Dongle

la_09

Looking at getting one for internet access via laptop, and need a few questions answered:

- How do they work basically? Do you just plug them into your laptop and away you go? Or do they need installing?
- Do you need a wireless connection in your house to get one? I.e a router? (I heard they work from the mobile signal though, is that true?)
- How much do they generally cost a month?

I only really check emails/facebook so don't download songs or films, so would be looking for a cheap(ish) contract.

My laptop has Vista installed on it, so I'm assuming it would be okay to work with this microsoft version?

Any more info would be great! I'm not too good with computers/technical things!

talk2alex

There's rather a lot to write. If you can be bothered to read this, it's a good start..
Yes, 99.9% of dongles work with Vista I would have thought

http://www.mobilebroadbandinfo.co.uk/all-you-need-to-know-about-mobile-broadband.php

talk2alex

Watch out for the fair usage policies in particular... this is where it can hurt financially if you go over the limits.

la_09

talk2alex wrote: »

Watch out for the fair usage policies in particular... this is where it can hurt financially if you go over the limits.

Thanks for the info.
By fair usage policies, do you mean if I go over the limit then I'll be charged?

I only use the internet for browsing, emails etc.

PAYG/pre-paid dongles, had any experience with these? I would prefer to not be on some sort of contract.

PlutoinCapricorn

I only ever use prepaid 3 dongles: they are ideal for someone who does not want contracts and to give credit card/bank details. Provided that you don't play games, download lots of films and music then 1gb could last for one month.

My cost per month is around £5, and I have saved the cost of a landline too.

I can't recommend prepaid dongles highly enough, although I do realise that they are not suitable for everyone.

parley

I got a 12 months contract with vodafone last year usage 3g a month which is amble for what I want. I used the cashback site Topcashback and got £90 back. The price was £15 a month plus got £90 back from cashback so I'm only paying £7.50 a month. So check the cashback sites to mske it cheaper for you.

It's best to check which provider works best in your area as they vary. I recommend dongles but they are not as fast as broadband and wish I can find a way to speed it as very slow when viewing utube, iplayer, sometimes it just gets stuck when trying to view these.