Nov 3, 2009
Solving broadband dongle problems
Some users of the 3G mobile broadband dongle with a laptop have found that their browser seems unable to display any web pages at all. What, if anything can be done?
The Problem
Although mobile phone networks market 3G data-connected dongles as ‘broadband’ they are usually slower than wired broadband. The speed of the 3G connection and its ability to load web pages is affected by your location and how busy the network is at any given time. 4Mps is needed for landline broadband and the speed of your 3G connection in built up areas will probably be between 1Mbps-2Mbps.
The Solution
Try your laptop in different rooms (your home may have connection cold spots).
Invest in a mobile phone signal booster – expensive stuff! (visit the Cell Antenna website for more information).
Try the new Opera 10 web browser (free at www.opera.com ). It uses automatic compression to keep web pages loading quickly.
Finally, some websites offer an alternative mobile version that can be viewed on a laptop by entering a slightly different address. For example, for Facebook go to m.facebook.com.
