Broadband access from caravan - recomendations?

[c_lee]

In June we had just over 3 weeks away in the caravan touring in Cornwall, Devon & Dorset.

For the first time I took the laptop with us for Internet access so that we would be able to research areas we visited, recover any eMails, & keep an eye on the ( rainy ) weather during the trip.

I had recently installed an external USB Wi-Fi dongle in an elevated position and was able to use this when sites had an access point available.
Often the connection was a bit flaky and intermittent as we were sometimes distant from the sites access point.
Often there was no Wi-Fi available at sites at all.

I thought that it might be a good idea to buy a PAYG Internet dongle before our next trip but the thought didn't cross my head again till today ( on the eve of our next trip ).

My mobile phone is not a modern smart phone with Internet, it's a £15 basic PAYG phone bought from Argos a few years ago. A £10 top up lasts me weeks and it suits me fine.

I don't plan to change the phone and in any case would want Internet on a big screen ( IE laptop ).

We wouldn't be using Internet in the caravan for general browsing, just for the purposes I mentioned.

Does anyone have any recomendations that would suit our use.
Particularly which mobile Internet PAYG service to use.

I wont be able to reply for a few days being that this next trip will be on a THS site.

Colin

[DC850]

I have a Mobile internet with Virgin giving me up to 3MB/S (dependant on signal) my is contract (£5.00/Month) I think Virgin do PAYG but you could check. Had my for about 3-4 years now and only a coulpe of sites I have not had some form of connection.

[jayhl7]

I had a 3 dongle on payg which worked quite well, I would recommend that you check the network coverage of any and all to double check which is best for you, Cheers Jay

[xc70jason]

Hi,what about a giffgaff gigabag?,

http://giffgaff.com/goodybags#data

I suppose that you'd just need too get a o2 dongle and stick the sim in as Giffgaff run on the o2 network.I've not used one of these myself but,i have been on the mobile phone network for about 12 month's and honestly,i dont have a bad word too say about it.

Jason

[Thanatos]

The best way would be to use a 3G modem on USB but get one with an external antenna as this can boost the range and signal 3 fold.

I have one of these and it good in areas that have poor signal
TP-LINK Technologies TP-LINK TL-MR3420 3G/3.75G 300Mbps Wireless N Router

[Paul240480]

I use an Orange SSID (whatever that stands for) Wifi Key. To connect my iPad whilst caravanning . Seems to connect most of time, sometimes can be a little slow. But most of the time it'll run even the TV apps, so can watch uk tv of an evening in the van here in France.

The other day I'd left it switched on and folks in my gite through two concrete block walls said there PC was picking it up as well as my home B/band, lol

[pagan8c]

I have a vodafone mifi which is on a 1 month rolling contract.It is a great little peice of equipment which allows you to work up to 5 different wifi laptops or ipads etc.cost £49 for the MIFi (1 off payment) and then you choose how much you want to pay for broadband.

[c_lee]

Thanks for the replies everyone.
Tonight I've been looking further into this based on your suggestions.

Hmm - I can see this is not going to be as straightforward as I expected if I want a package to exactly suit my use.

I guess I'm looking for something similar to the use I have with my mobile phone where I can load it with, say, £10 and that credit doesn't have to be used within a specific period of time.
I can use it gradually over as long as it lasts then top it up again.
Months can go by before I use up that £10 credit but it doesn't expire.

My impression is that with mobile broadband that is not the case.
PAYG credits appear to expire within a specified time period if not used from what I've seen tonight.
Guaranteed usage of the whole of the credit within that time period is not assured being that the use will be intermittent in the caravan.

That use depends on multiple things like weather, available time off work etc as to whether we will use the caravan at all within the time slot. Especcially in winter.
And, when we do use it, will we use it to take maximum advantage of the use we have paid for without that use expiring.

IE will we get all the usage we have paid for before it expires and this is the crux of it.

I hate having things taken from me that I have paid for - especcially by corporate bodies that have decided my spending rate doesn't meet their prefered customer profile.
In my mind I've paid for it so it's mine.

Thinking cap required!

BTW we've just had a few nights on a THS at Glasson Dock just south of Lancaster and it was a good break.
Nightly rate was £5.
The ground was a bit soft though and we had to have the caravan towed off by a 4wd - the V70 Auto even in L in Winter mode couldn't cope.

Colin

[minesa240x3]

I wish I had seen this posting before sunday!
We went to a carboot sale and I bought a Mobile Broadband USB Stick 610 from T-Mobile.Cost me £2 it has a sim card and can be topped up the same as a pay as you go phone.When I got home and looked to see how good a service it offers in the area we holiday I noticed it's regarded as very poor.
Ah well £2 won't break the bank but I should have not bothered Lol.
Buy in haste repent in liesure eh?
Regards Brian.

[minesa240x3]

Originally Posted by minesa240x3

I wish I had seen this posting before sunday!
We went to a carboot sale and I bought a Mobile Broadband USB Stick 610 from T-Mobile.Cost me £2 it has a sim card and can be topped up the same as a pay as you go phone.When I got home and looked to see how good a service it offers in the area we holiday I noticed it's regarded as very poor.
Ah well £2 won't break the bank but I should have not bothered Lol.
Buy in haste repent in liesure eh?
Regards Brian.

Well heres an update.The T-mobile dongle works absolutely fine unlike the clubwifi package set up on our site.
The T-mobile sim is easily topped up and price range is very good IMHO.I got the Any seven days use in one month for £10,Or there is a week fixed useage for £7,and one day usage for £2.
The signal strength always reports 74% but maybe seems fantastic as this ancient old laptop is so incredibly slow.Wouldn't dare try downloading anything resource heavy with it.It freezes just going on you tube Lol.

It connects with no problems and so far I'm very pleased indeed.

The wifi on site was rubbish ;last year and we were right next to the pole?This year it's across the field and only connected once but the signal was to poor to actually work.So wasted £6 just for hassle.

Regards Brian.