Cheapest cheapo mobile-Internet option.

[Chemfree]

Hi,
I may lose my Internet/landline soon,due to a long-running dispute with a disreputable supplier,as I take them to court.

a) Does any know if it`s possible to swap networks mid-dispute?

B)..or can anyone suggest a cheap option using only mobile? I`m not modern tech savvy and have never owned an iPhone.I use Skype a great deal,emails,forums and youtube a lot.

My sister suggested connecting a mobile to desktop screen to improve viewing.

As for my current mobile network,reception is poor so hardly use that phone,which means joining another network.

I think neighbours use Vodaphone via a dongle? after ditching another network because of poor reception in this area.I don`t have their level of financial status so need something on the cheap,any ideas please?

Someone suggested getting a 2nd-hand iPhone for £20 via ebay etc,but I wouldn`t know the next move.
Thanks

[big-all]

i share my internet connection with 2 neighbours in an emergency
is there anyone close by you could piggyback off if desperate ??

[Chemfree]

Thanks,that`s a great suggestion,but they might be reluctant considering the hassle they too had with their Internet service for many months,same time as my supply troubles.

[big-all]

or they may fully understand
perhaps try and use it when they dont use it to keep em happy

[Someone-Else]

I think neighbours use Vodaphone via a dongle?

Someone suggested getting a 2nd-hand iPhone for £20 via ebay etc,but I wouldn`t know the next move.
Thanks

A dongle looks like a USB stick, but it picks up the mobile network, you need to have a good signal for one to be of any use.

I don't see what use an iphone would be?

[Bob225]

well you have 3 options BT - through what ever provider, Cable or 3G/4G what's going to be a higher cost

If your neighbours have issues there are infrastructure issues - if dealing with BT its fairly straight forward but if your going through a 3rd party eg. talk talk, sky, it has to go through them, then BT then on to Openreach

You can PM me the company name I can point you in the right direction

[Chemfree]

Thanks for your replies everyone.
I`ll give the prison food a miss,thanks all the same,Big-all
someone-else...My sister in Oz uses an iPhone for all her Internet needs,including running her business,she suggested that I ditch the landline and go that way...plug the phone into a desktop screen,once I`ve found a good deal....You can tell how up-to-date I am...NOT..
BOB225..I detest TT &OR..I used to think BT were bad! When I heard that an effigy of an OR van had been torched on BF night,I completely understood

[big-all]

no i meant ask them get there agreement and use it when they are not about to save slowing there connection down
you cant use there connection without there log in if its secure and i assume it is

[Chemfree]

no i meant ask them get there agreement and use it when they are not about to save slowing there connection down
you cant use there connection without there log in if its secure and i assume it is

Oh right,sorry.Don`t think they`d do that somehow.

[Kev888]

I use mobile internet as my only method at the moment (as my current residence is expected to be temporary). It is fine for modest stuff (forums, general browsing etc) but there are much smaller monthly allowances than with many landline packages, and increasing these is costly. So, more than occasional you-tubing at higher resolutions or any kind of films may work out to be unreasonably expensive.

Also, I'm somewhere with good 4G coverage so get a perfectly usable, reliable speed out of it. BUT I really notice a heavy loss if i go somewhere with only a good 3G signal, and if that is also weak (or if only 2G is available) then may as well give up. Even simple pages time out all the time and connections drop regularly.

Personally I use tethering via my phone or a small mi-fi modem in order to work through my laptop - I'm not good at doing everything via a phone touch-screen, but you may be more comfortable with that. However not all providers allow tethering, certainly not on pay-as-you-go - and under the circumstances being locked into a contract may not be appropriate. Not all phones have the facility, either.

FWIW, EE do a 1-month rolling contract which I use for broadband, and I can also use my phone which is on giffgaff (who use O2's network). The latter is a much more flexible package but sadly their 4G is not nearly as fast where I live. Therein lies a problem with recommendations - performance can differ hugely between different providers in different locations.

Open-reach and others have wi-fi hotspots that you can pay to use if you are near one, but they didn't seem good value for regular everyday use (when I was looking at this a year or two ago). There are places that do free wi-fi for customers as well, but often either with a password or a weak enough signal that you need to be right in there, rather than lurking somewhere near.

[Bob225]

well if all else fails get in touch with the Ofcom ombudsman

[wine~o]

Mobile internet is always going to be more expensive than a landline system if you are anything other than a light user.

Care to give us a clue who you are in dispute with ?

[Chemfree]

Thanks Kev,good summary.Even the Open Reach engineers(by the bucketful),couldnt get a signal for their own phones,...how embarrassing for the numpties!

Ombudsman were as much use as a chocolate teapot Bob,Govt quangos that they are.I tore them off several strips.Halfway through looking at my case,I use the word looking,lightly,they parted company with TalkTalk.This one has the threat of court about it.I recorded every call over two years...interesting,but stressful stuff to wade through.

Can I use the F word and a few others on here to describe TalkTalk,wine~o?

[big-all]

i think all companies tend to have there problems
if you have the wrong sort off problem the systems falls down as its not programed into the prompt script or system
i have been with talk talk for years no probs i get 22 meg off unthrottled fibre broad band 200 mins off calls from my mobile and 500 mobile data thingies all for £25 a month including line rental so no other cost for both fibre line rental and all services from my mobile
now if you take iresa power a complete nightmare from xmass
i am sure other will think they are the best thing since sliced

[Chemfree]

Yeah sure,but that lot take some beating for out-and-out evasiveness and deceit,they beat BT hands-down and that`s saying something.
If there`s no equipment issues from Exchange to back of socket,then those fortunate customers are going to miss what a deceitful thieving bunch that lot are.I`m happy to be held to account on those claims because my recorded calls back them up many-fold.God I hate that company!They used to be honourable back in the day when I used them for cheap International calls,but they are run by a bunch of crooks nowadays.