best way to receive internet

[Lady Muck]

That was the correct link - it's called Skypein. It's local rates as long as the person who calls you is in the same local area as your pretend landline. It costs you nothing when anyone calls you, you just pay for the line subscription.

[Marge the Barge]

I have a T moble dongle which picks up utms, 3g and wireless. It cost £19.95 a month and has unlimited access.

 

SWMBO

[Teakbank12]

Alternatively buy a 3 metre USB extension so you can hang the dongle up in the window, rather than it resting below the waterline. Makes a big difference! Cable isn't cheap but worth it in the long run.

 

I picked up a long lead from QD shop in town for a couple squid, works fine hanging from the curtain rail.

Am now at Newbold & have a reasonable signal even with the dodgy wether.

 

Edited to add i have to rely on the 3 dongle now as my old backup BT Fusion phone which i had data access took a trip into the canal yesterday at Rose boats Stretton stop

Edited October 7, 2008 by Teakbank12

[dor]

Can anyone clarify the 3 deal? It is called a PAYT service, but it seems you have to pay £10 a month, so how does it differ to a contract?

[twocvbloke]

Can anyone clarify the 3 deal? It is called a PAYT service, but it seems you have to pay £10 a month, so how does it differ to a contract?

 

Well, with a contract, you have to pay regardless of usage, with a PAYG/PAYT account you don't have to pay if you aren't planning to use it for some time...

 

My ISP is Vodafone - because I don't have a landline. Did you boat dwellers know you can get a 'landline' by stealth? I have an 0208 number with Skype. If people dial this number it comes through to my computer and it even has an answerphone for when I'm not online.

 

Being a landlubber myself, I have no need for a UK number, but I do have a US-based number, I just got it to demonstrate to someone in the US how I can get a US number in their area (well, near to their area!!) with SkypeIn, I haven't used it for anything actually as I rarely need to speak to anybody internationally!!!

[Justme]

Can anyone clarify the 3 deal? It is called a PAYT service, but it seems you have to pay £10 a month, so how does it differ to a contract?

 

 

I think cos you only pay for the months you use. So for a seasonal boater you could just pay when on the boat. Personaly I would check how well the dongle works at home as well & ditch the land line.

 

Justme

[dr pepper]

theres a couple of firms on ebay that sell extra long range aerials for wifi, some work over a few miles, theres a good chance you'd get someones signal with one.

[Justme]

theres a couple of firms on ebay that sell extra long range aerials for wifi, some work over a few miles, theres a good chance you'd get someones signal with one.

 

 

For best results you need the other end to have a better aerial too. Especialy the directional ones

 

Justme

[chris w]

theres a couple of firms on ebay that sell extra long range aerials for wifi, some work over a few miles, theres a good chance you'd get someones signal with one.

 

Be careful. Picking up someone's (unsecured) wifi network and using it without their permission is a criminal offence and there have been a number of successful prosecutions which were highlighted on here last year. Typically a £500 fine.

 

Chris

[twocvbloke]

Be careful. Picking up someone's (unsecured) wifi network and using it without their permission is a criminal offence and there have been a number of successful prosecutions which were highlighted on here last year. Typically a £500 fine.

 

Chris

 

Yep, don't risk it, even if the other end hasn't bothered to secure their network, it's completely unfair to them that you're stealing their internet access, and it is stealing as they paid for the internet access and you're taking it without consent (or TWOC'ing as the coppers call it), I had it done a couple of times here before I worked out the security settings on the router, the best way I found to cut them off was just to unplug the aerial!!! My laptop still got a signal (being right next to the router), but theirs didn't...

[Scotty]

Can anyone clarify the 3 deal? It is called a PAYT service, but it seems you have to pay £10 a month, so how does it differ to a contract?

It's a pay as you go sim, just the same as one might have in their phone.

You 'top up' as normal using the top up card in shops or using a credit card over the phone or online.

 

The internet access is bought as a 'bundle' or 'add-on' £10, £15 or £25 for 30 days depending how what data allowance you want

http://three.co.uk/personal/products_servi..._plans_payg.omp

[chris w]

Yep, don't risk it, even if the other end hasn't bothered to secure their network, it's completely unfair to them that you're stealing their internet access, and it is stealing as they paid for the internet access and you're taking it without consent (or TWOC'ing as the coppers call it), I had it done a couple of times here before I worked out the security settings on the router, the best way I found to cut them off was just to unplug the aerial!!! My laptop still got a signal (being right next to the router), but theirs didn't...

 

If you implement MAC filtering on the router, only those PCs that have the correct MAC address can gain access even if they manage to somehow crack your security code.

 

Chris

[twocvbloke]

If you implement MAC filtering on the router, only those PCs that have the correct MAC address can gain access even if they manage to somehow crack your security code.

 

Chris

 

Yep, done that too, all the known MACs that connect to it are in the allowed list, all others are blocked, aswell as having the WPA 128bit encryption to give them more of a headache...

Edited October 7, 2008 by twocvbloke

[saltysplash]

I have a T moble dongle which picks up utms, 3g and wireless. It cost £19.95 a month and has unlimited access.

 

SWMBO

 

Ditto for us

 

Also found with the dongle, when plugged in for the first time it self loaded all it needed and have never had any probs so far sending email....so far