Sharing home internet with 37 others - what solutions to improve connectivity?

jtlpbrighton

I've just moved into hostel accommodation and am sharing internet with 37 others. This means I can barely get connectivity at a consistent level. I've heard about tethering to my phone, but I'm not sure what other options there are. Can anyone please help?

I have done online searches, but they result with how to improve your home internet and I've no control over that as it's a hostel. Is tethering the only solution? I'd appreciate any links, advice etc., as I'm out of my depth. Thank you in advance. 

lisyloo

Do you have data on your phone? It's pretty cheap these days.
I pay £1 for 1GB.

37 is a lot, so get your own - I'd suggest mobile data,

DullGreyGuy

As you have no control over the kit or the broadband your probably better off looking at non-landline based solutions like a mobile device 

iniltous

TBH , hotels etc. with ‘free’ WiFi presumably purchase sufficient bandwidth from a provider and then provide a sophisticated wireless distribution network so that the guests get a pretty decent experience, it’s quite  important these days , but if your  hostel has purchased a cheap domestic grade broadband, and only the supplied router is being used for WiFi etc , then the experience is going to be pretty poor , if all they are required to provide is a basic connectivity.

Assuming your ‘landlord’ is never going to provide anything better , then as stated , your only option is to provide your own individual service, and that’s likely to be via a mobile network.

LeesArt

jtlpbrighton said:

I've just moved into hostel accommodation and am sharing internet with 37 others. This means I can barely get connectivity at a consistent level. I've heard about tethering to my phone, but I'm not sure what other options there are. Can anyone please help?

I have done online searches, but they result with how to improve your home internet and I've no control over that as it's a hostel. Is tethering the only solution? I'd appreciate any links, advice etc., as I'm out of my depth. Thank you in advance. 

5 Year SIM data only - 100MB per month - Just a one off payment of £15.99

Get a 5 year SIM with 100MB every month for the entire 60 months for a one off price. Your SIM will never expire.

https://www.rwgmobile.wales/webshop/buy-forget/5-year-sim-data-only-100mb-per-month/

Put that in a router with a SIM

https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/3g-4g-router/tl-mr6400/

available on Amazon at 26% off right now

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Wireless-Connection-Configuration-Management/dp/B016ZWXYXG

The router is a one off cost, the router and the SIM are less than you would pay for 5 months internet on a contract but you will have 5 years service

LeesArt

jtlpbrighton said:

I've just moved into hostel accommodation and am sharing internet with 37 others. This means I can barely get connectivity at a consistent level. I've heard about tethering to my phone, but I'm not sure what other options there are. Can anyone please help?

I have done online searches, but they result with how to improve your home internet and I've no control over that as it's a hostel. Is tethering the only solution? I'd appreciate any links, advice etc., as I'm out of my depth. Thank you in advance. 

Second option is to get a cheap £40 router off ebay that supports either a wireless bridge or you run a cable from it to the hotel's router.  The router will have stronger antenna than a phone, it will connect to the hotel wifi as a client and can provide a seperate wifi for your room.  You will need to place the router as close as possible to the nearest hotel access point.

Many years ago I was in a homeless shelter, I used one router to tap into a network on mobile SIM and a second router to provide a free service, I made the SSID of my phone number with no password, it came to a home screen with a login.  People would figure it out and call, I then used the router's ability to create accounts and gave them free access.

apw81

LeesArt said:

jtlpbrighton said:

I've just moved into hostel accommodation and am sharing internet with 37 others. This means I can barely get connectivity at a consistent level. I've heard about tethering to my phone, but I'm not sure what other options there are. Can anyone please help?

I have done online searches, but they result with how to improve your home internet and I've no control over that as it's a hostel. Is tethering the only solution? I'd appreciate any links, advice etc., as I'm out of my depth. Thank you in advance. 

5 Year SIM data only - 100MB per month - Just a one off payment of £15.99

Get a 5 year SIM with 100MB every month for the entire 60 months for a one off price. Your SIM will never expire.

https://www.rwgmobile.wales/webshop/buy-forget/5-year-sim-data-only-100mb-per-month/

Put that in a router with a SIM

https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/3g-4g-router/tl-mr6400/

available on Amazon at 26% off right now

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Wireless-Connection-Configuration-Management/dp/B016ZWXYXG

The router is a one off cost, the router and the SIM are less than you would pay for 5 months internet on a contract but you will have 5 years service

Right idea. But that router seems overkill, and definitely the wrong data product.

100mb of data is nothing. Even basic browsing could use it all in under 10 minutes.

OP, if your phone and provider allow tethering (most do these days) then give it a go and see how well it works. 

If I found my phone was a bit rubbish at tethering, I would buy a device like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-M7000-Portable-Unlocked-Management/dp/B089ZFZK5L/  and then buy a data product from a low-cost, rolling contract provider, eg. Smarty, that covers my data usage (or go for one with unlimited data).

littleboo

Yes, 100MB is not going to be much use apart from perhaps niche use cases such as remote monitoring or alarms

LeesArt

apw81 said:

LeesArt said:

jtlpbrighton said:

I've just moved into hostel accommodation and am sharing internet with 37 others. This means I can barely get connectivity at a consistent level. I've heard about tethering to my phone, but I'm not sure what other options there are. Can anyone please help?

I have done online searches, but they result with how to improve your home internet and I've no control over that as it's a hostel. Is tethering the only solution? I'd appreciate any links, advice etc., as I'm out of my depth. Thank you in advance. 

5 Year SIM data only - 100MB per month - Just a one off payment of £15.99

Get a 5 year SIM with 100MB every month for the entire 60 months for a one off price. Your SIM will never expire.

https://www.rwgmobile.wales/webshop/buy-forget/5-year-sim-data-only-100mb-per-month/

Put that in a router with a SIM

https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/3g-4g-router/tl-mr6400/

available on Amazon at 26% off right now

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Wireless-Connection-Configuration-Management/dp/B016ZWXYXG

The router is a one off cost, the router and the SIM are less than you would pay for 5 months internet on a contract but you will have 5 years service

Right idea. But that router seems overkill, and definitely the wrong data product.

100mb of data is nothing. Even basic browsing could use it all in under 10 minutes.

OP, if your phone and provider allow tethering (most do these days) then give it a go and see how well it works. 

If I found my phone was a bit rubbish at tethering, I would buy a device like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-M7000-Portable-Unlocked-Management/dp/B089ZFZK5L/  and then buy a data product from a low-cost, rolling contract provider, eg. Smarty, that covers my data usage (or go for one with unlimited data).

You are absolutely right, I thought it was 100gb, I seriously did not think that anyone would bother to try to market a 100mb product.

I suppose if you have a child and you want a sim that will not expire and is limited to emergency contact it would be fine.

jtlpbrighton

Thank you all for your replies.  I'll try tethering using my current mobile phone provider(02) and see how it goes.  I am nowhere close to the hostel's router so cannot plug anything into that. I just want to have laptop internet for work which is a bit tricky on a phone). Appreciate the support very much. 

jtlpbrighton

I have solved the issue with the purchase of an O2 Pocket Hotspot 4G that is costing me £12 per month (a slight discount as I have a simple mobile phone contract with them at £8 pm). Thanks again for the replies, which eventually led me to find the best solution for my situation.