Welcome to Motorhomefacts, we are a thriving motorhome community (Largest in Europe). Why Not JOIN NOW and get instant access to more of the website. It costs nothing to join and only takes a few minutes. We have 200,000 different people visiting our site monthly and this amount of motorhomers in one place guarantees a fast response to any questions you may have. We also have unique facilities not found elsewhere such as our Online Logbook, stopover tracker, Motorhome directory with Ebay type feedback and the largest repository of motorhome campsites reviews found anywhere
Hi all
I have been reading a few threads on here but basically I am still confused as to best options for occasional internet access on the move. I am a BT Broadband user (yea I know...but it's OK at the moment) and we have 2 mobiles phones which are with o2.
I have seen the advert for the BT Dongle and also the BT Fon info on their website but unsure how they work or if best suited to my needs.
What I really need is feedback from anyone on here who has first hand experience of what works best.
Important points to help make choice:
I only need occasional use (using netbook in van for short periods)
I'm already with BT for Broadband use at home
I have Nokia blue tooth phone with o2 contract (very basic contract)
Hubby is due to upgrade his mobile phone
If anyone can offer possible solutions I am all ears
______________________________________________________________ "Just when I get my head together - my body is falling apart"
Hi all
I have been reading a few threads on here but basically I am still confused as to best options for occasional internet access on the move. I am a BT Broadband user (yea I know...but it's OK at the moment) and we have 2 mobiles phones which are with o2.
I have seen the advert for the BT Dongle and also the BT Fon info on their website but unsure how they work or if best suited to my needs.
What I really need is feedback from anyone on here who has first hand experience of what works best.
Important points to help make choice:
I only need occasional use (using netbook in van for short periods)
I'm already with BT for Broadband use at home
I have Nokia blue tooth phone with o2 contract (very basic contract)
Hubby is due to upgrade his mobile phone
If anyone can offer possible solutions I am all ears
I would be interested too if anyone has got any good deals, as my Vodafone £15 a month contract is just up, I am not going to re-new the contract as Vodafone speeds seem terrible now, and would rather have a PAYG.
______________________________________________________________ Your future lies before you like a path of driven snow
be careful how you tread it, for every step will show
This has been done to death a lot in the past year and consensus for use across UK is Vodafone PAYG dongle. There are other network dongles that give better connections in certain locations but if the network is flaky then your connection will be dropped. - however although Vodafone does not get great marks for good connections it will keep you connected even if only a 'poor' 2G (as opposed to a stonking 3G+)
I used mine right across UK up to JOG and down the West of Scotland last year and my connection , although not always good enough for e.g MHF, it was always sufficient for e-mail, Facebook and On Line Banking
There will be other opinons along in a minute but this is my reading of this subject over the last year - in fact corroborated by a member (Clodhopper) who uses his Vodafone dongle for work across rural Perthshire
The Three MiFi - wifi unit is worth a look - acts like a dongle but you do not need it plugged into the laptop as it is wifi, so easier to find a decent signal, and no trailing leads.
If you want occasional use abroad and are using a small notebook you are better off finding free or cheap wifi provided by others, as a dongle with uk sim-based wifi is EXPENSIVE!
A lot (if not all) tourist information offices have a wifi facility for a small fee or free for a limited time - long enough for emails and a few web browses. Otherwise, a lot of cafe's, McDonalds, etc have free wifi.
Another alternative is buy a small PDA with wifi on, like a Dell Axim x51v, which can now be purchased reconditioned online from around £40 - £50. (Mine cost some £700 with Sat Nav as well from Dell a few years ago). This has wifi, bluetooth, etc., and is not a lot larger than an iphone, and has a screen plenty large enough for emails, etc. Easy to carry around, and access free wifi where available.
HTH
Michael
Last edited by TR5 on Mon Apr 12, 2010 1:51 pm; edited 1 time in total ______________________________________________________________ Michael. . . . . . When in doubt, try it anyway, and learn from your mistakes!
.......... I did - and I´m now yet another EX Marquis customer!
He who dies with the most toys is nonetheless - DEAD!
It is difficult to answer your Internet questions without more info. You could just rely on wifi access which can be a bit hit and because some are free and some you have to pay for, the frequency of use is important, if you want to go online once or twice a week for a short time wifi may be best. If you want to be on whenever you like and for longer than an hour at a time mobile internet may be the answer, UK prices range from around 7.50 a month for 1 gb upwards. Mobile internet in other european countries is more expensive with France being very expensive with fairly poor 3g coverage. We may be able to help more if you tell us where you are likely to be and how frequently you want to be online and for how long.
Telephones likewise, where will you be, how much do you use it, is it mainly for calls or texts and are they incoming or outgoing, is keeping your current number important to you, Alan.
Sorry Hogan, I should have said...aside from using Hotspots
It is more for when not near any or unable to find one, but thanks for replying.
Have been told Vodaphone Dongle was good but that maybe they dont do the non-expiry contracts now.
How does it work if you use your mobile phone....do you pay as you go on that or can you get it added to your contract.
Edit.....
OK...my apologies for not giving enough info to start with.
I dont need access abroad - just in UK
Would be probably only 2 or 3 times a month at most.
I need it whilst on the road - not in cafe's or Petrol stations etc.
Usage would be to check emails, internet browsing for local areas of interest, maps etc.
I mention my mobile phone only in case it could be used for this purpose - I wasn't asking for help with it exactly...sorry if I confused the issue.
______________________________________________________________ "Just when I get my head together - my body is falling apart"
How does it work if you use your mobile phone....do you pay as you go on that or can you get it added to your contract.
That depends on your contract, and there are so many options and variations out there, this is not easy to answer.
If your phone is not on contract, and you want wifi on your phone, you could try 02 simplicity - a 30 day (monthly) contract, which is what I use. As an existing 02 customer, I negotiated a £10 a month deal, which includes fair usage free wifi, 400 minutes and 1000 texts - far more that I ever use, but at £10 incl. vat I couldn't beat it.
You need to "walk the high street" and visit all the providers, and see what they will offer you, and try playing one off against the other.
After your edit, sounds like a PAYG dongle is your best bet, and I believe Vodafone do one where the credit does not run out monthly, as most do!
______________________________________________________________ Michael. . . . . . When in doubt, try it anyway, and learn from your mistakes!
.......... I did - and I´m now yet another EX Marquis customer!
He who dies with the most toys is nonetheless - DEAD!
If your phone is not on contract, and you want wifi on your phone, you could try 02 simplicity - a 30 day (monthly) contract, which is what I use. As an existing 02 customer, I negotiated a £10 a month deal, which includes fair usage free wifi, 400 minutes and 1000 texts - far more that I ever use, but at £10 incl. vat I couldn't beat it.
After your edit, sounds like a PAYG dongle is your best bet, and I believe Vodafone do one where the credit does not run out monthly, as most do!
Wow, that sounds like an amazing deal with o2. I have been with them (or their predecessors) since mobile phones began and thought I had a good contract but yours beats it by miles. I pay £7.23 per month plus £10 for a 250 text bolt on + vat. It averages out at £20 per month and I always have texts and minutes left over every month. I was thinking of going on to the £10 a month SIM only contract but wanted to wait to see if I might need a contract where my mobile could be used to act as a connection to the internet for my netbook.....if that is possible. This could just be me getting confused of course
I'll definitely have a look at the mobile options again more closely but as far as Dongles go it does indeed look like the PAYG Vodaphone might be the best option for us.
Many thanks
M.
______________________________________________________________ "Just when I get my head together - my body is falling apart"
i have {to-day 12/04/2010}ordered a dongle from o2,a one off payment of 20 pounds for the dongle and when i need to use it 2pound a day.i will only use it maybe 2 days a month{4 pound}so this deal suits me.and its on a 30 day money back guarentee if its not suitable for you.hope this helps you.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
All times are GMT + 1 Hour Page 1 of 3Goto page 1, 2, 3Next
Germany
