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whicj is the best deal for pay as you go dongle broadband?

following on from my other thread "best PAYG dial up"

any good deals? it's for emergency backup. my internet's never been down more than 3 to 4 hours in the last year and a half. so would just need to suit low usage.

i've only just heard about thesse dongles as of today so don't know much about them. are there any catches?
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Comments

  • Donnie
    Donnie Posts: 9,862 Forumite
    Try O2 PAYG(via Quidco), as they have a 30 day Happiness Guarantee.

    You can just top up when you need to use it.

    Mobile Broadband Daily
    (available for 24 hours)
    - For £2 for 500MB + Unlimited Wi-Fi

    Mobile Broadband Weekly
    (available for 7 days)
    - For £7.50 for 1GB + Unlimited Wi-Fi

    Mobile Broadband Monthly
    (available for 30 days)
    - For £15 for 3GB + Unlimited Wi-Fi

    The Unlimited WiFi is in addition to the Mobile Broadband connection and data limits and can be utilised by devices capable of connecting to the Internet via a WiFi connection at various 'HotSpots' around the country.
  • kwikbreaks
    kwikbreaks Posts: 9,187 Forumite
    Most of the PAYG deals only last 30days and then the paid for bandwidth expires but I think Vodafone lasts indefinitely. This is an aspect you need to check. The other and more important one is whether your chosen supplier will actually work where you are - the coverage maps are wildly optimistic and if it slips back to GPRS you'd be better off on dialup.

    This Ofcom site shows the position of cells. You need 2100MHz cells for mobile BB and ideally should be within 500meters of it.
    http://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/
  • Donnie
    Donnie Posts: 9,862 Forumite
    kwikbreaks wrote: »
    Most of the PAYG deals only last ...
    as long as the period for which you pay.

    Vodafone will cost you £25(via Quidco) for that 1 GB. Also, with Vodafone: You can’t use data services like making calls over the internet or sharing data files over the internet with TopUp and Go Mobile Broadband You need to purchase an Add On if you wish to utilise those data services.

    The O2 dongle(via Quidco) will cost anything from nothing to £8.22 and then £2 for each day(up to 500MB usage) that you need the emergency back up.

    Though, as kwikbreaks writes, coverage is key.
  • TEDDYRUKSPIN
    TEDDYRUKSPIN Posts: 1,528 Forumite
    tc1992 wrote: »
    following on from my other thread "best PAYG dial up"

    any good deals? it's for emergency backup. my internet's never been down more than 3 to 4 hours in the last year and a half. so would just need to suit low usage.

    i've only just heard about thesse dongles as of today so don't know much about them. are there any catches?

    Go for the vodafone deal payasyougo.

    Reason for this, or mainly because that you will always have credit in it, even if you don't use it. Login, roughly once in 6 months, I think.
    Motto: 'If you don't ask, you don't get!!'

    Remember to say thank you to people who help you out!

    Also, thank you to people who help me out.
  • Donnie
    Donnie Posts: 9,862 Forumite
    I would rather pay for credit when I need it. Plus the Vodafone Dongle is locked. O2's isn't. O2 comes with free wireless access. Vodafone, again no. I think Vodafone compress images too.

    Plus, they don't make it clear that you can return the dongle for a refund is coverage is not suitable.

    Even if the OP needs to use it on five seperate occasions in the next year and a half, that is still only up to £18.22 in toal costs, compared to £25 with Vodafone.


    Saying all that...Vodafone TopUp and Go may be perfect for the needs of the OP. ;)
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,128 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    The best value network is the one that gives you a decent 3G signal at your property. Don't assume that they all will, check it first.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • tc1992
    tc1992 Posts: 144 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    Donnie wrote: »
    Try O2 PAYG(via Quidco), as they have a 30 day Happiness Guarantee.

    You can just top up when you need to use it.

    Mobile Broadband Daily
    (available for 24 hours)
    - For £2 for 500MB + Unlimited Wi-Fi

    Mobile Broadband Weekly
    (available for 7 days)
    - For £7.50 for 1GB + Unlimited Wi-Fi

    Mobile Broadband Monthly
    (available for 30 days)
    - For £15 for 3GB + Unlimited Wi-Fi

    The Unlimited WiFi is in addition to the Mobile Broadband connection and data limits and can be utilised by devices capable of connecting to the Internet via a WiFi connection at various 'HotSpots' around the country.

    so say i need to use it on one day a month for a 3/4 hours, with no serious downloading . . . it would £2.

    i think i should be ok for coverage. i live about 3 to 4 miles from manchester city centre. had a look at one website and they said 100% coverage. plus i live at top of flats (only 3 storey)
  • tc1992
    tc1992 Posts: 144 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    kwikbreaks wrote: »
    Most of the PAYG deals only last 30days and then the paid for bandwidth expires but I think Vodafone lasts indefinitely. This is an aspect you need to check. The other and more important one is whether your chosen supplier will actually work where you are - the coverage maps are wildly optimistic and if it slips back to GPRS you'd be better off on dialup.

    This Ofcom site shows the position of cells. You need 2100MHz cells for mobile BB and ideally should be within 500meters of it.
    http://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/

    so you pay for a top up and it then last for 30 days or until it runs out?
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,128 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Yes, the only exception at present is Vodafone, which has no time limit.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • Donnie
    Donnie Posts: 9,862 Forumite
    tc1992 wrote: »
    so say i need to use it on one day a month for a 3/4 hours, with no serious downloading . . . it would £2.

    i think i should be ok for coverage. i live about 3 to 4 miles from manchester city centre. had a look at one website and they said 100% coverage. plus i live at top of flats (only 3 storey)

    Yes, £2 for that day. So if you used it every month for a year, that would be £24. In that case Vodafone would be comparable value, as long as you didn't go over it's 1GB limit over the year.

    You would have 6 GB with O2 using your scenario, plus 12 days of outside WiFi access.

    Six of one and half a dozen of another, as they say. ;)
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