T-mobile Broadband modem

[elessina]

Does anyone have a T-Mobile modem *and* a phone on one contract?

 

Apparently T-mobile will allow this. I can see a number of benefits:-

 

* Can phone and browse internet at same time (handy if two on board).

* Laptop can be permanently wired up, saves connecting phone to laptop

* No need for a HSDPA phone to get high speed (1.8mbps) downloads (because modem has HSDPA).

* Instead of £30pm usb modem cost plus phone contract, have one contract and use minutes on phone and web n walk on usb modem.

 

A phone call to T-mobile confirmed it is possible, will check it out this afternoon.

With luck should be able to get 900 free minutes, free weekend and evening calls, and separate broadband speed laptop connection for around £45pm

 

Anyone already done this and can give any further advise?

 

Ian

[Hobart]

Only my experience, but I hardly ever get reception with T-Mobile. Richard has exactly the same phone (Nokia 6300), but is on O2 and never has a problem. On the boat, I get no reception, and he gets full. I'd love to switch, but no other company will have me because Experian (credit checking fascists) says I'm 'of no fixed abode'.

 

neil.

[sweetpea]

We were recently looking into internet access /options afloat as we were planning to move onto our boat and still wanted to be able to get the internet. Have an old tower computer + didnt want the extra expense of new laptop if we could avoid it - existing compter does us ok and as saying goes 'if it aint broke...' . Thought we would have to start looking at data cards + adaptors to plug them into etc etc then someone told us about T Mobile web n walk but he used it on a laptop. Checked it out ourselves + found that they also do a usb modem that can plug straight into our old computer. We already had existing phone contracts so just got the £30pm option - more expensive than household internet but it seems to be working fine for us at moment. There is a download limit on this option, but we seem to be staying well within it. Moored up in one place at moment but due to be on move next week for our maiden voyage so will have to see how different locations affect it

[jollyroger]

I am using it now, the only downside is that most of the time it only connects @ 230kbps, but thats better than nothing

 

I am using it now, the only downside is that most of the time it only connects @ 230kbps, but thats better than nothing

[JohnOnTheWey]

I am using it now, the only downside is that most of the time it only connects @ 230kbps, but thats better than nothing

 

I am using it now, the only downside is that most of the time it only connects @ 230kbps, but thats better than nothing

 

... and, of course, it causes all my posts to be made twice twice.

[Ernie]

I have a Nokia N70 3g phone on a t-mobile flext-25 package with web-n-walk professional add on. I get as much download as I need and £60 worth of calls every month for around £35.

 

I can talk on the phone at the same time as the internet connection is alive. I connect the phone to my laptop via Bluetooth with the phone normally hanging up near a window to get a reasonable signal.

 

Have not had much trouble with connections although 3g reception tends to only be available near larger towns.

 

I tried the t-mobile PCMCIA modem card to start with but had reception problems (I didn’t have an aerial for it).

[elessina]

Does anyone have a T-Mobile modem *and* a phone on one contract?

Apparently T-mobile will allow this.

A visit to a T-Mobile shop established that they will *not* allow a modem and phone on one contract. All they would do is combine both on one bill.

 

The T-mobile USB modem does look impressive. The demo in the shop downloaded faster than my BT broadband connection!! (HSDPA / 3.5G enabled). I also like the fact that the modem is small enough to enable it to be 'stuck' to a window, or even on the boat roof through an open window, to get best signal strength.

 

I have looked at the T-Mobile 3G coverage map and it looks ok in the area we will be based / cruising most (Thames). Other networks may have better 3G coverage, but not 3.5G (3.5G is 4 times faster than 3G) and not unlimited usage (T-mobile give 3Gb, fair usage). It seems that most other networks have a 500Mb pm usage. It is difficult to know the amount of download, but some indicate that an average web page can take 0.5Mb, so 500Mb is 1,000 web pages (30 per day). Taking email and uploads into account, I can see I will go over the 500Mb, and need something around the 3Gb….. And only T-Mobile offer this at a reasonable cost (£29pm). When I take into account the BT line rental (£11) and broadband connection (£15), I am currently paying, a £3 increase seems quite reasonable for the added mobility, and I can see this becoming a very popular choice for anyone travelling.

Ian