Talk

Flip

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

Living overseas

anyone in france can you advise on mobile internet and save my marriage?

6 replies

areyoutheregoditsmemargaret · 02/08/2011 09:18

We're off to France on Sat for a week and dh has announced last night he can't come because he's expecting a big data package to arrive and there's no wifi where we're staying. He does need to look at this package asap (it's a movie so will be a huge download) and will then probably need to skype a few times. Therefore an internet cafe etc won't cut it. As it stands dh isn't coming on holiday and I am going to kill him. I've been looking in to buying dongles etc but neither him, nor me, really understand them. Anyone who can help work out the cheapeast way to get unlimited downloads in France for a week will have saved our marriage

OP posts:

Report

MmeLindor. · 02/08/2011 23:52

Go into an Orange store and ask for a dongle. You will need your passport.

Not sure if this will work

Basically you want a USB dongle (in French a "clé") without a contract (sans engagement)

You can get this for about ?50, which will give him 2GBs of data free. And if you need more, you can recharge it by buying a recharge card in the Orange store. 2GBs is about 130 hours of surfing, according to the website.

Report

MmeLindor. · 02/08/2011 23:55

Oh, it did work.

I did this when I was in France and it worked fine. Make sure that you will have mobile internet service in the area you are in - normally you do but in very remote areas the reception could be patchy.

Report

areyoutheregoditsmemargaret · 03/08/2011 10:13

Thanks very much - dh is dubious a dongle will work as he needs to watch a movie in real time - he can't download it, he thinks it will be too jerky. Colleagues are now trying to get it to him before Sat so hopefully this will be resolved but if not will def try what you suggest or if not he'll have to book into a hotel with wifi for two days.

OP posts:

Report

chickflit · 03/08/2011 13:34

Free wifi in MaccyD's he could just keep topping up his coffee and and doing his work there (I have been known to do this several times when I've lost internet connection at home).

Try a library, although this might be tricky if you're not a resident as in mine you have to buy a year's subscription - but is only about 20 euros so any port in a storm and all that.

Report

areyoutheregoditsmemargaret · 03/08/2011 19:30

He's now bought a dongle and seems to think it might be the solution after all. Thanks very much for the French vocab Mmelindor - my French is OK but it was learned waaaay before the advent of the internet and my techie vocab is shaky enough in English, let alone French. If you see a stressed couple in a mobile shop in the Dordogne area on Monday, that's us

OP posts:

Report

areyoutheregoditsmemargaret · 04/08/2011 20:51

For anyone who can still bear to follow this - the download is going to arrive before we leave and in a format that can be transmitted to a disc, so that side of the problem solved. However, now dh is in a state about the amount of calls he'll need to make next week re the download. Can we buy a payg mobile and use some cheapo number to make calls to the UK and the US? We won't have landline access. I am so fed up with this, a week with dh on the phone is going to be such fun.