Three offering 'Stick' modem

[Ben]

While not the Vodafone Stick, AFAIK, Three are now offering a USB stick type modem for their Mobile Broadband: http://threestore.three.co.uk/broadband/

It's all very exciting. I'm really hoping we see somebody like Three launch a home router with integrated SIM very soon.

[Hands0n]

Cor! Good spot Ben. I do like the little Vodafone USB stick, it is so capable - it effortlessly sucks in HSDPA up to 7.2Mbps if it is present in the area. The thing is so stable, even compared with Vodafone's PCMCIA and PC Express cards that we have in the office.

Next up has to be a USB router to take advantage of all of these Dongles and Sticks that are becoming so common. Integrated 3G devices cannot be at all far off - it is just a simple chipset now.

Edit: Like this http://www.sarian.co.uk/wireless.htm

[Ben]

Re: stability, I agree that the USB devices really do seem to be extremely consistent compared to the old cards. Not that Vodafone's products have ever really had issues, but things just seem much better now than they used to be. Of course, I also use the USB modem of mine mostly in Mac's, which means no windows drivers and Vodafone software to compete with.

[Hands0n]

Blimey! There's more ....

http://www.draytek.co.uk/support/kb_vigor_3g.html
And plug your USB Dongle/Stick into this http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor2820.html

Oooohh I'm getting dizzy :D

Edit: And these are the 3G USB modems that the 2820 (and other) series supports .... <dribble>


************************************************** ************************************

Release Notes for Vigor2820 series

Firmware Version : 3.1.3 (Release)
Release Date : 05th March 2008
Applicable Models : Vigor2820, Vigor2820n
ADSL Modem Code : 211801 (Standard)
211011 (Alt 1)
212501 (Alt 2)
Locale : UK Only / Annex A Only

************************************************** ****************************************

[ New Functions ]
1. Support USB 3G modem connectivity
Supported 3G Modems:

Huawei E220 (Vodafone, T-Mobile, 3)
Huawei E270
Huawei E272
Option Globesurfer iCcon
Option Globesurfer iCcon 7.2
Nokia N70
Nokia N95
Nokia 6233
Nokia N95
Telstra HSDPA USB Modem
4G System XSPlug P3
Zapp Telemodem Z020
Option Globesurfer iCON
4G System XSPlug P3
ZTE AC8700 3G
ZTE MF622
MomoDesign MD-@
Benq EF91
LG U8380
Telstra Next G 3G USB
Bandrich Bandluxe C100
Bandrich Bandluxe C100S
Bandrich Bandluxe C120
Amoi H01
Aiko 76E
BigPond Next G

[getti]

The sticks are very good from 3. I tried 1 a few weeks back and it got a very good connection. The box states 3.6mb HSDPA but afaik it will support 7.2 once that rolls out.

I have a review 1 turning up in a few days so can compare to my T-Mobile stick modem

[Hands0n]

Yup, all of the latest 3G/HSDPA sticks and dongles will support HSDPA up to the theoretical maximum of 14.2 Mbps - and they all support HSUPA too, although that is played down for some reason. Vodafone's London City network is showing HSUPA speeds in excess of 1.4Mbps!

[Ben]

While Draytek's support for USB 3G devices is very (http://www.talk3g.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4399&highlight=draytek) commendable (http://www.talk3g.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5339&highlight=draytek), the quality of their products and service, in my experience, is not. So, while I wouldn't advise anybody buy a Draytek, I do hope it's a sign of things to come.

Indeed, home routers with a USB port for adding modular functionality is a big step forward. I would imagine that within a few years we'll be able to add 3G modems, hard disk drives and perhaps even peripherals to be shared between computers to all standard home routers.

I can't imagine fixed line ISP's will like the thought of that very much, mind you. I certainly can't imagine any of them supplying routers capable of easily supporting mobile broadband!

[tednol]

Hi guys,

Was very surprised to see the above offer. Took some finding though, but if you go to three.co.uk, click on 3store, click on find a price plan, click on mobile broadband and click on 12 months then you can get the 3gb £15 a month mobile broadband deal on a 12 month contract with any of the modems free. If you opt for the 12 month £10 a month contract the modems are just £50.

Seems frankly awesome.

[Ben]

Well I'll be...

12 month contract:

Broadband Plus (3GB) £15.00
3 USB Stick Modem White FREE
Total cost £0.00 £15.00

Nice find, tednol!

[3GScottishUser]

I have ordered mine (Black) on the Broadband Lite (1GB) plan for £5 a month (existing contract customer).

A no brainer - drop Internet Max from the handset and sell the PAYG Dongle. The stick should cover all my needs and deliver savings too. :)

[Hands0n]

Here is the link for anyone who is interested - Three Mobile Broadband (http://threestore.three.co.uk/broadband/)

That does seem a rather neat offer, I paid £79 for my USB stick up front with Vodafone on a 18-month contract! But that was a couple of months back and the offers keep on coming along :)

3GSU has turned into a complete 3 o'file :D

They are all free on the 18-month plans too, which is very good value.

But as has been said before - be very sure about how much data you are likely to use. That 10p per megabyte does not sound much - but it equates to £100 per gigabyte, and that is horrendously expensive.

I nearly trust 3, but have not quite made the leap of faith yet :D as they still seem quite capable of snatching defeat from the hands of success occasionally.

[tednol]

I've been looking at Three seriously for over a year now - since they released X-Series. When my then O2 contract expired I ended up with T-Mobile on a 12 month contract WnW Flext 35 mainly because I wanted the N95, and the deal has served me well. However I'm now at the end of my minimum term and have dropped down to a SIM only 1 month notice deal with T-Mobile. I don't really feel any current phones offer anything above the N95 so not looking to upgrade until the N96 comes along (or possibly a 3g iPhone... possibly). I'm just hoping Three get the N96 early on - I'd join them in a flash. Half price mobile broadband would certainly sweeten the deal too!

[Hands0n]

3 certainly have done some pretty amazing things under the stewardship of Kevin Russel. Since their Bob Fuller [pffft!] days they have come along leaps and bounds. It is to Kevin's credit that he has quite transformed the public-facing aspect of 3. Excellent tariffs, mobile data [unthinkable to uncle Bob] and a wide range of handset choice, extending into the data dongle world now too.

But where 3 is concerned there is a very definite sting in the tail, and that is their Mumbai-based global Customer Services division. There are all manner of commercial aspects that make off-shore operations like this attractive to the Financial Director. But in every single case it has been the ruination of an otherwise excellent, if costly, part of the company. The FD simply does not see the value that an on-shore CS delivers to their bottom line. He [or she] only sees CS as a Cost Centre, generating no revenue. What they do not understand is that it is precisely the weakness of off-shoring a CS that adds to the Churn figures - and so you witness the futile efforts of other divisions of the company trying to control Churn, but singly unable to do so because of the ill-will that off-shore CS generates in customers. A quick read of any of the forums will reveal that 3 get the lion's share of criticism in that area.

Kevin's remaining mission, should he accept it, is to bring 3's CS back to the UK and make it world class. Then, and only then, the four other mobile network operators will really have something to worry about.

Me? Buy 3? No, not yet awhile. Having been singed if not burned three times previously I am not quite ready to make that leap of faith. But I could be persuaded to if I started reading tales of their CS being on-shored and improving.

[3GScottishUser]

Got my new 3 USB Stick yesterday and it's pretty neat.

Made by Huawei just like the dongle and the software is exactly the same.

Inital impressions are good as I like the style and compactness of the stick compared with the dongle. This wont be an issue for those using mobile broadband in a static location but the stick fits much easier into the laptop bag for travelling.

The stick has proved easy to install, just like the dongle but appears a little less sensitive. There are areas of my home where the dongle picks up 3's HSDPA and 3G but where the stick stubbornly holds onto Orange's GPRS. BTW it drops the connection when it does swich over just like a handset does. You can sit and watch the stick's control panel and the windows network icon as it does it!

It'll be a few days before I am able to test it in more locations but I think I shall be quite content with it at the price.

[Ben]

Just for the record (I spell it wrong as often as I spell it right as well), that modem manufacturer that we all know and love is called HUAWEI.

They need a new brand for our shores, me thinks :D

[tednol]

Purchased the E169G on a 12 month £15 p/m contract on Saturday and I've been exceptionally impressed. Good coverage and speed from my usage in Reading, Watford and now Letchworth. Very impressed.

Quick question though to anyone to may know - how accurate is the "My Three" section of the website when it comes to checking data useage? Whilst the amount of data I have left to use this month has decreased slightly, I am sure I've used more data than they are saying. Is there quite a serious lag between usage and it appearing? There is a note on the page saying the information was correct at todays date and a time only a few minutes ago, but I'm not sure to what extent the info can be trusted?

[bsrjl1]

3 use 'hot billing' so as soon as the call/session ends (& possibly during) the allowance is updated. So it should be bang upto date.

I'm not sure why it takes them a few days to generate a bill at the end of the billing period though...