Internet "dongles" etc

[Alfonso_Frisk]

Anyone here got experience of "mobile internet" ?
Ive bought the daughter a lappy but she has no direct internet connection.
(she lives and works on a holiday camp in hastings)
I understand  you can "buy" usage time like you can for a mobile phone.

Before I go searching I thought I would ask here first. Are there payg and contract deals available? and if so any to avoid?

RR
Alf

[picsfor]

As with all mobile phone stuff - pitfalls to be aware of.

I've had a "3" dongle for about 2 years now and as a good customer only pay £7 a month for it and have a 5gb bandwidth allowance.
I've never come close to using that but it has proved useful when visiting friends, family and holidaying in the UK - given the cost of hotel internet access!
My dongle doesn't have a cable and just plugs straight into the laptop which is an issue because after a while it starts to drop and the connection can become intermittent.

The best provider to my knowledge is Vodaphone who provide a dangle with a cable and a great coverage - though "3" is getting better. Hastings though is an extremely temperamental area even for mobiles due to its hilly make up.

You can buy PAYG dongles and monthly contract dongles. The monthly contract will of course provide the best value. Pop into your local shops and ask the questions - but make sure the dongle comes with a cable to stop it wilting like mine does.

[Carlj]

Alf,

If you've got BT broadband, and there's a nearby openzone (wifi) or Fon (wifi from BT Homehub), then get the dongle and you've got unlimited wifi access...

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25792

Carl

[picsfor]

(she lives and works on a holiday camp in hastings)
Alf

Just spotted this piece again- are we talking Rye when we say Hastings?

[Alfonso_Frisk]

(she lives and works on a holiday camp in hastings)
Alf

Just spotted this piece again- are we talking Rye when we say Hastings?

Yes matey. Camber Sands

[picsfor]

ok - so no real chance of wi fi  in the area - dongle is almost essential!

Lovely place but it ain't going to all that effort to maintain its historic look for nothing.

If you're visiting down that way, pop into one of the phone shops in Hastings or Ashford and ask which gives the best signal.
Lovely place but phone masts are not 2  penny in that area - got the Gardens of Kent to preserve 

If her mobile phone doesn't have any problems then go with that provider because the dongle will piggy back off that mast.
Essentially your dongle is a mobile phone sim plugged into a case that only transmits and receives data. Has its own phone number and connects like a normal phone - just calibrated to transmit and receive data - not process it. Your daughters computer will do that...

Lovely part of the world - if you're really lucky you might find her focused in the view finder of Jonathans Hassalblad - he's only up the road! Drop him a line to see when he's about - you'll get to see Canterbury and his gallery. I'm still waiting to get there - weather has stopped play twice now. But i'm guessing it'll not be a wasted trip 

[Carlj]

(she lives and works on a holiday camp in hastings)
Alf

Just spotted this piece again- are we talking Rye when we say Hastings?

Yes matey. Camber Sands

Never discount it. Static caravans have a lot of landlines attached - always a nightmare for lineplant for the engineers mind. Alf, if you have the postcode, search at www.btfon.com - may be lucky!

[Alfonso_Frisk]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Carl- I have bt bb. are you saying I could get a dongle from bt, send it down to daughter and get access to internet that way (connection dependant)
One off payment for dongle and min payment for access ?

[Carlj]

Check out the first link I sent you - all BT bb accounts come with unlimited (prolly a fair usage marker in there) wifi via Fon (I'm signed up, so you could borrow my hub connection!) and Openzone - which is pretty much every coffee shop out there! Works with the dongle, I use my ipod too. As laptops have wifi built in, you may only need dongle when out of wifi range.

[bones615]

My parents have a dongle because there is no BB in a small suffolk village. It works for them but very slowly and not at all sometimes. If your daughter is used to proper BB the speed might be extremely frustrating, for them its great, better than the dial up they used to have but if I have to use their laptop it is really annoying.

Simon