Internet - probably been done to death but....

[BIG MAC]

I am looking for a reasonably priced way of getting internet access while in France. No Wifi near us and mobile signals dodgy unless Orange.

We are only there a few weeks of the year and the house is a project so don't want anything permanent just yet.

I was wondering if I could get an Orange phone on unlimited net access and use it as a modem to run a laptop for myself and the missus. Would this fry a phone?...is it even possible?

Thanks

[Quillan]

I think that what you are talking about is 'Tethering' or as some people call it 'Internet Sharing'. Rather than going through it all thus creating a very large post I found the following link. You will need a smartphone and probably it will need to be Android powered. I use this system myself but not for Internet access but to copy or move data wirelessly between one phone and a tablet, it works very well. I did discover (by accident) that as both my devices automatically connect to my home network that I could also access the Internet on my tablet via my mobile phone when the two were paired.

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/mobile-phone/3441165/how-use-your-smartphone-as-wi-fi-hotspot/

I found this using Google and my search parameters were "using cell phone for wifi hotspot".

DO TAKE NOTICE OF THE WARNING IN THE ARTICLE, IF YOU DON'T YOU COULD END UP WITH A VERY HIGH BILL.

Sorry for the caps but I don't want to get the blame if you recieve a massive bill.

ED Sorry for the spelling mistakes which I hope have now been corrected.

[PaulT]

Remember though, as stated in the article, this way of use is normally not permissible within the contract.

You can turn on and off an Orange landline and this might be cheaper. For us spending up to 5 months in France it would have been marginally so just a few weeks would be much cheaper than having it connected full time.

[Thibault]

We bought a dongle from EE. This allows you to buy a Eurobooster - £10 for 50Mb which you use and then buy another one when that runs out.

We didn't think it would work because we have a very intermittent mobile phone signal, but it does and we have been very happy with it.

It's easy to top up on line. There are a number of different options to choose from.

[DerekJ]

Whilst I'm continue to prevaricate over getting a phone line/internet installed I (very) occasionally tether my laptop to my iphone.

I'm on o2 on a monthly contract and have their o2 Travel Bolt-on. This allows a daily usage on 15Mb per day for £1.99 per day of actual usage.

ie. if you don't use data you don't get charged the £1.99. As you near your 15Mb allowance you get a text message telling you that you are about to run out of your allowance. If you go over the 15Mb you just get cutoff, it doesn't go on billing you increments of £1.99.

If you need more data that day you can text them and you get a new block of 15Mb at £1.99.

It's ok for occasional use but too expensive for any  serious use... but at least you aren't running up an uncontrolled bill.

[Pierre ZFP]

Big Mac, you say in your OP that your mobile signal is dodgy (except orange) so in practise there would be no difference between a tethered phone on Orange or a Dongle from Orange.  You could of course get an Orange data sim and stick it directly in your laptop or tablet if it has this facility.  Dongles are a bit old hat now

[BIG MAC]

Cheers all, 15 or even 50 mb doesn't sound like a lot though but what would that be in terms of say facebook browsing terms?

[Quillan]

Quite a lot per page I would think as FaceBook etc are graphics driven and its the graphics that take up the bandwidth. The actual text takes very little, like emailing for instance.

[tinabee]

The Orange dongle is very reasonable if you buy online here

http://boutique.orange.fr/ESHOP_mx_orange/?tp=F&ref=54848&IDCible=1&type=4&donnee_appel=ORESH

also, you can buy top-ups for as long as you need, e.g. a week, a month, etc.