3 Mobile Broadband Service

[freddylocks]

Hi Everyone

I do alot of train journeys.
Having used the T-mobile Web n Walk laptop dongle, the service works excellently. I can pretty much get a signal most of the time and get some sort of connection even if it is slow.

I have tried using my N73 phone as a bluetooth modem, and often I am unable to even get a signal let alone browse the web.

I am thinking about going for three's Mobile Broadband offering, however the problems I have had keeping a good signal while travelling with the N73 for internet is making me very dubious about going for the USB dongle on the basis that it is the same network.

Even when the train pulls into the station, you have to wait for the phone to pick up the signal again. It is slow at negotiating the 2g / 3g signals, if i had a good signal at least I would be able to open up 10 different webpages while at the station to peruse until we reach the next station.

Does anyone have any opinion on the new Mobile Broadband offering? Things like coverage and constant connection?

Thanks
Freddy

[Lord Lucan]

I se that you want to use phone as modem and not the dongle but I noticed that phone as modem is slow compared to usb modem.One suggestion if you dont like that dongle than how about card as modem and its same speed as dongle.

[freddylocks]

Hi there Lord Lucan.

Thanks for your reply, however... I was testing internet access using my phone, however I will be going for the USB Dongle if I do take the service.

My concern is that the service via the phone was pretty dire (next to no access to Internet in a 200mile train journey) and if the USB Dongle is just as bad?
I am looking for other peoples opinions on how good the service is with the USB dongle? is it just as bad or is it a slightly different system that gives better connection?

Thanks
Freddy

[countrylad]

Haven't gone for it myself yet Freddy, but I have been following the experiences of Ewan, on SMSTextNews.com. He's been using one at both home and abroad and loves it so far.

I've posted some of his pertinent links below, although I couldn't find the one I read about him using it on the train with excellent results!

Using it in Italy on Three Like Home (http://www.smstextnews.com/2007/10/using_the_3uk_usb_modem_in_italy.html)

An experience of using it at home (http://www.smstextnews.com/2007/09/3uks_usb_modem_is_phenomenal_redux.html)

Ewan raves about the 3Turbo modem (http://www.smstextnews.com/2007/09/3uks_usb_modem_is_phenomenal.html)

HTH. Probably gonna get myself v. soon.

[alanjrobertson]

Great, thanks for those review links :)

[burybobz]

Been using it about a week now, mainly at home (North Manchester), and have been getting data speed of appx. 1.8-2.1mbps, which is very impressive, and would definitely recommend to anyone (if the HSDPA/Super Turbo is available in your region)

Incidentally the internet connection speed on my mobile (also '3') appears to have become almost instantaneous, which is a bonus!

[countrylad]

Since my last post I've got the 3Turbo modem myself and I'm very impressed. So is my wife, who's realised you can now access the web in the car and used it for two hours on a journey into and out of Birmingham the other day, getting very acceptable speeds even on the move.

It feels like the holy grail of internet access has arrived!!!

[redremo]

I have been looking at changing to 3 broadband to replace my existing system. At the moment i have an Orange Livebox. My problem is i have a slingbox on my orange system but if i convert to 3 broadband and want to use my laptop when i am away which is very often my Slingbox won't work because i have nothing to plug my slingbox into. Or evan if it is possible to connect slingbox to 3 broadband usb. Does any body know how to get round this.

[Yellow Pages]

I use this everyday at work on my laptop, does the job.

Few annoying things though, it takes 3 or 4 refreshes to load a page, if you don't hit f5 etc it will just hang for a few minutes and time out, speeds are pretty good though, and would def recommend it to anyone thinking about it.

Is there an official type thread for all things to do with this??