Paying for a laptop dongle

[sddsddean]

I know how a dongle works and I just want to check I've got the payment scenario right. If I want to get a pay as you go dongle, I select one (lets say T Mobile) and buy it for £15 (say). It comes with 15GB of Download. When it runs out a message will come up saying something like 'buy another 15GB for £10'. Is this how it works?(don't worry about figures, just the principle). Also, realistically, just e mailing and a bit of surfing (like looking at Answerbank) how long does 10 GB last? Thanks

[society]

Good question. Hope someone come along soon to answer.

[dotty.]

that's the pay as you go one, you can get monthly payment ones on 12 or 18 month contracts and varying amounts of download limits, the fair usage policy applies, on the ones you mean, and the pay monthly ones. The only difference with the ones you zare thinking of getting is that you are not tied to a contract. The dongle gets it's signal from the mobile phone mast so be sure to get one that will work in your area.

[dotty.]

you will have unlimited surfing, (though the fair usage small print will apply) it'sa when you download music or videos that you use alot more.

[society]

Is there such a thing as an international Dongle? One which would allow you to pick up signals world wide?

[dotty.]

They work via mobile phone networks and so each country will sell ones that are compatable with their main mobile metworks I assume,

[society]

So I'll have to buy a dongle from which ever every country I visit?

[Whickerman]

yip - mate of mine is spending a few months in France and damned if he can get a provider for less than 12 months. If you use the one from home, it can cost anything up to £5 per MB!

[society]

Thanks Dotty and Wickerman.

[sddsddean]

Thanks for the answers.

No d'loading music/films, just 'normal' surfing, so sounds like I'd be OK for a while.

I just want one for my laptop to 'keep in contact' while I'm on holiday in the UK, so just want a PAYG one (no contract) for a fairly short (2-3 weeks) time.

With regard to connection, as its in the UK, presumably any of the UK phone network ones will work as good as their phone (EG I've an O2 phone, so would get the same coverage with a O2 dongle).

[bibblebub]

I use a 3 Mobile dongle with a monthly limit of 15GB and I do hours of surfing every day with some viewing of streamed video (other than what you might come generally across on websites e.g. BBC) together with downloading programs of several 10s of MB every couple of days or so, and my monthly usage is 9-12 GB per month.

Whilst the penalty for going over the 15GB limit in my contract is very expensive I haven't yet found that I've needed to curtail my internet activity as the month ends approach.

If you haven't already done so, use a program that records your internet access to keep a check on how much you are using - the one I use is Networx http://www.softperfect.com/products/networx/ which I have found good enough for my purposes but there are various others available.

[dotty.]

i you have an O2 store near you go in and see them because you may get a better deal if you are already an o2 customer.

[sddsddean]

I'd already thought of that dotty

Thanks bibble, that sounds like the sort of thing I'd do, but probably much less as I'm on hols and like I say just keeping in touch, so I should think 10 GB would be ample. I'll d'load that app and see what I do normally.

Thanks again

[dotty.]

but remember you need the pay as you go one that isn't a tied in contract needing a direct debit, the pay as you go dongles get credit added at a paypoint in say a SPAR or Co-Op

[sddsddean]

OK

[tara20]

Does the pay as you go system work for an iPad too?
It only needs to be for about 10 days in the UK, since roaming is extortionate.

[booboo67]

i'd recommend buying a 3 dongle and sim card. top up sim with £10 by voucher then create an account on line. use £5 to buy internet add on. will last 3 months easily, with just normal usage. then use your other £5 after that. coverage is great on 3g most of the time but switches itself over to 2g orange when it cant find 3g.
just when you set up account, click phone (any phone) you still can use sim to use 3 to 3 minutes!