Advice on dongles please? Which one have you got??

[returningstress]

I have heard some dongles are really slow, so just wondering which ones others have got? And if they are qick or slow? Also has anyone got a pay as you go one?

i have a vodaphone dongle, its a pay-as-you-go thing

really it depends how strong the signal is in your area, the connection in fine if the signal is strong (but no were near as fast as my router), but very slow in areas where it is not strong

There is a website that lets you check how strong the signal is in your area, will try and find it for you

uk coverage

Thats really helpful, thank you I'll have a look...

returning, there's no noticeable difference in speed for different dongles (I have used most of them in my job).
It depends on 2 things: how many bars of network you've got, and what kind of network is available in your area.
The latest networks are faster. Check what it says on the dashboard (the program installed on your laptop). You may see GPRS, 3G, 3G+, BB, UMTS, HSPA - they indicate different kinds of networks, but you may see a marketing name, rather than the real name of the network.

I have found that the internet

• is very slow for GPRS
• looks a bit slow for a standard UMTS network, but is an OK user experience (3G)
• looks like wired broadband for HSDPA or HSUPA(enhancements of UMTS)

The newest thing is LTE (long term evolution), not yet available in the UK, I think.

I had vodaphone and it was horrendous, but only when I was at home (Surrey) if I went into London with it, it was fine. Had a hard time with vodaphone with refund etc.

I have a few friends who work in IT and, when I asked them about it a couple of months ago, they reccomended 3 (Three).

I use 3. Its quite good and its used in a poor coverage area.

If you know someone who has one it might be useful to try it, as vodaphone said they had coverage in the area, but it turned out to be rubbish.