iPad PAYG in europe (1 Viewer)

DBSilverfox

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Hi all

I am thinking of getting an iPad, but I am totally confused by the data deals. Has anyone researched the best deals for 3g internet in the UK and in europe? At home i have wireless, so I cannot see any point in a contract, just want pay as you go.

Any advice from anyone? Please.... ::bigsmile:

David
 

barryd

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Hmm.

I have a Dongle with Vodafone which costs £7.50 per month for 3GB worth of data in the UK. Its fine when you get 3G but rubbish when its 2G. I beleive the 3 dongle has the best coverage in the UK.

Sim cards deals are available for different countries but vary in price. France is a nightmare. What I have found the best is one of these for wifi Link Removed

Mine is a more powerful version of the above and can bring in wifi from up to 4 miles.

The other thing I do is tether an old Nokia n95 as a modem to my laptop when abroad and use it sparingly to connect to my Vodafone account to get on the internet when no wifi is available.

Problem is you wont be able to do any of the above with an iPad. It doesnt have USB ports which is a bit bonkers really. Perhaps there is a wifi extender you can get though that might work.

Personally I would get a decent laptop then you can have all the above. I bought an Acer Timeline Laptop with a good size screen and decent processor but also with an 8 hour battery life.
 

400ixl

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Android tablets such as the Advent Vega (£199) can run USB host mode and therefore run a USB 3G dongle.

You can then get a PAYG sim for the country of your choice and run it.

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DBSilverfox

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Hmm.

Personally I would get a decent laptop then you can have all the above. I bought an Acer Timeline Laptop with a good size screen and decent processor but also with an 8 hour battery life.

Thanks, got a laptop, but there are other applications I want from the iPad so I am going to get one. just trying to avoid taking both away with me.

Android tablets such as the Advent Vega (£199) can run USB host mode and therefore run a USB 3G dongle.

You can then get a PAYG sim for the country of your choice and run it.

I think I can get the iPad sims for each country as well, but was hoping to avoid all that fuss, and just get one sim with european data roaming on payg. Am I flogging a dead horse?

David
 

callumwa

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Thanks, got a laptop, but there are other applications I want from the iPad so I am going to get one. just trying to avoid taking both away with me.



I think I can get the iPad sims for each country as well, but was hoping to avoid all that fuss, and just get one sim with european data roaming on payg. Am I flogging a dead horse?

David

No, they are available but at about 59p or so per Mb, its very expensive.

Vodafone data traveller gives you 25mb for £2 (per day used) or 25 mb each day for £10 per month, which is what I use when out of wifi range. I just use it in France, (A local french Voda sim would cost me more. France is particularly expensive) I have local data sims for other euro countries.
 
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DBSilverfox

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Thanks for that, will look into Vodafone

David

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barryd

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There is some confusion about the Vodafone Data Traveler scheme. Yes it says £2 a day or £10 a month for up to 25MB a day. Not much but enough for a little careful use.

However (and I posted about this on here) I called them and they said you cant use it in a computer, laptop or use your phone as a modem (tethered). It has to be used from a mobile phone. I told them this was madness and how would they know?

To cut a long story short they don't know if your using an old nokia or something similar but if you stick your phone sim in dongle or try and use an iphone as a modem connected to your laptop they can detect it and will charge you the normal data rate.

This is all what I have heard. I know of at least one person who is using the Vodafone traveler on his laptop via a normal mobile phone and is getting away with it. My concern is that if you try and use the data traveler in a sim in a dongle or an ipad you may well be charged the full data rate.

What we need here is for someone to prove me wrong and say "ive done it and only been charged £2 a day or £10 a month"
 

400ixl

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I think I can get the iPad sims for each country as well, but was hoping to avoid all that fuss, and just get one sim with european data roaming on payg. Am I flogging a dead horse?

David

Check the Ipad isn't network locked first else they won't work.
 
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DBSilverfox

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Check the Ipad isn't network locked first else they won't work.

As you can buy the iPad and then decide on the carrier for the data package later I don't think it is locked at all. Good point though

David

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dazzer

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Do you have an android mobile phone?? Or another mobile that has a wifi hotspot app?? If not look into buying a cheap android phone (or seeing if you can get an app to do the same job) and using that with your vodaphone sim card. You can then use the mobile phone as a wifi point to connect you ipad to.

We use this method with my wifes Ipad and my HTC Desire phone at it works really well. I can also use my Samsung Galaxy Tablet which is not tied to any network as a wifi hotspot and she can connect to that as well if the phone is an issue.
 

callumwa

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There is some confusion about the Vodafone Data Traveler scheme. Yes it says £2 a day or £10 a month for up to 25MB a day. Not much but enough for a little careful use.

However (and I posted about this on here) I called them and they said you cant use it in a computer, laptop or use your phone as a modem (tethered). It has to be used from a mobile phone. I told them this was madness and how would they know?

To cut a long story short they don't know if your using an old nokia or something similar but if you stick your phone sim in dongle or try and use an iphone as a modem connected to your laptop they can detect it and will charge you the normal data rate.

This is all what I have heard. I know of at least one person who is using the Vodafone traveler on his laptop via a normal mobile phone and is getting away with it. My concern is that if you try and use the data traveler in a sim in a dongle or an ipad you may well be charged the full data rate.

What we need here is for someone to prove me wrong and say "ive done it and only been charged £2 a day or £10 a month"

I'm not proving you wrong Barry, on the contrary I'm confirming what you say.

Since my iPhone software upgraded a while back to "personal hotspot" from the old "internet tethering" I was charged £5 by Vodafone for tethering. I never had this before. I frequently check my bills as I am always roaming abroad.

I complained as it had only used 24kb. I had actually just connected it by usb to charge the phone up. They refunded me after I complained. So if I connect my iPhone to my laptop I make sure the "Hotspot" thing is off, in fact I have it off all the time.

I now use my old nokia 5800 via bluetooth as a modem if I want to use my 25 mb data traveller allowance (normally in France). It does not register with the Vodafone accounting and does not incur the "tethering" charges..
But make sure you have switched off all the auto updates such as windows and your av, adobe etc etc. They will eat the 25 mb allowance in seconds and cost you a fortune..:thumb:
 

slobadoberbob

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The issue with an IPAD

You have no USB slots on an IPAD so you cannot use a dongle.. it has to be a 3g sim (small type) ..

I have an IPAD .. first type and use it on wifi all the time here and overseas. I have just taken out BT Internet so I can use the home broadband with the IPAD based on there extensive wifi locations in the UK. But abroad I still have to pay to use a local site except at McDonalds.

IPAD are great.. much better than the Dell Duo I have and another Dell note pad I purchased in the USA.. the note pad does not have USB slots but the Duo does.. but it did not stop me usinging in Acapolco on a cruise ship last year I just bounced off a containship that had a signal when the cruise ship did not.

I wish I had my Ipad then.

Bob:Eeek:

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