reducing mobile broadband usage?

benjus

kwikbreaks wrote: »

You don't actually need any connection software (at least not with any 3G dongle I've tried). All you need to do is to install the drivers and manually set up a dial up connection using the 3G modem.

That's true enough, although a connection manager tends to make it easier (depending on how good the connection manager is). It may also be difficult to install the drivers without installing the connection maanger - although now that I've upgraded to Windows 7 it seems to work better without the connection manager.

benjus

jassi_9 wrote: »

benjus: i use the global connection manager for my dongle, but im not sure if i can simply go on pay as you go and just pay £5 for internet and then use that sim....i have pm'd dreamnine for further info on how this exactly works.

To be honest I'm not really familiar with the £5/month tariff. I only use my dongle occasionally and I have an O2 iPhone SIM with 1 year's unlimited internet (O2 keep sending me texts to say they're going to cut me off unless I use it in an iPhone, but it's still working at the moment).

If the £5/month tariff works, it sounds like it should just be a matter of putting the new SIM in the dongle and entering the correct AccessPointName/username/password into global connection manager - this page is a useful guide: http://www.filesaveas.com/gprs.html

jassi_9

benjus wrote: »

To be honest I'm not really familiar with the £5/month tariff. I only use my dongle occasionally and I have an O2 iPhone SIM with 1 year's unlimited internet (O2 keep sending me texts to say they're going to cut me off unless I use it in an iPhone, but it's still working at the moment).

If the £5/month tariff works, it sounds like it should just be a matter of putting the new SIM in the dongle and entering the correct AccessPointName/username/password into global connection manager - this page is a useful guide: http://www.filesaveas.com/gprs.html

hmmmm i also had the iphone sim, i didnt even use the thing...just once or twice a month, to keep it live, but they locked it off last month, no text msgs or anything....

thats why im in this mess! lol


can somebody tell me how to turn off the automatic windows update asewll please?

thanks

Dreamnine

As benjus says, if you have an unlocked dongle any sim card should work. I'm not au fait with dongles, though. I just top-up on my phone, buy the add-on and either tether or use the sim in my netbook.

You'll find a way - mobile broadband itself is too expensive for the data they allow you.

If you go into Control Panel and click on Automatic Updates, you should see the option to disable.

Dreamnine

4743hudsonj wrote: »

I also tether using my Nokia N97 on vodafone and i have to say when on 3.5g i never drop below 2mbps speeds which is fast enough for everything but large video file downloads etc. i have actually topped 3.7mbps which must have been a fluke but hey!

Just be warned, i do believe every provider BUT vodafone actually prohibit tethering. And if they find out (which they have proven they can do) they will charge you for ALL of your data use in full, which at my rate would be £££, hence why im on vodafone.

T-Mobile allows tethering. I've only ever paid £5 a month. I'm not sure how they could back-charge me as they don't know my name or address.

jassi_9

Dreamnine wrote: »

As benjus says, if you have an unlocked dongle any sim card should work. I'm not au fait with dongles, though. I just top-up on my phone, buy the add-on and either tether or use the sim in my netbook.

You'll find a way - mobile broadband itself is too expensive for the data they allow you.

If you go into Control Panel and click on Automatic Updates, you should see the option to disable.

so its just a normal pay as you go sim card, that you buy the £5 add-on every month?

do you also have to have credit in your phone aswell as the £5 add-on.....and would i need to top up £5+£5 every month to keep it working?

thanks

Dreamnine

jassi_9 wrote: »

so its just a normal pay as you go sim card, that you buy the £5 add-on every month?

do you also have to have credit in your phone aswell as the £5 add-on.....and would i need to top up £5+£5 every month to keep it working?

thanks

Yes, I use normal PAYG sims. And with 3 and T-Mob it's just £5 for the add-on - you don't need any other credit. I think with 3 the minimum you can top up with is £10,(but you can always buy 2 add-ons - they run consecutively) but T-Mob lets you buy a £5 top-up voucher.

3 cuts off once you've used your allowance (it's around 1-2Gbs), so T-Mob is the best deal. With T-Mob you just text MONTHWEB to 441 to buy a month's internet, and with 3 the option is there in their menus.

jassi_9

Dreamnine wrote: »

Yes, I use normal PAYG sims. And with 3 and T-Mob it's just £5 for the add-on - you don't need any other credit. I think with 3 the minimum you can top up with is £10,(but you can always buy 2 add-ons) but T-Mob let's you buy a £5 top-up voucher.

3 cuts off once you've used your allowance (it's around 1-2Gbs), so T-Mob is the best deal. With T-Mob you just text MONTHWEB to 441 to buy a month's internet, and with 3 the option is there in their menus.

cheers mate, this might be a stupid question but i'll ask it anyway!....

if i topped up £5 then had to send them a text "monthweb", that text would cost me, and reduce my balance below £5....would this still work?, or should i top up by £10 first and then do as you say?...

Dreamnine

They don't charge for that text - I've had zero on my T-mobile sim and bought a voucher, you can always dial 150 and they send you a text with your balance and allowances, that text is free also.

jassi_9

Dreamnine wrote: »

They don't charge for that text - I've had zero on my T-mobile sim and bought a voucher, you can always dial 150 and they send you a text with your balance and allowances, that text is free also.

cheers mate, so basically just put sim in phone, buy £5 voucher, use this to top up phone, once my balance is £5.......send the text "monthweb" and it should be good to go?

sounds easy and deffo worth a £5 shot....thanks

also just like to say that buy using firefox, with adblock and flashblock, the vodafone website only received 350kb compared with the 2.26mb previously....so it has reduced it alot, thanks for the suggestions. problem is that other gambling websites are still sending and receiving too much data and it will cut into my 1GB allownace too fast.