Mobile Broadband FAQ

The following are general questions and answers relating to our Mobile Broadband product. If you have any additional questions that are not answered here please call us directly.

Q. Where can I use ONEseniors Mobile

You can check the coverage ONEseniors Broadband Service Locator - click here.

Q. What does the coverage checker results mean?

The following responses mean;

3G coverage <384Kbps coverage is available in your area.

Both HSPA and 3G enabled towers mobile standards are available in your area.

Full HSPA coverage = You can expect full speed services via HSPA transmission.

HSPA = HSPA is short for High-Speed Packet Access, a new protocol for mobile telephone data transmission. HSPA provides download speeds on a mobile device equivalent to a home broadband service.

3G = 3G is the third generation standard of mobile networking technology. Services include wide-area wireless voice telephony, video calls, and broadband wireless data, all in a mobile environment.

<384Kbps = Kbps is a measurement of data transfer.

Q. What does it mean if my town or suburb does not appear in the Coverage Checker results?

If your town or suburb does not come up in the Coverage Service Locator results, it unfortunately means is no service coverage available in your location.

Q. What do I receive with my Connect Mobile Broadband USB modem package?

The package contains your E169 USB wireless broadband modem, and a USB cable.

Q. What does my Huawei E169 HSDPA USB Stick mobile broadband modem look like?

Your ONEseniors USB modem looks similar to a memory stick / USB flash drive:

Q. How do I activate my SIM CARD online?

Once you’ve received your USB modem pack, you need to activate your SIM card in order to activate your Connect broadband account. To activate your SIM Card (which is already inserted into your USB Modem), please go to http://www.oneseniors.com.au/mobile and click on the ‘Activate your ONEseniors SIM Card’ button or link https://unite.tadaustconnect/activatembb.html Then enter your Mobile Broadband Number (MBN) and Mobile Broadband Password (MBP). If you have any problems activating your SIM Card online, please call

Q. How do I activate my SIM Card over the phone?

Once you’ve received your USB modem pack, you need to activate your SIM Card in order to activate your Connect broadband account. To activate your SIM Card over the phone please call have your Mobile Broadband Number (MBN) and Mobile Broadband Password (MBP) handy.

Q. How do I install my

Simply plug your USB modem into your computers USB port. Your computer will detect the device and then the wireless broadband set-up wizard will then run and you simply follow the prompts to install. Once the installation is complete a shortcut icon will appear on your computers desktop.

If the software does not auto-run after a few minutes, then go to ‘My Computer’ and then double-click on the icon ‘Wireless BB ()’ to launch the install program. Click here to view set-up instructions.

Q. Can I use my USB modem on my desktop computer?

Yes, you can use your ONEseniors USB on your desktop

USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. This is the common peripheral connection on all new computers. You cannot use the USB wireless modem on an older computer if it does not have a USB port. It is very unusual for computers less than 7 years old not to have a USB port.

Q. What are the system requirements for my computer to use the USB modem?

To use the E169, the computer must meet the following requirements:

• USB Type A Receptacle, Compatible with USB 2. 0 Full
• CPU: 133 MHz or above. 500 MHz or above is recommended.
• Memory: 128 MB RAM or above.
• Free space on the hard disk: 50 MB or above.
• Windows XP/2000/Vista is installed.
• Mac OSX 10.3.5 or above
• Resolution for the display: 800 × 600 or above. 1024 × 768 is recommended.

Q. What do the different

Below is a table explaining the different status and meaning.

Q. How do I tell what speed I'm currently getting with my Mobile Broadband?

The light on the modem will indicate what speed your line connection is. See table above for detailed information.

Q. What is the average speed I could expect to experience with

The speed will vary depending on what network the modem is connected to.

Modem light is BLUE (2G/WCDMA network is established) Line speed will be 20 – 40Kbps, up to theoretical maximum of 50Kbps

Modem light is GREEN (2.5G/GPRS network is established) Line speed will be 200 – 350Kbps, up to theoretical maximum of 384Kbps

Modem light is CYAN (3G/HSPA network is established) Line speed will be 1.8Mbps – 3.0Mbps, up to theoretical maximum of 3.6Mbps

Q. What factors could affect my speed?

Please note that although 3Mbps is the maximum theoretical speed, your actual speed is determined by 3G network availability, distance from cell tower, signal strength, contestability and your computer hardware OS / Memory / capacity / configuration. An outside antenna or 3G router (available separately) may be necessary to achieve stronger connection.

Q. What can I do to receive a better signal?

To improve your signal / speed you can connect your USB modem to your laptop or desktop computer using the USB cable that is provided with your USB modem. An antenna would also help improve your signal. Contact Connect Helpdesk via email at

or call 1300 735

Q. How do I read the statistics page on my

The information on the left pane identifies:

• is the length of your current connection. This is reset to zero when the session ends.
• is the rate at which data is sent from your connection. This will only display information when data is being transferred.
• is the total amount of data sent on the current connection.
• is the rate at which data is received to your connection. This will only display information when data is being transferred.
• is the total amount of data received on the current connection.
• is the last time the connection statistics were reset.
• is the total amount of data uploaded today.
• is the total amount of data downloaded today.
• is the total amount of data uploaded this month.

Monthly Downloaded data

• is the total amount of data downloaded this month.
• is the total amount of data uploaded this year.
• is the total amount of data downloaded this year.

Q. How do I connect to the internet?

Simply double-click on the green Connect Wireless Broadband icon on your computers desktop screen, click on ‘connect’. 

Q. Can I send an SMS using my

Yes, simply click on the ‘Text’ icon and type in the recipient’s mobile number and then type your text message and send. The SMS will be sent from your USB modems mobile broadband number.

Q. What are the charges for sending SMS from my USB modem?

SMS sent from your USB modem (using your mobile broadband number) are charged at $0.25c for national SMS’s and $0.50c for international SMS’s.

Q. What happens if I lose my

If you have lost your USB modem/SIM Card you need to contact Connect on 1300 735 439 to notify and arrange for replacement. Replacement USB modem/SIM Cards are $189 which can be billed to your account.

Q. Can I use my USB modem on more than one computer?

Yes, you can use your ONEseniors USB on more than one computer. But please note that as the account owner, you are fully liable for any excess fees generate on your account.

Q. Can I use ONEseniors broadband overseas?

No, international roaming is not enabled, so you can only use

Q. How do I view how much download allowance I have remaining for the month?

You can view your account information online using the ‘Your Account’ section of our website. Simply click on the button on the top menu bar.

Q. What happens when I reach my download allowance limit for the month?

Once you’ve reached your download limit, any additional downloads (excess) will be charged at $0.15c per MB (includes uploads and downloads).

Q. Can I rollover unused downloads from month to month?

No, unused data downloads are not rolled over to the next month.

Q. What does 1Gb downloads a month approximately mean?

This is approximately surfing over 10,000 websites (assuming each website page has 100 kilobyte of data per page). would also give you the ability to download approx 200 songs. ( assuming 1 song equals 5 megabyte mp3 file).

Q. What does 2Gb downloads a month approximately mean?

This is approximately surfing over 20,000 websites (assuming each website page has 100 kilobyte of data per page). would also give you the ability to download approx 400 songs (approximated assuming 1 song equals 5 megabyte mp3 file).

Q. What does 5Gb downloads a month approximately mean?

This is approximately surfing over 50,000 websites (assuming each website page has 100 kilobyte of data per page). would also give you the ability to download approx 1,000 songs. ( assuming 1 song equals 5 megabyte mp3 file).

Get Mobile Broadband with ONEseniors / ONESeniors Today!