3 Mobile Broadband Dongle Broken

[im from uranus]

Hi all.

My laptop fell on the floor 2 days ago, smashing my 'dongle' into pieces! The 3 shop was closed today, and I don't fancy talking to some customer services on the other side of the world. I did pop into Curry's where I originally got my laptop/mobile broadband on a 2yr contract. The guy in the shop said that I wouldn't be able to just buy a 'pay as you go' dongle as they're configured differently from contract ones. Was he talking rubbish? A new one could cost up to £200, a payg one as little as £30.

Any help greatly appreciated.

[KillingTime]

I think he was. What's configured differently is the SIM card. The dongle is just infrastructure. Get a PAYG dongle, slot in your SIM, see how it goes. If it does not work, take the dongle back and exchange it for credit...

[Aerouk]

I'm pretty sure he's talking out his Ar$e.

From my experience (sadly worked in the mobile industry for awhile) they are usually locked to the network only therefore Pay as you go works in contract and the other way around.

I'm pretty sure I seen an unlocked dongle on the net recently, can't find it now but it was a good price.

[im from uranus]

Thanks for your replies.

I was going to do as Killing Time suggested, and this is what I'd asked the guy in Currys. I was sure he was talking crap.

[Lancelot37]

I'd asked the guy in Currys. I was sure he was talking crap.
===========================================

As usual with Curry's and P.C World. Neighbour wanted a cable router. PC World said it would be over £100. She went to a small independent shop and bought one for £25 and it works perfectly.

I'm sure that I've seen PAYG Dongles for under £10. Search the Internet.

[twiggs]

Another option is to use a 3G mobile phone if you have one.
I do this myself using a Nokia Xpress music 5800.
Only drawback is it needs to be on charge while you use it as it drains the battery quickly.
Sony-Ericsson phones charge when connected by usb so that is not an issue.
You can still make and receive calls while connected (if it is your call sim as well).

[Capetonian]

Currys and PC World are the bottom of the pile when it comes to product knowledge, they are just trained to sell, sell, sell. I have always found the staff at Staples to be far more knowledgeable and helpful - or of course the independents as others have said.

[im from uranus]

The 3 shop was open today, popped in and the very helpful lad said all I had to do was buy a new dongle and use my old sim card... price £19.99! Job done, using it now!

Thanks for all your help!

Currys???.....:yuk:

[al446]

Please don't knock PC World etc, they are great employment opportunities for spotty schoolkids of a geekish/predatory disposition or life's great personable/greedy/unscrupulous failures who know the price (and commision) of everything but but sod all about what they are selling. In the right frame of mind it can be the most entertaining day out you will have in a while. The right frame of mind is bored rigid.

Just don't ever take them seriously.

[Astrodome]

They don't pay commission, and you are talking crap in suggesting that none of them know what they are talking about .

Just spotted your location......tells me much :) :)

[Capetonian]

They have to achieve a certain level of sales to meet targets. If they fail, they don't get an increase or bonus. It's not commission.

I have yet to find an employee in PCW or Curry's who did not fit the description given by al446.

And what's wrong with Manchester?

[mad_jock]

I wouldn't trust PC world as a company to replace and install a toilet roll in my bathroom. They are ok if you know what your looking for but the amount of pish the sales staff can talk is unique in my experience.

The commercial networking department is a joke as well.

All these free scan your computer progs are a con on Nigerian email I need to transfer 1 billion pounds because my church in a third world country is built on a oil reserve and if you send me 5k I will transfer this money to you and you can keep 10% sort of levels.

Guaranteed that all that it will report is that your computer is crap, best solution is to take it to PC world. Pay 100 quid for the resident chimp to dick around with it and loose your data. While another help in the community window licker tries to sell you a new PC, which if you are lucky will just have enough performance to boot the latest microsoft OS but probably not.

Most of the desktop computer sales reps seem to work on the principle that if its a beige coloured box it will do the job for you. If its black its a high performance machine. I am surprised nobody has produce a special PC world super high performance computer in a red box, stick a couple of hologram stickers on the front and the sales reps will be licking them everytime they walk by.

From another thread but I think my views are just as valid on this one.

[Astrodome]

Well I do a lot of research and when I go to places like PC World I am pretty informed.

My local PC World has some very knowledgeable people who did not bull**** me, indeed one even solved a rather irritating computer problem that I had been wrestling with and trying to find a Google answer to.

Nobody dispues that there may well be those whose knowledge may not be as good as one would wish, but to denigrate every employee, and indeed the Company, and indeed to suggest improper business practice on a public forum is either very brave or very foolish.

If you believe this to genuinely be the case then there are legimitate ways of taking matters forward, such as the local Trading Standards/OFT.

[mad_jock]

That last post says more about your own level of expertise than it does about the competence of the sales staff.

And if it was a crime to state an opinion about the level of training and of educational ability linked to job function. I think this site would have been shut down long ago by being sued by every company supplying Security agents/officers/goons what every you want to call them to airports through out the UK.

[Shunter]

If I ever break my 3 dongle I'll be replacing it with a MiFi (also a 3 product). Handy little gadget which acts as a wireless access point. Insert sim card, power on, connect upto 8 wireless devices. Infinitely better then farting around with drivers etc, especially in corporate-land where everyone has locked-down laptops. Battery lasts 6hrs or so, and can be charged by USB if required.