Are 'dongles' still a thing?

Howdy do folks.


Friend is in a bit of an unhappy internet situation. Rents a room in a house. No TV aerial and no internet to the house. Uses internet on her phone (Vodafone customer).

Wants to watch live TV here and there on her tablet, so has been using wireless tethering to take her internet connection from her phone, to her tablet. This regularly gives a frustrating experience as the TV shows, stop, start, stop, start, buffer, stop, start, etc etc. (effectively unusable).

Looking for some kind of method to give some decent internet action, without interfering with any house-related infrastructure (ie; avoiding running wires, aerials, dishes etc to or from the house).

I remember wireless internet dongles were a big thing in the past, but wondering do they still exist, or is there a more 'modern' version of them?

Or alternatively, wondering if anyone would have any ideas or suggestions that might be worth exploring?



Cheers to anyone able to offer any insight or help.


Thanks.

oLoonatic

Yeah vodafone do a 4g broadband internet majiggy. that should do that trick.

kippy

https://n.vodafone.ie/shop/mobile-broadband.html
Should do the trick.

advertsfox

Wireless dongles are now wireless hotspots / mobile broadband and work much like a phone hotspot - converting your 3G/4G data into a Wi-Fi network to use except it's only for data. Vodafone are the dearer option but technically the best coverage / speeds. Eir is also good, I'd avoid 3 / Virgin due to their network issues.

https://n.vodafone.ie/shop/mobile-broadband.html | https://www.eir.ie/mobile/broadband/

advertsfox

advertsfox wrote: »

Wireless dongles are now wireless hotspots / mobile broadband and work much like a phone hotspot - converting your 3G/4G data into a Wi-Fi network to use except it's only for data. Vodafone are the dearer option but technically the best coverage / speeds. Eir is also good, I'd avoid 3 / Virgin due to their network issues.

https://n.vodafone.ie/shop/mobile-broadband.html | https://www.eir.ie/mobile/broadband/

Does this effectively mean that if she is having issues watching TV at the moment via her mobile phone, that she will have the same very issues with a dongle? (ie; is it the same exact thing, in a different 'box')?

incentsitive

Why not just tether off a mobile phone?

tedpan

Deleted User wrote:

Does this effectively mean that if she is having issues watching TV at the moment via her mobile phone, that she will have the same very issues with a dongle? (ie; is it the same exact thing, in a different 'box')?

Yep, it all depends on the network. So unless she switches provider, there'll be no difference

decky1

oLoonatic wrote: »

Yeah vodafone do a 4g broadband internet majiggy. that should do that trick.

have one nothing wrong with it,:cool:

Is there a mobile broadband supplier alternative to Vodafone?

(Googling, but not getting much in terms of results).

RHJ

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Is there a mobile broadband supplier alternative to Vodafone?

(Googling, but not getting much in terms of results).

Three has an offer of unlimited data and calls and texts for €20 a month you could always get an unlocked 4G modem and stick their SIM in it.

Marlow

Deleted User wrote: »

Is there a mobile broadband supplier alternative to Vodafone?

(Googling, but not getting much in terms of results).

There are 3:

- Vodafone
- Three
- Eir

And then various other companies, that use one or the other of those 3 networks.

What sort of quality of connection you get varies from provider to provider and area to area. A wifi dongle, mifi unit or the tethering on the phone makes no difference in any way, form or shape. It's all the same.

If she has Vodafone now, then a vodafone hotspot won't do her much better. Not unless she installs an outdoor aerial anyhow.

So if she is to go down that route, I would start with a prepaid sim and try each provider for a month, see what works best.

Beyond that, they're all muck. You never know, how many people are leaching of the same cell as yourself. So contention will always be hit and miss.

They certainly are not a replacement to a proper wired or fixed wireless internet connection, if you expect to stream video and watch TV as your primary activity.

/M

3DataModem

It all depends what network gives the best signal.

In my old house Three.ie 4G was perfect - could watch HD netflix while working. Not so much in my new house.

advertsfox

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Does this effectively mean that if she is having issues watching TV at the moment via her mobile phone, that she will have the same very issues with a dongle? (ie; is it the same exact thing, in a different 'box')?

Not necessarily, so many variables such as the data connection she was on at the time, was it 3G/4G, the device hardware of the phone, what else was in use on the phone... at least with a mobile router, you can place it at the best point of signal (eg near a window), get strong 4G signal and connect to that over WiFi which gives the max potential speeds.

Ten Pin

Depending on location and distance from the transmitter, an indoor aerial plugged in to a TV for Saorview might work. Live streaming TV online is going to use a lot of data.

homer911

In an area with a strong Saorview reception, its easy to make an effective aerial from just a length of coax cable, alternatively an indoor aerial will work. No need for 3G/4G