This was posted 1 year 11 months 24 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

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Optus Alcatel Link Zone MW41 4G Wi-Fi Modem with 15GB Data - $9 @ Woolworths (in Store Only)

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Optus Alcatel Link Zone MW41 4G Wi-Fi Modem with 15GB Data - $9 @ Woolworths (in Store Only)
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douglasac10 on 11/12/2022 - 19:39 files.ozbargain.com.au (6219 clicks)

Was looking for a cheap modem for going away this week and saw this one at Woolworths in the app at $9, which according to Woolworths is half price off the normal $69. I was never any good at maths, but even I can tell that's wrong.

Anyway, seems to be some stock around at a few stores - you can see if your store has stock here or in the app as per the screenshot. There wasn't a card with the other phone\mobile cards to take the counter, a dummy on display or even a tag for it in my store, but I asked at the express checkouts\service counter area, and they had it in the cupboard with all the other mobiles. So if it says your store has stock that might be your best bet.

I'm not sure if this is included in the current Optus Double Data promo that they are running on the prepaid wifi modems on their website (I haven't activated it yet) but if so, it makes the deal even better.

Also, in the true Ozbargain spirit, a few Officeworks stores ostensibly have them in stock, if you want to try and price match… no judgement here ;D

Computing 4G Alcatel Mobile Broadband Modem Mobile Broadband Plan Optus

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Woolworths
Woolworths

closed Comments

  • onyxx on 11/12/2022 - 19:46

    does the 15gb expire after 28 days?

    • douglasac10 on 11/12/2022 - 19:48

      I believe so, not sure if it rolls over if you recharge beforehand though.

      • UsernameChecksIn on 11/12/2022 - 20:04
        +1

        dies it activate immediately on purchase

        • douglasac10 on 11/12/2022 - 20:08
          +3

          No, you need to activate the SIM card once purchased.

          There is an expiry date on the SIM, though; the one on the SIM I got is in June 2024 so there's not exactly an immediate rush if you want to sit on it for some reason.

          • UsernameChecksIn on 11/12/2022 - 20:27

            @douglasac10: Sounds good for emergencies - Thanks!
            .. Now does activation require initial connectivity…

          • onyxx on 11/12/2022 - 21:26
            +1

            @douglasac10: I just bought one and realised that the sim that comes with it expired a month ago

            • WatchNerd on 11/12/2022 - 21:34
              +1

              @onyxx: Did you try & activate it? If it doesn't work just take it to an Optus store or contact them & complain.

              • onyxx on 11/12/2022 - 21:36

                @WatchNerd: haven't tried yet, I'll have to get into contact with them and see what they say

  • life is suffering on 11/12/2022 - 19:51
    +2

    can these be unlocked?

    • BlinkyBill on 11/12/2022 - 19:53
      -3

      Google is your friend

    • BROKENKEYBOARD on 11/12/2022 - 20:06
      +57

      Your personal data can be unlocked, not sure about the modem itself though.

    • jimojr on 11/12/2022 - 20:09
      +3

      Yes, I bought a unlock code on ebay for $4 three months ago.

      • life is suffering on 11/12/2022 - 20:09

        thanks , I found some us based sites and wasn't sure if it will work in AUS. thank you!

      • rzg on 11/12/2022 - 20:38
        +2

        Are you able to use a Telstra SIM in this since unlocking?

        • life is suffering on 11/12/2022 - 20:42

          I reckon you are free to choose any Sim after unlocking

        • douglasac10 on 11/12/2022 - 20:45
          +4

          You should be able to once unlocked; it supports LTE bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28 and 40 and says that it is compatible with bands 26 and 38.

        • jimojr on 11/12/2022 - 21:05

          Yes

  • Flyerone on 11/12/2022 - 20:29

    Is this better than the Huawei E5577F?

    • Dyl on 12/12/2022 - 14:10

      Same speed, both cat 4

  • BlueSkyAPI on 11/12/2022 - 20:37
    +1

    Wouldn't it be easier to run hotspot on an old mobile phone?

    • life is suffering on 11/12/2022 - 20:43
      +1

      I'm in the same boat. Better battery standby and hotstop disconnection doesn't happen.

      • WT on 12/12/2022 - 08:24
        +2

        It depends on how long, we had nbn hook up issues during covid and was delayed 1 month and then another month

        It damaged the battery being constantly on charge, possibly heat. I could sit for nearly a week without being used without needing charge, now needs charge every day

    • aert on 11/12/2022 - 20:53
      +6

      I did this, but had to take the battery out after a month or so as it started to swell. I think this is a risk for most mobiles.
      I connected the charger directly to the battery pins and that's been working well for me for 2 years now. Granted I never have power outages where I live.

      • silverrat23 on 11/12/2022 - 22:09
        +1

        Did you follow a guide on directly wiring the battery pins?

        My method of unplugging the charging cable for 2 days every week works too, but yours sounds more convenient.

        • MagicTsukai on 11/12/2022 - 23:14

          how does your method work at the moment?
          does this protect the battery?

          • Jonzay on 12/12/2022 - 08:19
            +4

            @MagicTsukai: I used to run thirteen old Galaxy S7's, performing automated tasks.
            I placed Tasker on each of them, connected their chargers to a few smart plugs and programmed a few simple rules:

            1. When each phone in a smart plug group was over 90% battery, turn off the power output from the smart plug
            2. When any phone in a smart plug group was under 10% battery, turn on the power output from the smart plug
            3. If, for some reason, rule 1 hadn't been met in over 24 hours, turn off the power output from the smart plug
            4. If rule 2 gets met very quickly after rule 1 or 3, warn me with a notification to my regular smartphone

            This prevented all battery swell for over a year. Rule 4 never got met.

        • aert on 12/12/2022 - 08:37

          Yes, a generic guide though, basically saying connect + to + and - to -. It wasn't too hard for this phone as it has a removable battery with springy contacts that just allowed me to tie the wire around them effectively.

      • TheDukeOfNukem on 11/12/2022 - 23:51

        Been using Felix mobile plugged into the wall 247 on hotspot mode except when I take the phone off to go out with me into the real world. Almost 2 years now with the same phone, no issues whatsoever.

        Just a cheap piece of shit Umidigi. idk what happened to you, but it's definitely not a definite.

  • LoanMusk on 11/12/2022 - 20:39

    this is WiFi 4 (IEEE 802.11b/g/n), so might not be fast enough for most some of us.

    • lgacb08 on 11/12/2022 - 20:45

      4g speed is the bottleneck for these devices, I haven't seen any device can achieve >100mbs indoor on 4g. Also as soon as you move away from the room wifi speed will drop to the point of non-existence being n or ac.

      • Smallman on 11/12/2022 - 23:33
        -1

        If you live close to RFC, you can get up to 200Mbs indoor via Smartphones

        • Kontiki on 12/12/2022 - 10:49
          +2

          Smartphones usually have a much higher category modem than these cheapo standalone modems.

          So if an iPhone or Samsung get get 200 mbs, it is no guarantee that this modem will as well.
          I live next to an Optus tower, can see it from my doorstep and my Huawei modem doesn't go over 50mbs.

      • OMGJL on 11/12/2022 - 23:57
        +1

        WiFi 4 theoretical max speed is 300mbps, that does not mean you will top out 300mbps. In fact you probably won't even be close to 100mbps (12.5MB/s)

    • Dyl on 12/12/2022 - 14:10
      +1

      Also only cat 4 (150/50mbps max)

  • [Deactivated] on 11/12/2022 - 20:47

    question is how remote the coverage of Optus network? if going to woop woop, no signal, moot point.

    • mysterytal on 11/12/2022 - 20:53
      +1

      It depends. I've unlocked it and use a Telstra SIM which gives good coverage.

      • cucumber on 12/12/2022 - 11:45

        Was it easy to unlock?

      • seniordoc on 08/01/2023 - 15:59

        How to unlock it? Thanks

  • Quarter Pounder on 11/12/2022 - 21:07

    Woolies site claims in stock, went in store to find out there is no stock yet the site still showing in stock.

    • Flyerone on 11/12/2022 - 21:20
      +1

      On shift staff haven't bought it yet ;)

    • Neoika on 11/12/2022 - 21:23

      Stock got stolen or misplaced.

    • tofu on 11/12/2022 - 21:29

      Mind to share which store please?

      • Quarter Pounder on 11/12/2022 - 21:59
        +1

        Newington nsw.

        • tukangbakso on 11/12/2022 - 23:02

          Lol.. sorry mate

        • tofu on 13/12/2022 - 08:01
          +1

          most stores around me are oos. tried a store a bit further last night and was told just missed the last one. went to another store on the other direction this morning at 7am, ladies at first didn't even know the store sells these mobiles and devices. then i found a card near the entrance to show them, also a more senior lady came in, told them to look in the cupboard… last (white) one!

    • douglasac10 on 11/12/2022 - 21:50
      +1

      Someone may have beaten you, I think the website says that it only updates every two hours.

    • billsa on 11/12/2022 - 23:21

      call before to check

  • mooodeng on 11/12/2022 - 21:25
    +1

    Bought the last one from Gladstone Park, had to get it from the cupboard at the service desk.

    • tharlow on 11/12/2022 - 21:59
      +3

      Nobody complained when you were rummaging around in there?

      • thekensai on 11/12/2022 - 22:10

        guy dresses up in woolies uniform, that's my guess

  • NebulAe on 11/12/2022 - 22:12
    +1

    Bought one that apparently expired 01.11.22. Got it activated anyway with 30GB included data.

  • unity1 on 11/12/2022 - 22:41

    Expiry date on mine is 10 June 2024

    • TheTeamRanger on 12/12/2022 - 07:41

      That's close to the death date in Manifest /s

  • Awesomandy on 11/12/2022 - 23:22

    I’ve heard that these modems are really poor quality, and would frequently crash, especially in low reception areas while on battery. I wouldn’t say don’t buy it as such but just be aware of what you might be in for.

  • outlander on 12/12/2022 - 07:47

    $9 is pretty great. Thats almost worth it just for the battery alone. As time goes on and more lithium based devices fail due to the battery being 10 years old, small prismatic cells like this become increasingly useful.

  • BigLeviathan on 12/12/2022 - 08:41
    +14

    Their math is correct, $69 cut in half is $6 and $9, due to the recession they chosen $9 instead….

    Okay….I let myself out now….

    • Spootage on 12/12/2022 - 08:57
      +1

      I lol'd

    • MagicTsukai on 12/12/2022 - 10:20
      +2

      Big leviathan brain

  • kungfuman on 12/12/2022 - 08:42
    -1

    if I want to publicly share my data with the world I will got with optus.

  • lordra on 12/12/2022 - 09:02

    What's the use case of something like this?
    Isn't 15GB just next to nothing?

      • lordra on 12/12/2022 - 16:06

        @tharlow, I was a bit taken aback to see an Asda link!
        From there however, "A bundle of this size would not be cost-effective if you only tend to browse the internet and scroll when on mobile data. Similarly, you’d need to consider a larger data bundle if you need to watch a lot of video content live or on demand."
        So again, not enough.

        • mysterytal on 12/12/2022 - 16:15
          +1

          In the UK home broadband is far cheaper and much faster than here and everywhere has Wi-Fi so no need to have much mobile data at all.

    • Dacs on 12/12/2022 - 10:25
      +2

      That's like asking what's the use case of buying a car if it can only go 400km before the fuel runs out.

      • lordra on 12/12/2022 - 16:05
        -1

        Um, no.
        Everyone already has mobile phones and data - a lot of data. Why buy and carry around another device is what I can't understand.

        Maybe if there are a large number of clients who want to connect, makes sense, saves on your primary mobile phone battery. But if that's the case, 15gb is gone in a an hour. Easy.

        • Dacs on 12/12/2022 - 16:42
          +3

          The deal isn't the 15GB. The deal is a broadband modem for $9.

          I've been using a similar one as my main home internet for a couple of years. I leave it permanently on charge and in a spot with good reception (unlike my phone which loses mobile reception in part of the home), and there's always internet if my partner is at home and I'm out with my phone. Speed is fine for streaming video, browsing etc and it's useful to be able to take with us when we go travelling in Australia, to connect tablets, laptops etc.

          The cost is only about $20 per month for the mobile plan and data, and it's easy to cut it if we go overseas for a few months. I just get a new prepaid SIM (with referral credits) when we get back.

          • guru123 on 13/12/2022 - 05:28

            @Dacs: Hi mate, which provider are you using for the Internet? Thanks

          • lordra on 14/12/2022 - 09:01

            @Dacs: Ah, assuming that people don't have home NBN broadband. Gotcha.

            Yep, $20 vs $90 is indeed a good saving.

            I just jumped on the spintel for $50, so that is plenty enough for 3 heavy users at home.

            • Dacs on 14/12/2022 - 11:51

              @lordra: I've got NBN FTTP at home, but I ditched in in favour of mobile broadband because for me it's cheaper, portable and more flexible.

  • Cocochicken on 12/12/2022 - 09:42

    I just bought one. Does anyone know the default wifi password?

    • NebulAe on 12/12/2022 - 09:55
      +3

      The network key is printed behind the battery as well as the back cover. It should be a 8 digit number.

  • mitt on 12/12/2022 - 10:57

    Sold out at WW cornubia but listed with stock on the website

    • branners on 12/12/2022 - 11:39

      Ditto for Blackburn Nth, Vic

      • DarthLord on 12/12/2022 - 13:39

        i called Blackburn Nth this morning, was told that no stock

  • payless69 on 12/12/2022 - 11:28

    LOL, Woolies and calculating……

  • Katykate on 12/12/2022 - 12:12

    Thanks so much for this! Managed to score the last one at my local and the check out person said they got cleaned out! Mine too expires 1.11.22 but have fingers crossed it'll work ok. Much needed for getaway over xmas / new year break.

  • NigerianPrince on 12/12/2022 - 12:16

    Activated mine and got only 4gb. Any idea why?

    • DarthLord on 12/12/2022 - 13:38

      because its only 4g modem

  • [Deactivated] on 12/12/2022 - 12:59

    Bought one - SIM card expired 1/11/22

    SIM activated with 15GB https://imgur.com/a/wnf9hF5

    • SkoMo on 12/12/2022 - 14:29

      Is this expiry date written on sim card or box?
      The expiry on my box is 01/Mar/2023.

      • [Deactivated] on 12/12/2022 - 14:33
        +1

        Same date on the SIM kit and on a sticker on the side of the box

  • Jamesx on 12/12/2022 - 13:24
    +1

    It sounds like cheap for a reason, unless you really need a Medem like this.

  • Jamesk811 on 12/12/2022 - 13:51

    Can someone please explain how to unlock these ? I contacted Optus and they said it can't be unlocked as it's not appearing as a device on my account only the prepaid SIM is showing.

  • SkoMo on 12/12/2022 - 14:57
    +9

    If anyone wants to unlock this modem in $4, please check this ebay link
    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/165590320570?

    • [Deactivated] on 12/12/2022 - 19:54
      +2

      Thanks, unlocking worked

    • goranoh on 12/12/2022 - 21:27
      +2

      I have successfully unlocked the modem from this seller thank you for sharing 😀

    • Killerbala on 14/12/2022 - 08:45
      +1

      Received unlock code in minutes and it works like a charm ! thanks for sharing

      • hashtagbargain on 14/12/2022 - 22:56

        Damn. Bought from the same guy and hasn’t responded in about 20 hours :/

  • Tbjunk on 12/12/2022 - 17:07

    Scored one.
    My outside package has a cross through the sim icon.
    There is not reference at all to any included data.

    The included sim package does not refer to any data included.
    It is called a prepaid sim.
    Is it just pot luck or can I check the control number or SAP code on the back?

    Thanks in advance.

  • digitalterrorist on 12/12/2022 - 17:18

    Scored one but the SIM expired 1/Nov/22. LOL
    If I take it back they will probably just refund me which I just really wanted the modem for a backup, didn't really care about the prepaid data, but it's annoying.

    Edit: saw previous post above and some people had the same issue but managed to activate.

  • honeydew on 12/12/2022 - 18:08

    Sim expiry showed as 01 nov 2022 but was able to activate it. But i thought it said 30 gb but the optus app is showing 15 gb

    • hashtagbargain on 12/12/2022 - 19:30
      +1

      I had the same expiry but was able to activate it last night. Got 30 gigs (incl 15 gigs bonus). You can check by sending "Bal" to 9999 from the device either through the app or the web interface (192.168.1.1)

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