Dongle usage in Australia

Have a wonderful time, jeanie, with or without your dongle

I shall investigate next time we go.

I thought jollyg was being jokey and that people have not heard her tone. I took it as someone saying it with a laugh. A normal reaction to a dongle question?

Hi Rose, yes it was we managed to book a camper van finally, paid the deposit so fingers crossed it works out.
One week to go before we set off from England can't wait.

We travel to the US first NYC to LA overland by train and then on to Australia, a trip to celebrate my 70th birthday.

The dongle question
it is far more complicated than I had at first thought and to cut a long story short and from great information received from an Australian forum I have found out that it will be less complicated and cheaper to purchase a new dongle and usage just from a Vodafone shop over in OZ.

I wasn't able to find out if the Egyptian dongle was locked or not. UK Vodafone couldn't help and Vodafone Egypt site forum were all in Arabic there was no e-mail address for me to contact them to check on this issue.

As long as the coverage is there this is a wonderful way of keeping in touch with family when you are traveling when wifi is not available or too expensive. It was the staff in our hotel in Egypt who advised me what to do when we were there for 6 weeks in March this year when I complained about the cost of wifi at the hotel.

Jeanie was it you on another thread asking about camper van hire ?

Anyway, have a great time, if you get the dongle thingy sorted out I would be interested to know in case we go out bush again next time we go.

Actually, I was [shocked] at the way jollyg had responded to the op, damn rude and totally uncalled for.

PS In a previous life/employment I had to use a dongle as it was the only way I could get an internet connection on the train.

I forgot to say, I had wanted to use the dongle I bought in Egypt there is no money left on it as it was a pay as you go, but i wondered if it was possible to buy another month use in Australia.

It was my first time using a dongle but I don't know the science to it and just thought someone else might.

Thanks to everyone who were interested in responding.

Yes I can use WIFI in hotels but we are traveling in a camper van for 5 weeks staying on campsites, not only that but not all WIFI is free and can be very costly.

In Egypt this year the hotel was charging over £3 an hour for their WiFi usage.

We like to keep in touch with family via Skype when we are away traveling.

Will you be travelling, Jeanie or staying in a large city?

I am sure someone heading for a gap year or going out on a year's working visa would know! Are there any student forums you could post on?

We used to have one, years ago, which DH would use to get on the net while we were in the caravan. It attached to his mobile phone, and he could phone O2 and add money to it. I never knew just how it worked.

We did have a dongle once, I had no idea what it was for, have no idea where it is now, and did not even realise you could still use them, pre-load them or whatever. I rarely use my mobile when abroad, and if I do just grit my teeth and pay whatever; if I take my tablet I sit in the foyer of a hotel and use theirs, or am lucky enough to stay with family and use their wifi. All I can say is that it may be OK in large cities but further into the outback it is hopeless to try to get a connection. If more than one person in the house is using their mobile or tab then you could get booted off.

phoenix really, the way that your mind works! Perhaps I should include Ana also.

Down, Phoenix and Ana !Not what you think!. A dongle is a bit of kit that you attach to your mobile or tablet/laptop to get internet connection.

jeannie99 I think you were asking about reusing the dongle you already have? If it had money on it already when you bought it, it was probably pay-as-you-go and not a monthly plan. It may even have been a one-off thing - I don't know, i have never used one.

I don't know how you go about topping it up - there may have been some info on the packaging - but this page www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/dongles-and-mobile-wi-fi/index.htm has info on vodaphone dongles.

You can select "mobile wifi" or "dongles" and "pay monthly" or "pay as you go" and there are model numbers listed, which you may see on your dongle. It looks to me as though you may have to buy another, with a month's usage, for £20. As someone said, many hotels now have free wifi. You may be lucky.

I haven't used a dongle myself Jeannie, but I believe you can use them in Oz or other countries as long as your mobile is unlocked.

There are 3 3G frequencies (3G2100, 3G900, 3G850) used in Australia , only 1 (3G2100) in the UK so most dongles bought in the UK will only work well in the larger cities.... or so I've been told.

Hope this helps a bit.... maybe someone out there has experience of it.

jeannie99 I Googled Vodaphone dongle Australia and the first link I clicked on came up with several dongles and prices in Australian currency. Hope this helps.

jollyg maybe you could think before you post?

Quite! I thought this thread was going to be about something else entirely...

jollyg I think most of us are a bit clueless about dongles and things. I certainly am and I reckon I am pretty clued up about computing and internet in general. It is a question of whether we have had experience of using one, and not everyone has.

Running Jeannie99 down for it is rather impolite of you. Not knowing about the technology and asking for help is not a crime. If you can help, do, if you can't, keep out of it.

jollyg I do think that you were a bit abrupt because jeanie99 was only asking a question and was hoping to receive a civil answer on GN.

I think its jeannie who is a bit clueless.

Yes seek out wifi lodgings and go

I have no idea about Dongle use, sorry jeanie99, but don't most hotels offer free WiFi, at least in the lobby/reception area?

If you are thinking of using it in your room or elsewhere I would be interested to know how it works out. (Sorry if this post sounds a bit clueless)