Mobile Broadband USB Dongle advice needed.

[HookeyStreet]

I recently built a cheap PC for internet use only for my sister-in-law. She doesnt have a phoneline installed in her new house and instead of paying BT £170 to get reconnected (scamming bastards!) I told her to just get a Mobile broadband USB Dongle. So I picked her up one of the '3' models for a fiver (bargain as it was meant to be £29.99 but all I had to pay was the P+P)

Now heres the problem. I set it all up and the signal strength is terrible. The device 'claims' a speed of 7.2mb but its so bad pages refuse to load

Im going to sell this '3' dongle on as Ive concluded that the coverage in my area is crap. Can anyone recommend a good provider to go with? I was thinking maybe Vodafone?

 

[HookeyStreet]

No one used one of these then?

 

[ZenZimZaliben]

If she has a newer phone, and data services for it, you could just tether her cell phone and use it for broadband.

 

[HookeyStreet]

If she has a newer phone, and data services for it, you could just tether her cell phone and use it for broadband.

Shes not tech minded m8, so I need a dongle that I can leave in for minimum fuss lol....but thanks for the idea anyway

 

[Kovoet]

Mate I work in the industry that sells these. Depending where you situated the best two you can get is 02 or the vodafone.

Max speed you will get with the o2 is 3.2mb but if you take a contract vodafone has one that can reach upto 7.2.

3 is absolute rubbish in this country for reception but they work well in Hong Kong.

I left BT for the same reason even though their backup was superb but now with Virgin cable at 20mb and going upto 50mb as of next week.

 

[HookeyStreet]

Mate I work in the industry that sells these. Depending where you situated the best two you can get is 02 or the vodafone.

Max speed you will get with the o2 is 3.2mb but if you take a contract vodafone has one that can reach upto 7.2.

3 is absolute rubbish in this country for reception but they work well in Hong Kong.

I left BT for the same reason even though their backup was superb but now with Virgin cable at 20mb and going upto 50mb as of next week.

Awesome, just the kind of reply I was hoping for I will research the pricings for both O2 and Vodafone, but 3.2mb with O2 would be more than fast enough

 

[Kovoet]

o2 is about the best with the coverage and very simple to loadup but just remind your wife always to put it in the same USB port. Also we have been having problems with sim cards as somehow they attract moister so every now and then take it out a wipe with a dry soft cloth.

 

[HookeyStreet]

o2 is about the best with the coverage and very simple to loadup but just remind your wife always to put it in the same USB port. Also we have been having problems with sim cards as somehow they attract moister so every now and then take it out a wipe with a dry soft cloth.

I just checked o2 in my area and its not recommended (I used the official o2 coverage guide), but Vodafone 'claims' to be good in my area..........so should I go for that for her? I was thinking about the £39 dongle that comes with £15 credit (3GB usage) as she wants a PAYG dongle.

What about grabbing a USB Vodafone dongle off ebay cheap and popping a sim in that, would that work? I was going to unlock the '3' dongle to allow use with any sim, but as shes running Vista that idea is no good

 

[Kovoet]

better to get it from a store but check out carphone warehouse see if they have any deals as they got vodafone from tomorrow live again.

It's better to get a new one to be honest just in case anything goes wrong as when you buy one is gets registered in your name

 

[HookeyStreet]

better to get it from a store but check out carphone warehouse see if they have any deals as they got vodafone from tomorrow live again.

It's better to get a new one to be honest just in case anything goes wrong as when you buy one is gets registered in your name

Thanks again for the info

 

[Kovoet]

anytime mate thats why we belong to this madhouse