broadband network/Usage

[MrCJ]

Hi all

 

just been reading another thread on same sort of topic. Now it sounds that 3 is one of the best mobile networks for coverage. But what I cant work out is what I will need and usage limit I will need, so I hoping that you good people on here can help me out.

 

This is how I use my present broadband at home, I am on a unlimited plan so can't work out what I use per month.

 

I am on my laptop most nights general surfing, catching up on forums, sending and receiving emails. I use video calls on msn and skype.I also will want to connect an xbox can sometimes be on this for upto 3 hours a day but not always online gaming. So what will I need to connect both a laptop and the xbox, what sort of monthly usage will I need to be looking at.

 

Many thanks and sorry if this has come up before.

[Madmark62]

3 has best deals for our usage, we have 2 PC`s and use the internet for about 3-4 hrs a night. We have the mi-fi hub and it workds both computers.

We have the 15 gig deal which costs us just short of £16 a month. I do not know how much data download the xbox will use during the games, so I cannot comment on that.

Check out the coverage in the areas you will be cruising here.

http://www.three.co.uk/Help_Support/Coverage/

I have a 3 phone too and I have never struggled for a signal yet, I have an O2 phone for work and I sometimes struggle with their coverage whilst out but not so far with 3. I know there will be others that have had the opposite experience though. I cannot comment on other networks.

Hope this helps.

Mark

[sebrof]

The 15/15 deal from Three is unbeatable, and there is really no point in going for anything else, unless you internet usage is really minimal. The problem is that if you ever go over your allowance, the cost of buying a little more data is horrendous.

[Graham Bowers]

Does your current ISP offer a facility to check exactly how much bandwidth you have consumed? It may be worth asking them via their support page.

I'm with Zen and via their Customer Portal I can see my bandwidth use by day if I want.

Hope this helps

Graham

[MrCJ]

Does your current ISP offer a facility to check exactly how much bandwidth you have consumed? It may be worth asking them via their support page.

I'm with Zen and via their Customer Portal I can see my bandwidth use by day if I want.

Hope this helps

Graham

 

because I am on an unlimited plan they cant tell me, they do have this if you are on a fixed usage plan but not unlimited (sky).

[Graham Bowers]

Maybe a bandwidth monitor would help. There are free ones out there but because I don't need one I have never tried one - I just know they exist. Google is your friend.

Graham

[Albert Smith]

I'm with 3 on 'pay as you go', costs £10/month. To monitor useage I use 'Net Meter' to keep an eye on daily/weekly useage.

 

http://download.cnet.com/Net-Meter/3000-2155_4-10435551.html

 

I use my PC mainly for forums and buying online and rarely run out of credit. As for the xbox I've no idea what that would use, that's something you would need to check. I've been on 3 for a few years now and can vouch for its reliability in being able to pick up a signal in 99% of locations.

 

Albert.

[bottle]

I use http://www.softperfe...oducts/networx/ to monitor my usage and found it to be very accurate.

 

I have a 'free' hour when I can get unlimited downloads that are not registered to my limit (3Gb) and this can be set up for that, if required.

 

ps, the program is free.

Edited April 26, 2011 by bottle

[LoneEcho]

Depending on what you spend per month on mobile phone bills and you are not tied to a contract, you could go for an HTC phone with three on the one plan with "all you can eat" data for £30 per month. You can use the HTC Desire (will double check model) as a wifi hot spot, so no need for a dongle or mifi. My brother has one of these and when he was on the boat I logged on to his "hot spot" and was getting speeds similar to my three dongle.

Edited April 26, 2011 by LoneEcho

[Scooby]

I am a heavy user, but 15gb is usually enough, but remember if you go over it costs loads, but i believe its capped at a £20 overspend, reason i know this cos last month i went over cos my new router didnt have a passsword on it so expect someone had some fun with my connection in the overwater marina..

[MrCJ]

Have used net metor but only works on the pc its on so can't work out what xbox uses.

[Robbo]

just been reading another thread on same sort of topic. Now it sounds that 3 is one of the best mobile networks for coverage. But what I cant work out is what I will need and usage limit I will need, so I hoping that you good people on here can help me out.

 

If your a data hog have a look at the "One Plan" from three, it's really for phones but all-you-can eat data for £25 month (SIM only price) but allows tethering.

 

Edit: Just seen LoneEcho said same thing as well!

Edited April 26, 2011 by Robbo

[LoneEcho]

If your a data hog have a look at the "One Plan" from three, it's really for phones but all-you-can eat data for £25 month (SIM only price) but allows tethering.

 

Edit: Just seen LoneEcho said same thing as well!

 

Add to the unlimited data 2000 minutes plus 5000 three to three minutes, it seems a really good deal. It is the HTC Desire that has the wifi hot spot app included in the phones software. I know you can download apps for other smart phones to do the same thing, but the desire was very impressive. I have just got to wait about another year 'til I can get one !

[Robbo]

Add to the unlimited data 2000 minutes plus 5000 three to three minutes, it seems a really good deal. It is the HTC Desire that has the wifi hot spot app included in the phones software. I know you can download apps for other smart phones to do the same thing, but the desire was very impressive. I have just got to wait about another year 'til I can get one !

 

I was thinking of putting it in my Mifi dongle, but I have a iPhone4 and can just enable the hotspot on that.. My Orange broadband is coming up for renewal soon as well.

[nb Innisfree]

I was thinking of putting it in my Mifi dongle, but I have a iPhone4 and can just enable the hotspot on that.. My Orange broadband is coming up for renewal soon as well.

 

Not sure you can put a phone sim in to a Mifi, aren't phones on a different frequency to Mifi/routers and dongles?

[Robbo]

Not sure you can put a phone sim in to a Mifi, aren't phones on a different frequency to Mifi/routers and dongles?

 

nope, only condition is you have to use a 3G handset, not 2G. Only reason is that three have to pay Orange? for the 2G access.