2degrees wireless net?

[kneescraper]

Ive just spotted in L V Martin a USB stick that you put your SIM card into and it provides an Internet connection.

Are these any good and do they cost an arm and a leg to use?

[SMOKEU]

Make sure you use it on prepay, otherwise you'll have to sell your ass on the street to pay the bill if you're on contract. On 2° I've managed to get a download speed of up to 3Mbps so it's not too bad in terms of speed.

[kneescraper]

Is it real expensive to use though? I know it would depend on what the net is used for but for simple forum trolling and the odd porn opps I mean bike picture view is it real expensive?

[paturoa]

Common as a common thing. All mocbile companies have them. However!!!! Make sure that you check to see what sort of data plan your on as you may get a VERY large surprise on your next phone bill if post paid account.

[Madness]

Even the Vodafone prepay package can catch you out if you're not careful. You have to buy what they call a Data Add-On, which kind of locks you into spending a minimum each month, over & above buying a voucher at he Dairy. Without this Add-On the "Casual Rate" that you're charged at is similar to being raped by an Elephant. I found the whole thing rather confusing TBH.

[SMOKEU]

Is it real expensive to use though? I know it would depend on what the net is used for but for simple forum trolling and the odd porn opps I mean bike picture view is it real expensive?

It's hard to say without having a bit more background information with regards to which OS and apps you're using, and how they're configured. A lot of apps and OSs have automatic updates enabled by default which can download large amounts of data.

[Captain_Salty]

2degrees are the cheapest by far. Prepay $20 for 1Gig, $50 for 3Gig etc. expires in 30 days. The 2degrees 3G network area is a bit limited though and it costs more if your outside their zones as it goes through vodafone then.
Edit: Setting your Browsers cache size to maximum will help reduce your data use on frequently visited sites. A good add blocker helps too.

[iYRe]

I have a vodafone android phone (an iphone will also do it), and in the network settings is the option to set a wireless access point. Do this, and it turns your phone into the equivalent of a mobile version of your home wireless connection.
I also have a 3GB data plan for my phone, which I use stuff all of, so I use the rest for my tablet/netbook/laptop when I am out and about.

If you use an android phone, install 3g watchdog which will tell you how much data you have used, and set it with your data cap and billing day. You can also get it to turn data off completely if you get to 100% use.

For that reason I wouldnt buy a tstick/vodem/ 2deg mobile data stick.. waste of money imho (and you're likely to get stung by a big bill).

[Captain_Salty]

The two people I know who use them have them for their desktop computers. If you don't want a landline it is the cheapest form of naked broadband I am aware of. And prepay avoids overspending.

[kneescraper]

Hey guys, thanks so much for the help, this noob is starting to understand :eek:

I have seen these android phones for sale at Countdown for around $200, LG brand from memory and they are 2degrees also, are these good to go for if I went down the android option? or am I much better off going to Dickhead Smith or Hard-on Norman and buying something from their range. I not into the flashie stuff so a bottom market phone is for me and something thats cheap too!

Cheers peeps

[iYRe]

Hey guys, thanks so much for the help, this noob is starting to understand :eek:

I have seen these android phones for sale at Countdown for around $200, LG brand from memory and they are 2degrees also, are these good to go for if I went down the android option? or am I much better off going to Dickhead Smith or Hard-on Norman and buying something from their range. I not into the flashie stuff so a bottom market phone is for me and something thats cheap too!

Cheers peeps

More powerful is better.. computers (and yes phones are these days) are like bikes - more power, more CC's, my style factor, the better.. you dont really want anything under 1ghz processor.. an htc desire will cost you 300 odd - and that was the first "great" android phone (I have one still). If you can stretch to 5 hundy, get an HTC Desire HD off trademe.. or something like this:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/mobile-phones/vodafone/htc/auction-437361753.htm

Basically any HTC Desire or Samsung Galaxy or motorola droid - or barring that a phone with minimum 1 ghz CPU and as much storage space as you can afford.. and you'll be SWEET

[kneescraper]

Hmmmmmmmm, seems that if I was to buy the 2degress USB stick for the RRP of $69 from L V Martin I could get maybe 3 or so months of Internet usage out if it before I would have used as much coin as it would have cost to buy a Android phone in the first place or am I missing something here?

Keeping in mind that my current cellphone is working perfectly fine and I really don't have a need to use a powerful cellphone I couldn't justify spending the $300 odd dollars on a different phone unless the prepay USB stick is really that uneconomic.....I am so grateful for your guys advice but I feel I might be missing a point here somewhere, is the data package for a Android phone much much cheaper than the normal 2degrees sim card in a usb stick Internet connection?

[Winston001]

I live in Invercargill where Vodaphone and Telecom have decent signals. However I also spend time in Central Otago and the Vodaphone signal is poor. My wife has a work Vodem (USB stick) to use and its less reliable than dialup. 2 Degrees uses the Vodaphone network.

So there's your answer: if you have a good Vodaphone signal, 2 Degrees will be fine.

As a matter of interest I have just bought a Telecom T-stick MF190 and I have to say it is very good. I can watch Youtube videos even being in a low signal strength area. Having said that, I don't. The data cost is exorbitant.

The stick came with 2GB to use over 2 months. So far, browsing lightly twice a day plus email, I've used 500MB in two weeks which I reckon is pretty good, considering that at home I (or rather my teenagers) would have used 5-10GB for the same period.

[iYRe]

Hmmmmmmmm, seems that if I was to buy the 2degress USB stick for the RRP of $69 from L V Martin I could get maybe 3 or so months of Internet usage out if it before I would have used as much coin as it would have cost to buy a Android phone in the first place or am I missing something here?

Keeping in mind that my current cellphone is working perfectly fine and I really don't have a need to use a powerful cellphone I couldn't justify spending the $300 odd dollars on a different phone unless the prepay USB stick is really that uneconomic.....I am so grateful for your guys advice but I feel I might be missing a point here somewhere, is the data package for a Android phone much much cheaper than the normal 2degrees sim card in a usb stick Internet connection?

well, its up to you. The biggest issue is avoiding a huge data bill. But then, an android phone is far more than just a phone - mine records my workouts, checks my emails, allows me to check kiwibiker/trademe/google, provides GPS NAV, plays my music, has my calendar, AND allows me to connect my laptop/tablet/netbook to the internet by becoming a wifi access point.

I even use a piece of software called WAZE (ways) which allows me see whats happening in traffic, be alerted to speed traps, radar guns, accidents etc, that other users report (there are alot of people using it).

So, you know.. if you did want to spend the money, you would gain alot more than you would by getting a USB mobile stick, and be cooler, and even if you dont use all the functionality all the time, you WOULD still use it, and find, after a while, it is indispensable and not know how you managed with out it.
Again though, its up to you... Buying a cheap phone wont help, and you need to get a decent plan with a data allowance of a reasonable amount, which pretty much excludes Telecom and 2Deg. But then, if you travel, Telecom is the best option for coverage (doing IT for a radio station, I have to travel to sites all over the place for broadcasts and the only reliable coverage is telecom).

But then again, if you were a doctor or someone else who required a phone for emergency, life threatening stuff.. I wouldnt get an android or iphone, I'd get a run of the mill basic nokia business phone on telecom - with a battery life of 7 days (not 1 as a smartphone has - smartphones require constant charging).

Anyway, thats my 2c worth. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss it further as I have to go play angry birds on my phone! :P :lol:

[Captain_Salty]

The 3 Gig that comes with that Usb Stick still expires after 30days. All the data packs expire after 30 days (at least with 2degrees).
Looking at their coverage map though, 2degrees does not have their own network in Gisborne which would mean you would be limited to their National Data Pack, which is $10 for 100MB. I don't know what telecom or vodafones prices are like in comparison.
The data packs are linked to the Sim card, not the phone or Usb stick, so you can swap it between the two if you wanted. You can use a mobile phone to do the job of a usb modem for a PC, by tethering it to the computer as well.

Do you want broadband for a mobile device or just around home?

[Winston001]

You can use a mobile phone to do the job of a usb modem for a PC, by tethering it to the computer as well.



Excellent point. I'd never tried it which is why I bought a t-stick but now having upgraded to an XT phone, decided to plug it in. Immediately the laptop spotted there was a modem available. And it works. I had previously understood tethering was difficult, maybe thats a GSM thing?

So...in some ways I wasted $129 buying the stick because I can use my phone instead. Of course I'd have to buy data which isn't cheap but since its only for occasional use, that would have worked out. No harm having two devices.

[SMOKEU]

Hey guys, thanks so much for the help, this noob is starting to understand :eek:

I have seen these android phones for sale at Countdown for around $200, LG brand from memory and they are 2degrees also, are these good to go for if I went down the android option? or am I much better off going to Dickhead Smith or Hard-on Norman and buying something from their range. I not into the flashie stuff so a bottom market phone is for me and something thats cheap too!

Cheers peeps

Find out what model they are. I have an LG P500 which is the best phone around for the price (find another phone for that price with 512MB of RAM). The only problems are that the screen is a little small and the official LG Gingerbread update is buggy.

[kneescraper]

I went into the 2degress shop today and asked about the USB stick and phones, I think it would be best to go for a phone rather than a stick modem. Im not sure I quite understand the data plans but I think I would use no more than 2 GB a month and I want a easy to use phone that wont get damaged when its put in my tool box at work so maybe a flip or slide phone would be best?

[Captain_Salty]

AFAIK - 2degrees doesn't have it's own network covering Gisborne yet, so they piggyback off of vodafone
This means those cheap prepay data packs (eg $20 a Gig) can't be used there
You could still use their standard national prepay Data Packs but they're 5 times more expensive

- If you bought a phone on a plan there will be some data with it but probably not a lot

- I don't think telecom or vodafone are any cheaper


I could be wrong about all of this :confused:

[thecharmed01]

Be wary also, as while 2Deg is cheap for prepay packs, they have the most expensive casual rate, so if you go over, or miss your renewal date you can easily chew through a truckload of data FAST.
Also, be wary of the sites they claim are 'free' to visit as 2Deg have ridiculous conditions.
Such as they advertise FB as free, BUT you have to use a browser only and the 0.facebook site. Else it costs but they don't tell you that anywhere, and it takes speaking to more than 3 customer service staff to figure it out lol

Whereas VF and XT both offer free bookface and it is irrelevant how you use it. Apps to use FB are fine and still free - it doesn't come off your limit. I have 3g a month on VF and I barely use any as I use a lot of FB, tethered to the iPad, or on my phone and it's all freeeeeeeeeee. LOL

VF have the cheapest casual data rate of all networks...

[iYRe]

VF have the cheapest casual data rate of all networks...

and 1GB addon for $20 iirc..
If you're using that much.. get a life :P