Mobile wifi in London
Aug 18th, 2013, 11:39 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mobile wifi in London
Will be in London 8 days starting August 19 and would like mobile wifi to be shared with three kids laptop, iPads and iPhones. Any suggestions as to how to purchase or rent device and service. Too late to rent from Tep.
Aug 19th, 2013, 02:31 AM
#3
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,657
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's normally free in cafes, you just ask for the password.
On top of this, BT (British Telecom) has a gazillion hotspots, which you can use pay-as-you-go. Here are the price and location details: http://www.btwifi.com/
Or you could buy a dongle: check out Carphone Warehouse as just one phone retailer (http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/bro...bile-broadband), but when you get here you will quickly realise we have more phone shops than houses.
On top of this, BT (British Telecom) has a gazillion hotspots, which you can use pay-as-you-go. Here are the price and location details: http://www.btwifi.com/
Or you could buy a dongle: check out Carphone Warehouse as just one phone retailer (http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/bro...bile-broadband), but when you get here you will quickly realise we have more phone shops than houses.
Aug 20th, 2013, 02:39 AM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A dongle will not work for iPads. Also wanted to use Internet to use Netflix and buy tickets online. Cafes don't work for those uses. Currently using hotel wifi and it is very slow and expensive.
Aug 20th, 2013, 03:01 AM
#5
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 6,323
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Don't know about the Ipad, but for my Iphone I got a 15 pound sim card from 3, which was perfect for internet and local phone calls for a month. It worked immediately, and without problems in London.
Plenty of hotels do not charge for Wifi in London.
Here's a crazy idea - can the kids do without Netflix for a week? Plenty to do in London.
Plenty of hotels do not charge for Wifi in London.
Here's a crazy idea - can the kids do without Netflix for a week? Plenty to do in London.
Aug 20th, 2013, 03:59 AM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,144
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm signed up with 'The Cloud', which has a lot of hotspots, mainly in coffee bars/cafes. It doesn't cost anything and if you are happy to provide your address/email address first time round you can access it quickly and easily with just a password from there on in. I use it a lot.
BTFon lets you piggy back on someone elses wifi. It's not cheap, but you can get it almost anywhere and can buy increments as short as an hour (usually about £3) which would be ideal for ticket booking or short information gathering stints, rather than all day surfing
I also can't believe the kids will need Netflix. Won't you be out most of the time? And if not, our telly is great
BTFon lets you piggy back on someone elses wifi. It's not cheap, but you can get it almost anywhere and can buy increments as short as an hour (usually about £3) which would be ideal for ticket booking or short information gathering stints, rather than all day surfing
I also can't believe the kids will need Netflix. Won't you be out most of the time? And if not, our telly is great
Aug 20th, 2013, 04:10 AM
#8
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 6,323
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
our telly is great
Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration!
I have teenage kids and spend a lot of time in London. We have just the regular package of TV programmes, no Sky movies or anything like that. We survive. And sometimes the kids even read a book or newspaper!
Go and see the Sound of Music in Regent's Park - it is fantastic.
Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration!
I have teenage kids and spend a lot of time in London. We have just the regular package of TV programmes, no Sky movies or anything like that. We survive. And sometimes the kids even read a book or newspaper!
Go and see the Sound of Music in Regent's Park - it is fantastic.
Aug 20th, 2013, 10:00 AM
#10
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 17,268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"A dongle will not work for iPads"
Oh yes it will.
Or am I dreaming I'm typing this on an iPad that connects through a dongle? Same dongle, BTW, I use with my Windows tablet.
We may be defining "dongle" differently. Google "Vodafone R205 Pay as you go Mobile WiFi Unit ", and look for its conmpetitors
Oh yes it will.
Or am I dreaming I'm typing this on an iPad that connects through a dongle? Same dongle, BTW, I use with my Windows tablet.
We may be defining "dongle" differently. Google "Vodafone R205 Pay as you go Mobile WiFi Unit ", and look for its conmpetitors
Apr 9th, 2014, 03:58 AM
#14
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 7,956
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I consider a dongle to be a USB modem, which can only provide internet service to the device it's attached to. What Flanner is talking about is what I would call a mobile wifi unit. That's what Marta is asking about, if I'm not mistaken.
If you have a suitable phone, I would get a UK SIM card and a good high-speed data plan. You would then be able to use the phone to tether the other devices. Make sure the data plan allows tethering. Some providers will cut you off if you tether with a plan that forbids it. I looked into buying a SIM card the last time I was in London, but a lot of the plans didn't allow tethering. It seems silly to me, as long as you stay within the limits of your plan, or pay as you go for the amount of data you use.
My Italian plan didn't allow tethering until recently, but they now allow it with even their cheapest plans.
If you don't have a suitable phone, either because it's locked or not a GSM phone, it would probably be better to buy a cheap Android phone to use as a tethering device. Then you'd also be able to use it to make local phone calls as well, without paying outrageous roaming costs, and as a GPS navigator when you're out and about. Search for "unlocked Android GSM phone" on Amazon or EBay. I've seen some in the $80-$100 range in the US. Read the reviews, because some phones, although technically unlocked, are overly dependent on the apps of a particular provider. My daughter bought a cheap unlocked Samsung phone a few years ago, and uses it both in the US (with TMobile) and Europe (with European SIM cards) with no problem.
If you have a suitable phone, I would get a UK SIM card and a good high-speed data plan. You would then be able to use the phone to tether the other devices. Make sure the data plan allows tethering. Some providers will cut you off if you tether with a plan that forbids it. I looked into buying a SIM card the last time I was in London, but a lot of the plans didn't allow tethering. It seems silly to me, as long as you stay within the limits of your plan, or pay as you go for the amount of data you use.
My Italian plan didn't allow tethering until recently, but they now allow it with even their cheapest plans.
If you don't have a suitable phone, either because it's locked or not a GSM phone, it would probably be better to buy a cheap Android phone to use as a tethering device. Then you'd also be able to use it to make local phone calls as well, without paying outrageous roaming costs, and as a GPS navigator when you're out and about. Search for "unlocked Android GSM phone" on Amazon or EBay. I've seen some in the $80-$100 range in the US. Read the reviews, because some phones, although technically unlocked, are overly dependent on the apps of a particular provider. My daughter bought a cheap unlocked Samsung phone a few years ago, and uses it both in the US (with TMobile) and Europe (with European SIM cards) with no problem.
