Occasional internet access

kazo

Hi
I have my laptop set up at home to connect to my Orange Broadband service with a Belkin wireless card (no built in wireless in laptop) and the Orange Livebox. Works fine. I often visit a relative who has no computer and would like to take my laptop and connect to the internet at their house. Would it be possible to get a pay as you go dongle to use for occasional connection and does this involve installing anything that might muck up my existing connection when I get home? The house is in quite a remote area - for example I have trouble getting a phone signal with tesco mobile though Orange mobile is fine.
Any advice would be appreciated.

ckerrd

If you can get a signal then a PAYG dongle will be fine and will not conflict with what you have already

Lil306

kazo wrote: »

Hi
I have my laptop set up at home to connect to my Orange Broadband service with a Belkin wireless card (no built in wireless in laptop) and the Orange Livebox. Works fine. I often visit a relative who has no computer and would like to take my laptop and connect to the internet at their house. Would it be possible to get a pay as you go dongle to use for occasional connection and does this involve installing anything that might muck up my existing connection when I get home? The house is in quite a remote area - for example I have trouble getting a phone signal with tesco mobile though Orange mobile is fine.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Yes, you can buy a simple PAYG dongle for around £20-30, you get a single usually everywhere (albeit a slower speed) - I have a Vodafone one because their PAYG package, but Vodafone have the most coverage in my opinion

All you do is plug the USB Dongle in, it auto-installs the required software. Puts an icon on your desktop which you double click on (or auto launches) and you select connect whenever you want to use it. Really easy

£15 of credit gives you approx 1GB download usage (no dodgy content) unless you unlock it through vodafone

kazo

Thanks for this. Checked O2 broadband coverage site and they don't recommend it for mobile access in that area - Orange says it's 'Very good'. I did think about a dial up connection but it's just for my use when visiting and the phone socket's in my relative's bedroom so the wire would be trailing about. Also when my brother comes from abroad for a visit he needs to confirm flights etc and has to go looking for internet access in a library or somewhere - he usually brings his laptop so can you use the dongle on 2 different laptops eg. he can have it as he stays there when visiting and when I go down I can plug it into mine?

KathysBoy

kazo wrote: »

Thanks for this. Checked O2 broadband coverage site and they don't recommend it for mobile access in that area - Orange says it's 'Very good'. I did think about a dial up connection but it's just for my use when visiting and the phone socket's in my relative's bedroom so the wire would be trailing about. Also when my brother comes from abroad for a visit he needs to confirm flights etc and has to go looking for internet access in a library or somewhere - he usually brings his laptop so can you use the dongle on 2 different laptops eg. he can have it as he stays there when visiting and when I go down I can plug it into mine?

You can use them on different computers. I bought a T-mobile one when I had problems transferring my broadband and I was without for a week. I use it downstairs on my laptop and upstairs on my desktop. I bought the T-mobile one (I think they're currently £19.99 plus £10 topup, although I got mine when they were on offer for £8.99) becuase after the first use use you get 30 days free, and thereafter you can sign up for as much as you want eg. just 1 day (£2), or 7 days (£7) or 30 days (£15)