Intenet on the move

jennyp19

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What is the cheapest easiest (i.e. for a novice) way to be on the internet while abroad?
Bear in mind at present I have nothing ~ I am prepared to spend a bit, but not colossal amounts.
 
we use orange (just plug the dongle in the USB & away you go) it cost £15 a month and we signed up for 24 month contract,we only use it in the uk but i believe outside the uk you get charged for roaming...we very happy with it & cant believe we didnt buy 1 sooner,see the orange link here hope this helps you
sammclouis ;)
 
We have a Vodaphone plug in thingy had it years it's been all over the world don't know how much it costs as t'other half pays for it. Then more and more places have WIFI these days.
 
I must admit the orange thing looks interesting,
I will have to look more into the costs abroad ~ heard a lot of horror stories of use while abroad, but only "someone knows someone who.... " if you see what I mean.
 
Jenny,
Why not pop into an Orange shop or carphone warehouse type place and aske them to demonstrate one.
I remember ours came with a disc which we had to load and then the thing shoves in the side. When you need it start up computer with thingy in it, click on icon and start and it works. I'd check out prices of all models before buying.
 
Many Mc Donalds in France/Spain/Portugal have free wifi, the 3g dongles are VERY VERY expensive to use abroad (can be hundreds if you download large files) ,if you have a monthly contract in the UK you can get a GPRS slot in card into which you put your SIM and use the gprs roaming which is slow (28kbs) but cheap.
 
BedfordMJ said:
Jenny,
Why not pop into an Orange shop or carphone warehouse type place and aske them to demonstrate one.
I remember ours came with a disc which we had to load and then the thing shoves in the side. When you need it start up computer with thingy in it, click on icon and start and it works. I'd check out prices of all models before buying.
Click to expand...

Mostly they know nothing about roaming charges.

Cheapest option, for intermittent access, depending on where you plan to go, would probably be WiFi . In less 'developed' areas internet cafes are often the best option, we used them extensively in Morocco last winter.

As far as mobile internet access is concerned I think the best option, for roaming, (at the moment) is a Vodafone contract, see this page . They also have a good price for UK mobile internet access. I have to say that it's not easy to understand exactly what you will be paying, it might be worthwhile printing the page and taking it along to a Vodafone shop, if you are lucky there will be someone there who can explain the options and costs.

The cheapest roaming charges are always with 'partner' networks, the problem is it can be VERY expensive if you are in a country where there are no partner networks, or you connect to a non-partner network by mistake!

For countries without partner networks you might want to research Virgin Mobile, they offer £5/Mb charge for any network (and no contract needed).

AndyC
 
Hi

I've read somewhere on the internet that Vodafone are very soon going to release new prices and payg, also I believe that the Nokia N73 can be connected via a usb to a laptop and charged 10 pounds for 30 days for 1gb data, connected to 3 network.
 
I tried ringing orange earlier today, but seems quite complicated abroad. They say so much per 3 mg, or 10 mg, but I really have not got a clue as to how much that is. They obviously want to sell the service, but quite vague as to what the actual cost would be.
I'll have a look in an orange/vodaphone shop when I can get to one, but at the moment it looks like I shall have to forgo the internet while travelling ~ that will take a bit of doing :eek:
 
Forget about using the dongles abroad; the costs are truly awful. There was a whole chunk of the BBC Watchdog programme devoted to the costs a while ago. Watchdog's advice was "Don't use them abroad - full stop"
Now WiFi is a different matter. You can either have them on monthly contract or on PAYG.
Now we are assuming that you already have a laptop? If so, drop into a Vodafone shop and buy a PCMCIA card. PAYG should be enough unless you plan to send pictures or download movies.
If its just for Internet access to receive and send emails then set your email to only handle text. This saves a lot on download time.
As guerdeval says, MaccyDs usually have WiFi and for the price of a cup of coffee they'll give you a scratch and sniff card with the access code for that day; Usually gets half an hour.
If you want to find other networks and use them, then NET STUMBLER is very good
Please keep in mind that using some else's internet access without their permission may be illegal. There have been two prosecutions so far in the UK...
 
Thanks for that advice Balloothebear. At the present I have not got a lap top, but was considering buying one, purely to travel with.
I wanted to find out cost implications before I do splash out, and whether it is going to be worth it.
I decided I don't want an 18 mth contract, as it will be wasted for a lot of the time ~ if we start to travel around the uk, then I might change my mind.
When you are particularly aufait with techie stuff, its a bit like wading through mud, but I will get there in the end ~ and hopefully make the right decisions.
 
we generally use internet cafe's in spain,cost vary between 1 & 4 euros for an hour but we have also found lots of free wifi hot spots

bertie
 
starblazer said:
we generally use internet cafe's in spain,cost vary between 1 & 4 euros for an hour but we have also found lots of free wifi hot spots

bertie
Click to expand...

I would echo Starblazer on that, i am currently in Torrevieja using the wifi from Shannons and when I am in France I go to McD's you can even use their electric! chris.
 
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