[diwlsn]

i have finally got my laptop to connect using my non 3g mobile phone ie k750i, i have been told that if i get a 3g phone i will be able to connect faster is this true? also would i need a 3g phone with a 3g sim card or would my vodafone sim work in a 3g phone to connect me at faster speeds? i am currently conneting using a bluetooth dongle, if i got a 3g phone would it still connect using my bluetooth dongle? any help would be great!

thanks

diwlsn x

[3g-g]

Hi there diwlsn!

Welcome to Talk 3G :)

Glad to see you're taking on the remote mobile data challenge! What you've been told is true, if you have a 3G handset and you're within 3G coverage you will be able to connect and download data a lot faster, it's not far off broadband like speeds, you'd notice a huge difference compared to the way you're working just now. If you can get a 3G handset by some other means, other than upgrade I believe Vodafone can enable your current SIM to access 3G services, if you contact them they'll be able to tell you for sure. If you choose to upgrade to a nice shiny new 3G handset then just ensure it's one with bluetooth, most of them are nowadays! Then just pair the handset and your dongle as you did before and Robert's your Dad's brother, full whack 3G data speeds whizzing down to your laptop!

If you're wanting some advice on handset choice or have any other questions be prepared for the numerous postings all the folk here will be posting to help you out!

Let us know how you get on!

G.

[maxspank]

Vodafone sims don't need to be enabled for 3G, they already are! You just need to make sure you're in 3G coverage and are connected to a 3G switch, you can tell if you are just dial *#106# the second line should say VF-Brittania or VF-Monk, there's a third one that I forget the name of. If you're not connected to the right switch you can't get 3G, so either you're out of coverage, you've got mobile set to GSM only, or you you just need to do a manual roam.

Also if you're on PAYT, then you'll want plenty of credit £7.50 per meg or something like that!

[diwlsn]

thanks so much, do you think there would be a charge for vodafone to enable my sim card to 3g? what i was thinking of was just buying a cheap(ish) 3g mobile off ebay and giving it a go but i didn't know whether i would need a 3g sim aswell, how do i find out if i'm in 3g coverage area and how would i know about a switch? thanks again x

[3GScottishUser]

Vodafone will enable your SIM for 3G for absolutely nothing!! Why would'nt they? They will be giving you the opportunity to spend even more money with them!!

Call them - ask them and enjoy... dont forget about 'Stop the Clock' and 'Passport', both can save you lots of cash...

Full details on the above at www.vodafone.co.uk

[3g-g]

thanks so much, do you think there would be a charge for vodafone to enable my sim card to 3g? what i was thinking of was just buying a cheap(ish) 3g mobile off ebay and giving it a go but i didn't know whether i would need a 3g sim aswell, how do i find out if i'm in 3g coverage area and how would i know about a switch? thanks again x

No problems, as maxspank mentioned your SIM should already be able to access Vodafone's 3G services, if you're wanting to go down the eBay route then get bidding! Easiest thing to do is look for a 3G handset already locked to Vodafone, they're usually a bit cheaper than someone who's had theirs unlocked to all the networks. Don't worry yourself about Vodafone's network switches etc, there's no need to concern yourself with that, just get onto the Vodafone coverage checker, (http://maps.vodafone.co.uk/coverageviewer/web/default.aspx)find yourself on the map and see what type of coverage is in the areas you visit most often. Even if you don't have 3G coverage at home you may well do when out and about. You'll not lose out on anything by having a new handset, when there's no 3G coverage you'll fall back on Vodafone's GSM 2G network, as you use currently.

I'm sure between us all here we'll get you up and running and having high data speeds in no time at all!

Let us know what handset you go for, I'm sure there'll be plenty of advice on offer!

G.

[Nero]

You may not have 3G enabled against your current CTN, but a quick call to Vodafone Customer Service will resolve this. If 3G is not enabled they will do this free of charge, it only takes a few minutes to do.

As well as connecting via Bluetooth to your laptop, most phones nowadays come supplied with a USB data cable so you can just plug that into your laptop.

I've gone to the next step, and have a Vodafone 3G data card, if you do a lot or remote working then I would definitely recommend it.

[Ben]

I can also plump for the Vodafone 3G Connect card, it's good value compared to using data on a standard Vodafone voice plan. Alternatively, if you don't need to use IM or VOIP over your connection, T-Mobile have some very cheap datacard plans.