Need Some Help With Internet Dongles Please!

CHARL0TTE_2

I'm gonna be staying with my nan in London at the end of this month for 3 weeks, and I know she doesn't have internet access so I was gonna buy a dongle. A Vodafone K3770 to be precise. Only £19.99, came ready with 500MB and only a fiver to buy 250MB. I was literally just about to buy it online, when I thought I'd better double check and read some reviews. I'm glad I did... they were all 1 star ratings! Can't get a connection... constantly cutting out... never more than 2 bars of connection, etc.

So, I was hoping for some advice from the people at MSE!

Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced dongle, preferably that includes some data, good connection, that's also PAYG (as I'll only need it on and off for 3 weeks)?

Any help would be brilliant, thanks.

Charlotte

prowla

I have a "3" dongle, and it's not very good indoors, nor on the train.
Apparently they're supposed to be one of the better ones!

CHARL0TTE_2

3 is off the list then lol

EDIT: I take that back. Just looked up reviews for a 3 dongle, 3GB included for £30 and all 5 star reviews. This one seems top of my list at the mo, but other recommendations/warnings would be very helpful

Im_just_careful

It depends on exactly where you are what coverage you will get.

Having tried most of the networks at various times my opinion is that for mobile data there is not much between Vodafone, T-Mobile and 3 but Orange is a bit less good. I've not sufficient experience of o2 to comment on them.

Try Sitefinder ( http://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search ) with your post code.

If there is a base station of your chosen operator neaby listed as "Frequency Range 2100 MHz" you have a reasonable chance of it working.

Voafone have a coverage map at

http://maps.vodafone.co.uk/coverageviewer/web/default.aspx

Click on the Internet and Email button, put the post code in and see what it says.

I've found where it says "high speed" coverage is fine.

jebervic

CHARL0TTE wrote: »

3 is off the list then lol

EDIT: I take that back. Just looked up reviews for a 3 dongle, 3GB included for £30 and all 5 star reviews. This one seems top of my list at the mo, but other recommendations/warnings would be very helpful

I have 3 internet and I can't fault it, excellent and super fast, indoors or out

nearlyrich

My 3 service is the best ever, I had Vodaphone for a work dongle and it was pants I gave an o2 dongle back as it never got a signal even when my phone did.

I get my service from 3 for £5 a month after the first 18 month contract where they offered me a netbook if I renewed I negotiated the cost of a netbook off the cost of the next 18 months.

Buzby

I'm with 3UK too - good value, great price.

The issue is - is there SERVICE where you need it? You need to check, as blind faith can mean an expensive mistake. I get no Oranfe or T Mobile service in my location, so their dongles would be a waste of space,

CHARL0TTE_2

Sorry, I should have mentioned - Pinner in North London/Middlesex is where I'll be needing the coverage, and according to Vodafone, it has 'high' coverage, and 3 also say 'high'. I think this has confirmed what I am going to get

@Im just careful, there is indeed a base station right outside the road I will be staying at, and at 2100Hz. Very helpful website, thank you

Thanks very much to you all for your input, I would never have imagined buying anything from 3 until now!

boxst

Also, it may be cheaper to get a dongle from eBay and then buy a 3gb pre-loaded SIM from eBay (or Amazon). The 'three' pre-loaded SIMS go for around £11 and are valid for 3 months (or 3GB whichever is sooner). They are great, I cut one down to put in my iPad.

Steve