Top 10 Broadband Dongle Deals

Dongles explained

When it comes to new broadband technology, dongles are the gadget on everyone’s shopping list. The dongle is our key to accessing the internet on the move. We can carry a dongle around in our pockets and get broadband speeds wherever we are.

We’ve been told the tiny dongle will completely change our web experience. We’ve heard that getting our hands on a dongle could help cut home phone and broadband costs, or even that dongles could mean the end of home phone lines altogether. When it comes to making choices about broadband packages, dongles and dongle deals are popping up everywhere, yet many of us are still wondering, what exactly is a dongle?

The term 'dongle' or 'mobile broadband dongle' refers to a device that you plug into the USB port of your laptop or PC and which provides you with mobile internet access via a 3G mobile network.

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The dongle is such a new concept that it’s not included in many dictionaries, and is often misspelled as ‘dongal’, ‘dongel’ or ‘dongall’. In fact the term dongle has been commonly used in the IT world for years. Dongle traditionally refers to any small piece of hardware that connects to a computer via a USB port. However, as the mobile broadband revolution rolls on, the term is now more widely taken to mean devices that plug into USB ports but which are specifically for getting you online with.

Dongles are usually connected to the USB port using a short connector. The dongle itself works exactly like any other modem but gives you the freedom to access broadband speeds wherever you are, provided there is mobile phone coverage.

How do mobile broadband dongles work?

Dongles use 3G mobile technology, or third generation mobile technology. You can find out more about 3G in our guide ‘What is 3G?’

Dongles are designed to make life easy and with that in mind, they often require little or no installation. Most dongles are simply ‘plug and play’ so, provided there is 3G network coverage where you are, you can start surfing the web straight away.

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Mobile broadband dongle deals

Dongle deals are available from almost every mobile broadband provider – you can even get pay as you go Mobile Broadband dongle deals from most providers.

As competition for your custom hots up, you will find you can get a deal on a mobile broadband package and dongle for around the same as you can get a home broadband deal.

Compare cheap mobile broadband deals here cheap mobile broadband.

Dongles come free with many mobile broadband packages – providers currently offering free dongles with a mobile broadband contract are:

• Three
• Vodafone
• T-Mobile
• Orange
• O2
• Virgin Media

There are even some providers offering a free dongle and free laptop package to get you set up with everything you need for mobile broadband.

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Different mobile broadband dongles

Each mobile broadband provider offers their own dongle with their own mobile broadband packages. So you need to consider which could be the right dongle for you, as well as which package will best suit your needs.

Three mobile broadband dongles

Three dongles use HSPA+ technology for broadband connection speeds of up to 21Mb. Choose between the Huawei E353 Standard Dongle or the Huawei E367, which features a handy rotating head for improved performance.

Vodafone Dongles

Vodafone offer three dongles: the Standard USB Dongle, the USB Modem Stick and the USB Modem Stick Pro. All three offer a maximum speed of 21.2Mb. The USB Modem Stick and Modem Stick Pro also offer memory card slots, so you can store files on them. The Pro edition features PC protection software to keep you safe online.

T-Mobile broadband dongle

Choose T-Mobile and you'll get two dongle options, namely the USB Stick 615, which is available in a choice of black or pink and features storage space of 4GB when you add a memory card, and the USB Stick 620, which is solely available in black and offers 8GB of capacity. Both T-Mobile dongles offer a maximum connection speed of 7.2Mb.

Orange mobile broadband dongle

Two dongle options are on offer with Orange. These are the E713 and the E367 - both of can provide a maximum connection speed of 7.2Mb. The E367 is augmented with HSPA+ technology to help deliver the fastest connection speeds the network can offer, as well as a high performance antenna to boost signal strength.

O2 mobile broadband dongle

The Huawei E173 USB Mobile broadband dongle from O2 is sleek, small and very portable, with a choice of black, white or pink colour options. O2's 3G network will provide users with a headline connection speed of up to 3.6Mb.

Virgin Media mobile broadband dongle

Virgin Media's mobile broadband dongle is in a cool matt black and stands out for its amazingly compact dimensions and maximum speeds of 7.2Mb.

BT mobile broadband dongle

BT offers a great pay as you go dongle, with connection speeds of up to 7.2Mb.

Mobile broadband dongles abroad

If you want to use your dongle to get mobile broadband when abroad, it is worth checking with your individual ISP. In theory you can access the internet using your dongle wherever there is mobile phone signal, however are sure to additional charges involved.

Find out more about using your dongle abroad in our guide Broadband abroad.

Future of mobile broadband dongles

In future we will see the arrival of 4G dongles. These will use a super fast 4G network to deliver mobile broadband speeds hundreds of times in excess of what is available now.

More mobile broadband dongle information:

• What is a mobile broadband dongle?

• What is a mobile broadband stick?