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Mobile broadband -- sorry in advance!

Gunna Do

By Gunna Do
in Boat Equipment

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Gunna Do Collaborator

Gunna Do

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Sorry for yet another mobile broadband thread but when I request a search I get so many answers that I would be weeks wading through them and the speed at which the various offers change mean that most of the content would be out of date anyway!

I have a laptop for use on my Nb. I am on BT at home and get told that I can connect via WiFi to the BTFon hotspots which are everywhere. Cobblers!! - in a recent trip around the Midlands I could not connect once.

We are planning a couple of months up around the north (River Trent, Leeds/Liverpool, Trent and Mersey etc) so need a connection that works fairly reliably in these areas. I have an old mobile phone on O2 so am looking for just broadband for occasional browsing and email but I don't want to get into a monthly contract. Any suggestions for the most cost effective?

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ditchcrawler Veteran II

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Posted
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Sorry for yet another mobile broadband thread but when I request a search I get so many answers that I would be weeks wading through them and the speed at which the various offers change mean that most of the content would be out of date anyway!

I have a laptop for use on my Nb. I am on BT at home and get told that I can connect via WiFi to the BTFon hotspots which are everywhere. Cobblers!! - in a recent trip around the Midlands I could not connect once.

We are planning a couple of months up around the north (River Trent, Leeds/Liverpool, Trent and Mersey etc) so need a connection that works fairly reliably in these areas. I have an old mobile phone on O2 so am looking for just broadband for occasional browsing and email but I don't want to get into a monthly contract. Any suggestions for the most cost effective?

eBay for a 3 dongle and 1 month sim card

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Jo_ Proficient

Jo_

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Fourthded ... but if you'll need a couple of sims if you're out for two months - or get a three-month one if you can find a good deal! Oh, and if you can find a MiFi (wireless) 'dongle' that'll do you better than a plug-in dongle.

 

So perhaps I'm not really Fourthded after all!!

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nicknorman Veteran II

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The great advantage of the MiFi is that it can be sited remotely, in a window or even outside, to get the best phone signal, whilst you laptop etc connects to it by WiFi. You can connect multiple WiFi-equipped devices to it if you have more than 1 laptop, an iPad etc. MiFis are great and very fast. 3 is definitely the best network for 3g coverage in the midlands at least. Only thing is you need to charge it, and whilst it can be charged by USB cable it is better to use the mains charger supplied, so a boat with mains power is a good idea!

 

I don't understand why you would need 2 sims, you can top up your data anytime over the network with a card even if you have run out of data allowance.

Edited by nicknorman
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Jo_ Proficient

Jo_

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I don't understand why you would need 2 sims, you can top up your data anytime over the network with a card even if you have run out of data allowance.

 

cos it's cheaper. £10 pm for 1GB/month top-up from 3 as you know - ebay sims tend to come in for £5 or so for 1GB/month or £14 for 3GB/90day. You change your telephone number each time you change a sim but, if cost's a factor for a trial then this is another option.

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ditchcrawler Veteran II

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cos it's cheaper. £10 pm for 1GB/month top-up from 3 as you know - ebay sims tend to come in for £5 or so for 1GB/month or £14 for 3GB/90day. You change your telephone number each time you change a sim but, if cost's a factor for a trial then this is another option.

If its only for a dongle then the number change doesn't matter.

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OldGoat Veteran II

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WiFi only works if you are a shopping / town centre.

Prabably limits you to Banbury or Brum.

WiFi is very short range.

 

 

I've bought loads of cards - when they were very cheap- and dongles from eBay and never had a dud.

3 gives me the best coverage when on the water. A pity 'cos I have some Voda sims which don't expire but their coverage is "poor".

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Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

exactly

 

I've never understood why they allocate telephone numbers to SIMs supplied for use in dongles...:rolleyes: other than perhaps 3 send me texts to mine to tell me I'm running out of data, but they do this by my 3 too...

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nicknorman Veteran II

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I've never understood why they allocate telephone numbers to SIMs supplied for use in dongles...:rolleyes: other than perhaps 3 send me texts to mine to tell me I'm running out of data, but they do this by my 3 too...

Because communication is over the mobile phone network and the phone protocols require that you connect with a phone number so that you identity, permission to extract data etc can be checked - otherwise anyone could connect and get free access! I suppose they could decline to tell you but if you want to top up etc, you need to know the number.

 

cos it's cheaper. £10 pm for 1GB/month top-up from 3 as you know - ebay sims tend to come in for £5 or so for 1GB/month or £14 for 3GB/90day. You change your telephone number each time you change a sim but, if cost's a factor for a trial then this is another option.

Ah - good point!

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  • 4 weeks later...
The Jolly Roger Explorer

The Jolly Roger

Posted
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The great advantage of the MiFi is that it can be sited remotely, in a window or even outside, to get the best phone signal, whilst you laptop etc connects to it by WiFi. You can connect multiple WiFi-equipped devices to it if you have more than 1 laptop, an iPad etc. MiFis are great and very fast. 3 is definitely the best network for 3g coverage in the midlands at least. Only thing is you need to charge it, and whilst it can be charged by USB cable it is better to use the mains charger supplied, so a boat with mains power is a good idea!

 

I don't understand why you would need 2 sims, you can top up your data anytime over the network with a card even if you have run out of data allowance.

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Domino_2 Collaborator

Domino_2

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We use a dongle with 3 - but on contract - £15 per month for 15GB - just don't go over your allowance as the price is criminally extortionate!!!

 

We get coverage pretty much everywhere we've been on the network - last year we didn't get internet for 2 days in a period of 7 months cruising.

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by'eck Veteran

by'eck

Posted
Posted (edited)

Sorry for yet another mobile broadband thread but when I request a search I get so many answers that I would be weeks wading through them and the speed at which the various offers change mean that most of the content would be out of date anyway!

I have a laptop for use on my Nb. I am on BT at home and get told that I can connect via WiFi to the BTFon hotspots which are everywhere. Cobblers!! - in a recent trip around the Midlands I could not connect once.

We are planning a couple of months up around the north (River Trent, Leeds/Liverpool, Trent and Mersey etc) so need a connection that works fairly reliably in these areas. I have an old mobile phone on O2 so am looking for just broadband for occasional browsing and email but I don't want to get into a monthly contract. Any suggestions for the most cost effective?

 

The BTFON sites are quite prevalent in built up areas, problem is the range of the normal household routers they employ, since they are designed to work within a single house. Having said that I can see two within range, I'm guessing a couple of doors away, & can connect to either successfully with my laptops built in WiFi device.

 

You really need a long range WiFi device if you wish to pursue the WiFi option on a boat. Would help in most marina's as well. Check out this thread

Edited by richardhula
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