Mobile internet recommendation

Dickiedooda
Dickiedooda Forum Participant Posts: 8
edited July 2016 in Parts & Accessories #1

We will be touring for a couple of months shortly in our motorhome and we will require regular internet connection.  We have data available in our Vodafone package but 3G is not always available.  Recommendations please 

Comments

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited July 2016 #2

    Which country are you touring?

    Wherever, it's either 3G or wifi......not really sure what your question means?

     

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited July 2016 #3
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • Dickiedooda
    Dickiedooda Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited July 2016 #4

    We just want to get wifi on our lap top / phone & iPad 

  • Dickiedooda
    Dickiedooda Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited July 2016 #5

    Touring in the UK

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #6

    I have a "three" contract on my iPad and so far have never lost a signal ,seems to work everywhere 

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited July 2016 #7

    Well, you either need a device that gets 3 or 4G or a phone with personal hotspot capability or a mifi device. All of these require a minimum 3G signal.

    Other than that, you will have to use the site wifi system (if they do it). This can either be excellent or poor, depending on the site. You often have to pay for wifi, by the day / week / year. The CC for example charge £25/year but their wifi isn't available
    on all their sites and the quality is variable.

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited July 2016 #8
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • jennyc
    jennyc Forum Participant Posts: 957
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    edited July 2016 #9

    Mobile data availability (3G or 4G) depends very much on the proximity of any one of the three networks aerial sites. In general EE/Orange has the widest coverage, but that doesn't mean that it'll work where you are. 3 has the poorest coverage, but may work
    for you where others fail in a given location. All of which is made worse in rural locations because aerial locations are designed to favour conubations and main roads. If possible it's helpful to be able to have multiple services to chose from. We have EE
    & 3 services as choices, but adding Vodaphone would complete the trilogy - still without a guaranteed service.

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited July 2016 #10

    We use 3 and it has great coverage. Certainly far better than Vodafone, which was almost non existent.

  • FifthVan
    FifthVan Forum Participant Posts: 63
    edited July 2016 #11

    We recently had a period of no internet at home and needed something to make do. We bought a mobile router from Argos on EE. We got 6gb of data for £20, lasts 90 days and you can top it up. We had several devices connected to it with no problems. We chose EE as we have been with them for years (Orange prior) and never had problems with coverage on our mobiles.

  • Flappa30
    Flappa30 Forum Participant Posts: 33
    edited July 2016 #12

    Just about all networks have maps showing their coverage for 3G & 4G. If you know which areas you'll be touring in, take a look and see which provider has coverage.

    You may find that away from larger towns and cities you'll struggle to get good 4G, but 3G will probably not be too bad. It all depends where you'll be going.

    Most networks say they cover 90+% of the population (i.e. Larger towns and cities). With small numbers of people in the countryside, these areas are always hit and miss.

    Good luck.

  • Rayrowe35
    Rayrowe35 Forum Participant Posts: 112
    edited August 2016 #13

    Has anyone tried an external aerial on a phone to increase the signal strength?

     

  • jennyc
    jennyc Forum Participant Posts: 957
    500 Comments
    edited August 2016 #14

    We use 3 and it has great coverage. Certainly far better than Vodafone, which was almost non existent.

    Write your comments here...

    A loyal but inaccurate belief I'm afraid. If you search on the Internet for the three respective network coverage maps, you'll see that while all vary in specific locations, that 3 is the most patchy and Vodaphone has a better national coverage, far from
    being 'almost non existent'.

  • CBRBlackbird
    CBRBlackbird Forum Participant Posts: 184
    100 Comments
    edited August 2016 #15

    Well, at the club site in Hawes (and the town itself) there is virtually no Vodafone coverage.

    Vodafone hasn't improved its coverage for many years, whilst 3 has been constantly improving their coverage.

  • Dickiedooda
    Dickiedooda Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited August 2016 #16

    Success so far!  I upgraded my iPad to a cellular iPad Pro and bought a Three loaded sim with 12gb of dated to be used in a year for only £24.00 Approx.  The down load speed is excellent from 8mb to 14mb so far (much better than we had at home).  Additionally
    I bought an Apple Pencil which works with the iPad Pro and I can sign and return PDF documents on the move. Brill!

    Thank you for all your comments

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited August 2016 #17

    We use 3 and it has great coverage. Certainly far better than Vodafone, which was almost non existent.

    Write your comments here...

    A loyal but inaccurate belief I'm afraid. If you search on the Internet for the three respective network coverage maps, you'll see that while all vary in specific locations, that 3 is the most patchy and Vodaphone has a better national coverage, far from
    being 'almost non existent'.

    My experience however is based on actual signal received in various parts of the country, rather than on a map produced by the company trying to sell their network.

    I only have experience of two providers and I found Vodafone to be poor (including at home) and Three to be good. That's all.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited August 2016 #18

    All companies have good and bad areas as most of their uptake is in urban areas,we have found where we live vodaphone has far better coverage ,and that has been found when on "tour" i can normally get a signal when the other networks struggle,

  • NutsyH
    NutsyH Forum Participant Posts: 534
    edited August 2016 #19

    We recently had a period of no internet at home and needed something to make do. We bought a mobile router from Argos on EE. We got 6gb of data for £20, lasts 90 days and you can top it up. We had several devices connected to it with no problems. We chose
    EE as we have been with them for years (Orange prior) and never had problems with coverage on our mobiles.

    Write That's a real rip off compared to 3. Data sim for mifi from 3: £30 for 12gb, valid for 12 months and can be used through most of europe, usa and australia.

     

  • markflip
    markflip Forum Participant Posts: 177
    edited August 2016 #20

    I would +1 for 3 for mobile data and have had a MiFi with them for years, I have only ever been to one site where it didn't work at all (Pembrokeshire coast where nothing got a signal without a trek up the hill a bit).  I would recommend not putting all
    your 'eggs in one basket' with a single provider, having MiFi with one, phones on others gives you more chance of getting a signal on one device at least.