Mobile internet connection

Andypandy333 · 21 Oct 2008 at 13:43

What I'm after is a mobile internet connection i can use for my computer in my room and for my laptop. I've heard there's ones you can get for a monthly charge. I don't really know much on this so I'm wondering if any one can point me in the right direction. Thanks!

wij · 21 Oct 2008 at 13:52

If its just for light surfing and email they can be a good option.

Wouldn't recommend them for much else though.

Currently using Vodafone for my 3G dongle, seems to get good 3G/HSDPA coverage most places I go and think I'm paying £15 a month for 3Gb of use.

If you want an 'unlimited' one then T-Mobile or Three are probably better options.

Obviously important to check you get a good signal where you plan on using it most, but I think that most of the providers offer a money back deal after 2 weeks if you're not happy with the service.

wij · 21 Oct 2008 at 14:01

host47:~ William$ ping bbc.co.uk
PING bbc.co.uk (212.58.224.138): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 212.58.224.138: icmp_seq=0 ttl=113 time=97.793 ms
64 bytes from 212.58.224.138: icmp_seq=1 ttl=113 time=127.638 ms
64 bytes from 212.58.224.138: icmp_seq=2 ttl=113 time=97.503 ms
64 bytes from 212.58.224.138: icmp_seq=3 ttl=113 time=97.336 ms
64 bytes from 212.58.224.138: icmp_seq=4 ttl=113 time=107.191 ms
64 bytes from 212.58.224.138: icmp_seq=5 ttl=113 time=127.011 ms
64 bytes from 212.58.224.138: icmp_seq=6 ttl=113 time=106.896 ms
64 bytes from 212.58.224.138: icmp_seq=7 ttl=113 time=126.669 ms

Just to give you some idea of what you can get in the real world, that is taken with a "good" HSDP signal.

danielanthony · 21 Oct 2008 at 14:59

I've got a 3 3G modem, its pretty good but nowhere near as good as a wired connection and there's always high latency on the link so online gaming is practically impossible.

Skidilliplop · 21 Oct 2008 at 15:10

Vodafone do a monthly rolling contract however as with all 3G expect massive latency and like all broadband speed depends on your distance from the source. You will also find that the caps on mobile are quite stingy, 3 or 5GB per month I believe for the vodafone service. so not much good for downloading or streaming. All in all both service wise and financially you're better off with a wire unless there's absolutely no way to get one to where you are.

Andypandy333 · 21 Oct 2008 at 16:19

Thanks for the replies.

It was mainly for online gaming, so it looks like this isn't my answer.

We have wireless in the house and when the parents go to bed they knock the internet off, leaving me cursing in my room. I can go down and switch it back on but need to switch it off again when i go to bed, but doing this unsettles the peace in the house

I'm just after a solution to keep everyone happy.

Skidilliplop · 21 Oct 2008 at 16:59

Why do they turn it off :confused:

it's actually not good for routers to be switched off a lot as they're designed to be left on, infact that is the whole point.

If they insist it is turned off then put it on a timer socket that shuts it off at a specific time so it can stay on after they go to sleep.

J.B · 21 Oct 2008 at 21:02

Andypandy333 said:
Thanks for the replies.

It was mainly for online gaming, so it looks like this isn't my answer.

We have wireless in the house and when the parents go to bed they knock the internet off, leaving me cursing in my room. I can go down and switch it back on but need to switch it off again when i go to bed, but doing this unsettles the peace in the house

I'm just after a solution to keep everyone happy.

As is said tunring routers on and off is bad for them, the electricity you save will be insignificant to the cost of a new router after a year or two of power interuption! They are designed to run all the time.