![]() What is 'All-You-Can-Eat' data? All-You-Can-Eat data, or AYCE for short, is another way of saying unlimited data. Three like to keep things simple. Compare the UK's best and cheapest PAYG mobile broadband deals today with uSwitch. Ideal for people who want broadband on the go without monthly bills. You have not yet voted on this site! If you have already visited the site, please help us classify the good from the bad by voting on this site. Freeview via WiFi on a smart TV?? TV MoneySaving. Skimlinks adds tracking to some, primarily retailers' links, to show they come from this forum. Unlike the rest of us, UPS has already begun to plan ahead for the holiday season. On Monday, UPS announced that it’s raising its shipping rates around Black Friday. I can't write an article don't automatically make you worthy of your place. Picture Quality and Brightness. This is really what this review is all about: can you get a decent size and quality of picture, at a reasonable brightness? There are three ways to get mobile broadband: A data Sim . Read more. A data Sim is all you'll need if you've got a particular device you want internet on (though for sharing your connection with other devices, you'll also need a wireless hotspot device to put the Sim into). Three Mobile WiFi uses Three Broadband to create a wireless network (WLAN) so you can connect devices like laptops or mobile phones to the internet completely. Many networks offer these Sims - just select the plan that's most appropriate for you, much like you would with a mobile phone tariff. For the best deals, see our Data Sim top picks. I think USB dongles do decrease the speed a bit, especially if you buy a cheap one. I've had both cheap and higher quality hubs, and the higher quality ones work. The Raspberry Pi Computer is a credit card sized mini PC circuit board that cost only $35. Now you can take it anywhere with the new M![]() ![]() ![]() A mobile hotspot device . You'll need a device to create a wireless hotspot if you want to do this. These are known as mobile Wi- Fi, or Mi- Fi, devices, and they usually have a slot for putting a data Sim into. They tend to be slim and portable (hence . Read more. Networks often bundle these devices with mobile broadband plans (see Wi- fi device best buys), whereby you'll be provided with a Sim to slot in. These plans can make them more affordable - although on shorter- term rolling contracts you'll usually have to pay extra for one. Alternatively, sometimes it can be cheaper to buy one stand- alone from a retailer and combine it with your own Sim . It's also possible to get a USB dongle into which to put a Sim. While perhaps not as convenient as a wireless hotspot device, they tend to be a little cheaper and are perfect if you just want to surf on your laptop. Read more. Dongles also run off your laptop's battery, so you won't have to charge them. While this might drain your laptop's battery a little more, as you won't need Wi- Fi switched on to use it, it should save a little juice compared with connecting via a hotspot. As with Mi- Fi devices, you can get dongles either bundled as part of a plan (provided with a Sim to insert), or separately for combining with your own Sim. Quick question. Can I use my phone's Sim card in my tablet/laptop/dongle and vice versa? Smartphone Sims have a mobile number attached to them . Equally, sometimes a data Sim won't work in a smartphone. O2 and Three have told us their Sims aren't cross- compatible, so you won't be able to switch them between tablet/dongles and smartphones. Vodafone, EE and Giffgaff, on the other hand, say their Sims will work across multiple devices, but you may need to change the Access Point Name (APN) settings . Your device may need to be unlocked to work. Most tablets will come unlocked, meaning a Sim from any network will work in them. However, wireless hotspot devices and USB dongles are often locked to a specific network. As with smartphones, some of the networks may unlock the device for you at a cost, but this isn't a dead cert and it can be expensive. With some devices, and wireless hotspot devices in particular, you can buy a code that will allow you to unlock it. Search for your device's name on e. Bay alongside the term . When ordering, you'll usually be asked for the 1. ![]() IMEI' number, which can be found relatively easily. Depending on your hardware, you'll either be able to directly input the code, or you may have to do it via computer using specialist software. Follow the device- specific instructions that will be sent with your code. Again, this isn't possible with all devices, but it can be an inexpensive way to give you the freedom to choose your plan. Check coverage before signing up. To make sure you'll get decent coverage, before you take out a plan, consider where you're most likely to be using the service. It might even be worth getting a cheap pay- as- you- go Sim from the network so you can test the signal before committing. There are four core mobile networks in the UK: EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. All other operators that offer 3. G or 4. G services 'piggyback' on one of these, essentially meaning they run off their network (ie, they don't provide their own signal). We've a full list of which firms piggyback on which providers . Ofcom's more recent report into each network's mobile broadband speed in five major cities may also help. Watch out for download limits. Like most smartphone (and some home broadband) tariffs, mobile broadband providers may limit the amount you're allowed to download each month. Go over this limit and you could be liable for extra charges. Most networks will let you check your remaining allowance either online or through a smartphone/tablet app. In practical terms, 1. GB should be enough if all you do is browse the web and check emails, but if you plan to download and/or stream music and video, it's likely you'll need more. Mobile broadband deals tend to offer up to around 5. GB. You can get more but you'll pay for it . Consider whether you're willing to sign up for longer for the saving . Often the device will be free, or at least much cheaper, on a 1. Using it abroad can cost BIGIf you use your tablet or laptop dongle abroad, you need to be careful. As with most smartphone plans, most mobile broadband packages can cost a fortune, even for a small amount of use abroad (see Cheap Mobile Roaming for full info). The EU's cap on roaming has gone a long way to reducing the cost of using data abroad in Europe, but it still costs up to 4. MB on the major UK networks ! If you're outside the EU, the cost skyrockets, to as much as . For this reason, be very wary of using your mobile broadband service when roaming. If you need to access data abroad, it's generally better to pick up a prepaid data Sim before you go. Existing customers may be able to haggle. Existing mobile phone or home broadband customers can sometimes get special deals on mobile broadband packages, by tacking them on to their existing plans. These types of discounts aren't an absolute certainty by any means, and where they do exist they tend to vary depending on your provider and what services you currently take. First find what deals are available for new customers online, and then call up your existing provider and see if it can beat the best (existing customer deals can't usually be found online). You may be able to blag yourself more data or shave a few pounds off the monthly cost . This practice is known as tethering, and it effectively turns your smartphone into a mobile hotspot device or a USB dongle. On the i. Phone, it's termed Personal Hotspot . The process varies from model to model on Android, but for a basic step- by- step, see this wiki. How guide. For light data users, tethering can replace the need for a dedicated mobile broadband plan . What's more, if you're tethering to a larger- screened device or a laptop, you'll be viewing larger web pages with more data- heavy content, meaning you're likely to burn through your data allowance faster. Most major networks allow you to tether and use your data in the same way you can on your mobile, but some put restrictions or qualifications on its use: Giffgaff only allows tethering up to 6. GB/mth on 'goodybags' with unlimited data. Three doesn't allow tethering on pay- as- you- go. Its 'Essential' plans don't allow tethering. Virgin says those on unlimited data plans who tether will have their speed throttled after 3. GB of usage. Quick question. What happens if I exceed my data allowance when tethering? Going over your monthly data limit has the same impact whether you're tethering or just using your phone . Try to match your plan as closely as possible to your estimated usage. If you're on the go, your first port of call should be to use free Wi- Fi hotspots where possible. If you know you'll want to download a larger file in advance, do it through your home broadband connection instead before going out. When you don't have access to Wi- Fi or it's just not convenient to use, though, you can still reduce your data usage in other ways. Tips to minimise data usage. Turn off automatic updates. This is probably the most important way to save your precious download allowance, and the easiest way to get caught out. Many programs, as well as operating systems themselves, routinely check for available updates and download them. Downloads can run to hundreds of megabytes . Turn them back on when you have the bandwidth, though, or you might leave security holes open on your machine. Turn off images when you use the web. If you're content to do without pictures when browsing (even just temporarily) then it's usually easy to disable them. In Internet Explorer, click 'tools', then the 'advanced' tab, and scroll down the list to 'multimedia'. In that section, uncheck the 'show pictures' box, and while you're there, the 'play animations in webpages' box. The procedure's similar in all browsers. Change your email settings. If you manage your emails with a program such as Outlook or Thunderbird, you may save data by signing up to a web- based service such as Yahoo! Mail or Gmail. How to do so will depend on the software you use, but most offer detailed guides. Get rid of ad/spyware. Adware and spyware programs, which usually manage to sneak onto your machine without you noticing, can use up your valuable allowance by talking to their leaders out in cyberspace. They can also leave your computer prone to attack by all manner of other nasties, so it's worth downloading a free tool to get rid of them (on another connection, if possible). Find one in the. If you're using an i. OS or Android tablet (or smartphone, incidentally . Apps it works with include Facebook, Twitter and Maps, as well as when downloading emails and attachments. This means the same amount of use will only consume a fraction of your data allowance, avoiding any hefty fees. In part, this is down to the strict download limits these plans have, but also because speeds can vary so much. Equally, some (mainly piggybacking) networks offer only 3. G services. This means that for many people, mobile broadband won't be as fast as home broadband. These days you can typically get an unlimited home broadband tariff for around.
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