What dongle is best for business?

[lemonpinklady]

Would anyone be able to advise me what dongle (or mobile broadband) is best for business in the West Sussex area. I have an O2 3G but it will not let me connect to a work vpn in Chichester or Midhurst. The company will get me another but I don't know which would work. Be grateful if anyone can help, have tried to search the internet but can't find the answers. Many thanks.

[leonmassey]

Definitely the way to go is get a giffgaff simcard.£12 per month for unlimited Internet.

[BazzaS]

Definitely the way to go is get a giffgaff simcard.£12 per month for unlimited Internet.

 

The OP noted issues with O2, and giffgaff is a virtual operator ...... Using O2's network.

 

To the OP: was the issue O2's signal, or was the issue the use of a VPN?.

 

I don't know if giffgaff will allow VPN use any more or less than O2. Also, it may be worth asking O2 if there is a "business team" (in case they can offer a different APN for "business customers" that supports VPNs)

 

(I know that 'consumers' might equally want to use a VPN be that for security over an insecure link, wanting to appear to be in a certain country for content restriction reasons or any of the other myriad reasons, but sometimes the networks still see VPNs as a purely "business" user feature)

 

OP: who has the best signal (and in fact do any of the providers NOT have a good signal) where you plan to use it most?

 

You've tried O2 : if you can unlock your current dongle could you persuade your employer to let you try other providers on a PAYG basis until you find one that suits, so you aren't locked into a contract until you've found the 'right' provider?

 

You can get a '3' PAYG data SIM from a well known online retailer's site for £12 that gives you 3Gb usable over 3 months. I haven't tried using a VPN with one, though.

 

You can get a "Virgin" PAYG SIM on "Big Data" for £10 a month (as a top-up) that gives Internet (and leaves the £10 as calling credit). Don't tell Virgin its for a dongle rather than a smartphone as they don't officially support PAYG mobile broadband : it works fine though (though I haven't tried using a VPN though).

Virgin piggyback on EE's network (what used to be t-mobile / Orange)

 

I haven't yet needed to use Voda (for data) on my travels.

The one site I was at that had no signal for O2/3/t-mobile/Orange that had Voda signal I used a Voda PAYG for "voice" but there was wi-Fi for data.

Voda 's PAYG data costs were the least attractive of all the providers, and I was able to use a FON spot for wi-Fi access (a further option for you?)

Edited February 17, 2013 by BazzaS

[lemonpinklady]

Thanks for the answers. My O2 dongle does connect to internet but cannot support the vpn.

Will enquire if I can try the other mobile broadbands - good idea. Thanks again.

[BazzaS]

Thanks for the answers. My O2 dongle does connect to internet but cannot support the vpn.

Will enquire if I can try the other mobile broadbands - good idea. Thanks again.

 

I found this :

http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Other-Devices-Nokia-Blackberry/Mobile-VPN-Service-Available/td-p/3840

 

(From 2008) that suggests there was an APN on O2 accessible to "business" mobile broadband customers.

If you have a dongle locked to O2, and reasonable O2 signal where you need it, is it worth asking O2's customer service +/- business team to see what (if anything) has changed since 2008 and if they can provision your account for VPN access to save having to try different providers?

[lemonpinklady]

I found this :

http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Other-Devices-Nokia-Blackberry/Mobile-VPN-Service-Available/td-p/3840

 

(From 2008) that suggests there was an APN on O2 accessible to "business" mobile broadband customers.

If you have a dongle locked to O2, and reasonable O2 signal where you need it, is it worth asking O2's customer service +/- business team to see what (if anything) has changed since 2008 and if they can provision your account for VPN access to save having to try different providers?

 

I will give that a go, thanks very much.