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temporary internet connection in UK. How?


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We're going to the UK for several months and would like to get internet access whilst there. I'm very out of touch with the newer technologies but our laptop has a WiFi capability.  We have no UK mobile and I don't want to take out a years contract with an ISP.  If we buy a mobile over there is there any way to connect  and does anybody have any experience of this.  I don't want to use internet cafes as some secure (banking) will have to be done.  We are also likely to be moving around the country during our stay.  Thanks for the help and I'm sorry if this sounds a bit vague!!  I'll try and clarify if required.  Best wishes  John
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We recently spent time in the UK and purchased a TopUp and Go Vodafone dongle to use with our netbook. Cost about £35 as there was a special offer at the time, including 1GB of download which normally costs £15. It simply connects to your USB port and automatically downloads the software you need. Connecting is simplicity itself being virtually automatic and in built up areas is usually to the 3G network if it's available, or to GPRS which is slower. After one weeks use we still have £10 of download time to use when we return to the UK.

O2, 3 (see Simons comments) and T Mobile have similar offers but we opted for Vodafone because one top up lasts up to 160 days (max 1GB download) and you can top up using a £15 voucher or by credit card on line. Walk down any High Street and compare the offers before you decide which suits your needs best. They are supposedly as secure as a mobile phone as essentially that is how they work. Some High Street chains (eg Costa Coffee and Wetherspoons) have free wifi connections and are OK for checking e-mails and surfing the web. Your local library may have wifi but at a price. Obviously make sure your virusguard, firewall etc are fully up to date.

Peter

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Pay As You Go Mobile Broadband modems (aka “dongles”) are much cheaper in the UK than in France – all the networks offer them.

I’ve had a 3 dongle for over a year and been pleased with the performance.  The prices have come down a lot – a PAYG dongle is now £29.99 and £10 top up gives you 1gB of data for up to 30 days.  You just buy a top up voucher every 30 days (unless you use up your credit sooner).  £49.99 gets you a dongle and 3gB allowance valid for up to 3 months, which would work out £10 cheaper than topping up each month (so long as you are staying 3 months!)

As with mobile phones, reception can vary by network and location.  All the networks offer a money back (except for the credit) guarantee if no reception where you intend you use the dongle, so if you bought (for example) a Vodafone one and found it didn’t work where you will be staying, you could take it back and buy another network and find it works fine.  The network websites have coverage checkers so you can enter the postcode of where you are planning to stay and see which claims the best coverage.

Mobile phones are much cheaper too – you can buy PAYG phones from as little as about £5 from shops like Carphone Warehouse, Argos, Phones 4U and big supermarkets…..

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The mobile broadband dongles are excellent IF you can get a signal.

I have one supplied by work and its virtually useless anywhere outside of a large population area so make sure it will work where you need it.  As Ecossais says,   covererage varies from network to network but I haven't found one yet that works satisfactorily everywhere.  I haven't found the network cover charts to be very reliable either,  especially in rural hilly areas  where a signal can come and go in a matter of a few metres.

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