Mobile Broadband

HollyandCo

Hi

I am sure this is going to sound like a really stupid question........

So what is Mobile Broadband?   Is this different to having a sim card with extra data?

I am going to be staying at a house for about a week.  The owners do not have Broadband or Fibre.    I would want to use my laptop so that I can watch a couple of my programmes on netflix and also to do some work and internet surfing.

Is Mobile Broadband what I need?  I guess using a mobile phone wouldn't have the same kind of speeds for watching netflixs etc?

Many thanks

Krakkkers

Can you use the mobile as a hotspot, for many people there mobile connection is faster than home broadband.

oldernonethewiser

You can get a router that takes a SIM which then provides broadband in the property similar to that supplied by wire/fibre/cable

If you are just needing it for a short time then using your mobile as a hotspot and tethering a device to it might be enought for your needs.  Speeds depend on what mobile you use, what network and what coverage they provide.

I get 140Mbps using 5G on my mobile.

km1500

I use my mobile to provide a hotspot to connect my laptop too. It uses your mobile data so.obviously make sure you have enough, especially as you will be streaming video.

Frozen_up_north

For a week, just tether with your mobile. I have done this for a long time and depending on the signal and how many others are watching TV/YouTube in your area, it will likely be fine. I have watched Amazon Prime Video in 4K video using a TV tethered to a mobile phone, no freezing or buffering.

For longer term use there are some good value data only SIM cards on Amazon from Scancom, they are pay up front for around 18 months or more at roughly £12 to £13/month for "unlimited data" (in practice it might be 600GB/month) on some networks (currently EE and O2). Use with a 4G (or 5G) mobile network router for a fixed broadband replacement. I use a TP Link 4G AC1200/Archer MR500 router with an EE data only pre-pay SIM.

HollyandCo

Thank you for the replies.   For the sake of a week I can probably use tethering.

What would the benefit of having a router with a sim card be?

Frozen_up_north

HollyandCo said:

Thank you for the replies.   <SNIP>

What would the benefit of having a router with a sim card be?

Around half the cost of wired broadband and no annual price increase with the pre-paid SIMs from Amazon.

The disadvantage can be one of speed, mine on EE varies from about 10Mb/s to 70Mb/s, depending on the time of day. Latency can be longer and 5G modems cost much more than 4G ones.

Bonhomie

HollyandCo said:

Thank you for the replies.   For the sake of a week I can probably use tethering.

What would the benefit of having a router with a sim card be?

No benefit over just a week, other than saving the battery on your mobile phone. 3UK Unlimited Standard SIMO 1M

£30.00[1]

a month

or

https://smarty.co.uk/plans/unlimited

flashg67

HollyandCo said:

Thank you for the replies.   For the sake of a week I can probably use tethering.

What would the benefit of having a router with a sim card be?

Generally, a dedicated router gives a stronger signal (I use one), also ideal where landline broadband is slow (I'm in a rural area with only 2mbps on a landline), allows more devices to be connected at one time

g7mjv

I replaced my home BB with Tesco mobile last year £ 14- 100GB/month. It works well but can be quite laggy sometimes. My signal is ok in the winter but not so good in the summer as there are trees between me and the cell tower