Again !! (1 Viewer)

[spitfire]

Sorry folks but I am very dim when it comes to computers

Can anyone give me a definitive answer as to what is the best way to get Internet connection for my I Phone and I Pad when in UK ( I don't have a UK contract but my phone is unlocked and I use Orange with no data option. I rely on free wifi when not at home )
Would also like to have something I could use in other countries.

I know people mention mifi but really am too dim to understand so an arrow to where and what to buy please .

:thumb:

 

[BwB]

I see you're in France, this reply assumes UK services.

If you're asking how to get mobile broadband then - Ask Orange/Three/Vodafone/etc what options they have for providing calls and data (with tethering) on your iphone. See what they offer and you decide if you want PAYG or Contract and how much data you are likely to use.

Once you have a data plan on your phone sim then turn on tethering on your iphone when you need to use the ipad on the internet. You can come back and ask how to do that if you need to once you have data sorted on your sim.

This means you pay for one sim with calls and data and you share that data between your iphone and ipad (and anything else which needs wifi).

You could also go for a Mifi device which gives a similar service but you will then need two sims. The normal one for your phone and anotehr one for the Miifi unit. This can work out more expensive if you just plan to stay in the UK (as you're paying to run two sims). If, however, you plan to spend a lot of time in Europe then the Mifi solution is handy as you can pop in a local data sim from the country you are visiting (it has to be for longish visits though as you can get a certain amount of cheap data in Europe from you UK phone sim supplier).

A definitive answer is almost impossible to give you if you don't ask a definitive question. This is because the rules for mobile phone/data in europe are frequently altered. Also, some suppliers (Vodafone) will allow you to use your UK allowance of contracted calls/data anywhere in Europe for a £3/day fee - useful if you only log on to the internet every few days or are only in Europe for a short stay.

It's all going to depend on how much and where you intend to use your mobile internet. And.... a hundred different people are going to give you a hundred different answer this question but I'd be interested to hear where your research takes you and what you end up doing, it might help out others in the same situation.

Good luck.

 

[spitfire]

Thanks for answering so quickly. Will take some time to digest but will let you know how it goes !! :thumb:

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[TheBig1]

not being rude, but from what youve put already, I feel you need a simple explanation

a mifi is about the size of a mobile phone. you connect to the internet using a special type of data sim card. then connect your ipad, phone laptop etc using wifi as you would to a router at home

just like with a mobile phone, you need a mifi to be unlocked to put a sim in from a different company.

the best deal currently for the sim is about £14 for 3gb or 3 months whichever is reached first using the three network
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an unlocked mifi costs about £51
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hope this helps as ive tried to keep as simple as possible, no insult intended

 

[spitfire]

Thanks folks . Have ordered the mifi from EBay !!

Let's hope I can use it !!

 

[sedge]

Well here I am, and going to confess it was only when someone else requested a simple explanation of mifi on another, totally unrelated forum, that I realised that mifi is in fact, the latest equivalent of a flippin dongle.

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[Peter & Elaine]

Its a super dongle

 

[sedge]

I didn't say it wasn't better, did I ?


A flippin dongle on flippin steroids then ......

 

[TheBig1]

Well here I am, and going to confess it was only when someone else requested a simple explanation of mifi on another, totally unrelated forum, that I realised that mifi is in fact, the latest equivalent of a flippin dongle.

it does the same thing as a dongle, but much faster and you can use the internet with it on several devices simultaneously. so connect your tablet/ipad and phone and a laptop all working like connected to the router at home.

with a dongle it will only connect one device at a time (if its got a usb port, so no phones) and very slow connection. even the previous version of a mifi is better than a dongle

:thumb:

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[camocam1]

If you have an IPhone you can set it up as hot spot and conect your computer or others items to it

 

[Coolbeanz]

not being rude, but from what youve put already, I feel you need a simple explanation

a mifi is about the size of a mobile phone. you connect to the internet using a special type of data sim card. then connect your ipad, phone laptop etc using wifi as you would to a router at home

just like with a mobile phone, you need a mifi to be unlocked to put a sim in from a different company.

the best deal currently for the sim is about £14 for 3gb or 3 months whichever is reached first using the three network
Link Removed
an unlocked mifi costs about £51
Link Removed

hope this helps as ive tried to keep as simple as possible, no insult intended

What would be the best option if I plan on being in Europe for several months at a time? I was looking at the iBoost from motorhomewifi and was debating whether to pick one up at Lincoln. The mifi you mention is much cheaper but I assume the difference is the iBoost will reach weaker wifi signals that you wouldn't normally be able to pick up? Do you always need a SIM card?
When we leave next year my iPhone contract with orange will be cancelled so I assume I will need to put a payg sim card in it in order for it to work? If I am using wifi there is no data cost is there? As you can tell I don't understand all this and would appreciate a pointer before I spend unnecessary money

 

[TheBig1]

What would be the best option if I plan on being in Europe for several months at a time? I was looking at the iBoost from motorhomewifi and was debating whether to pick one up at Lincoln. The mifi you mention is much cheaper but I assume the difference is the iBoost will reach weaker wifi signals that you wouldn't normally be able to pick up? Do you always need a SIM card?
When we leave next year my iPhone contract with orange will be cancelled so I assume I will need to put a payg sim card in it in order for it to work? If I am using wifi there is no data cost is there? As you can tell I don't understand all this and would appreciate a pointer before I spend unnecessary money

the iboost system uses wifi networks not 3g. what it does is boost your computer's ability to see and connect to unsecure networks within 1km of your position. wifi is the network type used in houses, coffee shops, mcdonalds and other places like caravan sites. basically you are going to a risk finding a network, and b gamble any open network in range is not set up to harvest you private info. in some cases it is also theft if the owner of the wifi signal does not specifically agree to you using their internet signal

a wifi uses 3g, which is a standard used on mobile phone connections. there is more to it, but for the sake of keeping it simple enough to understand i wont go into more with this post. connecting to 3g with a mifi, you need a sim card for the available network, just like with a mobile phone. connections are secure and the user can set their own passwords for connecting a laptop or phone etc.

data costs on phones are a huge headache as no 2 suppliers are the same. however most limit the amount of data you use by charging quite a bit. if you can connect your phone to the network at home to update etc, then you can use the same system to only use data when connected to a network, like that given with the mifi

as for which is best for you, only you can decide whats best for you. security may be an issue or not for you

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[spitfire]

Yeh in Scotland and using my unlocked mifi bought a sim from 3 and works great.

Thanks to all who gave advice . Btw the weather is brrr.

 

[hilldweller]

I didn't say it wasn't better, did I ?


A flippin dongle on flippin steroids then ......

A flippin dongle on flippin steroids that can work with flippin 5 flipping computers at once.

If you can get a signal.

 

[lorger]

Yeh in Scotland and using my unlocked mifi bought a sim from 3 and works great.

Thanks to all who gave advice . Btw the weather is brrr.

Don't know where you are in Scotland but I thought it was quite warm just now, had a game of golf today in shorts and tee shirt

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[Carol]

I didn't say it wasn't better, did I ?


A flippin dongle on flippin steroids then ......

To me the reason that the Mifi is on steroids and differs is the fact that you can use 2 or 3 lap tops / tablets at the same time from the one Mifi and move it to get the best signal and not just attached to the laptop.

Oops by the time I hit the post button and watching tv at the same time Hilldweller had put much the same reply, I'll go back to sleep shall I.

 

[spitfire]

Don't know where you are in Scotland but I thought it was quite warm just now, had a game of golf today in shorts and tee shirt

Not here in Inverness you wouldn't