best prepago phone provider for tethering & data only (ipad)

[Illinoisjoe]

Hi, I'm in BsAs for a month visiting inlaws and it's been awhile (thanks, COVID) so I'd appreciate some advice on the current lay of the land regarding cell phone plans.

I need to do some remote work from the apartment we're staying in but there is no wifi installed. I had assumed I'd pop in a SIM from any major carrier into my iphone, pay for an ample amount of data, and use the phone as a hotspot for my laptop, but I tried that with Personal and it seems to disallow tethering AKA a "Personal hotspot" for prepaid customers (see photo). As near as I can figure, they offer something called "WiFi pass" to their monthly subscribers that sounds like some form of tethering, but no options for us lowly prepaid customers. Is that right? Is that the case with all providers? If so, can one become a monthly customer for just one month? Please help, I am lost in a sea of weird gimmicky promotions called packs, planes, multipliers, and unlimited whatsapp. I just want some minutes, some messages, and some GB to do with as I please.

Other questions:
I also have an iPad with a sim slot that I usually leave empty back in the states. But here it might be nice to give it a prepaid data plan because data seems far cheaper here and it looks like tethering it to my phone will be a no go. Can one get a prepaid SIM for just data for a tablet? Any recs on which carrier is best?

Gratuitous rant question: What's the obsession with DNI? Thank god my wife has one. Seems like you can't wipe yourself here without presenting one.

Thank you in advance. I love lurking on this forum and relish the opportunity to seek advice here.

 

[FrankPintor]

Generally, Personal is fast, Claro is cheap (and has big data packages). I've tethered with Personal 4G and 5G over the past 10 months (the latest occasion was about 2 weeks ago) with no apparent problems, so I'm not sure what's happening in your case.

The Personal office in Calle Honduras in Palermo seems to be geared up to deal with foreigners, maybe you could drop by there?

 

[Illinoisjoe]

I've tethered with Personal 4G and 5G over the past 10 months (the latest occasion was about 2 weeks ago) with no apparent problems, so I'm not sure what's happening in your case.

Are you on a prepaid plan?

 

[FrankPintor]

Yes, I'm prepaid.

 

[jblaze5779]

Just get a prepago Claro. Over the past year they've made it way easier to buy the packs through the app using your credit card directly (use Arg card if possible) . No need to load pesos onto your account.

When you need a pack you just buy the data you need. Way easier then it used to be.

 

[Quilombo]

I also recommend Personal; while prepaid packages aren't huge in size, they're cheap, even in pesos, and I had to tether for a month at home here in CABA while they fixed my apartments node and it worked fast, and even in Bariloche and Puerto Madryn on vacation when the hotel's wifi was awful it worked great there too.

 

[FrankPintor]

In Personal, you can use https://autogestion.personal.com.ar/login/ to manage your account, you'll have to generate a 4-digit key for that (it's an option on the login page). For Personal (as well as for Claro) you'll be better off buying a "pack", it's much more expensive without. If you bought your SIM at the airport I guess you have a 2GB allowance.

You can recharge your account with the orange terminals you can find at the Farmacias Dr. Ahorro for example, or more conveniently from Mercadopago, if you can do that.

 

[FrankPintor]

I also recommend Personal; while prepaid packages aren't huge in size, they're cheap, even in pesos, and I had to tether for a month at home here in CABA while they fixed my apartments node and it worked fast, and even in Bariloche and Puerto Madryn on vacation when the hotel's wifi was awful it worked great there too.

If you got good Personal coverage in Puerto Madryn, you were probably lucky, Personal's coverage to the south of Buenos Aires has been historically poor, they have roaming onto Movistar enabled but it's not something you will see good performance on.

This summer they will have 5G coverage in Pinamar, Carilo, and south and central Mar del Plata, that should work quite well.

 

[dsp27]

I have had Claro prepago for 6 years. Free whatsapp and other social media data, they give you free 2GB every time you add 500+ pesos to your account. LOTS of data packs options, can set to "auto" renew or once only. I do not pay more than 5 USD/mo for my cell service incl unlimited national calls. I have always wondered how some people in the US pay 100+ dollars a month and are tide up to a contract.

 

[tilkaratnedil]

A slightly unrelated question but would be interested if anyone has experience in the following case:

I have a UK phone contract that will continue during the 6 months I am staying in BA.
I can't use the minutes/data as it is too costly even when buying an international package.
I would like to keep my UK phone number and just use data (whatsapp etc.).

Does anyone know the best route to this? I fear I may have to use two sim cards (one for during the day when I am out and need 3g/4g which has an Arg number and my current one for when I am home that I will just use wifi with)