PAYG Dongle

englandsno7_2

Does anyone know where i can get a free PAYG Dongle? My mum has asked me to teach her how to use the laptop she bought about 5yrs ago She is in her 70's and doesn't want to be tied to a Broadband package or a monthly subscription, as she will hardly ever use it. I heard about PAYG Dongles which sound ideal, as she could top it up as and when. Can you go into a Mobile Phone shop and ask for one, or will they charge for it?

motorguy

englandsno7 wrote: »

Does anyone know where i can get a free PAYG Dongle? My mum has asked me to teach her how to use the laptop she bought about 5yrs ago She is in her 70's and doesn't want to be tied to a Broadband package or a monthly subscription, as she will hardly ever use it. I heard about PAYG Dongles which sound ideal, as she could top it up as and when. Can you go into a Mobile Phone shop and ask for one, or will they charge for it?

Typically they are £15-£20. Also, be aware most require a £10/£15 top up that expires after 30 days whether you've used it or not.

spike7451

Problem as well over here is that the coverage of the suppliers can be dodgy in some areas & non existent in others!

Look on the various sites below & use the postcode checker to see what service providers cover her area.

http://www.broadbandni.com/mobile.php

impulse

I can't imagine why you think any shop is going to give you one for free? Obviously you are going to have to pay for it.

There's some in argos from £9 or get a vodafone one with £15 credit incl for £20, or a 3 one for £19 with £10 credit,each will last for 1 month usage

jamie-t_3

Buy a Three dongle for a few quid on eBay then buy a 1gb monthly sim each month on eBay, they can be had for peanunts. No contract and no paying a tenner a month its way cheaper. You just buy an unwanted sim card every month to put in the dongle you purchased in the beginning. I've seen 1gb allowances going for £3 etc. Won't get cheaper 3G broadband than that! It's what i use..

englandsno7_2

impulse wrote: »

I can't imagine why you think any shop is going to give you one for free? Obviously you are going to have to pay for it.

There's some in argos from £9 or get a vodafone one with £15 credit incl for £20, or a 3 one for £19 with £10 credit,each will last for 1 month usage

A friend at work was sent a free one from his mobile provider (02), so just wondered if others did the same if you were a customer. that's all.

FurryPaws

I got one free with Vodafone as I've been a mobile customer afew years.

Unfortunately the top up dongle is extinct these days. I remember acouple of years ago you could buy 1gb and use it within 6-12 months, now it's more like a rolling payg contract for a month. What you doen't use, you lose. I pay my dongle same time as mobile bill but I would have to give them 30 days to end the pay as you go contract. Bizarre.

If you find a proper pay as you go top up dongle please let me know!

abc

FurryPaws wrote: »

I got one free with Vodafone as I've been a mobile customer afew years.

Unfortunately the top up dongle is extinct these days. I remember acouple of years ago you could buy 1gb and use it within 6-12 months, now it's more like a rolling payg contract for a month. What you doen't use, you lose. I pay my dongle same time as mobile bill but I would have to give them 30 days to end the pay as you go contract. Bizarre.

If you find a proper pay as you go top up dongle please let me know!

You can still buy this from the likes of ebay. It is presumeably either old stock or second hand. If you search for VODAFONE UNEXPIRING on ebay lots of results are displayed.

Another option if you don't want something that only lasts 30 days is available from THREE. They offer a dongle with 3gb pre-loaded that lasts for either 3 months or 3gb use (whichever comes first) or 12gb option that lasts for up to 12 months. A 12gb THREE dongle costs around £50 to £80.

Wee_Bargain_Hunter

Maybe not the answer you were looking for but if she is still on BT then she may be able to switch to TalkTalk & also get broadband included for around the same price. It's very easy to switch & set up & she'll keep her phone number. Just make sure you insist on no marketing calls as, when the contract is up, their sales team can be a bit of a nuisance and not very ethical imo. After installation, their customer services are quite poor so it's lucky that their phone/bb services are good so you don't have to ring them too often!

englandsno7_2

Wee_Bargain_Hunter wrote: »

Maybe not the answer you were looking for but if she is still on BT then she may be able to switch to TalkTalk & also get broadband included for around the same price. It's very easy to switch & set up & she'll keep her phone number. Just make sure you insist on no marketing calls as, when the contract is up, their sales team can be a bit of a nuisance and not very ethical imo. After installation, their customer services are quite poor so it's lucky that their phone/bb services are good so you don't have to ring them too often!

Thanks, i have actually been thinking about TalkTalk, its just convincing my Mum it would be worth the hassle.

chunter

My advice is don't go with the O2 dongle.
Their software is rubbish, prone to failure, slow and just downright confusing.
especially if you're running an old computer with XP.

As for others, get a lend of one and try it at your mother's house.
It's the only way you'll find out which one has a decent reception.
Internet reception has little to do with mobile phone reception in my experience.