In other news..
So the official list of Best Dongles has been released by broadband experts RWH, so inspired by that, heres our own impartial review of O2 Dongles.
O2 Dongles. Mobile Broadband from O2. Surely my favourite network can offer me a good mobile broadband service giving me mobile internet anywhere I go to update my blog ? Im sure they do, and a quick check to the O2 Website only confuses. What is all this mobile broadband speak, how does mobile broadband from o2 work ?.. This was just the start of my concerns. So I did some investigation, and will look to cover off everything related to O2 Dongles.
O2 Dongles come advertised with free WI-FI - does this give o2 Dongles the advantage over other dongles, will it cost me more, how fast is an o2 Dongle, whats the o2 Dongle cloud, whats the charges for using my o2 dongle abroad, can I unlock my o2 dongle, is my o2 dongle secure, can anyone use my o2 dongle allowance, ARGGH!!!
O2 Dongles | Lets start with the basics.
An o2 dongle is a plug in device, that fits snugly into your computers or laptops USB port. You use the provided software, that is really easy to use to connect wirelessly to the internet through the dongle. The o2 dongle provides broadband speeds thats faster than dial up, but slightly slower than broadband you would have in your home. The o2 dongle uses the o2 network to provide a broadband connection wherever you are.
O2 Dongles | Connect Wirelessly
With a dongle from O2, or any network, you connect to the internet wirelessly, meaning you can take your laptop on train journeys, to the caravan, or even to a mates, and using your o2 dongle, surf the internet, check your emails, or even watch you-tube. The added benefit of an o2 dongle is access to the cloud network.
O2 Dongles | cloud network
Yeah - a cloud network. Thats right where my head was when I started reading about o2 dongles. Well the cloud network, is a service available to o2 dongles. It allows you to connect in over 5000 locations using the o2 dongle WI-FI, meaning any internet usage does not cost you anything from your allowance. Using the connection manager software on your laptop, you again simply plug the o2 dongle into your laptops usb port and it will automatically connect to a WI-FI cloud in that area. Only if no cloud access is available will you connect and use your tariff allowance.
O2 Dongles | WI-FI and how much does it cost
As it stands, get yourself an o2 dongle, and browsing the internet wirelessly with an o2 Dongle will cost you nothing when using WI-FI. WI-FI hotspots, aka the cloud network, can be found all over the country, heres a nice page I came across showing you them all. Cloud Network
O2 Dongles | What kind of speeds do you get
Speed wise, with a o2 dongle, can vary, depending on a number of factors, such as whether you are connecting to the internet directly from the dongle and mobile network, or via WI-FI and the cloud. Typically, you can expect speeds greater than dial-up, which for those that dont remember was the first internet revolution.. before broadband. Broadband speeds at the home, should be considered as top of the scale, however mobile broadband from an o2 dongle is somewhere in the middle, and closer to the ‘broadband’ experience you are used to.
Different O2 dongles are available, prepay, where you pay up front with a top up, or use it on a daily basis with a maximum cost of £2 per day, as well as sim only (where you pay for the dongle, and get a monthly allowance for a set cost, over a 30 day rolling contract) right up to the contract o2 dongles, available free over 18 month term. Regardless of which o2 dongle option you take, the speeds will remain the same.
O2 Dongles | More about speeds. How do I get the dongle quicker ?
The o2 dongle you purchase will specifiy the maximum speed you can achieve. Typically o2 dongles have speeds up to 3.6Mbps, however some are available giving speeds up to 7.2Mbps and the industry talk (Ive continued my reading on dongles) is of speeds way in excess of this however as with everything, limitations are bound by the networks current capability.
O2 Dongles | Do I need it quicker than 7.2Mbps ?
What are you thinking of using your o2 dongle for. A o2 dongle should only really be considered for browsing, email and general use. Thinking of downloading lots of big files, like movies, or games is not really what an o2 dongle was designed for. For that kind of broadband power, check out O2 Home Broadband (Which incidently has 3 months free at the moment making it not only award winning home broadband, but also incredible value). Remember its main objective is to give you mobile access to the internet, either for travel, holidays or caravans etc, and not to directly replace any landline broadband connection you may already have. If you bear this in mind, then speeds from an o2 dongle from 3.6Mbps right upto 7.2Mbps will be more than sufficient.
O2 Dongles | Dongles cost more money abroad
As with everything roaming, it seems that networks will charge you through the roof for dongle usage abroad. Wether your inside or outside of Europe, you will be hit with the roaming operators data charges, and these will be considerably more expensive than here at home. O2 Dongles give you an option, you can add the data abroad bolt on prior to your trip (I recommend 48 hours before to give the billing system time to update) and this will limit your costs.
I say limit your costs because data abroad bolt ons dont come cheap, and they will more likely cost more than your actually tariff cost for that month, however it does what it says, limits your cost. You know you will never pay more than the bolt on costs provided you stay within the terms attached, giving you that freedom to go online with your o2 dongle abroad, and not come home to a nasty bill, as big as the holiday.
Going away in the UK will allow you access to the before mentioned o2 Cloud, via WIFI and prevents any additional charges.
O2 Dongles | How to unlock an o2 Dongle ?
Ok, so your looking for information around dongles, maybe o2 dongles, and up to now you have come up across lots of comparison sites, all chasing commissions, or dongle unlock sites offering you unlocked dongle software for a small price. So whats all this unlocking o2 dongles all about ?
Locked to O2
Your o2 dongle will be locked to the o2 network, specified by the connection software and sim card provided. Your dongle will connect only with the o2 simcard. Unlocking a o2 dongle can be handy when you have multiple data sim cards, and you wish to use the allowance on the next sim, that is on say, 3 Network. Inserting the 3 network sim card into your o2 dongle whilst its still locked to the o2 network will result in a simple error. This is because the o2 dongle is locked to only work with o2 mobile broadband sim cards
Unlock Software for O2 Dongles
Ok, so your one of those people with multiple dongle contracts, looking to use your allowance on the superior O2 dongle. How do you do it ? First, you will have to find some software online for unlock software. Before you buy, check that its compatible with the O2 dongle, as not all software works with all dongles. Once your happy, simply pay the charge, download the software, and follow the installation instructions.
In most cases, everything will unlock with no problems, and your o2 dongle will now accept any data sim card to connect to the internet.
In all cases, your warranty is now invalid. The second cost to unlocking your dongle.
O2 Dongles | Better solution to unlocking the o2 dongle ?
Clearly the best way forward is not to void your warranty and unlock the dongle, but instead consider speaking to O2 to increase your tariff. If your one reason to unlock the dongle is to get as much usage as possible, then different tariff options will be cheaper in the short term, and ensure you dont brick your dongle with incorrect software. You can contact O2 customer services at any time to increase your allowance, or if you are on prepay, where you pay up front for your download allowance, you can switch from daily, to weekly, or monthly allowances, costing £2 per day, £7.50 a week, or £15 a month for downloads upto 3Gb. Need more, then o2 offer a 10Gb dongle option.
O2 Dongles | Are they secure ?
So you last question is how secure is my o2 dongle - like can anyone hack in and steal my allowance, or access files on my computer because I have this o2 dongle sticking out my laptops usb port ?
Well you will be pleased to know that o2 takes your security seriously. As with mobile phones, the sim card is placed inside the device, and this sits snug inside the usb port. It gives you wireless access to the internet and doesnt allow wireless connections reversed. Your files and folders are safe from anyone in the same room or building, its a way for you to connect thats it.
Consider your o2 dongle to be the same as an o2 phone, unless you actually leave the o2 dongle unattended, and someone swipes it, your about as safe as you can get online with a dongle from o2.
O2 Dongles | Tariff Options
There are two contract and sim only tariff options, and 3 pay as you go options for the o2 dongles. Lets start with contract and sim only options.
Contract / Sim Only O2 Dongles
Available on Sim Only, which is a 30 day rolling contract giving a monthly allowance, and 18 or 24 month contracts providing a free dongle, offer the following allowances of 3GB Downloads or 10GB Downloads. Both come with the free inclusion of Unlimited WI-FI from the cloud network you read about earlier. Costing £15 and £30 respectively, the 10GB o2 dongle offers better value with a larger download allowance, however the 3GB o2 dongle may offer enough for your expected usage.
Pay As You Go O2 Dongles
Purchase a prepay o2 dongle for as little as £29.35, or if you buy home broadband, a prepay phone, mobile sim only, or new contract, you get this for half that price, a fantasticly low £14.65 inclusive of VAT.
Once you have the o2 dongle, choose your prepay tariff option with o2.
Daily - £2 a day, pay no more, regardless of data usage. Simply top up with a minimum of £15 and if you select this tariff, use it only when needed and pay no more than £2 a day. Excellent value for anyone who needs the o2 dongle for travel, or occassional outside use
Weekly - £7.50 a week gives you 1Gb download allowance, allowing for heavier mobile internet use. Again, simply choose this tariff option when you buy your o2 dongle, and you can browse the internet upto 1Gb of usage (not including our friend the Cloud) and it will cost you only £7.50. Ideal for people who visit caravans, or need consistent access to the internet for a longer period.
Monthly - £15 a month provides you with a solid 3Gb of download allowance. Included is the free WI-FI that provides unlimited extra usage via the cloud, and is ideal for people who like to surf every day, or check and send emails every day, or even someone in the middle of a house move, or not wanting to sign into any long contracts.
With the prepay o2 dongle tariffs, you gain even more flexibility from your o2 dongle, and o2 have pretty much covered off all people, and all needs with a range of options to buy.
Tariffs can be changed with prepay, so with the added benefit of a half price dongle with other selected products, this could be the shrewdest buy of the year so far. Get mobile internet access via your o2 dongle any which way you want.. but make it o2 for happy internet surfing that you control.
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