vivienz Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 A useful resource I have come across. Only for a very limited area, but having just read another post about BT Openreach wanting to charge £7,500 to connect up broadband to a new house, it's worth a mention. Our eventual house will be in rural north Dorset, nowhere near a BT broadband cable, or anyone else's for that matter. We can, however, connect up to Wessex Internet who provide up to 50Mbps. Costs vary but are less than the BT equivalent and the install cost is a few hundred pounds. Worth looking out for similar set ups in other rural locations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 We only get slow "broadband" here and no prospect of that improving (by BT) for a long time. But there are two interesting developments. One is the community is looking to set up a high speed wireless broaband network which they expect to cost about £25 per month. The second development is a planning application for a new 4G phone mast in line of sight of our house (at the moment we only have a very weak 2G signal) I can see a future without a landline..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiehamy Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 28 minutes ago, ProDave said: I can see a future without a landline..... I've never had one in 10years I've been here. 3G and now 4G mobile broadband has been fine - and I can take it anywhere. For the new house, we have rigged up a receiver and get full 3G, so have WiFi in the house itself but no signal. Like you, a 4G mast is being planned up the Glen - hopefully before we move in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) I went to 3G/4G last year (July). Been pretty good. Works faster than the old landline and I have only had one warning text about going over my limit (on unlimited download), but I did download 79 GB of data in a month. I am still watching the Black Mirror videos. All that for a tenner a month, bargain. Edited February 14, 2017 by SteamyTea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 1 hour ago, SteamyTea said: I went to 3G/4G last year (July). Been pretty good. Works faster than the old landline and I have only had one warning text about going over my limit (on unlimited download), but I did download 79 GB of data in a month. I am still watching the Black Mirror videos. All that for a tenner a month, bargain. Pray tell us who does unlimited mobile data for £10 per month. I want one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 GiffGaff. Called Always On. Though just checked and it is £20/month, not sure if my memory has failed or the price has gone up. The one limitation is that after 6GB is downloaded in any month, you get throttled to 3G during thee day. So just do large downloading between Midnight and 8AM. 3G only has about 3 years left to run then the licences need renewing, 5G is out now anyway. I saw that Vodaphone had a 24GB package, but that is £32. If anyone wants to take up the GiffGaff offer, can I recommend you, then I get some freebies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 GifGaff is 3G isn't it and no 3G coverage here. I need to wait until the new 4G mast is build here and see who offers what then. What puzzles me about the location of this new planned mast, is it is certainly not positioned for "main road" coverage. It's almost as if it is intended to serve a small scattered low density population for home use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alphonsox Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I've been seriously looking at the EE 4G home broadband offering http://shop.ee.co.uk/dongles/pay-monthly-mobile-broadband/4g-home-broadband/details# A bit on the expensive side but probably the most viable option for us at the new site. Other options are satellite (but I think the latency would be a problem) or WiMax but this has some very mixed reviews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 6 minutes ago, ProDave said: GifGaff is 3G isn't it and no 3G coverage here 4G down here. If there is not a suitable transmitter, no matter what you buy, it ain't going to work! GiffGaff use the O2 network. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alphonsox Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 11 minutes ago, ProDave said: GifGaff is 3G isn't it and no 3G coverage here. I need to wait until the new 4G mast is build here and see who offers what then. What puzzles me about the location of this new planned mast, is it is certainly not positioned for "main road" coverage. It's almost as if it is intended to serve a small scattered low density population for home use. Details here https://community.giffgaff.com/t5/Using-giffgaff/Guide-to-the-20-quot-Always-On-quot-goodybag/ta-p/17070641 Too many restrictions for me - Particularly the restriction on tethering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Our problem is no mobile signal and only a slow'ish FTTC VDSL2 service, as our cable run from the cabinet is pretty long. The map for the Wessex Internet service has a "hole" right where we are, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Okay, this Tethering thing. That restriction is just "wrong" to me. surely some enterprising software engineer must have written an application that can relay mobile data to another device while hiding that fact from the service provider? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 They have let me get away with for 7 months The tethering has caused me problems when connecting up a Raspberry Pi, but a bit of digging and it seems that most mobile phones use the same IP address (192.168.42.1), seems to have just about got that sorted, but time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 11 minutes ago, ProDave said: Okay, this Tethering thing. That restriction is just "wrong" to me. surely some enterprising software engineer must have written an application that can relay mobile data to another device while hiding that fact from the service provider? I agree. The SIM that's in my tablet is a Phonecoop one and that allows (I think) up to 5 devices to be tethered if I use it as a hotspot. I rarely do, as it only gets used for mobile data when out of the house, and only gets used as a mobile hotspot when we're away somewhere, but I can't see why the networks should be bothered. They are just selling you a service and data package, and arguably you pay more if you use more data, so they make more money, and tethering increases the likelihood that you will use more data. Seems daft to impose a restriction to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I am considering my options regarding my site and broadband etc unfortunately I bought an iPad without a mobile option but was told I would need a mifi devise to create a mobile hotspot. Is there a map available to see what coverage and from who would be best for my site? It may well be that I almost permenantly on site in about 6 weeks so need some sort of connectivity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 You can usually use a phone as a hotspot, or failing that a mifi type device. I have an old 3G one here if you want it and want to put a SIM in it. We used it so my wife could use her wifi only iPad when away, but now I just use my Android tablet as a hotspot instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Thanks Jeremy, yes Nick mentioned using a phone when he visited, forgot that!, just not sure we get any decent coverage as mobile signals are sketchy at the best of times and seem to vary with the weather. I will ask my builders what provider they use as they seem to have better coverage than I do. I have a spare telegraph pole that I could stick up and put the phone up there if the signal was any better but I think the hotspot only covers 10 mtrs. The other problem I have is the caravan is metal clad and that appears to block some strength of the signal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Anyone know how to find out how much bandwidth you are actually using in a typical month? Would be useful to have an idea when looking for alternatives. We are with BT unlimited and if you log into your account it says (in slightly more polite terms) "you have unlimited broadband so we refuse to tell you how much you actually use" Likewise I can't find anything in the router that logs actual date wither way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 There are some usage apps around, I downloaded one some time ago to get an idea how much we used, this one: http://www.thinkbroadband.com/tbbmeter.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 29 minutes ago, JSHarris said: There are some usage apps around, I downloaded one some time ago to get an idea how much we used, this one: http://www.thinkbroadband.com/tbbmeter.html But that would mean installng a usage app on my pc, SWMBO's pc, SWMBO's phone, and daughter's tablet, then add them all together. Shame the router doesn't just log it, or BT were not so unhelpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) When I put everything through my mobile phone for a month, it was about 20Gb ;-). Excluding television, but including a couple of episodes of the Grand Tour. Edited February 14, 2017 by Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiehamy Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I rarely go above my 3gb limit, however I rarely stream anything. EE do show you online what you used each month. I moved the site plan onto another data tariff last week as the new pan and tilt camera uses more data - 32GB for £29.99 per month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 1 hour ago, ProDave said: But that would mean installng a usage app on my pc, SWMBO's pc, SWMBO's phone, and daughter's tablet, then add them all together. Shame the router doesn't just log it, or BT were not so unhelpful. I've not seen a router with a usage logger, but it should be possible to do, if you have a router that will run something like OpenWrt, I think. If I log on to my account with my new ISP I can see the usage data now, which is useful. I'm far and away the biggest user in our household, so just monitoring my use gave me a rough idea of how much we needed per month when I was shopping around a year or so ago. I found that, allowing for usage by other devices in the house, we were not going to need more than about 20Gb/month, but as it happens we've ended up with an unlimited service anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfrdave Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 1 hour ago, jamiehamy said: new pan and tilt camera Off topic but @jamiehamy care to provide some details? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiehamy Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 19 minutes ago, vfrdave said: Off topic but @jamiehamy care to provide some details? I'll open a thread tonight when I get home :-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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