Has anyone used a prepaid dongle?

If so, how did you find it and which one did you use?

'3' appears to be the best for internet/broadband use,but not having used one before, I'm a bit clueless.

I only need it for a couple of weeks or so..... because bt are so so busy...... that they can't get an engineer out to set up a line for nearly 3 weeks.

Basically just as good as a mobile phone with 3g.

I use three in Ireland too, coverage varies wildly tbh. The only way to check is borrow a 3g mobile on that companys network and see what coverage is like where you are.

Yeah im in a different country, but what andy said

I have two different providers, that run their own seperate tower networks, because one dont work well in some places, and vice versa.

But they work well when reception is good. I swap from one to the other if i am moving to a spot where reception is crap, usually one covers where the other is not so good.

You can also buy a few different kinds of aerials for them, I have one and it improves reception, an aerial is not so handy for mobile use/moving around but ok for the home PC or laptop at home, thats what i am talking about...they plug into the dongle. The one i have is like a box about 8 by 8 inches and improves reception quite a bit.

Hi pheony, I'm on a 3 mobile dongle. While I'm in the parents' house we have no in-house internet (the parents don't want it, gah) so it's the only way the child and I can be online. I bought the dongle with its allowance on (which never lasted more than 2 weeks, courtesy of the child) and thereafter just topped it up for £10 a time (which never lasted more than about 10 days... courtesy of the child)

Because we needed this longer term use (stuck here, house sales not happening, long story!) I'm now on a rolling contract of £15 per month. So far, the child has NEVER got to the end of the given allowance. It's a far cheaper option if you stay on the dongle for a good while; but you have to cancel the contract in writing 30 days before it ends. No problem for us - it's still the far cheaper option.

As for the thing itself: sticky, slooooow, temperamental, freezes, cuts off, very sensitive to where it's placed to get or keep a signal, but you get used to it if you have to. Nowhere near as fluent or reliable as the Real Thing, still it's better than nothing!

(If you're a bit rough-handed with it, like the child and you break it or bend the connections, you have to buy another one. *sighs* But I'm sure you have a lighter touch than a girl who is 13 tomorrow! )

*races in to see if thread is as dirty as it sounds*

I am disappoint. Further more, I know nothing of the technology of which you speak.

Ab Origine wrote:
Ha ha...It does sound a bit rude.

cantata wrote:
I think i'll go for the one that you are using and maybe try an ariel with it.

As you say...It's better than nothing and it's only for a little while.

pheony wrote:
You could always try it without the aerial first. In some spots they can work damn well without it...others not. Depends on the location and proximity to a tower.

Most of them would have a reception strength indicator in the software, shows up in the connection window/pop up that appears on your computer screen once you have installed it ... perhaps cantata can confirm if the 3 UK ones have that since it will be the same as the one you will buy.

If the reception is strong where you are it might work ok without an aerial.

novum wrote:
^^True^^

Just wanted to say...I got a dongle and it's working quite well.

Provided you can get a good connection to the network it's really good. That's all I ever use my telco costs are cheaper than having a bt line + bb and I consistently get better average speeds than people I know on a fixed line with BT or Sky.

pheony wrote:
Good! (I suspect being in London with its signal network helps!).

cantata wrote: .

Well, I moved out of inner London today...now a bit further out.

It's been great for use on the forum etc...but seems to be quite slow when I want to access my emails. It might need a little boast from a modem....not really sure if it's worth getting one though, as I only need the dongle for a couple of weeks.

pheony wrote:
Where abouts are you phe? May I officially welcome you to the sprawling mess that is 'Greater London'?

Ab Origine wrote:
Near Bromley...I was going to move further out, but got cold feet. Still not ready to leave London completely behind.

It's really nice here and everyone looks a lot more relaxed...I went into the bank this afternoon and the cashier actually smiled. ..You don't get that in Bow.

pheony wrote:
Happy Days in your new home, phe. (I'm jealous ).

Here, in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire (which is a big town, after all, and important for its central placing.....) it has taken me over 25 minutes to GET ON the internet and an hour to SEND and email.

cantata wrote:
Thankyou

Yes, once your on it's ok, but getting on is another story.

I got the 3 dongle, it will last for a month.When I bought it I was asked for my address....when I set it up....it took me ages ....It said I had an excellent connection for my home address, but wanted a password...which I don't have.So I am now using the 3 connection instead.

Errr.... it MIGHT last for a month, if you don't skin it with heavy use (like the child did), when it might last for 10 days. (you've bought an amount of giga wotsits really, rather than a definite number of days). *tip - youtube skins it really quickly*

cantata wrote:
Oh, thank you for telling me that...I only really come here in the evening, so It should last two weeks.

I bought the last one in the shop...it's 1GB.

I've already gone through 200Gigs since 1st june

Not on 3g ofc...