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Dongles

Dongles


Postby Kickinghorse » Wed Aug 21, 2019 1:27 am

Coming over to the old country from Australia to walk the WHW and Cotswold Way. Wondering from folks experiences what is the optimum network for coverage in reference to the use of dongle?
From research seems EE are rated fairly highly?
Thanks
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Re: Dongles

Postby Marty_JG » Wed Aug 21, 2019 2:18 am

You're asking for a phone network recommendation on a pay as you go basis?

EE and good but expensive, £20 gets you 10 gb data.

GiffGaff (part of O2) are also good, but less costly: 10gb data is £12 and £20 currently gets you 40 gb data.

There should be coverage for both but perhaps someone can confirm for the Cotswolds.
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Re: Dongles

Postby jolly47roger » Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:47 am

SMARTY offer unlimited for £18.75 with no contract - based on the 3 network IIRC
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Re: Dongles

Postby rgf101 » Wed Aug 21, 2019 12:34 pm

I've always understood Vodafone to have the best geographical coverage, which on the WHW could make the difference between signal and no-signal, although you're unlikely to go that long without some usable internet. Not sure if that's still the case.
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Re: Dongles

Postby kaiserstein » Wed Aug 21, 2019 12:44 pm

I'm with 3. Covered a fair bit of the highlands with mates on EE and they always have a better signal. I've considered switching but 3 is cheaper so I've stuck with them but thinking about getting an EE pay as you go sim for trips.
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Re: Dongles

Postby Essan » Wed Aug 21, 2019 3:35 pm

Marty_JG wrote:You're asking for a phone network recommendation on a pay as you go basis?

EE and good but expensive, £20 gets you 10 gb data.

GiffGaff (part of O2) are also good, but less costly: 10gb data is £12 and £20 currently gets you 40 gb data.

There should be coverage for both but perhaps someone can confirm for the Cotswolds.


You should have good coverage on all networks along the Cotswold Way
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Re: Dongles

Postby Marty_JG » Wed Aug 21, 2019 4:05 pm

jolly47roger wrote:SMARTY offer unlimited for £18.75 with no contract - based on the 3 network IIRC


I've looked into it - pretty amazing deal. No throttling, reliable 20 Mbs, Sim can go in a tablet (GiffGaff are phone only).
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Re: Dongles

Postby prog99 » Wed Aug 21, 2019 9:37 pm

You can use giffgaff on any device. O2 and Vodafone share masts so the coverage should be near identical.

Smarty does look like a decent deal though.
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Re: Dongles

Postby Marty_JG » Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:56 pm

prog99 wrote:You can use giffgaff on any device.


Daaamn, you're right. Did I hallucinate back in the day when I read on their site you couldn't?
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Re: Dongles

Postby Kickinghorse » Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:08 am

Thanks folks for the excellent info.
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Re: Dongles

Postby prog99 » Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:08 am

Marty_JG wrote:
prog99 wrote:You can use giffgaff on any device.


Daaamn, you're right. Did I hallucinate back in the day when I read on their site you couldn't?

Maybe as i've used an iPad on giffgaff.
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Re: Dongles

Postby Marty_JG » Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:57 pm

prog99 wrote:
Marty_JG wrote:
prog99 wrote:You can use giffgaff on any device.


Daaamn, you're right. Did I hallucinate back in the day when I read on their site you couldn't?

Maybe as i've used an iPad on giffgaff.


I mean, I was looking at using them for Internet only and I'm 100% certain I read it. This was certainly when their top bundle was fully Unlimited data, which it no longer it. Perhaps the restriction was only on that bundle.

Anyway, thanks for correcting me & sorry for misleading people. :clap:
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Re: Dongles

Postby clem_f » Fri Sep 13, 2019 11:03 am

I use 3 and EE, but in the west highlands I would say that vodaphone has the best coverage - whenever I am connected for emergency calls only (ie not to my network) it is invariably vodaphone. It is more expensive, but if you are on a short break I doubt it would be overly expensive.
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Re: Dongles

Postby davekeiller » Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:58 pm

It's worth looking at the "virtual" operators.
For instance, Plusnet operate on the EE network, and GiffGaff on O2. Plusnet and GiffGaff will give you a rolling one month SIM only contract, which will probably be cheaper than going with either EE or O2.
Probably either will give perfectly adequate coverage in the areas you're talking about.
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