How to access 3G on an Android tablet via external dongle ?

Need help regarding 3G access on your Android tablet? By the end of this tutorial you will be able to access 3G Internet on your Android tablet via an external dongle easily.

3G in Android tablet

While reading the specification of an Android tablet you can notice that "3G connectivity is available via external dongle". Before proceeding further, I would like to talk about the types of dongles that are available in the market. There are two types of dongles - one is without SIM card and the other with SIM card. Dongles like Tata Photon Plus, Reliance NetConnect are without SIM card type and the SIM card dongle are those where you can insert any SIM card into it.

If you don't have an internet dongle yet, you can buy internet dongle at the best price from Amazon India store.

Things needed to setup 3G

1. microUSB to USB converter (If your tablet has USB port then you don't need this)
2. 3G SIM card dongle
3. SIM card with 3G facility in your circle

Android tablet won't come with 3G dongle, you need to buy it separately. While purchasing a dongle , do recheck whether you have bought a 3G dongle or a 2G dongle,cause you won't be able to access 3G via a 2G dongle. A 2G dongle is used for GPRS/EDGE and its speed is less than 3G. So one must be careful while you purchasing a 3G dongle. You can use any SIM card like Airtel, Aircel, Docomo, Vodafone etc. But your service provider (Airtel) must have 3G in your city/area. To check this you can either call customer care or check on your service provider official website. Don't forget to recharge 3G data pack, without recharging you can't access internet.

Steps to set up 3G via external dongle

1. Connect microUSB to USB converter.
2. Plug in your 3G SIM card dongle.
3. If your tablet automatically detects your SIM then its no problem. Suppose if your SIM card is not detected follow the below steps.
4. Open Settings → Wireless & Networks → More → Mobile Networks.
5. In Mobile network settings you can see "Access Point Names", open this menu.
6. Now you need to add APN in this screen.
7. Required fields are APN, MCC and MNC. Just call customer care and get these details, this varies from state to state.

3G APN for Indian networks

Latest tablet will have APN settings by default. Suppose if your tablet doesn't detect your SIM card you need to manually type the APN settings. Use your mobile phone to activate 3G pack. To activate 3G you should send a request SMS. Below I have given details about SMS activation and APN's.

BSNL
gprssouth.cellone.in (South Zone)
gprsnorth.cellone.in (North Zone)

Airtel
To activate send SMS as 3G to 121
APN – airtelgprs.com

Vodafone
To activate send SMS 'ACT 3G' to 111
APN – www

Tata Docomo
To activate 3G SMS ACT3G to 53333
APN – Tata.Docomo.Internet

Reliance
To activate send SMS to 51234.
APN:rcomnet (or) smarinet
Use any one of the APN which I mentioned above.

Aircel
To activate send "START 3G" to 121
APN: aircelgprs

Idea
To activate 3G SMS ACT3G to 12345
APN: internet

MTNL
SMS `ACT 3G` to 444
APN: pps3g

Accessing 3G in SIM card tablet

All SIM card tablet doesn't have 3G facility. For example, Aakash tablet have SIM card facility but you can access only 2G internet. To access 3G in such tablet you need to follow the same procedure which I cited above. Suppose your tablet has 3G SIM facility then you should follow the procedure that you do in mobile phones. Let me summarize the steps.
1. Request 3G internet via SMS.
2. Save the settings.
3. Just open your browser and enjoy surfing.

Buy internet dongle from Amazon India.

Best Android Tablets below $200

Nowadays, market is flooded with many android tablets. The users always prefer mini gadgets, as these are easy to be carried and come with functionality. Here, we have tried to provide the names of some of the best android tablets below $200, which is entirely based on the high ratings and Amazon customer reviews. Enjoy the listing and choose the best android tablets below $200 that is most suitable for you!

Best 5 top Android Tablets to buy in 2013

Read this article if you are searching for the best Android tablets that you can buy in 2013. Know the specifications, read the review and compare the pros and cons to decide which Android tablet will suit you in this year of 2013.

Latest Android Tablets in 2012

Today, owning an Android smart device is not just a matter of pride, but also a matter of elegance. Every one of us likes to have latest technology suitable gadgets. Searching and finding out the latest becomes a tedious task. So, here is a list of latest and best rated Android Tablets released in the first quarter of the year 2012 with specifications and price details.

Best 5 Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablets: Review and Specifications

The Android world offers a great deal of all new version; the Android 4.0, also called the Android Ice Cream Sandwich in the newly coming up Tablet PCs. Do you want to buy one of the best Tablet PCs? Then, here are the top 5 Tablet Pcs of the world running on the Android Ice Cream Sandwich Os giving you the impressive experience of an Android mobile and a PC combined together.

Most Popular Android Tablets in India

Nowadays, Indian market is capturing a great share of internationally released tablets and other computing devices. Some of the most popular Android tablets currently available in India are Samsung Galaxy Tab 750, Sony Tablet S, Motorola Xoom, Reliance 3G Tab and HTC Flyer. In this article, I am enlightening these Android Tablets available in Indian market. Do have a look and gain your knowledge about these tablets.

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Comments

Guest Author: Nizam03 May 2013

I was dying to know about dongle and this was the only article I found. Was very clear cut explanation. Thank you.

Keep it up. Good work. Take care

Guest Author: ryan10 May 2013

Hello, my name is Ryan from Cameroon and I have an Android tablet with Android of 2.2. It does not read my sim card from the external usb I have. I just want to know how to do about it.

Guest Author: Achyot22 Jun 2013

Hello, im just buy a andorid 4.0 tab. It not support my dongle, now wt have to 2 do for use net.

Guest Author: Arun Panjani08 Aug 2013

I have a ZYNC Z919 tab.A dlink dongle and an aircel sim. i am unable to install my dongle. pls help

Guest Author: Altrax25 Nov 2013

Can you install an external sim card for an Android device who doesn't support 3G network? And what are the steps to use SIM card on the Android phone? Please help, thank you very much.

Guest Author: tarjinder singh02 Jan 2014

Thank you very much for valuable guidance. Can I use the keyboard and dongle by using any universal cable on the tablet from same port?

Guest Author: kalimero26 Mar 2014

I managed to connect my phone Samsung Galaxy Note 2 through my dongle e372.
Here is my video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZToSbqVy5aE

You can find the driver for Samsung Galaxy S3 steps in my blog http://adf.ly/XJW0G.

Guest Author: Manushri saxena11 Apr 2014

Hey thankyou , but does it also work with new Nexus 7 2013 Wi-Fi model?? Please tell me

Guest Author: y h mohan rao14 Apr 2014

I have samsung galaxy tab 8 inch without sim card. I want to access 3g net. Can anyone suggest the procedure?

Guest Author: Abasu30 Apr 2014

Hi, I have Lenovo a1000g tab and unlocked airtel e173-bu1 modem. Can't connect 3g.

Guest Author: Sajeev25 Jul 2014

I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 which does not have a sim card slot. Is it possible to connect sim card in it?

Guest Author: Yuvaraj07 Aug 2014

Hi, I have Reliance RPTPB0705 Kids Tab and it doesn't have SIM card facility. Can I use data card to get connected to internet. But it's specs shows it doesn't support GPRS or EDGE. Please guide me and your help is much appreciated.

Guest Author: Kamaljeet09 Oct 2014

No option is being shown to save settings. If I click on back button settings are not saved. Please help.

Guest Author: Rakesh V06 Nov 2014

Sir, I have a WiFi tablet. It doesn't have any sim support. And in the settings I don't have the mobile networks option. I have lava 3G modem with airtel subscriber. Now how do I use the internet from the modem. USB connection is done but the tablet is not detecting the modem.

Guest Author: FILIPUS22 Nov 2014

I have a android version tablet(model mr7063h1c2w1) which is having a problem on detecting any sim card network in India. The tablet I bought it in Namibia, can any one help where I can get it fix, because I have tried so many places but they are all struggle.

Guest Author: Vikash Goel01 Feb 2015

I have a Samsung Galaxy tab S 10.5 with only WiFi. It does not have SIM card slot. How can I connect to internet via USB data card?

Guest Author: Gugu Precious18 Feb 2015

I bought a Sinotec Tablet device with 3G inside but it is using 2G MTN service and it says I need to do the software upgrade. How can I do that as I want the 3G in my tablet. The 2G is not working properly as I can't even read my emails or Facebook, it is very slow.

Guest Author: rohit15 Jan 2016

My tab detects the SIM ant the signal bars appear, but how to connect to the internet?

Guest Author: nishant20 Jan 2016

If you have any confusion regarding how to connect a dongle to a tablet PC instantly, checkout this 1:20 min video that explains it all: https://goo.gl/ECHdzy

Guest Author: Arka23 Jan 2016

I have Lenovo a1000. I use PPP widget 2 apk to use a beetle dongle over OTG. It automatically sets up modem if the modem configured to modem only mode.

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