Can someone talk me thru mobile & wireless Broadband please ??

jasper2004

I've never needed to look into this before, but i will be away from home for a month or so & need internet access for this time.

I would only need this facility a couple times a year, so a contract is no use, nor is spending mega bucks on extra equipment.

I have a modern wireless enabled laptop & i'm with BT Broadband Option 3 (unlimited useage) at home which i believe comes with "Openzone" facility ... can anyone tell me what this entails, is it just search for a wireless connection wherever i am type thing ?? ... Is it successful etc etc ??

I'm with Vodafone for my mobile & see they do a USB Stick "pay as you go" mobile broadband ... Is this type of thing any good ??

I only need for checking emails, messenger & general web use so what is the cheapest & most reliable way to get internet connection when moving about ??


Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction

Darth_Trader

I've found mobile internet using a dongle, or USB stick, variable and flaky at best, and at worst just a load of redundant rubbish - mine generally works at 30kbps downloads, and gives me uninterrupted service of 1-10 seconds and then hangs. In my view, the technology isn't up to scratch just yet. Give it a few years.

Could you use internet cafes etc using their wifi provision? I've never tried that, so I don't know exactly how it works, but at least you'll get fast access (hopefully!)

macman

For PAYG dongles I believe you are currently looking at only Vodafone or 3. Vodafone has the advantage that the data top-ups do not expire after 30 days like 3's do.
But the determining factor is where you are going to use it. Unless you can live with dial up speeds then you need to get a 3G signal, which many places do not. For example I live in London and here it's fine. But when I went to rural Devon for a week it was extremely flaky and often impossible to connect. Cities and towns are generally not too bad but a lot of rural Britain is not yet covered.

jasper2004

macman wrote: »

For PAYG dongles I believe you are currently looking at only Vodafone or 3. Vodafone has the advantage that the data top-ups do not expire after 30 days like 3's do.
But the determining factor is where you are going to use it. Unless you can live with dial up speeds then you need to get a 3G signal, which many places do not. For example I live in London and here it's fine. But when I went to rural Devon for a week it was extremely flaky and often impossible to connect. Cities and towns are generally not too bad but a lot of rural Britain is not yet covered.

That sounds ominous then as going to be in North Scotland

macman

Look at the maps on the provider's websites to see where you can get 3G. But bear in mind it's only a general picture.

TimothyEBaldwin

jasper2004 wrote: »

That sounds ominous then as going to be in North Scotland

Even GSM coverage is patchy in the highlands. You are then left with isolated WiFi hotspots, landlines, and satellite. But satellite equipment is expensive and bulky.