Internet help

[tefal]

We will be moving back to the UK soon. Until we are sorted we won't have broadband and we expect this to be for around 2-3 weeks. We still need access though so thought about a dongle. I have no idea how these things work though. I don't want to have to find a WIFI spot or log into someone elses internet. I just want to put the dongle in and get internet no matter where I am. Is this possible and what would you recommend?

Also, we have phones here that will be unlocked before we leave. Both have the facility to have e-mail, ie blackberry and iphone. If I look for prepaid sim cards for us for the first few weeks until we can get a contract, do I need to get something that will allow email or do they do this automatically? I am looking at getting these things sent over from the UK so possibly buying from ebay uk.

Thanks for any help. Total novice though so easy terms please!

DH has a dongle for his laptop - it works just like a little mobile phone, so you don't have to worry about WIFI hotspots or anyone else's network. You just need decent coverage for that mobile network provider.

Think of it like it's using a mobile instead of your house phone line. His is with O2 but all the big networks do them.

I believe the blackberry needs the sim to be enabled before email works - based on the fact that for PAYG most Phone networks seem to charge extra for enabling that feature.

You could get a mobile broadband dongle online.vodafone.co.uk/broadband/mobile-broadband (not that I recommend Vodaphone, just an example). Pretty much everyone offers them so you can go price shoopping.

Watch out for 3G coverage where you are going to live though, it's pretty hairy from what I understand.

OK. Thanks very much for this. If I buy a dongle from say vodafone or O2, can I just pay for say a month and then never use the thing again?

Yes you can get "pay as you go" ones, so you'd be able to just buy it and use it for the month, and then chuck it in a drawer and not use it again. There's other ones with a contract, but there's be no point with that when you just need it for a little while.

You might find it better value to buy something s/h on Ebay (from someone with a 99.5+% rating) as there are Vodafone SIMs with 1 GB of data for about a tenner on there.

Or consider a USB dongle with 3GB of data - just an example - ~5 hours to go as I post. That would only be suitable for a laptop [the Three phone network may not accept your phones]. You don't give a clue as to where you plan to go so would really have to consider (need a postcode) which network to try when you check for mobile coverage.

If both your devices have wi-fi, or money is not a problem, then a Three MiFi (combined mobile network net access + wifi router) would allow both devices to connect at the same time, again, this really depends on where in UK you will be going. You might get a deal with a GB or 3 GB from a Three store, or if they charge a small fortune, might find 3 GB (valid for 3 Months) on Ebay for 7 to 9 pounds.

(I have used a "3 month or 3 GB, whichever runs out first" SIM bought on Ebay with no problem. When you go to Three.co.uk and check balance it shows 90 days and allowance of approx 3000 MB, so if the info there is wrong, challenge seller and get a refund.)