The result was a quick search on Amazon (other on line retailers are available) which turned up the Huawei E5330. There is actually a large number of devices available but for cost and reviews quality this seemed to do the job, certainly as an experiment.
The small package duly arrived with Amazon's customary efficiency and I had included the purchase of a 2Gb EE data sim card.
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| Huawei E5330 Mobile WiFi unit |
The unit is small 9cm x 6cm and comes with a USB charging lead for it's internal power which is similar to a mobile phone battery. The lead is the same USB configuration as any SMART phone which is handy.
The sim card inserts just like a mobile phone and on the inside cover is the security code, that can be changed once you are up and running.
The lights from left to right show..signal strength, WiFi , Power, don't know, and a standby type dot that shows the unit is running.
The unit claims 21 Mbps download speeds, which means video and films will run....the battery has a standby time of 300 hours, and most impressively up to 10 devices can be run using the unit at a time.
Both Android and Apple apps are available to manage the device and check status etc,
At the time mine cost £28 but I see they are now in the £30 region. As I mentioned I bought a 2Gb sim on the EE network. - this cost me £6.45 and lasted for 30 days - this is a minor issue - these type of data cards come pre bundled with an amount of data - use it or lose it.
However the advantages are you can use a different provider from your mobile provider so coverage can be more easily assured and with a bit of research, prior to a trip somewhere, I will buy data cards that have the best coverage for the area I am visiting.
Marcus recommends buying two or more cards so if the 30 days expires or you run out of data allowance, simply insert another card...it's cheaper than topping up the existing card. The 30 days runs from the first time you activate the card so it's worth making a note of the relevant dates so you're not caught out.
I have also come across 6Gb cards that run for 90 days from activation, currently the EE version costs £14.99 - compared to £10 per month to have an extra 2 Gb of data on my phone, this works out far more effective as my tablet, laptop as well as my phone can use the connection.
So far very impressed and I am looking forward to seeing how it works out on the water next season...I'll let you know.
05/12/15
Update : I bought one of the 6Gb cards once the 2Gb had expired - had it for over a month now and still have 4Gb data left at least - going to be pushed to use it all in the time but at £14 or so compared to the £35 it would have cost through Vodafone seems a good deal. Might try a different provider next time as EE seem to have blackspots in some areas I visit but I suspect much the same with the others...we'll see
05/12/15
Update : I bought one of the 6Gb cards once the 2Gb had expired - had it for over a month now and still have 4Gb data left at least - going to be pushed to use it all in the time but at £14 or so compared to the £35 it would have cost through Vodafone seems a good deal. Might try a different provider next time as EE seem to have blackspots in some areas I visit but I suspect much the same with the others...we'll see
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