FON 2.0n router sharing 3G over Wifi

When you’re travelling as a professional nerd, you regularly needs to access the Internet. Internet cafés can be expensive and 3G… don’t think about using it abroad. It ususally costs a fortune.

I joined the FON network where you share your broadband connection at home to other FON-users and in return you are able to use the 1.5 million (and growing) FON hotsposts around the world for free.

In 2009 FON launched a new router, the FON 2.0n. It is packed with features (to read more about it, see FONs website), but most important is the USB port where it is possible to attach a 3G device. This enables you to share your 3G internet connection over the FON 2.0n wifi router. I usually bring this router on trips where I need to share my 3G internet connection to several computers over Wifi.

When you are using the router with 3G close to a border it is important to know that your 3G device is connected to the network in your country and not to one across the border.

My summer house is located just a km from the Norwegian border and I have better 3G coverage from the Norwegian 3G base stations than the ones in Sweden. It is important to check that the connection remains at the Swedish network.

There is unfortunately no setting in the FON router to prevent it from “roaming” outside my home network.

I usually keep the FON 2.0n router’s 3G status screen open so that I can keep an eye on the mobile network code. A network code beginning with 240 means it is on the Swedish network. The FON 2.0n router does not display the network’s real names, only their network codes. A list of 3G network numbers can be found at Wikipedia.