Dongle

[Guest]

Hi, we don't have a landline (we're in a church hall) but staff would like access to the internet, and rightly so (some of committee a bit resistant almost as though they would just bung children on the internet and leave them there!!)

 

Anyway, does anyone use a dongle to do this, what kind of package did you go for, how well does it work, any other advice about getting our setting online?

 

I've looked in the BT thing where they give you a laptop but that seems to hook you into a contract deal which I would like to avoid.

 

Thanks in advance for your tips.

[Guest]

I too am looking at this especially as the funding is now done on line and I end up taking children's info home to do it. Interested to see what others think.

[Guest]

We used a dongle last year and it wasn't very good. You need to check your coverage with the different networks i.e. Orange O2 etc. Also if you know of any one with a dongle see if you can borrow it to see about your coverage.

they do work well but slow if you are used to broadband. Have a look at getting broad band if you have a phone connection into the building in the long run it might be better. we have gone over to broadband because I got fed up of waiting for things to download and the time it took to just change pages drove me mad.

 

Saying that my son uses one and has no trouble he's with O2.

It depends so much on where you are.

Good luck

[HappyMaz]

We have been lucky enough to be given a laptop, printer and internet dongle by our Local Authority as part of the quality and access funding. We suffer from really bad mobile phone signal in our village, but I was astounded when our O2 dongle was plugged in and it worked first time. We have a pre-paid dongle so there are no monthly bills, but I don't know if there's a pay as you go version.

 

Maz

[fimbo]

make sure you check the network coverage for the dongle..not the mobile phone signal, as its different (apparantly !) we can get a tmobile phone signal at our setting, but our tmobile dongle gets no signal at all !

 

try this site - it gives you an idea of the coverage in yuor area

http://www.compare3gmobilebroadband.co.uk/3g-coverage-uk.htm

 

but coverage is no guarantee of a signal.

[Inge]

My son uses O2 and gets good coverage in most areas.. he is happy with the coverage and he moves around a lot..

 

Inge

[Cait]

I got a BT one for preschool and it's rubbish, there's not enough signal to maintain a connection long enough to do anything! Waste of money as my son's laptop can find a signal in there anyway! saving up for a new Acer laptop instead

[Guest]

Thanks for all the responses, very helpful.

[laura]

We have a vodafone pay as you go dongle. It works brilliantly at pre-school, but no reception at home. Pay as you go has lasted AGES and you don't have to top up monthly.

Edited September 10, 2010 by laura