Re: Mobile Internet

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Jim Kewley <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Dunno how many here are internet nerds, like me. In my attempts to
> maintain a web connection on our travels with the van, I bought a 3
> mobile PAYG dongle internet connection thingy. Big mistake.
>
> 3 mobile appears to offer the cheapest way of getting on the web
> whilst travelling, consequently I bought one of their dongles. Sadly
> 3 mobile merely serves to emphasise the truth of ' you get what you
> pay for '. Despite the apparent value in it's bandwidth offering the
> truth is most of the time the connection is so slow and unreliable,
> with frequent dropped lines, that anybody would be hard pressed to
> take advantage of the bandwidth available.
>
> Finally, after my umpteenth dropped/slow connection, I gave up with 3
> and decided to try an O2 version of a similar PAYG dongle set up. O2
> is slightly more expensive than 3 but so far I've found it's
> connections to be consistently far better and so much more reliable
> than 3 mobile.
> Sent from the Caravan Club, Wirral Country Park site, via my O2 PAYG
> connection. O2 is retaining a steady 3G connection at 3.6 gigs,
> checking the 3 mobile dongle it seems to be struggling to find a GPRS
> connection at 56 mbs.
>
> HTH for anybody interested.

I too bought a '3' dongle, and have been very disappointed with its
performance. I don't think I've *ever* achieved download speeds in excess of
1Mbps, and it's often not much better than dial-up speeds. In a recent
caravan trip to the New Forest I couldn't make the bl**dy thing work at at,
despite having had some sort of connection on the same site a few weeks
earlier - and despite hoisting the dongle high up outside the caravan on the
end of a USB extension lead.

The version I bought came bundled with 12G of usage - which expires after 12
months - and further top ups cost £10 for 1G or 1 month - whichever occurs
first. [There's no way I'm going to use 12G in 12 months because my use is
only occasional, when away from home - but it was a reasonably good deal at
the time].

One of the problems with the '3' setup (apart from it not working!) is that
it's time limited. So, for example, if you want to use it on a short caravan
trip, you have to buy a month's worth, and if you go on another trip (say) 6
weeks later, you have to buy another month's worth even if you've only used
a fraction of the previous month's bandwidth.

I see that Vodaphone are now offering a PAYG BB dongle for £39 - including a
bundled 1G of usage. AIUI - unlike the equivalent '3' offereng - this
doesn't time out, so you don't have to top it up until you actually run out
of bandwidth. Top-ups appear to cost £15 per 1G (as opposed to 3's £10) but,
if they don't expire after one month, may represent better value for
occasional users.

When my year's worth of '3' expires, I shall be very tempted to ditch '3'
and try Vodaphone instead - particularly if user reports in the meantime are
favourable.

Anyone got any experience of Vodaphone mobile broadband?

[I'm cross-posting this to uk.telecom.broadband and uk.telecom.mobile
because I think it's of wider interest than just the caravanning fraternity]
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

I bought the Voda dongle - it works fine. There is a requirement to use
it periodically (I think once every 120 days). My main requirement is
to collect e-mails and do very basic web searches, look at train times,
stuff like that, on the few days I am away from home. E-mail collection
is very cheap - the balance goes down by about 10p every time I use it.
I still have over £14 left so GOK how Vodafone will make much money out
of me. I guess if my home office broadband goes down I will use it as a
backup, again mainly for e-mail so might spend a bit then.

I collect from a number of POP 3 addresses using Thunderbird,and an
associate company's Outlook web mail system. It connects via 3G when it
can and GPRS when it can't. Speed has not been an issue - but I am not
trying to download large files apart from the odd excel spreadsheet, and
am quite happy to sip my coffee whilst it gets on with things.

They are so cheap now - less than half a tank of petrol - and if I
travelled a lot I would be tempted to have 2 or 3 from different
networks and use whichever is best on the day. With some hotels
charging £15 a night for wireless access in London, it's a no brainer.
Beats having to eat in Macdonalds for their free wifi too.

It has a Micro SD card slot, so can use it as a memory stick as well.
One less thing to carry.

I am a very happy customer.




In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Roger Mills
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
>Jim Kewley <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Dunno how many here are internet nerds, like me. In my attempts to
>> maintain a web connection on our travels with the van, I bought a 3
>> mobile PAYG dongle internet connection thingy. Big mistake.
>>
>> 3 mobile appears to offer the cheapest way of getting on the web
>> whilst travelling, consequently I bought one of their dongles. Sadly
>> 3 mobile merely serves to emphasise the truth of ' you get what you
>> pay for '. Despite the apparent value in it's bandwidth offering the
>> truth is most of the time the connection is so slow and unreliable,
>> with frequent dropped lines, that anybody would be hard pressed to
>> take advantage of the bandwidth available.
>>
>> Finally, after my umpteenth dropped/slow connection, I gave up with 3
>> and decided to try an O2 version of a similar PAYG dongle set up. O2
>> is slightly more expensive than 3 but so far I've found it's
>> connections to be consistently far better and so much more reliable
>> than 3 mobile.
>> Sent from the Caravan Club, Wirral Country Park site, via my O2 PAYG
>> connection. O2 is retaining a steady 3G connection at 3.6 gigs,
>> checking the 3 mobile dongle it seems to be struggling to find a GPRS
>> connection at 56 mbs.
>>
>> HTH for anybody interested.
>
>I too bought a '3' dongle, and have been very disappointed with its
>performance. I don't think I've *ever* achieved download speeds in excess of
>1Mbps, and it's often not much better than dial-up speeds. In a recent
>caravan trip to the New Forest I couldn't make the bl**dy thing work at at,
>despite having had some sort of connection on the same site a few weeks
>earlier - and despite hoisting the dongle high up outside the caravan on the
>end of a USB extension lead.
>
>The version I bought came bundled with 12G of usage - which expires after 12
>months - and further top ups cost £10 for 1G or 1 month - whichever occurs
>first. [There's no way I'm going to use 12G in 12 months because my use is
>only occasional, when away from home - but it was a reasonably good deal at
>the time].
>
>One of the problems with the '3' setup (apart from it not working!) is that
>it's time limited. So, for example, if you want to use it on a short caravan
>trip, you have to buy a month's worth, and if you go on another trip (say) 6
>weeks later, you have to buy another month's worth even if you've only used
>a fraction of the previous month's bandwidth.
>
>I see that Vodaphone are now offering a PAYG BB dongle for £39 - including a
>bundled 1G of usage. AIUI - unlike the equivalent '3' offereng - this
>doesn't time out, so you don't have to top it up until you actually run out
>of bandwidth. Top-ups appear to cost £15 per 1G (as opposed to 3's £10) but,
>if they don't expire after one month, may represent better value for
>occasional users.
>
>When my year's worth of '3' expires, I shall be very tempted to ditch '3'
>and try Vodaphone instead - particularly if user reports in the meantime are
>favourable.
>
>Anyone got any experience of Vodaphone mobile broadband?
>
>[I'm cross-posting this to uk.telecom.broadband and uk.telecom.mobile
>because I think it's of wider interest than just the caravanning fraternity]

--
Richard C

"Roger Mills" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> Jim Kewley <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Dunno how many here are internet nerds, like me. In my attempts to
>> maintain a web connection on our travels with the van, I bought a 3
>> mobile PAYG dongle internet connection thingy. Big mistake.
>>
>> 3 mobile appears to offer the cheapest way of getting on the web
>> whilst travelling, consequently I bought one of their dongles. Sadly
>> 3 mobile merely serves to emphasise the truth of ' you get what you
>> pay for '. Despite the apparent value in it's bandwidth offering the
>> truth is most of the time the connection is so slow and unreliable,
>> with frequent dropped lines, that anybody would be hard pressed to
>> take advantage of the bandwidth available.
>>
>> Finally, after my umpteenth dropped/slow connection, I gave up with 3
>> and decided to try an O2 version of a similar PAYG dongle set up. O2
>> is slightly more expensive than 3 but so far I've found it's
>> connections to be consistently far better and so much more reliable
>> than 3 mobile.
>> Sent from the Caravan Club, Wirral Country Park site, via my O2 PAYG
>> connection. O2 is retaining a steady 3G connection at 3.6 gigs,
>> checking the 3 mobile dongle it seems to be struggling to find a GPRS
>> connection at 56 mbs.
>>
>> HTH for anybody interested.
>
> I too bought a '3' dongle, and have been very disappointed with its
> performance. I don't think I've *ever* achieved download speeds in excess
> of 1Mbps, and it's often not much better than dial-up speeds. In a recent
> caravan trip to the New Forest I couldn't make the bl**dy thing work at
> at, despite having had some sort of connection on the same site a few
> weeks earlier - and despite hoisting the dongle high up outside the
> caravan on the end of a USB extension lead.
>
>
I've been using 3internet for 5quid month for some time now with a
smartphone as a modem, and it's acceptable most of the time.
The way I look at it is as mobile BB, at dial up prices.

Last week went for the much published 3 dongle of a fiver deal
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...html?t=1703797

Unlocked it using , flash files
http://rapidshare.com/files/235523732/ZTE2.rar.html

and Telstra connection manager, with 3 settings
Now it's unlocked i can experiment with other networks.

I've tried Virgin Mobile's 30p per day internet, which works fine
except Virgins billing computer sometimes forgets 30p per day,
and debts at per mb rate, emptying my credit! ;-(

Now to try some other networks sims

Steve Terry

"Roger Mills" <(E-Mail Removed)>typed


> Anyone got any experience of Vodaphone mobile broadband?

> [I'm cross-posting this to uk.telecom.broadband and uk.telecom.mobile
> because I think it's of wider interest than just the caravanning fraternity]

My Vodafone mobile broadband is reasonable value for money. Speed is
very variable but you can usually get something as it defaults to GPRS
if there's no 3 signal.

It's fine to collect emails. I'm too mean to surf much with it (though
35p kept me enteertained all day a fortnight ago).

--
Helen D. Vecht: (E-Mail Removed)
Edgware.

"Woody" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:f0r1m.312$(E-Mail Removed)2...
> As a point of interest, three of four CC sites that we have stayed on in the
> last three weeks had wi-fi - but at (cheapest) £2.25 for 15mins or £6.99 for an
> hour I think I'll pass.
>
> Aren't we paying enough for membership and site fees for them to NOT charge
> hotel prices? If McD's can do it for free why not the CC - for members at least?
>
>
> --
> Woody
>
> harrogate three at ntlworld dot com
>

I've just put the July 09 CC Mag down

Wi-Fi at over £30.00 for a month is a pure RIP OFF

Any way I cant remember the last time I took a TV away with me

The only time I now take my net book away with me is when I need it for route
planning

Those that MIGHT need me urgently , have my mobile number and they're told to text
me

Most of the news on tele I don't want to hear anyway

It can be read a few days later in some else's discarded newspaper ;-))

DieSea

See you at York next Sunday Woody ??

Woody wrote:

> As a point of interest, three of four CC sites that we have
> stayed on in the last three weeks had wi-fi - but at (cheapest)
> £2.25 for 15mins or £6.99 for an hour I think I'll pass.

WTF? I think it's fair to say at that kind of price, Wifi in caravan parks
is going to disappear because everybody will be using 3G instead.

--
<http://ale.cx/> (AIM:troffasky) ((E-Mail Removed))
23:44:46 up 52 days, 7:02, 2 users, load average: 0.12, 0.08, 0.08
A few flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction

> It can be read a few days later in some else's discarded newspaper ;-))
>
> DieSea

Midgie raker ........ :~)

On Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:45:23 +0100, alexd <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Woody wrote:
>
>> As a point of interest, three of four CC sites that we have
>> stayed on in the last three weeks had wi-fi - but at (cheapest)
>> £2.25 for 15mins or £6.99 for an hour I think I'll pass.
>
>WTF? I think it's fair to say at that kind of price, Wifi in caravan parks
>is going to disappear because everybody will be using 3G instead.

I would agree. Both the CC and C&CC seem to have outsourced the Wifi
to third parties that no doubt have paid for the infrastructure and
are now trying to recoup the cost.

I think it is a case that if they reduced the charges to a more
realistic level they would actually increase the revenue as people
like me would use it instead of my Vodafone PAYG dongle.

The C&CC rates are:

£4 for an hour
£7 for a day
£12 for two days
£25 for seven days
£40 for 14 days
£125 for a whole year

The CC rates are:

1 hour - £5 (Valid for use over 72 hours from first log in)
4 hours - £8 (Valid for use over 92 hours from first log in)
7 days - £20
30 days - £33

What I am not sure about is if you buy, say, 30 days on a CC site, can
you then use it at any CC site with Wifi? I never stay on any one site
for more than 4 or 5 days. CC sites use KeZone and their web site
says that once you have your username and password you can use it at
any KeZone hotspot and BT Openzone site.

On the subject of the Vodafone service, I have found this to be
excellent and I have always been able to get at least GPRS in some
pretty remote locations in Scotland. I have a motorhome and whilst my
wife tops up the food at supermarkets as we travel between sites, I do
whatever is necessary with the usual 3G connection you get in towns
and can then cope with GPRS on the sites.

As a further point to note, I found the USB modem a pain and as I have
an expresscard slot on my laptop, bough an out of contract Vodafone
datacard (which Vodafone only offer with a business contract) and put
my USB modem SIM card in it. It works perfectly and is a lot more
user friendly. These datacards also come with a PCMCIA adaptor.

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:34:10 +0100, "Colin Jackson"
<cojack6ATbtinternetDOTcom> wrote:

>Southlands has now been taken over by the Caravan Club, if CC&C can't offer
>this I might change.
>
>Colin

I stayed at Southlands a couple of weeks ago and enquired what had
happened to the Wi-Fi. I was told that the previous owner took the
kit with him and the CC Club had not yet decided whether or not to put
in their own system. Vodafone only gives GPRS there and you have to
go a mile or so down the road towards Sandown to get 3G.

I did get an answer from the CC Club today to my question. If you
biuy a voucher on one site then you can use it on any of their sites
that have Wi-Fi until it expires. There are currently 38 sites with
Wi-Fi listed.

Although I have been using Vodafone PAYG mobile broadband I make a
point of checking Wi-Fi coverage on any sites where it is installed. I
stayed at the otherwise excellent CC site at Onich last month and the
Wi-Fi signal was useless unless you were very close to the transmitter
by reception. This was ackowledged by the wardens. In contrast I
noted that the C&CC Club Site at Delamere Forest had transmitter
repeaters sensibly sited.

Not all Wi-Fi is created equal....

In uk.telecom.mobile Roger Mills <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

: One of the problems with the '3' setup (apart from it not working!) is that
: it's time limited. So, for example, if you want to use it on a short caravan
: trip, you have to buy a month's worth, and if you go on another trip (say) 6
: weeks later, you have to buy another month's worth even if you've only used
: a fraction of the previous month's bandwidth.

This isn't true if you use a 3 PAYG SIM - rather than the dongle's own SIM -
in a 3 Dongle! Then you get (in addition to only £5/Gb for 30 days) daily
and weekly Internet topup options.

: I see that Vodaphone are now offering a PAYG BB dongle for ?39 - including a
: bundled 1G of usage. AIUI - unlike the equivalent '3' offereng - this
: doesn't time out, so you don't have to top it up until you actually run out
: of bandwidth.

This is true - but is *not* available in "SIm-only" form.