Cheap Mobile Internet for Laptop

Skeeter · 31 May 2008 at 15:18

Hi All

My Girlfriend is going to be on placement for 6 weeks living in hospital accomadation and we dont yet know if it has internet. If not, I would like to grab some sort of dongle or something to allow her to use the internet on her laptop for 6 weeks. Anyone done this. Im after something like the 3 data tariffs, but not on contract. something very cheap that can give her say a few gigs of data for 6 weeks and then be forgotten, pay as you go kinda thing.

Cheers

iraiguana · 31 May 2008 at 15:27

3 offer the same thing but pay as you go. You pay £50 for the modem and then usual fee as a top up which lasts for 30 days.

Vodafone do something similar and would be better I believe.

Skeeter · 31 May 2008 at 15:32

The pay as you go think is fine, but £50 for a modem that will be used for 6 weeks then probubly lost is way to much.

Ive heard talks of pay as you go sims and £5 internet packages, but ive never got any firm details on how it works (on 3)

Wicksta · 31 May 2008 at 15:44

You could always sell the modem afterwards.

therealnerd2 · 31 May 2008 at 15:59

You can borrow my vodafone unlimited for 6 weeks for a nominal fee

Ben M · 31 May 2008 at 16:28

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=6

tbh?

whitecrook · 31 May 2008 at 16:29

use dialup? plenty cheap or free providers

.SJ · 31 May 2008 at 16:38

RDM · 31 May 2008 at 16:39

If you already have a Three mobile phone you can use quite a few of them as a modem. Just buy the addon that gives you 30 days interent access.

Mattus · 31 May 2008 at 18:14

Make sure that the place is in a 3G coverage area before you go buying anything.

Skeeter · 1 Jun 2008 at 00:34

RDM said:
If you already have a Three mobile phone you can use quite a few of them as a modem. Just buy the addon that gives you 30 days interent access.

She has 3 phone, but apparently using things like the X Series addon as a modem for a laptop is against terms of service and can get you disconnected. Im sure they would notice suddenly somone buys X Series and then uses it 6pm till 10pm every night for 6 weeks...

Mattus said:
Make sure that the place is in a 3G coverage area before you go buying anything.

Indeed. We will be checking tomorrow.

whitecrook said:
use dialup? plenty cheap or free providers

Completely forgot about this. Are there any 0800 ones in existance anymore? There is a BT line in the room apparently.

sniffy · 1 Jun 2008 at 00:42

Still free ones about mate. For example http://www.fireflyinternet.com have the connection details on the main page

Just realised it isn't 0800. It's 0845 but was free when I had to use it.

QuantumXP · 1 Jun 2008 at 02:15

.SJ said:
You wont get a free modem unless you go contract. Only other option is to source a mobile phone that is capable of a data connection.

Thats not exactly true. My (clueless) sis walked into a vodaphone shop (they seemed to have the most sensible package) and somehow got talking to the manager. She explained she wanted mobile broadband to study for a course and walked out with a free modem on a pay per month basis. Free modems are out there, you just need the looks i guess.