Dongles.

see if you can get as many as you can on trail. thats the only sure way to check coverage exactly

Thanks brendanuk good idea!

They're just 3g phones in a stick? Any mate with a 3g phone (or perhaps even just a normal phone on that carrier) whose phone works in your new home, the dongle will work surely?

there's a 'Compare the Meerkat' type site for dongles at:

http://www.broadband-expert.co.uk/dongle/

tho, as the others say, there's probably nothing better than getting a free trial if you can, and trying it out for reception in the actual place where you'll be using it.

think they are just 3g on a stick but asking your mate to leave his phone on table for few days so you can download late night porn on it might put a strain on the relationship

Yep, 3G. In the morning and early afternoon I typically achieve a 2000kbps connection with my 3 dongle, and upwards of 1000kbps any other time. When it works it works well...

Sometimes, for no apparent reason, the connection will fail due to a "server error" or "time-out error" - problems for which there appears to be no troubleshooting guide. Many thanks for that, 3.

Yea but probably at least or even more important than dongle is the carrier, you could have the best dongle in the world but with the wrong carrier for that area get p*ss poor .. filth download speed ;)

That's what I'm driving at.

Thanks all.  At present i am in the Philippines and have a presario notebook.  My ADSL connection is, or seems pretty good.  About the only thing they do well over here.  I have just tested the speed and it registered 1100 KBS.  How does that compare with your 3 VQ?  Whatever, this is fine for my IR betting on horses.  Thanks again

Sorry VQ i see you have already answered my question before i asked it!!! Must learn to read more carefully.[smiley:crazy]

I'm actually thinking of getting a 3g adaptor myself as a backup.

All smartphones come with phone-to-computer cables these days. One thing to consider is tethering, ie using your mobile as the modem. If you have an unlimited internet add-on or suchlike as part of your package you'll never run out of megabytes if you're just using betfair. A connection through a mobile phone holds better than a dongle connection as well (in my experience at least, having used a SonyEricsson W595 and Blackberry Bold 9700 with considerable success).

One thing to bear in mind is that unlimited isn't actually unlimited, but, typically, 1024mb or 500mb. When the limit (1024mb) was decided you probably couldn't have breached the mark if you tried, but now with YouTube applications and whatnot it is breached easily, which is why some dropped their limit (1024 to 500). The 3 network have stayed at 1024, while I think all of the others have dropped their offering of 'unlimited' megabytes. Better to research that though if you were serious about it.

what cable do i need to link mobile phone to laptop

There isn't a universal cable for the job, because the sockets on mobiles are different by manufacturer. You'll have to search online something like "[your phone model] to laptop cable". You need the CD that came with the phone though, to install the programme, so without that it's pointless buying any cable.

just bought a new phone the other day...got no cd with it

Sorry - I just assumed all the top-end phones come with all that stuff!  You'll have to take the dongle route.

was a cheap one but i thought any mobile would work
nokia 2730 classic

Can't you bluetooth? I've and older phone but that's way I set it up for GPRS for absolute necessity, bluetooth to phone, computer sees phone as a modem. But GPRS of course is slower and has (for me anyway) large data cost.

I've got an unlocked MIFi off Ebay so can change between which ever company gives the best reception for where I am.