USB Modem Stick Pay as U go

[caretaker]

I have virgin internet at £25 per month at download speed at 11 MB.
I have found out about Vodafone USB Modem Stick at £39 with 1 GB download and top up for £15 for 1GB.
I do not download films or music and games but just surf and look at email some times in the evening for about 2 hours.
Has anyone had or used this and what are the pros and cons.
They say the speed is 3.6Mbps and can do 650 emails for one £15 top up.
Reg

 

[laird]

I use the vodaphone when away from home, and have done so for a couple of years (and am on it now) But it's a 3 GB per month contract at £15 per month. If you have any form of signal it comes in at 3.6Meg, if your 'phone signal is weak it's at 54 Ks (dial up speed) - and if you're anywhere in Heathrow it's 8+ Ms !!!
Like you I don't download films etc and have never got anywhere near the 3 gig limit.
This isn't a stick tho' it's a dongle. Good bit of kit.

 

[Terry Smart]

I use a Vodafone dongle too when I'm away from the office; if you can get a good signal then it's fine, sometimes if I'm in the sticks there's no signal at all or just a dial-up type one as mentioned.

If you can try it at home first to check the signal then it could be the route to go.

I don't do any downloading on mine and even check emails via a website rather than downloading them onto the computer so the initial £15 has lasted me ages!
Some of the pay as you go dongles expire 30 days after activation even if you haven't used the credit, the Vodafone one lasts forever (I think).

One thing though, if you get it, have it unlocked for 'adult services'. I didn't - I wasn't offered the option - and it meant that I couldn't access my preferred search engine (www.alltheweb.com) as it was blocked. I don't know why and getting it unblocked was quite a palava as I don't have a credit card.
If they can block a search engine I don't know what else is blocked!

 

[13eightyfour]

Ive just bought a PAYG 3G dongle from a promotional site, cost a fiver my mate got one last week and finds it really useful, and at £5 i couldnt refuse

 

[paulm]

Think you might be starting from the wrong place Reg ?!!!

The only reason to pay those kind of prices for that kind of set-up is if you are needing to use the service away from home or work on a regular basis as far as I can see. Is that why you are interested, doesn't sound like it from the rest of your post ?

If you are just after a home broadband solution then there are many other much better deals around compared to Vodafone or the Virgin deal you are on.

If you are a Sky customer I think you can get free broadband with performance levels likely to be adequate for the useage you have outlined, or for £5 per month an upgraded service up to 8mb (I think). I have the latter which actually runs at around 3mb where we are most of the time but which is fine for everything we do as two adults and two teenagers heavily using the connection on multiple pc's.

If not a Sky customer then I'm pretty sure there are other deals much, much better out there than the Virgin package you mention for the needs you have mentioned.

Cheers, Paul

 

[brianhabby]

13Eightyfour

Any chance of a link to that promotional site?

regards

Brian

 

[caretaker]

Thanks for all the help.
I will stick with Virgin until October that is when I retire then will consider some cut backs.
I like the idea of the PAYG as if I get hard up I can not use the internet for a couple of weeks.
I must admit Virgin has been very good and when I have mucked it up the lady in Glasgow has been helpful.
Thanks again you are a great bunch.

 

[paulm]

Ah, I see, didn't click that it was pay and go Reg, makes more sense to me now why you would be interested!

Cheers, Paul