Charlie Barker - Vodafone Broadband Dongle Review

Sunday, February 08, 2009

I bought one of these a couple of weeks ago, to use on my commute to london.

The Good:

Uber convienient have BB on the move
Signal on the train is good without to much drop out.
You can plug in a 4gb mcro sd card and turn it into a memory stick
In a good signal area the downloads are fast 170kbps

The Bad:

This is a relatively expensive way to roam the WWW at 15 quid per GB but it only costs 39.99 to buy and you only pay for what you use unlike the pay montly alternatives. Perfect for me as I will only use it for small periods.

The Ugly:
The vodafone software that installs when you plug the device in to your Pc/Laptop is possibly one of worst programs I have had the misfortune to encounter in a long time.
If you plan to use this device whilst stationery and in a good signal area you will not have any problems. If you use it on a train / in a car then expect constant pop-ups that cannot be minimized.

The unecessary:
Adult Content Blocking is on by default, included is Skype.com ???
WTF Vodafone since when do Skype serve adult content.... Hmm they do however offer internet telephony, I wonder if that could be the real reason.
Which ever knob jockey at vodafone thought up this trick should be shot. It just annoys paying customers who can download skype the moment they are connected via WiFi, seriously misjudged move by Vodafone.

Update: Tip
You don't have to use the crappy vodafone software, after you have installed it open network connections and right click on the Vodafone connection and select connect. It is also possible to prevent the vodafone software from launching when you plug your dongle in, just go to the options in the app. The only thing you lose is the usage meter.

Sunday, February 08, 2009 10:37:21 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Comments [2] -

Tuesday, April 07, 2009 11:06:19 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

In my opinion, vodafone has the worst customer service, very patronising, uninformed, even staff who lies. Should you have a problem with your service, you're in for a deep swim. For the last 12 days they claim that there is a problem with the mast(network) in the area, almost central london, and as a consequence I cannot use my USB broadband internet. I have spent serveral hours on the phone with them, and all they can say is that "they're aware of the situation, and will keep me updated as to when the issue is going to be fixed". No dates, not times, no nothing. I had requested to cancel this contract, but they're treatning to hold me liable for cancellation charges. They claim that only after 28 days of no service, I'll be able to terminate the contract earlier. Can someone reading this provide some information regardng this "28 days no service" or this is just another lie? I dont seem to find this anywhere in the terms and condiditions. This seem grosly unfair, and totaly onesided. Is anyone out there experiencing the same issues? I'll never go to vodafone again. Major dissapointment and frustration. 7 April 2009. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PEOPLE.

Theo | prodeharAT NOSPAMhotmail dot com

Wednesday, April 22, 2009 1:26:21 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I'm afraid most of the mobile operators in the UK offer poor customer service.

From talking with friends and familly O2 seem to have the best but my 3G iPhone is very slow for browsing even when i have a good signal and it is fine when I am on WiFi.

Charlie Barker | JunkAT NOSPAMHallville dot net

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