Best USB wifi?

[Matthew_T]

I am getting a new laptop in September (late) and I am looking for a wifi dongle type USB thing. I have already had a chat with a guy in a Curry store in the Trafford Centre and he gave me a bit of info on them. I require a USB wifi thing as I am going to be taking my laptop to college with me and will require something to get online (college wifi is private). I also need something which I can upload videos on without having to worry about costs (our BT HomeHub has a limited upload amount which costs money to upgrade).
They are normally from mobile phone manufacturers (well the ones I saw were) and range from £20 to about £30.

I was just wondering which one is the best and if there are any real differences between them?

 

[ian turner]

Think you need to change the title to best mobile broadband for pc as otherwise it sounds like you're asking about wifi adapters rather than broadband adapters.
What do you mean college wifi is private ? You should still be able to access it in halls of residence.
Given the Bt unlimited package only costs £13 more and the cheapest mobile broadband options limit you to 1gb why not upgrade your existing package

 

[Red Light]

As Ian says, getting wifi access at college should not be a problem and it should be both fast and unlimited. But if you want your own I would go with a Three Mifi unit. You can get a truly unlimited data contract on it and the service is fast. Just pop it in your pocket and take it with you for everywhere there is a 3G signal Wifi and then drop it in the docking station when you get to your student room.

 

[Matthew_T]

As Ian says, getting wifi access at college should not be a problem and it should be both fast and unlimited. But if you want your own I would go with a Three Mifi unit. You can get a truly unlimited data contract on it and the service is fast. Just pop it in your pocket and take it with you for everywhere there is a 3G signal Wifi and then drop it in the docking station when you get to your student room.

What do you mean by this? I dont have a common room or student accommodation. Unless you mean at home?

The college wifi is blocked. Noone can get on it. I have no idea why but it has always been like that.

 

[Red Light]

Which college and do they not offer an eduroam network option?

 

[Matthew_T]

Which college and do they not offer an eduroam network option?

Llandrillo College (Rhos-on-Sea campus) and I have no idea what that is but I highly doubt that the college will do it.

 

[Red Light]

Looking at the coverage it looks like the college is a Three, Vodafone and Orange free zone. It looks like T-Mobile is the most hopeful but I'd be inclined to check it personally rather than rely on provider coverage maps before you buy.

 

[Matthew_T]

Looking at the coverage it looks like the college is a Three, Vodafone and Orange free zone. It looks like T-Mobile is the most hopeful but I'd be inclined to check it personally rather than rely on provider coverage maps before you buy.

Thanks I will.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I am getting a new laptop in September (late) and I am looking for a wifi dongle type USB thing. I have already had a chat with a guy in a Curry store in the Trafford Centre and he gave me a bit of info on them. I require a USB wifi thing as I am going to be taking my laptop to college with me and will require something to get online (college wifi is private). I also need something which I can upload videos on without having to worry about costs (our BT HomeHub has a limited upload amount which costs money to upgrade).
They are normally from mobile phone manufacturers (well the ones I saw were) and range from £20 to about £30.

I was just wondering which one is the best and if there are any real differences between them?

You will need to be exceptionally careful as to what package you get with the dongle.

Typically they are very restricted for downloads on the pay as you go service. Usually capped at 1Gb a month download or 3Gb in 3 months (so either 3Gb of downloads or 3 months which ever happens first).

Providors do both "contract" and "pay as you go" versions and typically contract has the 15Gb a month limits but you have to pay for it for 2 years at £15.99 a month... £15.99x24=£383.76 + the charge of the dongle...

Coverage is variable and you must research this carefully beforehand. We found going into a shop the best option becuase they could tell us where the nearest transmitter was, something not easily available online.

Finally, don't get the dongle that has the bend in it - usually marked premium dongle or similar. Just get yourself a USB extension cable and be prepared to move it around to get the best signal.

 

[Matthew_T]

You will need to be exceptionally careful as to what package you get with the dongle.

Typically they are very restricted for downloads on the pay as you go service. Usually capped at 1Gb a month download or 3Gb in 3 months (so either 3Gb of downloads or 3 months which ever happens first).

Providors do both "contract" and "pay as you go" versions and typically contract has the 15Gb a month limits but you have to pay for it for 2 years at £15.99 a month... £15.99x24=£383.76 + the charge of the dongle...

Coverage is variable and you must research this carefully beforehand. We found going into a shop the best option becuase they could tell us where the nearest transmitter was, something not easily available online.

Finally, don't get the dongle that has the bend in it - usually marked premium dongle or similar. Just get yourself a USB extension cable and be prepared to move it around to get the best signal.

I might just scrap the idea now. It is starting to look like a complicated and expensive proceedure. I might just pay my parents any excess that I use on the homehub and then use college computers to get online.
Thanks anyway.

 

[Davidc]

If there's no compelling reason to stay with a data limited BT option then it's worth a look around. Homehub is only a fairly basic wireless router which you can buy online or at PC World for £20 or so.

For example I pay £15.60 a month for Demon broadband, with unlimited download and upload, as much bandwidth as I can screw out of a grotty phone line some way from the exchange (about 3Mb/s at the last count but we are being told it's being upgraded to give at least 10 when BT get round to it).

If you do change watch out for the 'contention ratio' on cheap packages. It's effectively how many other people you share the bandwidth with and affects download speeds (different to connection speeds). Anything worse than 100 is to be avoided like the plague, 25 is available on lower cost business packages for a couple of ££ a month more.

I cringe at the thought of how much data passes over our connection, but it has to deal with domestic and business use and Demon haven't complained yet. Probably around 80Mb in a bad month.

Beware the cost of using mobile broadband for normal computer use - I made that mistake a while back!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I might just scrap the idea now. It is starting to look like a complicated and expensive proceedure. I might just pay my parents any excess that I use on the homehub and then use college computers to get online.
Thanks anyway.

probably the best option to be honest - arrange with your parents to either upgrade from 10Gb to the 40Gb a month at £5 per month extra or 40Gb to Unlimited at £8 per month extra... or as Ian says £13 from the 10Gb to 'unlimited with conditions...." depending on what you are already on.

http://www.productsandservices.bt.c...33&s_cid=con_ppc_maxus_vidZ60_T1&vendorid=Z60

 

[fossyant]

Deffo not Voda - my data coverage is pants in North Wales. Can confirm that Orange and T-Mobile are fine !