Purchasing a datacard

Arzy

Arzy

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I'm currently waiting for Telkom to complete the installation of my fixed line (11 months down the line already). To date I've been using a gprs connection for my daily activities at home but this is extremely frustrating and I would prefer to use 3G. I have coverage in my area and my mobile is able to connect at 3G speeds this however is intermittent and I would prefer a more constant connection.

As matters stand I thus need information on getting a USB 3G Datacard for my pc. Can anyone point me in the right direction so as to go about purchasing one of these? If all goes well I will most likely only be using this datacard for the next month or 3 so I'm not looking for something extremely expensive. I would even consider renting a card if such an option is available. At this moment Telkom says I'll have installation of my line by mid-march but I'm not holding my breath on this.
 
You can rent them from places at the airport, not sure of the costs. Cash they're about R2500.
 
Arzy said:
I'm currently waiting for Telkom to complete the installation of my fixed line (11 months down the line already). To date I've been using a gprs connection for my daily activities at home but this is extremely frustrating and I would prefer to use 3G. I have coverage in my area and my mobile is able to connect at 3G speeds this however is intermittent and I would prefer a more constant connection.

As matters stand I thus need information on getting a USB 3G Datacard for my pc. Can anyone point me in the right direction so as to go about purchasing one of these? If all goes well I will most likely only be using this datacard for the next month or 3 so I'm not looking for something extremely expensive. I would even consider renting a card if such an option is available. At this moment Telkom says I'll have installation of my line by mid-march but I'm not holding my breath on this.
Click to expand...
There is a Huawei USB HSDPA modem, and it does use the USB cable to somehow improve signal quality|strength, but it costs ~R2700, and for the next month or 3, I suggest you just continue to use your 3G cellery phone as a modem.

BTW, what make & model of 3G phone do you have?

What device were|are you using for GPRS?
 
If you don't get a good signal on your 3G phone you're unlikely to get a better one on the data card without an external antennae.
 
I was using a Cell C USB EDGE modem but cancelled this contract when I got my new mobile (Sony Ericsson W850i).

As for the connectivity I'm asuming that I am at the edge of a couple of towers and due to breathing I either have perfect 3G coverage or nothing. When connected using 3G I have no issues with the connection itself, my issue is that I am not always able to connect using 3G.

As for the MTN card I thought it was only PCIMCIA? As I will be using this with my desktop I require USB as I'm not going to buy a converter as well for what could be only 3 months use.
 
Does anyone know where you can get second hand 3G modems?

I know that they were meant to be available from vodacom after the HSDPA swap out period had expired - but I have never heard anything further on this.
 
An external antenna may improve your 3G connection, but these only work with the PCMCIA HSDPA cards. The USB version has no antenna socket.

The lowest cost is (a) second hand unit - only PCMCIA readily available (b) new from MTN on contract (R50pm x 24 on MyCall - without data) or the data option mentioned by FireTelkom above.
 
for second hand units see the classifieds of this forum (tab top left) or bid or buy and similar sites. I have seen quite a few advertised recently.
 
I've got a 2nd hand MTN Data Card... as far as i know it also works with Vodacom simcards.

I have an external antenna and the unit also has a headphone/microphone cable to use it as a "cellphone in your laptop"

I want to sell everything for R1500 cause i bought an Apple MacBook.... no PCMCIA slot

Priv Mesg me if u want details
 
ambo said:
:( guess i'm not going to be getting 3G anytime soon then...
Click to expand...

There's a number of 2nd-hand cards floating around. Look out for those.

You can even consider getting an older 3G phone and use it as a dedicated 3G modem. Some of these phones are now quite old like the Motorola E1000 and should go for next to nothing.
 
I've finally found info on something I think is viable. Its an antenae from Pyonting that works with any mobile phone. It has a gain of 10-14dBi so it should be adequate for what I'll be using. The major plus point is that it only costs R600 odd.
 
ambo said:
:( guess i'm not going to be getting 3G anytime soon then...
Click to expand...

Vodacom outlets can order REFURBS DATA CARDS from the warehouse.These cards dont have EDGE/HSDPA but have GPRS/3G.It retails around R900.
 
V3G

This may be a bit off topic.... but

There are a few people that I know who want vodacom 3G data cards but the R2.00/meg (out of bundle, no contract) and no data carry over for a contract is a show stopper. They spend time locally, in Dubai, UK and other parts of the Middle East and EU. If the out of bundle rates were cheaper or contracts allowed for data carry over into the following months I know they would use it.

I think Vodacom needs to seriously look into these issues.
 
I'm happy to report that getting the cellphone booster antenna from Poynting was definately worthwhile. I would suggest that anyone that is reliant on a steady 3G connection to consider the same. Where I previsouly had intermittent connectivity I now simply take my phone place it on the universal booster and 20 seconds later I have a perfect connection.
 
rabbiddog said:
V3G

This may be a bit off topic.... but

There are a few people that I know who want vodacom 3G data cards but the R2.00/meg (out of bundle, no contract) and no data carry over for a contract is a show stopper. They spend time locally, in Dubai, UK and other parts of the Middle East and EU. If the out of bundle rates were cheaper or contracts allowed for data carry over into the following months I know they would use it.

I think Vodacom needs to seriously look into these issues.
Click to expand...

Agree, and I bring it up whenever I get the change! ;)
 
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