Broadband while on the move

[OpenMind]

Is there any way I can access internet through a broadband connection while I am travelling and not near a hotspot?

If I am spending the evening in a hotel or travelling by train, can I access the internet through my own laptop? Does such technology exist?

Thanks.

 

[counter_violent]

Is there any way I can access internet through a broadband connection while I am travelling and not near a hotspot?

If I am spending the evening in a hotel or travelling by train, can I access the internet through my own laptop? Does such technology exist?

Thanks.

You would be amazed just how many unsecured internet connections there are out there. Simply search and go Wi Fi ........

I do have a few questions though .....is this illegal?....is it hacking?

 

[tradesmart]

Checkout Satellite Internet.......

HTH.......

or even:- The Vodafone Mobile Connect card turns any compatible laptop into a mobile office.

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

I've just bought a Vodafone 3G laptop card (as per Tradesmart's link) which I'm pretty happy with, apart from the extortionate costs of service (£4 M/B on prepay!), but if it means I can leave 'the office' without worrying about what's going on in my portfolio that's worth it to me. One of the computer companies (Dell, maybe) was giving the cards away as a promotion with laptops over Xmas so there's quite a few cards popping up on Ebay at reasonable cost (which is where I got mine - £50 unused and unopened).

 

[apples10]

I've just bought a Vodafone 3G laptop card (as per Tradesmart's link) which I'm pretty happy with, apart from the extortionate costs of service (£4 M/B on prepay!), but if it means I can leave 'the office' without worrying about what's going on in my portfolio that's worth it to me. One of the computer companies (Dell, maybe) was giving the cards away as a promotion with laptops over Xmas so there's quite a few cards popping up on Ebay at reasonable cost (which is where I got mine - £50 unused and unopened).

Hi Jack o'clubs,

I'm thinking of going this route as well. Have you looked into the monthly subscriptions rather than payg? How are you finding coverage? I'm in Central London so I'm sure it will be 3g - is there much down time?

Any other info, appreciated.

I've also seen them on e-bay, glad they work from there as thats where I might source from - could one of these be turned into a subscription service ?


rgds

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

Hi Apples,

Coverage is okay in Brighton, and it switches automatically to GPRS when it can't get a 3G signal. Service quality is pretty good when you've got coverage. This time last year I was working in London (City) and had a Vodafone 3G phone: 3G coverage was very good so should be no problems for you on that front.

The main reason I bought Vodafone prepay is for international coverage: I'm going on holiday at Easter and although I won't be actively trading I want to keep an eye on my position trades - this seemed the best route, not wanting to have to keep finding internet cafes. What I've done is also bought a Vodafone Portugal prepay SIM as well as the UK one that came with the card which means I'll be paying local data access fees rather than roaming.

If I were planning to use it more in the UK I would definitely get a contract: £30/mth for 250MB. If you buy contract then the card is only £60 from Vodafone (or free if you sign up to the higher usage tariffs), so no point buying one on Ebay and taking the risk that it's dodgy in some way.

There's not much else to say: set up very simple (in theory - I had a few problems as it conflicted with a COM port, but sorted quickly enough when searching the error message on the internet), and then you launch your applications as normal - eg I just fired up my CMC Markets Forex platform and it worked fine, as well as internet explorer. There's quite a good background utility from Vodafone which lets you keep track of exactly how much data your sending to and fro. All in all an impressive package - although using it 'in anger' on holiday in a couple of weeks will be the real test for me....

 

[apples10]

Hi Apples,

Coverage is okay in Brighton, and it switches automatically to GPRS when it can't get a 3G signal. Service quality is pretty good when you've got coverage. This time last year I was working in London (City) and had a Vodafone 3G phone: 3G coverage was very good so should be no problems for you on that front.

The main reason I bought Vodafone prepay is for international coverage: I'm going on holiday at Easter and although I won't be actively trading I want to keep an eye on my position trades - this seemed the best route, not wanting to have to keep finding internet cafes. What I've done is also bought a Vodafone Portugal prepay SIM as well as the UK one that came with the card which means I'll be paying local data access fees rather than roaming.

If I were planning to use it more in the UK I would definitely get a contract: £30/mth for 250MB. If you buy contract then the card is only £60 from Vodafone (or free if you sign up to the higher usage tariffs), so no point buying one on Ebay and taking the risk that it's dodgy in some way.

There's not much else to say: set up very simple (in theory - I had a few problems as it conflicted with a COM port, but sorted quickly enough when searching the error message on the internet), and then you launch your applications as normal - eg I just fired up my CMC Markets Forex platform and it worked fine, as well as internet explorer. There's quite a good background utility from Vodafone which lets you keep track of exactly how much data your sending to and fro. All in all an impressive package - although using it 'in anger' on holiday in a couple of weeks will be the real test for me....

Thanks for that Jack,

I'll be going this route after Easter, with a subscription.
Orange and o2 also have cards available now, so I'll do a price comparison when I come to trade and post the result here, first I've got to change my laptop and have a stress/workless holiday!
Don't think my nearest and dearest (!) would take it too well if I started monitoring things/trading while on hols, you must be brave or single . . . .!!


rgds

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

you must be brave or single . . . .!!


rgds

LOL. I've promised her that I'll only check once a day, to keep an eye on things....

 

[pboi]

what are the speeds offered?

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

It runs at about 300-400kbps, so not exactly Broadband...

 

[pboi]

yikes that is still fast, my mobile gaming may just continue if my employer sends me away on a project somewhere

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

from this year, BT and possibly other telcos are introducing WiMAX wireless broadband coverage in the UK which will mean, no more slow ADSL or rip-off 3G Cards/phones.

when this happens it will be amazing, anyone, anywhere within the WiMAX broadcast, which covers several miles radius over entire cities, will have fast wireless broadband access

WiMax is all very well, but I needed a solution now, not at some point in the future. If WiMax lives up to its promise, great, I can ditch the 3G card and get that instead.

i had one of these vodafone 3g cards on contract last year and it cost me an absolute fortune, and i mean, an absurd amount of money, massive mistake to get one

the usage costs and restrictions are criminal, it's just not viable, you will get ripped off

It all depends on the value you place on utility. I'm just back from my two weeks in the sun. I bought a Vodafone Portugal prepay SIM on Ebay before I went and spent about 60 Euros on top-ups while I was over there. So for £50 all in, I got to check prices and charts twice a day, and placed about 15 trades online.

The alternatives? I could have used an internet cafe, but that would have meant a ten minute drive and I'm not happy about entering passwords/bank details etc on a public computer. I could have used local wi-fi, but that would have been a twenty minute drive. Or I could use my 3G card, where I could sit by the pool, drink in hand and do a bit of work for half an hour a day without p1ssing off wife and kids that I was 'working' while on hols. £50 seems a very fair price to pay for that.

 

[apples10]

Hi all,

Just to fill in from my previous threads on this subject.

Now using the 3G card full-time.

So far no downs at all (1 week), but thats in central London, I can get a 3G signal at home as well (Bedfordshire) but have broadband there anyway.

Couple of things :- Close virus scan, I used 50MB of data in the first hour because of this.
Don't use any upgraded platform they send you, V6? It stops the whole thing working.

I'm logged on for 9 hours a day and I'm using about 10 - 15 mb each day. I've thus had to go for the full package of £45/m, but I'm expecting this to come lower over the months as they realise they need a more visible pricing strategy.


rgds

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

Couple of things :- Close virus scan, I used 50MB of data in the first hour because of this.

Also worth turning off stuff like Windows Automatic Update, because you don't want your computer downloading enormous files in the background that you know nothing about.