broadband on the canal

[twocvbloke]

Some are sim-free.

 

I have a very favourable 3 broadband deal that I use with a phone, at the moment, but it would be nice to experiment with a dongle up the mast.

 

Usually that means the dongle has no specific network lock, but often means they're more expensive, and yes for those you need to buy your own SIM (unless you use an existing one)...

[Bullfrog]

Is this available to the general public or only to "3 " users.!

 

It insists on a mobile number as part of the registration but then fails with afore-mentioned error message after I've entered my O2 number.

 

David

[carlt]

Is this available to the general public or only to "3 " users.!

 

It insists on a mobile number as part of the registration but then fails with afore-mentioned error message after I've entered my O2 number.

 

David

I put a landline number (not my own, though) and it worked fine.

[twocvbloke]

Is this available to the general public or only to "3 " users.!

 

It insists on a mobile number as part of the registration but then fails with afore-mentioned error message after I've entered my O2 number.

 

David

 

I put in my Virgin Mobile number and my mum's VirginMedia landline number and it went through, until I mucked up...

 

Just remember not to use spaces as that can sometimes confuse things...

[Ange]

Just ordered one

 

Stand by for questions when it arrives - this is all dark magic to me!

[twocvbloke]

Just ordered one

 

Stand by for questions when it arrives - this is all dark magic to me!

 

s'not difficult, it's very simple...

 

1. Register the SIM

2. Activate the SIM by topping up

3. Convert the balance to "Mobile broadband" in the "MyThree" account system

4. Plug in the dongle into your computer, it installs the software automatically (It's stored on the stick)

5. Allow the software to update before connecting

6. Take your laptop (assuming it's a laptop) out and about, and click on the Connect button in the software and browse away...

 

All the instructions are provided with the dongle of course, but they are actually quite patronising as they assume you're thick, but the steps above are extracted from them and turned into proper steps...

 

Hope this helps...

[Bullfrog]

Just sorted out why this wouldn't work for me.

 

It's one of those cookie things that AOL (I'm a user) gets wrong

 

Did the whole process exactly the same way with IE and it all worked fine.

 

Just waiting for the postman now.

 

Thank you MikeV

Edited May 18, 2009 by Bullfrog

[twocvbloke]

Just sorted out why this wouldn't work for me.

 

It's one of those cookie things that AOL (I'm a user) gets wrong

 

Did the whole process exactly the same way with IE and it all worked fine.

 

Just waiting for the postman now.

 

Is AOL still going?

[Bullfrog]

1. Register the SIM

2. Activate the SIM by topping up

3. Convert the balance to "Mobile broadband" in the "MyThree" account system

 

These 3 steps have to be carried out in a mobile then - not on your computer?

[Pot Noodle Adventurer]

Also be very careful not to dangle your dongles in the dykes or you might get a poor reception!

[Ange]

s'not difficult, it's very simple...

 

1. Register the SIM

2. Activate the SIM by topping up

3. Convert the balance to "Mobile broadband" in the "MyThree" account system

4. Plug in the dongle into your computer, it installs the software automatically (It's stored on the stick)

5. Allow the software to update before connecting

6. Take your laptop (assuming it's a laptop) out and about, and click on the Connect button in the software and browse away...

 

All the instructions are provided with the dongle of course, but they are actually quite patronising as they assume you're thick, but the steps above are extracted from them and turned into proper steps...

 

Hope this helps...

 

Thanks twocvbloke I'm sure it will help

[twocvbloke]

These 3 steps have to be carried out in a mobile then - not on your computer?

 

Erm, no, you have to do it online, so you need access to the net to sort it out before you can use the dongle...

[Bullfrog]

Just me being thick, but since your step 4 said plug the dongle in your computer I assumed you were doing the rest somewhere else!

 

I'm sure all will become clear when I've actually got the product (and the instructions ) in hand.

 

Thanks for your help 2CV-B

[twocvbloke]

Just me being thick, but since your step 4 said plug the dongle in your computer I assumed you were doing the rest somewhere else!

 

I'm sure all will become clear when I've actually got the product (and the instructions ) in hand.

 

Thanks for your help 2CV-B

 

You're welcome, once it's set up it's a doddle, with it plugged it just press connect on the 3connect program and that's it...

[nipper]

You're welcome, once it's set up it's a doddle, with it plugged it just press connect on the 3connect program and that's it...

 

Don't forget, that after you have put some dosh into your account, dont just use your dongle right away, purchase "add ons". £2.50 will buy you internet connection for a month, and you can even que up your " add ons"

 

Nipper

[RLWP]

Right, my dongle arrived today. You put a sim card into the dongle, plug your dongle into your computer and it installs the software onto your computer. Next you set up an account with 3 - oops, take the sim card out as you need it to set your account up. Interestingly 3 text your account password to you via your sim connected to the PC.

 

Next, go and buy a PAYG top up for 3. Use the website account to convert that into your data allocation and you are done!

 

You can register a credit card with 3 but it takes 7 days to accept it. After that you can buy units online.

 

It was really easy and seems to work well.

 

Dongle has an empty microSD slot and no aerial socket

 

Richard

 

Satisfied customer.

[Ange]

Well - my dongle arrived in today's post - very impressed!

 

Plugged it into the lappy and 2cvbloke was spot on - it was dead easy to install.

 

However - the next bit is to buy a top-up. Then the top-up has to be converted to an add-on - £10 for 1Gb, £15 for 3Gb, £25 for 7 Gb. I knew these prices - they were posted earlier - but they expire one month after purchase. If you don't convert to the add-on after you top-up you'll pay £1 per mb. My son informs me there are 1000 mb in a Gb - £1000 per Gb! I was hoping for a pay as you go option where the unused stuff doesn't disappear - we're only on the boat weekends at the mo so may not use it all up in a month.

 

Not feeling too hard done by in this instance - paid £4.95 postage for the dongle (thanks MikeV) and will pay £10 for 1Gb just to see how much we use - cos we have no idea how much of this strange currency our normal surfing uses. But are there any proper pay as you go deals around where you can pay for so many Gb and then buy some more when you've used them up that don't charge the earth?

 

Also, if I find one can I still use my 3 dongle or do I have to buy a new one?

[RLWP]

Well - my dongle arrived in today's post - very impressed!

 

Snap!

 

Richard

[alan_fincher]

Ange,

 

People's surfing habits obviously vary.

 

However our experience so far with a '3' PAYG dongle says that if you don't go over the top, and spend hours on-line, you are unlikely to use more than 1Gb per week.

 

We tend to have our son on board, who is a bit of an Internet-oholic, and even then we have generally stayed within 1Gb per week.

 

We expect to be out for a trip of around 9 days from tomorrow, and I intend to only buy 1Gb. I don't expect to use it all, with just the 2 of us on this trip.

 

However if you want to look at Liam's "collect the boat" photos from your boat, I recommend buying the 7Gb option !! (Might be cheaper just to drive up and look at Liam's boat....)

[Ange]

However if you want to look at Liam's "collect the boat" photos from your boat, I recommend buying the 7Gb option !! (Might be cheaper just to drive up and look at Liam's boat....)

[Smelly]

I've looked at this and held my breath but...

 

£22.50 a month for two lines, one 3Gb limit (dongle) and a sweary but inexpensive letter if I exceed it, one (phone) unlimited download. Including my phone bill it rarely tops 45 quid a month and now we've two lappys we'll need it, (although I should probably ring my mum more often).

 

It's on a Tmobile contract; the coverage on the Avon ring last year was pants, mostly GPRS even in places like Tewksebury, but even on GPRS to have net access in the arse end of nowhere is handy and worth the money.

[Ange]

I have PAYG on my mobile - I put £30 on it once every few months and when that money runs out I put more on. There's no time limit - if I feel like it I can put £50 on it and it'll last 50/30 longer.

 

I just want the same thing with mobile broadband - I pay x amount for xGb and when that runs out I pay for more - no tying me into predicting how may Gbs I'm going to need when for us the equation is (i) no idea how many Gbs our usage requires and (ii) only on the boat weekends at the moment, not always every weekend, other variables always influencing the amount of time we can spend on our boat and not forgetting (iii) no idea when our son may be visiting us for the weekend! (son being internetaholic like Alan Fincher's)

 

I just want to get connected on the boat without ending up paying for these blasted Gbs and not using them

 

Humph

 

PS that was really quite strange - I started of with options a) or c) but resulted in a strange face with sunglasses on!

[twocvbloke]

My son informs me there are 1000 mb in a Gb - £1000 per Gb!

 

He's not far off, it's actually 1024Megabytes per Gigabyte, it's all to do with the bits and bytes adding up, that's why you get memory in sizes like 256 or 512MB, it's eplained somewhere on Wikipedia or something...

 

As for your other question about finding or using other packages, yes, you can use your existing dongle if the other deal is with 3, but if not, you would either have to get it unlocked (between £10 and £35, depending on who you go to) or you would have to replace it with another network's dongle...

 

But that said, 1GB should be ok for occasional use, though that said, I tried my mum's out and browsed a bit, and used hardly any MB at all!!! But in my opinion, it's better than paying for a contract in which you pay for something which you might not use for a month or two...

 

But the 30-day thing does bug me, a salesman in one of the mobile shops we went to said it rolled over to the new "top up", which was a bit of a porkie...

 

You could always moan at "three" and they might give you a sweet deal to keep you happy...

[dor]

I just want the same thing with mobile broadband - I pay x amount for xGb and when that runs out I pay for more - no tying me into predicting how may Gbs I'm going to need when for us the equation is (i) no idea how many Gbs our usage requires and (ii) only on the boat weekends at the moment, not always every weekend, other variables always influencing the amount of time we can spend on our boat and not forgetting (iii) no idea when our son may be visiting us for the weekend! (son being internetaholic like Alan Fincher's)

 

I just want to get connected on the boat without ending up paying for these blasted Gbs and not using them

 

Which is exactly what you get with the Vodafone PAYG dongle. £15 per Gb which is quite expensive, but it lasts as long sa you take to use it then top up with another £15.

 

Costs £39 which includes your first GB.

[MikeV]

Has anybody checked their "3" dongle to see if it is unlocked? One of the free "3" dongles arrived yesterday but I haven't activated it yet.

 

I'm collecting Pay-as-you go SIMS at the moment so that I have a choice of networks.

 

I've just received a Virgin Pay-as-you-go SIM (for 97p) which offers 30p per day browsing (IIRC you have to top up by a certain amount to get this though). I also have an Orange PAYG SIM but theirs is the most expensive: Standard rate is £2/day although you can buy an "extra" which is either £1 per day, or £5 for a week.

 

Having just upgraded to a 3G phone which also allows me to browse I might move away from Orange to something that offers cheaper web access. I don't make many phone calls so the web rate is more important for me.