Mobile Broadband - Phone or Modem?

[snoopy104]

Hi,

I've been looking at USB Mobile broadband dongles and I'm just wondering whether buying one is just a waste of plastic, packaging and money?

I already have access to regular internet, so I would only want one for if that fails, or i'm at a friends house or in the middle of nowhere. I'm looking for pay as you go only because it will be used occasionally, and unlocked to any network which will mean that a fist full of sim cards from various vendors should offer me coverage in most parts of the UK.

What difference would it make if I just use my mobile phone as a 3G modem with my PC anyway? I currently have a Sony Ericsson K800i on Orange Pay as you go and the latest PC Suite. I know that I can use it to connect to the internet, but to be honest, I think Orange are being a bit greedy with the costs. 10sec of the Google Homepage on my laptop seemed to cost 50p!?

I'm assuming that these USB modems are just massivly cut-down mobile phones anyway? Can't help thinking that they are just another one of those faddy rip-offs designed to deliberately confuse people into buying one when there is no need for anyone with a reasonably modern phone?

What are the advantages of a USB modem VS just using my existing mobile?
Which is the best network for Pay As You Go?
Is a data enabled sim card any different from a normal 3G sim card?
Can I use a data enabled sim card in an unlocked mobile phone instead?
How would the network provider even be able to tell the difference?

I know that some are 3.6Mbps or 7.2Mbps, but I only have 512kbps land broadband still, so i'm really not that fussy.

[Badger0-0]

I have mobile broadband via my Nokia 85 on 3. I think that's 3G, but not taken too much notice as, IMO it's abysmal so I've not tried it more than a dozen times.

I also have mobile Broadband for a lappy on 3. Now this runs HDSPA, which is supposedly twice as fast as anything else on the market.
It's on a par with an old 56k modem and constantly drops connection, even in heavily populated areas, when not moving around, although, to be fair it occasionally goes a bit faster.

It's useful if you have no other option, but jeez it's tedious.
And not cheap either at £15 for 3Gb and £100 for the modem.

Faddy load of rubbish?
Totally, at least for the near future, IMO.

I wouldn't bother if you can do without it

[psikey]

I've been looking at USB mobile broadband but a only need it a couple of days a week at most so still use my Orange PAYG 3G phone over Bluetooth to my netbook and just pay the £1 for unlimited usage on the day I need it.

Did a download test and hit upto 384kbps which is plenty fast enough for web/email etc.