UKC

Internet access options...advice needed

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 Kimono 23 Apr 2014
I will be back in the UK for the summer next month.
I don't have a telephone line at home as I'm only there for 6 months of the year.

What are my options if I want to get internet access for 6 months only?
Should I be thinking about 'dongles'? And if so, how do they work?

Last year I got a data package on my phone and then tethered to that but the 'unlimited' package was far from unlimited!

All advice gratefully received
 Justin T 23 Apr 2014
In reply to Kimono:

Tethering to your phone is one option but depends on your provider as to whether that's permitted and how much data you're allowed. As far as I know no operator offers a truly unlimited package that allows you to tether for obvious reasons.

A usb dongle will work for one PC. You can get a 3g personal router / MiFi device (search eBay) which will give you a personal WiFi hotspot from a 3g-enabled SIM card which will allow you to use several (ie laptop / phone etc simultaneously).

The question for either is what SIM to put in it - this depends on how much data you're going to use (hard to know initially) and coverage available where you want to use it. Personally I rate GiffGaff - you can get a free SIM from their site and data-only package with 3gb/month for £12.50.

Other option is find a neighbour with WiFi and see if you can use it for the cost of a few beers?
KevinD 23 Apr 2014
In reply to Kimono:

> What are my options if I want to get internet access for 6 months only?

You can get some shorter term deals for internet access etc. Mostly aimed at the student market but there are some others.
Plusnet for example do it, including line rental. However havent used myself

> Should I be thinking about 'dongles'? And if so, how do they work?

Dongles are effectively specialised mobile phones which just do data.
Come as either a usb stick or a standalone device which acts as a mini wifi router.
Then you buy a data package from the provider.
Many phones can act as a wifi router so might be worth looking at that instead.

> Last year I got a data package on my phone and then tethered to that but the 'unlimited' package was far from unlimited!

Often is the case. look at Three or giff gaff although Three is not as a good as it used to be. Did used to have true unlimited data but now in tethering mode its restricted to 2gig. That said that may be more than enough.

 Carolyn 23 Apr 2014
In reply to Kimono:

Also worth considering where you are in UK - urban areas will have more 3G coverage than rural. If you are rural, then you might want to find out which networks get good local coverage - eg our house, it's O2 or nothing.
OP Kimono 23 Apr 2014
In reply to Kimono:

Thanks for replies.
Looks like a mifi router may be the way to go.
I live in Llangollen in North wales and it seems only orange is on 3G there.

Does giffgaff 'piggyback' on other providers?
Kipper 23 Apr 2014
In reply to Kimono:


> Does giffgaff 'piggyback' on other providers?

O2 I think.

Orange is EE these days.



 balmybaldwin 24 Apr 2014
In reply to Kimono:

Do you know if you can pick up a neighbours signal where you are living? Or even better a bt wifi hotspot?

Bt wifi isnt expensive, and theres alot of hotspots even in my rural village. Otherwise, do a deal with a neighbour
OP Kimono 24 Apr 2014
In reply to balmybaldwin:

can you believe that not one of my neighbours has wifi?? Its like living in the Dark Ages here

No BT either
 Scarab9 24 Apr 2014
In reply to Kimono:


you've got 3 basic options.

1+get broadband in the house.
2+use a mobile/dongle (basically the same)
3+use broadband outside the house

1/ your neighbours don't have it, you have no phone line. You're stuck.
What I'd suggest is get the phone line put in, except the £15 ish a month for the 6 months you're not there (assuming you can't find a short term contract for it but I've done one google search below for you, you can do that bit). Then look at these short term contracts for broadband - http://www.uswitch.com/broadband/compare/short_contract_broadband/

2/ someone said above 3mobile now have a 2G tether limit. That may be more up to date than my experience, but I was broadbandless about a year ago ish and then again about 8 months ago ish. the first time I went nearly 6 weeks tethering, the second was I thnk about 2-3 weeks using my 3mobile phone. Surprisingly fast at 2mb/second, I was streaming films on netflix, music on spotify, spending a lot of time browsing (I was in the middle of researching for going self employed so was doing a LOT online) and even managed a little bit of gaming during that time at decent speed!
May have helped that I was using an app called PDANET+ (paid the £6 for the premium version which was worth it) so it might have got aroudn the normal limits. Also helps IMMENSELY with config issues between different phones and network card issues. I still use it now at times.

3/ what do you need the net for? If it's just now and then a lot of bars and cafes now have wifi. I sometimes work out of the local wetherspoons for a change of scenery. Their wifi goes a bit crap in the evening for some reason but during the day it's pretty good. Free refills on your filter coffee until 9-2pm too!
 The Lemming 24 Apr 2014
In reply to Kimono:



If you tether a mobile device to a phone, how could the phone provider tell that you are tethering?

I could understand if a phone got spotted connecting to a full version of a website if a laptop or PC was working from a phone but how could a Phone company tell if a Tablet was tethered to a phone?
OP Kimono 24 Apr 2014
In reply to Scarab9:

Thanks S, thats a pretty comprehensive reply.
I guess i think of the options, i shall try to just use the data through my phone for now…maybe see if i can get a better plan with them with a data-only package on a new sim.

James Jackson 24 Apr 2014
In reply to The Lemming:

Some phones can have two different gateway addresses for native connections and for tethered. I know vodafone used to charge iPhone users to tether (and they knew because of the different gateway addresses).

However, this changed when it was pointed out that Android users had the same gateway address for both access methods, and were therefore the tethering usage counted as part of their contract data allowance.
 The Lemming 24 Apr 2014
In reply to James Jackson:



Brain hurts. Sorry but I don't understand.
James Jackson 24 Apr 2014
In reply to The Lemming:

To access a web page from a phone, your phone must use a 'proxy'. Think of it as a relay service; a 'man in the middle'. There can be more than one of these men in the middle, each with a different address.

If you address traffic to one, it's totted up against your data allowance. If you address traffic to the other, you get charged extra.

The addresses are hard-coded in the phone setup your network sends when your SIM gets registered. Thankfully this practice has now stopped (but mobile networks still rip us off on data and roaming charges).
In reply to Kimono:

My mobile is on the one plan from three and it definitely includes totally unlimited data and allows tethering.
Bonni82 24 Apr 2014
In reply to jonathan shepherd:

Mine is too..I would suggest getting a sim only contract with three, its about £17 a month, including unlimited data and tethering. I run my entire house tethering through my s4, laptops and tablet. Its great value.
OP Kimono 25 Apr 2014
In reply to Kimono:
well, lets see if 3 works where i live.
But totally unlimited? id be surprised
Post edited at 02:45

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...