mobile dongle question

chrisaj

Can anyone help with some questions on a mobile dongle please?
After terrible service/coverage with 3 dongle, we're nearly at the end of our contract and wont be renewing it.
Is the PAYG system the same as a mobile phone, eg, if we were to top up with say £15 does that have to be used in a 30 day time window, or does it last until it's been used.
What network coverage is better, we're thinking of going to vodafone.
Any input will be helpful, thanx

kwikbreaks

chrisaj wrote: »

Is the PAYG system the same as a mobile phone, eg, if we were to top up with say £15 does that have to be used in a 30 day time window, or does it last until it's been used.

Vodafone were the only provider who allowed the bandwidth to last past 30 days but their terms changed recently to 30 day expiry. They still honour the old terms for older dongles if you can get one (Amazon apparently had some a few weeks back). You can buy 12 month ones but I'm guessing that isn't what you want.

chrisaj wrote: »

What network coverage is better, we're thinking of going to vodafone.
Any input will be helpful, thanx

Taken overall 3 have the best coverage but that's no help if they don't cover the locations you are interested in.Coverage maps on the supplier sites tend to be optimistic. http://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/ shows the locations of masts. You need to look for 2100MHz UMTS masts within about 500m of the location(s) for a decent signal unless youl ook at dangling the dongle out of windows, fitting external aerials, etc.

macman

Yes. exactly the same as a mobile, it expires in 30 days if unused.
How can anyone tell you which network gives the best coverage, without knowing exactly where you are? All the networks' 3G coverage is extremely variable. Urban area may be fine, rural areas are much more patchy.
Use the postcode checkers on the providers' websites, and best of all, test with a 3G phone running on your preferred network in the relevant location.

chrisaj

Thanx for your help. It's just that we use the dongle, or try to in the house here, but we also use the laptop when we do craft fairs, so we need the dongle for that as well. Most of the time 3 is pretty much useless. They say there's a maintainence problem in the area where we are, but that seems a bit far fetched as the problem we're having has been ongoing for over a year. BTW we're in sunny Suffolk :cool:

macman

You can expect the coverage on all networks in rural Suffolk to be patchy. Mobile broadband is not an adequate substitute for ADSL broadband. For a light user it may be OK in urban areas, but many rural areas will get little or no 3G.

Donnie

macman wrote: »

Yes. exactly the same as a mobile, it expires in 30 days if unused.
How can anyone tell you which network gives the best coverage, without knowing exactly where you are? All the networks' 3G coverage is extremely variable. Urban area may be fine, rural areas are much more patchy.
Use the postcode checkers on the providers' websites, and best of all, test with a 3G phone running on your preferred network in the relevant location.

Which mobiles expire your credit after thirty days? I thought that practice was ended years ago.

Donnie

Check to see if your USB Modem is 'unlockable' at no cost. If it is, do so. Then you can try another network's SIM for coverage and quality.