Mobile Broadband Plug Ins for Laptops?
 

Does anyone have any information/experience of the virtually new 'mobile plug-ins' or 'dongles' as I believe they are called, for laptops.
I understand that these work similar to a mobile phone and have no need of WiFi etc. and can be used abroad as well as in the UK.

Has anyone got or used one of these and if so how well did they work in Spain (Puerto?). I believe these can be purchased as PAYG or on contract and if so which plan would you recommend?

Any information on this would be greatly appreciated as it would appear to solve the problem of having to find somewhere with WiFi and/or an Internet cafe.

Vodafone USB Modem
 

I have had the Vodafone E220 USB Modem from Vodafone Spain since December 2006 on prepay and it works extremely well in the Port at speeds of up to 3.6GB.

I don't know what the current price of the prepay modem is but I paid 139 Euros for it in the Carrefour by PC City in Palma.

It costs 20 Euros to top-up with 25MB for 3 months (a waste of time), 40 Euros to top-up with 200MB for 3 months (quite good depending on how much you will use and how long you will be spending in PP) and 60 Euros to top-up with 1GB for 3 months.

Mobile Broadband Plug Ins for Laptops
 

Many thanks for that James. I mainly wanted to know how well they worked & you seem to be happy with yours.

There are several offers here in the UK but the best seem to be from either Vodaphone or 3, though I'm not sure if Vodaphone do a PAYG or just fixed contract. PAYG would suit me better as I will only use it for a week or so at a time but it would certainly make things easier if I could just plug-in & connect my laptop in the apartment instead of going out to a busy internet cafe.

Thanks again for the info.

Do be aware that if you buy one in the UK you will be liable to roaming changes in Spain as any charges & packages quoted are for UK use. Roaming charges for data are currently around £5 per MB ie very expensive. If anyone knows of any better deals, do let me know as I've spent a while trying to find out about this. I worked out that I use around 2MB just checking emails etc. for one hour.

If you are interested in using it Spain, do buy one in Spain with a contract or PAYG for vodafone.es.

Thank you Pollensa for your input. Yes £5 per MB does seem expensive. 3 charge £3 per MB but still not cheap.

Do you or anyone know if the Spanish version (preferably PAYG) can be bought in Puerto? Perhaps James could help with this one?

Vodafone dongle
 

I got one at Easter from the vodafone shop in Alcudia. IIRC it cost me 70 euros which included a small amount of credit (cant remember how much). I had a wee bit of trouble once it ran out but the girl in the Vodafone shop in Pollenca was great. Her English is perfect and nothing was too much trouble. I topped it up by a further 60 euros which I hope will last a good while.

I would definitely recommend it. If you are going to get one get it from Pollenca rather than Alcudia though.

mobile broadband
 

Whereabouts is the Vodafone shop in Pollensa?

Vodaphone dongle
 

That is very encouraging news Hoopy thankyou. Can you tell me exacly wher the voaphone shop is in Pollensa (I presume you mean the village?)

Voda ES
 

I bought the PAYG from Vodafone in Pollensa last Summer and it worked flawlessly for me at 3.6M. I am back in the port on 20th May for a couple of weeks and you are more than welcome to try it out first, but you should not have any problems if you purchase the product from the Vodafone shop in Avenida Argentina.

The Wob

Vodaphone dongle
 

Thank you so much The Wob for your kind offer however, I'm not due back in Puerto again until 4th June so you may have left by then. However, I shall certainly take your advice & visit the Vodafone shop in Pollensa.

Thanks again everybody for all your advice.

Gina

Thanks Wob, this is great info. I too am looking to go wireless this year and this finally seems to be the way, is the dongle plug and play as I'm woried instructions will only be in Spanish, does it let you know when the top up is running out, how long has the 60 euros lasted for, and finally can I be the first to wish you a happy birthday for tomorrow, it is the 14th isn't it. Happy Birthday :)

It is plug and play so no worries :)

I have two of these, (I always buy two so I have a spare.. )

They work really well and are as fast and sometimes faster than my home broadband here in UK :)


If anyone knows if these can be topped here in England let me know, as my sim will expire soon if I dont add some credit ( needs something adding every 9 or 12 months apparently) and vodafone UK dont appear to be much help, not sure what a spanish tourist would do if in UK !

I bought a vodafone top up voucher from my local UK post office but it does not work as the activation code is only 12 digits, the vodafone spanish top up service is expecting a 16 digit code so does not work ?

It must be possible to top up somehow from UK ?


Mark.

Thanks for that Mark, it sounds ideal, It will be good to find out if you can top up before it expires if it needs it every 12 months, or we may have to go twice a year to top up :)
By the way great photos, good to see the place out of season as we always go in the summer.

I received a spanish text about expiry, so thought I better get on with it !

I have the top up problem from UK just about sorted !

I bought a £10 UK vodafone voucher from a post office in UK, this does not work as it only has a 12 digit activation code, vodafone spain SMS activation service expects a 16 digit activation code, so I have a spare UK Vodafone top up voucher for £10 that is no use now unless someone knows a way.... Vodafone UK are not at all helpful with this, they say it is not possible...

People from Spain must visit UK and need to top up phones, so I wonder how they do it ?


The next option I found was a website here:
http://www.jockphones.com/new/index.php

They offer a credit top up service and it worked OK :)

The amount they charge for 10 euros is more than you would pay yourself in a Spanish shop of course, as they have to make some money for providing a service :) keeps your sim alive though.

I also tried a guy called David Call in Spain who I bought a modem off last year, he has this German website http://www.fonpaq.de/ that is working OK and a new UK one that is not online at the time of posting this here: http://www.fonpaq.co.uk/

I also paid a 20 euro top up through David at fonepaq, and all is OK ( completed by email request and secure payment on his website as UK site not online when I wanted the service)

So thats two top up services tested and working :D

Using a third party to top up phone does cost a bit more, but at least you can add some every 9 months or so to keep your data sim alive :)

So I am OK now and will add more credit when in Pollensa in September.

Mark.

Hi Mark, thanks for your very copmrhensive instrructions, you are now our resisdent expert in spanish sim topup, I'm looking forward to getting my laptop wireless when I arrive in the summer and keeping it active you your directions, thanks again :)

Update re Mobile Broadband Plug In Dongles
 

Hi All.....It could only happen to me! After a very hectic day yesterday backwards & forwards between Puerto & Pollensa (several times), numerous phone calls to vodafone and other network shops all over the island (made by some very helful assistants in various shops) it finally transpired that there was not a single PAYG USB modem (Dongle) to be found anywhere on the island! Nor are any expected for quite some time and even when they DO arrive they are all pre-ordered! An 18 months contract would seem to be the only solution - or so I thought!

Back in Puerto I decide to try the Movistar shop again as they had some modems in stock which were FREE but for contract only/. I ask the girl could I perhaps BUY one of these 'free' ones then BUY a sim card to use with it? No problem she says but the price would be 258 euros + 40 euros for the sim card then 60 euros to top up! I thanked her very much, made the usual remarks about not wanting to buy the whole shop just a dongle & left!

Then I decided it was worth a try again at vodafone Pollensa with the same request so off up the road I go again! After much persuasion they finally agreed to sell me a 'dongle' and a sim card! Still very expensive but no where near the price quoted in Movistar.

So I am now sitting here in my apartment in Puerto with a lovely cold glass of rosado in one hand, typing this little tale with the other! Thanks to the wonders of this modern world we live in!:D :D

Gina

As they say 'If at first you don't suceed...'

Anyway, if anyone else on the forum is in a similar position of waiting for a dongle then they are welcome to borrow mine. All you have to do is pop down to Gotmar and collect from the apartment where my in-laws are residing for this month. You will need to get it topped up at the Vodafone shop in Pollenca and you will be in business. I am not back in PP until mid-July and even then I only need it as backup.

Drop me a mail if anyone wants to try it out.

It is only compatible with Windows XP and will not work with Vista

The Wob

I've bought a Vodafone ES220 modem on the theory that I can buy a Spanish top up sim from the vodafone shop in Pollensa. Does anyone know if they still sell the PAYG top up sims in the shop in Pollensa and does anyone know if they are compatable with a modem bought in the UK. Vodafone UK told me it would be compatable but in my expereince they tend to tell you anything to get a sale.
Paul

Hi Paul
If you read my earlier post you will see that vodafone Pollensa DID sell me a PAYG sim but I also bought my modem there as well. It was complicated as they had to ring a central number & get it specially registered so that I got the correct amount of usage time & they did say I can ONLY top it up there & I have to take my invoice with me every time. They were very helpful though & I am sure , if it can be done they will do it. A sim is not very expensive anyway so worth the trip up there I would say. Have you got a spanish mobile number? If so why not try the sim from that to see if it works then buy a new one in Pollensa & get them to register it for your modem?

Hope this helps
Gina

Thx Gina

No, I dont have a Spanish mobile number and so I cant try your suggestion. My sisiter is in Pollensa next week and will visit the shop to find their contact details. I'll then call them to check that their PAYG sim will work on my UK ES220 modem. I'll update the blog when I have a reply - it should be a very cheap way getting connected if it works!

Paul

Did you get this working Paul ?

Mark

Here's a link to a place I've found on the internet before - http://www.spainsim.com/vodusbadslmodem.htm

They appear to sell either the dongle (USB Modem) + SIM for 199 EUR (seems quite expensive) plus 'bonos' topup cards for 40 - 400 EUR (25 Mg - 5 Gb).

You can also buy the SIM separately for 59.95 EUR - see www.spainsim.com/voda3gSIM.htm if you already have a modem - I assume this includes a UK one, good idea as I think they're cheaper than 199 EUR here. I thought you could get them at £99 on a PAYG basis in the UK but their website is only showing contracts today. If you can get the modem in the UK & buy this Spanish SIM (to replace the UK one) it looks quite a good deal & there's some useful info re how to top-up.

Hi Pollensa
Not sure that would work, someone earlier in the thread had trouble with the top up because the two countries have different numbers on them,

" bought a £10 UK Vodafone voucher from a post office in UK, this does not work as it only has a 12 digit activation code, Vodafone Spain SMS activation service expects a 16 digit activation code,"

So I think the only option is a Spanish dongle and top up, but last I heard none available on the whole island, that may have changed now. I have had a kind offer of the loan of a Spanish dongle from a forum member, and will need to top it up, so I can find out more next week when I am there if that would help.

Hi sws97sdg,

I think the previous issue related to buying a UK top-up card.

I think there are actually 3 components:

1) the USB Modem (or dongle) which plugs into yoir laptop via the USB port

2) the SIM (similar to a phone SIM)

3) the top-up

I'm pretty sure that the actual Modem is similar to an unlocked phone & that you can buy this anywhere. They key thing that you need to get to use it in Spain is the Spanish SIM. This may come with a certain amount of data credit & then the issue for the previous poster was to top it up regularly to stop it expiring. This is where you can try & do it by phone (but it may be in Spanish) or online or via your bank if you have a Spanish account or buy a topup card which must be a Spanish one. This is fine if you are in Spain but if in the UK you need to buy from one of the web sites quoted in this thread.

I have the same issue topping up my Spanish mobile phone & try & do it whenever I'm in PP.

Oh thanks, I assumed the modem had a dedicated sim, or rather the modem always comes with a sim.

That was me :)

The problem was that I tried to top us a spanish sim in the UK, and not done it yet apart from paying people online to do it in Spain for me while I am in UK.

If I had a Vodafone Spain mobile phone I could do it apparently, as spanish tourists do this in UK to top up pay as you go spanish mobiles when in UK on holiday.
I need a vodafone Spain pay as you go phone from somewhere to try this in England. Ideally a Nokia as I am familiar with the menus and it might be in Spanish.


A UK USB modem might work with a spanish sim, that would be ideal, but no one knows if it works yet...

If anyone has a UK purchased vodafone USB modem they can send me I will test it with my Spanish Sim and report back.


Mark.

There's an interesting post here on the vodafone site - see http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3432 where the vodafone guy says a UK purchased modem is locked to vodafone UK but you can pay to unlock it (if PAYG) but someone else had been advised by vodafone that it was unlocked & he managed to use a Spanish data SIM purchased from spainsim.com OK in Menorca. :cool:

This is getting complicated, that works if you already have a dongle on a contract, you can unlock it then, but can you get a dongle without a contract and unlock that for use with a Spanish payg sim card?

I think you really have to check with vodafone as reading that post, the vodafone guy says that they will do it free if on a contract but will charge £20 if PAYG modem but you need a PAYG SIM in order for them to charge you the £20!

But the guy who went to Menorca implies that his was already unlocked! I think you could contact spainsim.com, who would supply the Spanish SIM, to ask what the procedure is. They are selling the SIMs separately so I can only assume that these are for the Modems bought elsewhere e.g. in the UK.

And then vodafone.es (all in Spanish) is selling Modem with SIM online for 69 EUR (PAYG)!

Hi Mark

Thought I had it all sussed but you have put some nagging thoughts in my head regarding security. (See http://www.forum.puertopollensa.com/...fi-update.html - webmaster)
Your 3G USB data modem sounds the best way to go but not sure if I can use it with my laptop which has not got windows it is Linux with the Firefox browser, it does have USB connections though. I don't want to go to the expense of buying one only to find it will not work with my laptop.:confused:

I have read your previous posts regarding this matter and concluded that the best place to go is the Vodaphone shop in Pollenca. Topping up should not be a problem as we are lucky enough to visit about 4 times a year but where do you go to top up, is it where they do 'recarga (mobile phone topup's)'? - What would my initial cost be for purchase of the modem? - What are the approx running costs, obviously I understand this depends on useage? - Is it PAYG or Prepay, I would not want a contract?

You seem to be quite clued up so perhaps you are able to answer my questions or hopefully someone else out there may be able to help. I would like to get this sorted on my next visit which commences 3rd Sept:D

I'm just wondering if in the long run it would just be cheaper and more convenient to get a phone line installed in the apartment, but didn't want to pay rental for the time that I am not there.

You must have an Eeepc ASUS | Eee PC :)

As this thread is about people with Windows PC's I have started another thread so people dont get confused, as Linux devices need different settings and software.

http://www.forum.puertopollensa.com/...html#post24341

You can use firefox or any browser or email program, as once you are connected the computer works just as though it is plugged in at home to your broadband connection, its no different, just no wires :)

Mark.

Cheap way to use modemwork in Spain
 

Hi

I bought a vodafone UK modem for £50 and had to buy one months subscription for £20 which I cancelled immediately.
My local Vodafone shop said I needed to pay an additional £20 to unlock the modem. When I didnt recieve an unlock code I chased up and Vodafone confirmed it was already unlocked and they refunded my £20. On arrival in Pollensa I went to the Vodafone shop and purchased 150 meg of data for 20 euros. It worked a treat and was ample for a couple of hours work a day over 3 week holiday - saving me £180 against using a UK sim.

Hope this helps

Paul:):)

Hi Paul,

that sounds very cheap. Can you confirm what exactly it was that you bought in Pollensa. Was it a Spanish SIM including data or just a data topup? Did you have to take your UK SIM out of the dongle & put a Spanish one in? i.e. how did you install/activate whatever it was that you purchased in Pollensa. It sounds so much cheaper than the other options described above.

Thanks.

I found it really easy this time. I went to Vodafone in Pollensa, bought a dongle and a spanish PAYG SIM which I'll simply top up whenever I come out. No problem whatsoever especially as the girl in the shop speaks perfect English. Her mother comes from 't Leeds.

That sounds good Graham, how much did it cost in total?.:)

Thanks Graham.

But I'm really interested in having a UK one that I can use in other countries as well without paying roaming charges. Unfortunately running this site & forum, means that I cannot go anywhere without accessing the internet for at least an hour a day. :mad: Fortunately most places have wi-fi now but it can restrict where you stay.

It was (I think) 69 Euros. You can obviously top it up with different amounts when you come out. All you need to do is take the card back to the shop and they'll top it up for you

Thank you Graham, that is a good price. I will look into it next month.:D

Just remembered -if you're using a mac you'll need to download a piece of software to make the dongle work. You can find it at www.vodafone.es/macmodem. It's really easy, though. Even I could do it and I have a physical aversion to the words 'download' and 'software' especially when in close proximity to one another!

If you're on PC it's simply Plug 'n Play.

They took the UK Sim out and replaced it with a spanish sim and they had to phone from the shop to activate it. For further top ups I use the same Spanish sim. Back in UK I replace it with the UK sim
Hope this helps
Paul