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An internet dongle is a device which many people consider getting. These devices work best for certain people who use the internet in certain ways. Many people shy away from mobile dongles because of the teething problems the technology had in the early days. When the internet dongle first hit the market in 2007 they offered slow connections which were highly unstable. However, advances in technology have increased the stability of the dongle as well as the speed of the connection. Is an internet dongle right for you? The first question you should be asking yourself is whether or not you should get a dongle. The internet dongle is not the ideal device for everyone. People who are on their laptops a lot in places without wireless connections should consider mobile broadband. When you have a dongle you will be able to connect to the internet anywhere you have coverage; if you have enough data allowance left. Of course, if you are going to be using the broadband for data heavy tasks, like streaming media, mobile broadband is not the best option. The speed and data limit will not allow these activities to be completed on a consistent basis. Soon that will be a problem of the past because of the arrival and expansion of 4G. What contract should you get? Pay as you go is one of the contracts that you can get a dongle on. When you take out one of these deals you will have to pay certain costs upfront. The first cost would be for the device itself as dongles are not given for free on pay as you go. The other cost will be for the data allowance. There are actually two ways that data can be bought on pay as you go. The one is to purchase the data upfront and the other is to pay after use. Most providers use the upfront method as it is not only easier for them but for their clients as well. You can also get a dongle on a monthly contract which locks you for a number of months. The length of the contract will vary from 1 month to 2 years. The length of the contract will affect the amount you pay on a monthly basis. If you have a long contract you usually have to pay less. With monthly contracts there are fewer others costs which can hit you. The dongle is provided for free when you have a monthly contract. The amount of data you get each month depends on the price of the contact and the length. The speed of the contract will also vary but this is often based on the coverage zone of the broadband provider. Which dongle do you need? There are two internet dongles that you can get which offer slightly different things. Both of the dongles will connect to the internet but one is able to connect other devices to your laptop. • Mi-Fi dongles are able to not only connect to mobile broadband but also connect multiple devices. If you have not heard of Mi-Fi before you should not feel bad because this is the newest dongle to come about. These dongles are larger than a traditional dongle as they also works as a wireless hub. While they are bigger they are still small enough to easily travel with. • Wi-Fi dongles are the more common and the traditional type of dongle. These dongles will have a sim card inside them which they use to connect to mobile broadband. The Wi-Fi dongle will connect to your laptop via the USB ports. The bad about dongles You should always look at the good and the bad of any device you are about to use. Most people like to know the bad first and here are some points you should be aware of: • The first problem you may run into with your dongle is that it is locked to a certain provider. When a dongle is locked the sim card you use will have to be from the provider the device is locked to. • Buying additional data is an expensive endeavour. When you go over your limit you will be charge for the additional data you have used. The price for this data is usually more than you pay for data normally. • The speed of the connection is slower than other broadband types. The speed is also linked to the coverage offered by the provider. • Data caps are limited and usually low. Users who do more than check emails will find themselves using their data allowance very quickly. The good about dongles Once you are aware of the bad you can look at the good and determine whether or not the good out weights the bad. • The way the dongle connects to the laptop is through the USB port. Every computer made today will have a USB port which allows the dongle to connect. • The nature of the dongle allows for a more secure internet connection. Wireless networks can be hacked and you personal information can be stolen. This is why you should be weary of connecting to unsecure wireless. When you have a dongle you can connect to the internet from anywhere without the risk of an unsecure connection. • Dongles offer better flexibility than any other type of broadband. The fact that these devices are travel size means you can take them anywhere and use them anywhere. • There are a number of different deals you can get with an internet dongle. This means that you can choose only the dongle deal that suits your lifestyle the best. • May devices are limited to the operating system they are compatible with but this is not the case with dongles. Dongles are able to operate on all operating system whether they are a Mac or PC. • If the power goes out you can still use your dongle as long as your computer has battery power. The dongle draws its power from the computer it is attached to. Sam Jones liked the convenience of an internet dongle. With so many offers in the market, price comparison sites such as uSwitch were the first port of call to be sure of a great deal
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internet dongle, broadband connection, broadband provider, broadband,
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