purchase online and send the sim card to my hotel in Italy?
2) How much ?