Mobile Internet

[Arch]

I'll be losing my nice free Uni internet access sometime in the next couple of months, and assuming I can get a job, I'll be thinking about getting access at home. I'll still have access one day a week at work, hopefully. I fancy mobile broadband - I have a landline, but I'm not sure I want to be tied to a contract at that address. I'm not keen on a contract at all really, so was thinking pay-as-you-go...

Any suggestions/advice on the best deal/provider? Money will be tight, so I'm looking for cheap, but obviously, I want to be able to spend some time online without running out of credit. I'm not entirely sure what sort of Mb usage my ordinary surfing would use up - it's mainly email, and coming on here....

I have a laptop, although I think it may be getting a little elderly and on it's last legs. I know you can get 'free' laptops with some mobile broadband deals, but I'm advised you are paying over the odds for the deal so it's not really economical...

It's all a bit over my head, so talk gently...

 

[Rieley]

Hello, I've been looking at something similar. Have a look here: http://www.top10-broadband.co.uk/mobile_broadband/

The contract lenght could be a problem, but some deals are done monthly.

 

[Archie_tect]

We use '3 mobile' for the office which gives you unlimited internet access anywhere and on any computer [cost varies according to gigabytes monthly allowance you need starts at £10 per month up to £25/ month, but no-one ever gets up to the maximum so "3 Mobile Lite" for £10/month is likely to be enough].

You can upgrade anytime if you need to but not downgrade if you get it wrong, so start low and pay extra if you need it later.

In addition the modem dials up their service automatically from whichever computer it's plugged into [as long as you don't lose it!] They've been brilliant and the support is clear and straightforward. No software to install, it does it all itself... been foolproof so far. Easier on macs which we use but I was so impressed I got my mum one for her laptop and she takes it everywhere ... even works on the train or Nat Express coaches!!

As we already had a 3Mobile contract I got my mum's for half price so I only pay £5/ month for hers. Minimum contract is a year I think but at that price it's worth it anyway just for the flexibility alone.

The USB modem they supply just clicks into one of your computer's USB ports [holes!] and then searches the connection itself without you having to download or install any software [no CD to install either!- it's magic] which is a big bonus.

If you need a new laptop I'd not get one with vodaphone or orange if I were you as the contract is quite challenging and the contract length and monthly costs stack up to cover the cost of 'giving' you a computer.

3 Mobile shops can give you the details... their manager deals are sometimes better than the contracts you can get on-line so worth visiting your local shop.

Hope this helps.
Chris

PS i-Phone through O2 will be introducing laptop connectivity with their new GS3.0 later this year if you can wait- pop into an O2 shop to get the details.

 

[Piemaster]

I've just had a mail shot from Maplin for a 3 network pay-as-you-go dongle here

 

[Archie_tect]

I've just had a mail shot from Maplin for a 3 network pay-as-you-go dongle here

Not used a pay as you go one as the contract one's been so simple to use so far but worth comparing Arch!

 

[derall]

I use 3 and I'm very pleased with it. I never use more than the £10 / 1Gb in a month. Very good coverage too; there's a couple of blank spots in London (around Kew) but otherwise I've had a good signal all around the country, from home in the Chilterns to my sister's place in the Cairngorms

 

[thomas]

You might want to check it is still up to date, but this is an article I wrote for work on Mobile broadband.

http://futureinsites.co.uk/mobile-broadband.htm

In my opinion at the time, three seemed to be the best value, best for options and as other people are pleased, hopefully a good signal and service.

And, yes it isn't my name at the bottom of the page, but I did write it . The website is not one we're focusing on, so the links and things might be a bit broken.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I'm on 3 mobile at home. I'm on the 3gig per month deal, which is costing me 15 pounds a month (slightly more as they are now sneakily charging for 'itemised billing'). For new customers I think they might give you 15gig a month for the same price (!) but you'd be hard pressed to use that much.

It works fine, it works in Linux too (it didn't work 'out the box' when we first got it due to a driver issue, but it does now as many more people are using it).

I regularly use more than 1Gb per month, but haven't yet used 3Gb. I don't do much music/video online either, but have been known to stream the occasional iPlayer program (radio or TV). I also Skype about 1.5 hours a week. If you really are just emailing and visiting cycle chat and one or two other websites, you'll probably be fine with 1Gb. You can check how much you've used online as well to make sure you don't go over your 'limit', IIRC they then charge you per Mb used and I think it was quite expensive.

One thing - the connection speed seems to vary vastly with how many other people are online at any given time. I don't think it's as fast as cable/phone line broadband, but it works fine for all the things I need it for. And the being able to take it with you wherever you go is a plus point as well.

When I signed up at least, if you weren't an existing 3 mobile customer (I wasn't), the best deal that gave you a free modem was the 15 pound per month for two years deal. The 10 pound per month didn't include the modem, which you then had to buy.

Also, at the time, the cost for the other two providers (Vodafone and T-mobile) was much higher, but I think they have come down now. I doubt there'd be much to differentiate them in practise, and I'd feel happy picking the cheapest deal.

I had a very brief glance at the 'laptops' available in the 3 mobile shop when I checked how much time was left on my contract recently. TBH I think for the extra 15 pounds a month or so they are charging, you'd be better buying one upfront and getting a cheaper connection deal. It was a very quick glance though, and there might well be some really good deals about, but the ones I saw didn't grab me.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Even in areas where you get HSDPA ('3G+'), effective speeds are fairly painful if you're used to a decent broadband connection, but a friend who isn't finds it perfectly acceptable.

I use Vodafone mobile broadband when out and about. It does the job for email and general web. I find the speeds annoying, but then I have 20Mbit/s cable at home and regularly see 8Mbit/s actual speed on that.

Many phones can do Internet sharing these days, so you may not need a dongle, just a contract with a decent data allowance.

 

[meenaghman]

Just sit in McDonalds sipping coffee.. free wifi.

 

[Arch]

Cheers everyone. 3 is the one service I have some experience of, so might be the way to go - my only reservation was someone who told me they'd had some massive trouble with 3 over a contract or something - but I guess no company is perfect.

Eventually, when I have the cash saved up, I'd like to get one of those little netbook things, so if my laptop will hang on a bit, a new machine isn't a priority.

blimey, just looked at the maplins link - £20 for the dongle is good. I'd like PAYG, mainly so that I can economise if I need to. I gather the top ups last 30 days, so in effect it is £10 a month, but I guess if I needed to, I could skip a month and go without...

 

[thomas]

blimey, just looked at the maplins link - £20 for the dongle is good. I'd like PAYG, mainly so that I can economise if I need to. I gather the top ups last 30 days, so in effect it is £10 a month, but I guess if I needed to, I could skip a month and go without...

PAYG can work out cheaper, but if you use it a lot it is probably cheaper to get a contract.....also, cheaper dongles

 

[HJ]

Cheers everyone. 3 is the one service I have some experience of, so might be the way to go - my only reservation was someone who told me they'd had some massive trouble with 3 over a contract or something - but I guess no company is perfect.

Eventually, when I have the cash saved up, I'd like to get one of those little netbook things, so if my laptop will hang on a bit, a new machine isn't a priority.

blimey, just looked at the maplins link - £20 for the dongle is good. I'd like PAYG, mainly so that I can economise if I need to. I gather the top ups last 30 days, so in effect it is £10 a month, but I guess if I needed to, I could skip a month and go without...

You could also get a WiFi dongle for your existing laptop and go somewhere they have "Free" WiFi or just find a neighbour with an open connection...

 

[Archie_tect]

just find a neighbour with an open connection...

Someone got a £500 fine for doing that... but he was sitting in a car outside the person's house downloading stuff!

 

[very-near]

I've got a unlocked dual ariel broadband dongle (the ones they hand out to business users) which I use with both vodafone and T-Mobile. If you want regular PAYG access, go for T-mobile £15 per month unlimited useage - see if you can borrow one from the network you want to sign up with to check you get the fast coverage HSDPA though.