Mobile Broadband FAQ

Is it difficult to set up the mobile broadband USB modem?

No, they're easy to set up. First you need to insert the SIM card provided into the USB modem, then plug the modem into the laptop. Often when you are using a Windows XP or Vista laptop, it installs the software needed automatically and connects to the 3G network, because the drivers can be saved on the USB stick itself. If you are using an older Windows machine or an Apple Mac, you will need to install the modem driver software from disk. Unlike home broadband, mobile broadband doesn't need any complex configuration of the connection equipment with a username and password. This is because all the necessary connection authorisation information is provided by the SIM card within the USB modem. Just as your mobile phone SIM allows you to use your mobile phone network, so the mobile broadband SIM in the USB modem allows you to gain mobile broadband access.

How fast is mobile broadband?

Firstly, it depends whether you have mobile broadband coverage (i.e. a 3G or 3.5G signal) in your area, so see our UK mobile broadband coverage page for links to coverage maps for Vodafone, T-Mobile and Orange. Even when you are in a 3G coverage area, as mobile broadband is a radio service, the service speed can vary greatly depending on local conditions, e.g. electrical interference. Note that the speeds quoted by service providers are usually "up to" theoretical maximums and the speed you can achieve in your area will usually be much lower. Vodafone currently quotes the fastest service speed at 7.2Mbps, and whilst under optimum conditions this would be as fast as most current home fixed-line broadband connections, and would be fast enough to stream online video, actual speeds obtained on Vodafone and other mobile broadband services are usually much lower (around 2 to 2.5 Mb/s). Online gaming places further demands on the broadband connection, see the fuller answer below.

When you are outside the 3G mobile broadband coverage, you will revert back to a GPRS-based service and this is very slowly, comparable to the speed of an old dial-up service or worse.

Note that when operating in a good 3G signal area using a mobile phone as a modem instead of a dedicated USB modem may reduce your maximum connection speed , especially if you are connecting the phone to the laptop via Bluetooth. However, when connecting in a GPRS-only area, the mobile phone is unlikely to be a limiting factor.

Is mobile broadband fast enough for online gaming?

Mobile broadband can be used successfully for online gaming, but how good your experience is will depend very much on the quality of signal you receive.  Mobile broadband often has higher latency than fixed-line broadband, and this can be an issue if you are playing an action-intensive online game. The time taken for data to go from your computer, to the gaming server, and back to your computer, which is known as the ping or response time, needs to be between 100 and 500ms for a decent gaming experience.  Mobile broadband can provide a low response time of 100ms when signal conditions are good, making even a demanding first person shooter game feasible, but it can also be as much as a few seconds in poor signal areas, where you may have to stick to MMO games such as World of Warcraft.      

We would say the 7.2Mbps mobile broadband service from Vodafone would be suitable for online gaming, but we hope to provide further information on this shortly. 

Which network is best for mobile broadband reception?

This just depends on where you are, just as it does for mobile phone reception. Often you can trial a service first before signing up for a full contract, so we suggest doing that. See our UK mobile broadband coverage page for links to current mobile broadband coverage maps from the major providers.

Can I use a mobile phone as a modem for my laptop?

Yes, many 3G phones can connect to the internet and serve it to your laptop via either a Bluetooth or USB connection. However, you are then limited by the mobile phone battery life, and whilst the mobile broadband connection speed can be good, it is generally slightly slower than with a dedicated USB modem or datacard. You will need a contract with a data allowance from your mobile phone network.

What is the best mobile phone to use as a modem?

The Nokia N95 does a good job.

Can I share a mobile broadband connection between multiple computers?

You can with a router designed to work with a mobile broadband connection. An example of such a router is the Draytek Vigor 2910, which has a USB port to which you can connect a 3G USB modem or 3G phone, allowing connection to the internet via HSDPA at connection speeds of up to 3.4Mb/s. Please note we have yet to confirm whether the USB modems from 3, T-Mobile and Vodafone work with this router.

Other mobile broadband routers we are aware of:
- Linksys WRT54G3G Wireless-G router, which accepts a mobile broadband data card, e.g the Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G broadband data card
- DrayTek 2820n Router. This is a high specification mobile broadband and general purpose router from Draytek, and can accept ADSL/ADSL2+ broadband connections, has a Dual-WAN ports to connect an ADSL modem, cable modem or both, and has a USB Port for a 3G mobile broadband modem. The router can then distribute the broadband internet connection to other computers via b, g or n WiFi.

Note that if you buy a mobile broadband USB modem, you are free to swap it between computers if you want to. You could use it on your laptop whilst you are out and about, and then switch it to your desktop when you are at home.

Can you get a stable connection with mobile broadband?

Yes, providing you have a good 3G signal where you are. When you aren't moving the connection stability can be excellent. If you are on a train then you may find you get disconnections if you travel out of a 3G signal area and your modem can't migrate you from a 3G to a GSM connection. Some 3G/GPRS datacards can cope with this by dropping down to slower GPRS without disconnecting, e.g. the O2 Merlin 3G/GPRS datacard.

For more info, see our view on the best mobile broadband network, and for a second opinion see this other mobile broadband site.

Can I use mobile broadband with Windows Vista?

Yes. Most mobile broadband services will work with Windows Vista. We can confirm that following services definitely work on Windows Vista:
- 3 Mobile
- T-Mobile (USB modem and data card, for which a software download is needed)
- Vodafone (USB modem, 7.2Mbps USB stick modem)

Can you tell me which Windows Operating Systems are compatible with these mobile broadband services?

- T-Mobile USB Modem (Windows Vista, Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows 2000)

Can I use mobile broadband on a Mac? What is the best mobile broadband service for a Mac?

Yes. We can confirm following mobile broadband services will work on a Mac:
- 3 Mobile (USB modem)
- T-Mobile (USB modem, Apple Mac OS X 10.2.6 or higher, Apple Mac Leopard is not currently supported. The datacard is not currently Mac compatible.)
- Vodafone (3.6Mbps USB modem, 7.2Mbps USB modem and 7.2Mbps USB stick modem, OS X Panther 10.3.9 or higher required).

The best mobile broadband for a Mac will be determined by which provider has the best signal quality in the locations where you will be using your Mac. See our UK mobile broadband coverage page.

Do mobile broadband USB modems work on Linux?

Mobile broadband modems can be made to work with Linux, and the Christmas 2008 Issue of Linux Format Magazine (Issue 113) has a how to guide.

The latest version of Ubuntu has support for 3g devices in network manager.

Can I use my UK mobile broadband service when abroad?

Yes, see our mobile broadband abroad page.

Can I use VOIP on mobile broadband?

Yes,  but in areas where the mobile broadband signal quality is low, there can be a lot of latency when talking.  Also, some lower-priced contracts will block it, e.g. to use it on T-Mobile, you need web'n'walk Max.

With mobile broadband, are all the normal ports open so I can use remote desktop, VPN and VoIP?

People have been able to access these services on T-Mobile Web n Walk. Note that using VoIP and IM services may be against the T&C's of your contract. For VoIP the latency on the 3G connection can be quite high.