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3 dongle - wher have you used yours?

32K views 129 replies 58 participants last post by  relay 
#1 ·
Now used it in two locations with great success. Shrewsbury (at home) and Greenhills Caravan Park, Bakewell (there now).

Works well at both locations.

Peter
 
#28 ·
...now who's going to be clever enough to put all these Posts on a "map" to give a geographical indication of where the good/bad reception is? :wink:

These company "coverage" maps are all well and good but you can't beat a proper members'test of the 3 dongle :lol:
 
#29 ·
Patchy in N. Ireland. Works well around Belfast and Lisburn. Works in Omagh and in parts in Fermanagh and along the Antrim coast. Works from Limavady to Derry/Lodonderry. Don't know about other areas yet.
 
#30 ·
beagle said:
It's great. And for anyone not used to broadband - it's not techy, just plug it in to your USB and it will install itself and off you go! It's £15 a month, the equipment (dongle) is free, and you can download p to 3GB a month which is fine if you don't want to stream videos etc. You have to sign up for 2 years.

The only word of warning I've heard is to be careful you don't go over the download limit, cos it's expensive if you do. The software tells you how much you've downloaded however MoneySavingExpert site says it's good to get a separate, more accurate, program to keep an eye on how much you download.
I am really happy to see this post as I am addicted to Travian and cant really live without it.

I heard a rumore that you were only allowed to be on it for 2 hours a day, Is that true or is it just about not exceeding the band width usage?

Thanks for any help on this.

Zimee
 
#31 ·
hi i bought a 3 payg dongle as i only need it for the van.
we've just come back from France and Spain, coverage in the UK traveling down was fine, my grandson was playing games all the way down to dover. before we left i bought 7gigs for £25 which is way over the top as it has to be used in 30 days. the roaming charges in France and Spain are £3 per meg i did a bit of surfing checking emails bank etc every few days or when i could get a signal (very patchy)
we were away for 3 weeks and I've just Lent the dongle to my mate who's away for the week to use up the remaining credit and its still going strong.



mark.
 
#32 ·
To be honest I am a little disappointed with the Three USB. It works brilliantly in most major towns and cities etc but I personally have found during our travels that in a lot of places the signal is pretty diabolical.

I took the contract out in October last year in readiness for our trip to Italy and was delighted with both the service and the charges whilst touring around Italy and I was able to use my 3GB user allowance all over Italy too. It was great being able to log on whenever we needed to look for a particular campsite or search for local information regarding an area we were visiting and it was reassuring knowing I would not be arriving back home to any extra and exboritant roaming charges other than my monthly contract fee. So for anyone thinking of travelling to Italy ever, I do think it would be very wise to opt for Three's pay as you go USB tariff as whatever user allownce you have, you will be able to use it in Italy too. They did not have the pay as you go option available when I took my contract out but if they had done then I think this would have been the better option to go for as it saves you being tied to Three for 12 months or more and also means you are free to opt for another provider for here in the UK! Also, I could not use Three whilst driving through France and here in the UK like I say, my experience to date has been that it is rather hit and miss in some areas.

I was using a Vodafone 3G datacard prior to changing over to Three last October and personally I very rarely encountered any problems with connection through them and my only disappointment was the horrendous roaming charges you can get lumbered with if you use Vodafone outside of the UK! If Vodafone could offer something like Three do in Italy then Vodafone would be my number 1 choice always!

I have a T Mobile pay as you go web n walk sim card that I insert into my old vodafone datacard (unlocked) and to be honest I have found T Mobile to have much better UK coverage than Three by a long shot!

Hope this helps.

Sue
 
#33 ·
Sonesta said:
To be honest I am a little disappointed with the Three USB. It works brilliantly in most major towns and cities etc but I personally have found during our travels that in a lot of places the signal is pretty diabolical.

I took the contract out in October last year in readiness for our trip to Italy and was delighted with both the service and the charges whilst touring around Italy and I was able to use my 3GB user allowance all over Italy too. It was great being able to log on whenever we needed to look for a particular campsite or search for local information regarding an area we were visiting and it was reassuring knowing I would not be arriving back home to any extra and exboritant roaming charges other than my monthly contract fee. So for anyone thinking of travelling to Italy ever, I do think it would be very wise to opt for Three's pay as you go USB tariff as whatever user allownce you have, you will be able to use it in Italy too. They did not have the pay as you go option available when I took my contract out but if they had done then I think this would have been the better option to go for as it saves you being tied to Three for 12 months or more and also means you are free to opt for another provider for here in the UK! Also, I could not use Three whilst driving through France and here in the UK like I say, my experience to date has been that it is rather hit and miss in some areas.

I was using a Vodafone 3G datacard prior to changing over to Three last October and personally I very rarely encountered any problems with connection through them and my only disappointment was the horrendous roaming charges you can get lumbered with if you use Vodafone outside of the UK! If Vodafone could offer something like Three do in Italy then Vodafone would be my number 1 choice always!

I have a T Mobile pay as you go web n walk sim card that I insert into my old vodafone datacard (unlocked) and to be honest I have found T Mobile to have much better UK coverage than Three by a long shot!

Hope this helps.

Sue
Hello Sue

Have been able to use your web & walk in Germany or any where else across the channel without incurring the roamng charge.

Thanks

Motorhomer
 
#34 ·
Have used it in Taunton - was quite good, Longleat CC Site - again reasonable speed, Brecon - quite slow but working, Saundersfoot - very intermittent.

Just realised I mis read the post, ours is a Vodaphone Dongle not a 3 Dongle...oops only just realised, about 2 weeks too late lol.
 
#36 ·
Sonesta said:
motorhomer2 said:
Hello Sue

Have been able to use your web & walk in Germany or any where else across the channel without incurring the roamng charge.

Thanks

Motorhomer
Hi Motorhomer,

As yet I have not been able to test the T mobile outside the UK so unfortunately I cannot answer your question.

Thankyou for your reply Sue. If we do decide to go that way I will try mine.

Motorhmer

Sue
 
#38 ·
3 Dongle

As has been said by others I have had no problems around major towns but out and about in the country not getting a connection at all. Decided to bite the bullet and bought an Orange usb plug-in since then have never failed to connect to the internet. Its speed is very good on the whole so far happier with it than the 3 dongle.

Taff
 
#41 ·
Hi
Just got back from a trip to Cornwall... took my new 3 Dongle with me.... very pleased with the results.

I bought the ZTE dongle for £49 , no contract , PAYG (black one with green stripe not the white one) and topped it up with 1Gig for £10. I did a fair bit of browsing , emailing and downloading of geocaches but still only used about 1/4 of my data allowance in the 9 days away.

The results:-

St Austell :- good HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access ) signal with no problem accessing websites or email. I did a speed test here DL speed appx 380- 500k.

Veryan C&CC club site:- HSDPA signal not as fast as at St Austell and I think I was lucky being at the higher side of the site ( on a hardstanding)

Lizard ( Henry's Campsite) ...no signal at all but then few mobile phones work right down here either...my Orange phone just about managed to work up in the village. ( standing on the table at the pub :lol: )

Helston :- good HSDPA signal, good speed

Marazion :- HSDPA signal, good speed

Lanhydrock :- ( near Bodmin) HSDPA signal, good speed

Weston Super Mare ( seafront) HSDPA signal, good speed.

The Picture is where we were sited in St Austell...it could explain why the speed was so good :lol: ( I am not sure if that mast carried the 3 cell transmitter but we were on high ground and I am sure that if that is not the mast for 3Mobile it was not far away :wink: )

 
#42 ·
I am connected via the 3G dongle I bought at lunchtime! Easy peasy at £49 for the dongle and £10 to top up. AS long as I dont let it lie dormant for more than 3 months then thats it - £10 a time. I have paid £10 for the net in hotels for one day up to now so its great :)

I'll report from further afeild tomorrow :)
 
#43 ·
J99Dub said:
snipped: AS long as I dont let it lie dormant for more than 3 months then thats it - £10 a time.
Hi

Just a question on what I was told and how I have read the conditions of use of the 3 Mobile PAYG dongle :- If you have the "Pay as you Go" dongle then the £10 buys you 1 gig of data and the "Add On" as they call it lasts 30 days and then expires even if the 1 gig limit has not been used....no mention of three months. I was told that I could buy another £10 worth anytime I like but it will only last 30 days or 1 gig whichever comes first.

Mike
 
#44 ·
spykal said:
J99Dub said:
snipped: AS long as I dont let it lie dormant for more than 3 months then thats it - £10 a time.
Hi

Just a question on what I was told and how I have read the conditions of use of the 3 Mobile PAYG dongle :- If you have the "Pay as you Go" dongle then the £10 buys you 1 gig of data and the "Add On" as they call it lasts 30 days and then expires even if the 1 gig limit has not been used....no mention of three months. I was told that I could buy another £10 worth anytime I like but it will only last 30 days or 1 gig whichever comes first.

Mike
Two birds - one stone..

I am now in the Holiday Inn in Rugby/Crick on my 3G dongle dick thing :)

Pretty fast too:)

The 1 gig is a monthmax - use it or lose it ! ;)

If a month goes by then its wiped and you buy another. Use it up before hand and you can buy another Gig or more - it seems flexible enough

:)
 
#45 ·
J99Dub said:
Two birds - one stone..

I am now in the Holiday Inn in Rugby/Crick on my 3G dongle dick thing :)

Pretty fast too:)

The 1 gig is a monthmax - use it or lose it ! ;)

If a month goes by then its wiped and you buy another. Use it up before hand and you can buy another Gig or more - it seems flexible enough

:)
Hi

Yes both of us trying to understand the terms and conditions... while enjoying being able to connect wherever we are :wink: ( well wherever there is a signal :roll: )

Apparently if you do use up the 1gig in a shorter time than a month you can just go out and buy another ten quids worth and a fresh 30 days will start.

In the winter months I may not use the van as much so will not be topping up my allowance ...I am assured that this is OK, I can let the time run out and not use the dongle... and when I buy another £10 top up a fresh 30 days will start.

The only small dissapointment for me is that the dongle only works very slowly at home and not at all downstairs 8O ...but 3 Mobile are rolling out a new service in out area..promised for June 2008 so they better hurry up if they are to keep the promise.

Mike
 
#46 ·
Hi

.promised for June 2008 so they better hurry up if they are to keep the promise. Now Mike I know you will realise already that these promises are backed up by a delayed action mechanism and then just when you have forgotten about them six months after they were supposed to happen you realise that they have. Its referred to as "Mobile Phone Fluid Promiscicity" :lol: :lol:

stew

posted via a three dongle backed up by two spare parachutes, one supplied by T Mobile and one by vodaphone just incase the main one won't open :lol:
 
#47 ·
Not sure if I posted this, whilst away in Weymouth, I spent almost an hour in 3 trying to get one sorted, and unlocked....ran out of time, as I had to meet Duncan...

What I did learn, although no one could confirm it, is that 3 are SUPPOSED to be joining up with T-Mobile in this country for better coverage....

Heard it in two different shops....so maybe something in it, but no one can give a date....

I'm still sitting on the fence and waiting for feedback from people in France....

Carol
 
#48 ·
I am using the 3 dongle here at Charmes in France. It is on GPRS (5 bars) BYTEL (R) the local provider. It is slower than 3G but it has worked for checking the bank etc. I did untick the pictures and automatic IE updates before I went online via internet options though to save downloading too much data.

When I used it at the private Aires in St Tropez there was quite a good connection there. Also so far I haven't been charged for that useage and that was in May as my bill runs from 7th of month then it should have shown in my June 27th bill but so far it is still saying £15 which is the contract price.
 
#49 ·
zulurita said:
I am using the 3 dongle here at Charmes in France. It is on GPRS (5 bars) BYTEL (R) the local provider. It is slower than 3G but it has worked for checking the bank etc. I did untick the pictures and automatic IE updates before I went online via internet options though to save downloading too much data.

When I used it at the private Aires in St Tropez there was quite a good connection there. Also so far I haven't been charged for that useage and that was in May as my bill runs from 7th of month then it should have shown in my June 27th bill but so far it is still saying £15 which is the contract price.
Hello Rita....did you get this unlocked before you left? 3 charge (as I understand it £3 per MB in France and Germany, so I was told by their staff)

Carol
 
#51 ·
During my current trip, I've used my 3 Dongle in about a dozen places in Italy and one in Austria - never had a bad signal, always 3G. Also used it in Switzerland, just for checking mail - 31p for 0.1024MB (no VAT, as non-EU). In Germany, checking mail cost £1.09 (+VAT) for 0.4284MB and a longer session - I was registering a local SIM card (see below), and had to complete half a dozen web forms - cost £7.66 (+VAT) for 3.0006MB. In both Switzerland and Germany I could only get a 2G signal from the roaming network so it was a bit slower - although this wasn't an issue when just checking mail.
As I reported in another post, the £1 cap did NOT work for me on T-Mobile in Germany (it ate up £7 in a few minutes while I was online). They must have corrected the 'fault' which had allowed other users to connect cheaply. I recommend buying an ALDI sim card instead - 20 eurocents per MB for net access.
 
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