Need a dongle - best deal for PAYG

RedBalloon

Morning all,

I need to buy another dongle for the guys at work for when they're out on site. However, I'm trying to find a better option for us than signing up for £15 per month for 3GB and avoiding a contract.

We have an old Vodafone dongle not being used anymore - would it be possible to utilise this in some way?

I'm afraid I'm not very techie and yet I always seem to end up being given these sorts of tasks!

I have read through a few old threads and it sounds like there may be a better solution but I find it a little confusing.......

TIA....:o

realised

Apologies for hijacking your thread but I have also been thinking of getting a PAYG dongle whilst sky install their services in our apartment.

Although I have some idea on broadband, I don't have a clue about dongles! and I really need the internet in order to do my uni assignments

If anyone could help that would be fantastic. Thank you!

PlutoinCapricorn

You can get 3 network dongles with a prepaid allowance inside: no contracts, no topping up, no giving them your details.

For £69.99 you can get 12gb: this will last a maximum of 12 months. You can then buy SIMs with 1 or 3 months' allowance on eBay.

The allowance will not last long if you download music, watch films or play games, but 2gb per month is ample for general browsing, emails etc.

kwikbreaks

realised wrote: »

Apologies for hijacking your thread but I have also been thinking of getting a PAYG dongle whilst sky install their services in our apartment.

So why do it?

realised

Thanks for the helpful advice PlutoinCapricorn

And Kwikbreaks, I did it because the OP was asking exactly the same question I had and rather than start a whole thread with the same content, it makes sense to ask my own questions on this one.

kwikbreaks

If your question was the same (and it didn't look the same to me) then all you needed to do was watch..

RedBalloon

I've just been looking at the 3 website as advised and was just about to go for it when I spotted the MiFi dongle.

Could I buy a one month tariff with 3GB and then get further SIMS from ebay (as mentioned above) or does this device require a different sort of SIM? http://threestore.three.co.uk/dealsummary.aspx?offercode=1MB5GD014

Thanks again, I think I'm beginning to understand!

kwikbreaks

I have a 3 MiFi and the sims are the same. In fact you can buy them unlocked on eBay (mine is) and use any sim you like - I'm using a Vodafone contract sim as 3 is very patchy in the place I use mine most.

It's an excellent device.

RedBalloon

Another question (sorry!)
As I already have an old Vodafone dongle (no longer used and heading for the bin) is it possible to simply buy Vodafone SIMS (like you can buy them cheaply from 3 with a gb/month useage limit). So far I've only heard about cheap '3' SIMS. But if Vodafone do the same this might save me a £70 outlay for the device? Or is an older device likely to be very slow?

kwikbreaks

The older device will probably be 3.6Mbps but as the majority of Vodafone cells don't go any faster anyway that almost certainly doesn't matter.

By all means look around to see if you can get Vodafone sims cheap but 3 currently offer the highest download per £ and for the most part have best coverage. That said the most important thing is which network works best in the locations you need to use it. You may also be able to unlock the Vodafone dongle.

The MiFi is significantly more expensive than most dongles. I chose to get one so I can use my 3 smartphone as well as my laptop in this particular location where 3 is iffy.

RedBalloon

Finally, (I think!) could someone point out where on ebay I can get cheap 3 SIM cards - I promise I've done a search but it seems there are lots of SIM cards which don't actually have anything on them......not sure I'm searching effectively.
Thank you all!