Mobile Broadband

[psychobabble]

Hi, I should probably explain I'm not the most technically minded person but here goes anyway!

I currently have a PAYG USB dongle which I use with my laptop for my infrequent visits away, using it maybe 6 times a year at present.

I am considering buying the new iPad when it comes out, I don't want to spend extra on the 3G option and have to get a pay monthly contract and micro sim for it , and as far as I'm aware I wont be able to plug my dongle into it.

The other option is to purchase a Vodafone Mobile WIFI gizmo, but by the looks of things these are not available on PAYG either.

If I did purchase a Mobile WIFI on a 30 day contract, could I after cancelling after 30 days replace the original sim with the sim from my dongle and then have a PAYG WIFI unit.

Would that be possible and work?

If not, is it possible to get the Vodafone Mobile WIFI on PAYG with an upfront payment on the unit.

[SatanicBuddha]

Hello psychobabble,

In my experience, it is possible to use a SIM card set up for a Vodafone 3G USB modem in the Vodafone R201 WiFi unit.

Hope that helps.

Cheers

[jarviser]

posted in error

[psychobabble]

Hi, thanks for the reply, on further investigation it looks like the Vodafone mobile WIFI unit only comes with an 18 month contract.

I have wifi at home so would only need mobile wifi or mifi for when im out and about with the iPad which wont be very often hence not wanting the contract and cost involved.

Shame Vodafone don't offer the pay as you go option on the mobile wifi unit as some of their competitors do with their mobile wifi units, seems like my only option at the moment is to go with one of those, unless anyone knows of another option.

[psychobabble]

Have managed to acquire a secondhand Vodafone R201 mobile WIFI device that came SIM free, have taken the PAYG SIM from my K3565 Dongle and put it in the R201.

On the R201 device display it shows that it has a Vodafone 3G connection and that that the wireless connection is giving off a signal and I can connect to the R201 wireless signal on a windows vista laptop, however it does not seem to be able to connect to the internet, it keeps taking me to the Vodafone WIFI web-page which shows the WIFI is sending a healthy wireless signal but the Mobile Broadband Internet part is not connected and I don't seem to be able to get it to connect.

Would anyone have a solution or any advice on what I could try to do to get the Mobile Broadband Internet connection part working, as explained previously I'm not the most technically minded so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks