| Reviewer Name | Rating out of 10 | Review Details | Review Date / Time |
| Dominic Wong | 9 |
I had Vodafone Mobile Broadband for more than 12 months and I'm now came off the contract. I didn't sign up for another contract because I wasn't sure whether I'm going to aboard in 18 months. They didn't ask me to sign up for another contract and I just continued to use as normal. I pay what I usually pay, which is £15 for 3GB. I only noticed it when I visited a store to repair my internet dongle. I usually go around to use it in Bristol BS8 Clifton area, the reception is great and it just follows me where ever I go. I can always get 3G or 3G reception everywhere, it's understandable to GPRS in really deep indoor areas. I never have any problems with Vodafone and the customer service is excellent.
| 03/07/2010 23:45:13 |
| Chris Rowe | 1 |
What can I say, if this is the best the UK has to offer with regards to mobile broadband then cancel the technology and revisit when it's ready. Seriously, I tested this at the top of a 3 story house on a hill with a 3G+ signal and the best speed test it gave was under 600kbps, a far cry from the the 7 or 14 mbps the Vodafone people quote you on, depending on who you talk to. I also tested this on a train and the best I could get was a measly GPRS green blinking light. I was recommended this by a large blue chip firm consultant who said the signal was good but bandwidth in London was saturated, which I thought I'd be okay as I live outside of London and wanted a dongle for my commuting. My iPhone has a more consistent signal on the train and is generally faster at surfing, quite embarrassing to be on a train with a laptop and having to resort to using your phone to surf!
I have also tried Orange and Virgin, neither are any good. I will also leave reviews for them.
[Admin Says - The best ever speed I've recorded for Vodafone Mobile Broadband has been 2.76 Mb/s at Southampton University Avenue Campus. However, generally speaking speeds are much less than this, and certainly way less than the theoretical network maximum speed.
You are right when you say the commuting experience is not great, as a lot of the time you will be going through countryside where only a GPRS signal is available to your laptop, and this is incredibly slow to the point of being of little use. However, stopped in a station within a 3G area and it will be good. The problem is with moving in and out of 3G areas. Rgds.]
| 14/06/2010 21:17:53 |
| davide zanin | 1 |
SE8 London
Bought a dongle and simply couldnt run it on my laptop. Went back to the shop and the assistant told me to "uninstall" my wi-fi internal modem. Where do they live? Is this UK? This is the same Vodafone we have in Italy: poor, expensive and phony
[Admin Says - Sorry to hear that you have been disappointed. So far, I have used Vodafone Mobile Broadband in Canary Wharf and it's been fine, and I've had good results in other 3G areas outside of London.]
| 02/06/2010 23:33:18 |
| Adam from Wokingham | 1 |
I signed up for Vodafone mobile broadband after receiving a demo at a vodafone shop. I travel a lot and since purchasing the service, I have only managed to get a 3G link in one location which is my home (where I have wired broadband). Everywhere else, I get a GPRS link. I know this is all down to coverage and it would be great to have 3G but even the connection I get via GPRS is painfully slow (by that I mean MUCH worse than dial up). As I sit here typing this, I can look our of the window and see the cell and I have 5 bars signal but I am getting a pitiful download speed in the range of bits per second with frequent inactivity periods, regardless of the website I am visiting (I would expect much more than that, even for GPRS). I wouldn't mind as much but this is the same wherever I am in the country. Personally, I believe the problem lies with Vodafones link to the Internet as everything at my end appears to be working fine (bullet proof connection, excellent signal strength).
Reading through the reviews, I notice admin has added comments about their experience being good. I think they must be located above a Vodafone shop as that is about the only place you will ever get a 3G connection. However, I think it's easy to get hung up on the whole 3G/GPRS thing when the real problem is that even the GPRS connection is well below par.
I won't be recommending Vodafone's mobile broadband to friends as I would like them to stay that way. I am not sure if any other provider is any better so I seriously doubt whether I will continue to subscribe to ANY mobile broadband service after my contract period has lapsed.
[Admin Says - I have tried Vodafone Mobile Broadband in quite a few different areas, and have achieved usable connection speeds in 3G areas, including being able to stream video. The best speed I've recorded so far has been 2.76 Mb/s at Southampton University Avenue Campus, although such a good speed is rare. However, I agree with you in that when out of a 3G area, the GPRS connection is incredibly slow, to the point of being little use. Thanks for your review.]
| 01/06/2010 22:26:29 |
| mal | 2 |
I stupidly signed up for 24 months with Vodafone Mobile Broadband £25 per month with a Samsung NC10 laptop. I am a salesman out on the road and need fast connection that is sustainable LAPTOP FANTASTIC, VODAFONE BROADBAND UTTER RUBBISH. DO NOT SIGN UP WITH THIS AMATEURISH OUTFIT.
[Admin Says - I'm glad to hear you like your NC10, they are great little machines. I'm surprised about your experience with Vodafone Mobile Broadband as I use it myself and have found it to be pretty good. Rgds.]
| 06/05/2010 17:20:57 |
| Andrew Mitchell | 7 |
Bought the Pay as You Go dongle as a cost effective way to obtain boradband--or at least faster than dial-up--internet for occasional use. The software was easy to install and has been reliable. Signal coverage in Exeter is patchy. I recently moved house. At the first one, I could only get a 3G signal using a 5m USB extension and having the dongle in the garden(!), then was at a temporary address right next to a base station - worked excellently. Now can get a poor 3G signal indoors in higher Exwick. Even if signal strength is low, rarely seems to drop out, sometimes switches to GPRS. Main problem has been with USB, using a 5m extension pushes USB a bit too far and can lead to the device dropping out. I have now abandoned the long extension idea and am happy with the poorer signal.
Easy to top up via internet, and to check balance via software. I just hope they don't discontinue the deal (e.g. forcing a minimum monthly top-up like the other providers, I've only topped up 3 times in a year!).
Have tried to use "on the move" in trains and then it really is useless, you're lucky to get a minute's connection before it drops out. However, would recommend as an economical way of getting rasonably fast internet in urban areas, particularly if you can check coerage before buying.
| 06/05/2010 10:37:41 |
| James Barker | 1 |
Leeds, Ls8 5JF.
DO NOT BUY ANY VODAFONE PRODUCTS THEY ARE USELESS AND THE STAFF AND CUSTOMER SERVICES ARE NONE EXISTANT.
MOBILE BROADBAND SPEED OF 27KBPS AT BEST USUALLY 0.
DO NOT EVER GET A CONTRACT WITH THIS BUNCH OF MUPPETS...
[Admin Says - Sorry your expectations have not been met. Have you tried your dongle in a second location? We use Vodafone Mobile Broadband ourselves and have had a good experience.]
| 24/04/2010 23:15:28 |
| Paul | 1 |
to start with if anyone is using Norton uninstall it and also uninstall the Dongle Norton is rubbish and will stop the Dongle from even working
re-install the dongle and download the free AVG software (don't even try and download this using the vodafone connection as this will take about half a day use a friends PC or one at work)
this will make some difference apart from that i brought mine 6 months ago it worked fine until Xmas and now downloads - well it just does not download anything i cant even listen to music before I buy it on itunes as the download is so slow
thanks for the free Samsung PC that works fine as you would expect from Samsung but will never buy anything from vodafone again website rubbish, hidden costs, over priced, stupid logo
and your a disgrace for supporting F1 which is my favourite sport you should team up with Virgin as it seems you are as slow as their F1 team and the name virgin suits you better as your providing the service of one!
[Admin Says - We have not found Vodafone Mobile Broadband to be slow ourselves. If your service was working and then suddenly got worse, ask Vodafone to check everything is OK with your local 3G phone mast, as it may need repairing. Rgds.]
| 15/04/2010 14:18:44 |
| Cassandra | 9 |
Its slow on the internet, but i had a t-mobile one and id be on MSN messenger and it would sign me out every 1-5 minutes which was so annoying. This vodafone mobile broadband dongle hasnt yet disconnected and i have been using it for around 40 minutes where as normally my t-mobile one would have disconnected about 3 times and signed me out of messenger alot. I would recommend this to anyone :D its awesome! I bought mine from tescos in st stevens in hull and it cost me £29.99 but i got 3GB usage with it to last a month :) really happy i purchased this
| 12/04/2010 14:59:03 |
| Mark | 1 |
poor service, but worked and was worth it as your credit lasted until you used it up and not for just 30days, but apparently vodafone are greedy and now all PAYG mobile broandnand only lasts 30days, which makes them the worst supplier and most expensive. poor customer service, AVOID vodafone at all costs
[Admin Says - Yes, Vodafone did introduce a 30 day time expiry on their PAYG mobile broadband offering, which has bought them in line with similiar products from their competitors. However, we still feel that Vodafone Mobile Broadband is worth considering.]
| 01/04/2010 19:58:17 |
| Beck | 1 |
Living in central London - E5 - you'd expect the signal on the vodafone mobile broadband to be decent. The signal checker did not indicate any problems. However, the service is absolutely terrible. The customer service is awful and there seems no way out other than to pay a cancellation fee. It's totally unacceptable and I'd advise anyone thinking of trying the service with vodafone to run a mile. You pay a monthly fee (I pay £15) and receive absolutely no service.
[Admin Says - Thanks for your review. It sounds as though you have been unlucky. Unfortunately, the mobile broadband signal is highly dependent on local conditions, e.g. a large building might be blocking your reception. Our advice to potential new customers is to see if you can first test with a friend's USB stick or at least a mobile phone. If you sign up for a contract and don't get a signal you can use the money back guarantee providing you return the product within the timeframe stipulated.]
| 30/03/2010 17:47:18 |
| Barraboy | 1 |
One word to sum up this product - Garbage. The 18+ content control (which blocks access to a lot of sites not connected to adult sites) is impossible to turn off and trying to get an answer from Vodafone is like trying to contact Venus. On the Vodafone site it tells you to go to the Device Manager Icon. It would be a big help if there was A Device Manager Icon to start with.
I tried to download some photographs that I was sent via SMS. I was redirected to a site to retrieve them and all I got was a page error message so I never did get my photo's
Vodafones customer service is shocking. The Vodafone site says that there is always someone there to help and that they will get back to you promptly. All I got was a return email saying they would contact me within 48 HOURS.
In 6 hours all I have managed to get onto is this site. I can only assume that Voda is Dutch for slow.
My advice - Avoid
[Admin Says - To get the content control switched off I suggest calling Vodafone Customer Services, you will need a credit card number which is used to prove your age. When I did this they were quite efficient so it sounds as though you have been unlucky.]
| 30/03/2010 01:11:00 |
| Jack | 2 |
I just Googled Vodafone customer services to make a complaint and stumbled accross this site, seems people are already complaining about the same thing..... sockingly awful signal! I've had it less than 6 months and despite living in an area they claim to be "Good", i rarely get 2 bars! I even used it at a friends house also marked as "Good" and i got nothing! I'm in a 2year contract but i'm going to try cancelling as they aren't offering the service they promised, there's no chance they are getting back the laptop i got with it. I got the unlimited download deal as well so i waste £40 a month on this rubbish. KEEP WELL CLEAR!
I only rated it a 2 as the laptop i got was the only good thing about the deal!
[Admin Says - I'm sorry to hear about your poor experience. If you are in a poor signal area, then you are right, the service will not perform as required. We can confirm however that the service will work well when in a good signal area. Any new users considering the service may like to try testing with a friend's USB stick before signing up, or at least a 3G phone to see what the signal is like. For those new users that cannot get a signal then Vodafone does offer a money back guarantee providing the USB stick is returned within the stipulated time limit.]
| 29/03/2010 19:40:55 |
| Mark | 1 |
Vodafone Mobile 3G Broadband. Been on it three months now, no matter what time of day or night, which day or what the weather, or were I place it in the home, THERE'S NEVER A SIGNAL. It connects up no problem then stops and starts. It make dial up look like a technological break through compared to this [rubbish - Admin edit for language]. My Vodafone mobile also struggles for signal in most of the suburb most of the time. Vodafone is truely not performing in a competitive market place, I WILL be CHANGING to a more capable company with products that perform TO my EXPECTATIONS. TOTALLY DISATISFIED ADELAIDE SOUTH AUSTRALIA USER.
Admin Says - Sorry to hear you have encountered issues in Australia, it sounds as though you have been unlucky with your signal coverage. Usually if you try enough different signal areas you'll find at least one that gives decent performance, so it seems laptop hardware cannot be fully eliminated in this case.
| 15/03/2010 01:40:07 |
| Sarah-Jane | 1 |
Coventry, Really bad, wouldnt work took it back after 3 year. Customer service appalling!!
| 12/03/2010 13:08:43 |
| angry man | 1 |
Stupidly swapped my 3 mobile dongle with a vodafone dongle. Vodafone is [rubbish], I was quicker with the old dial up connection years ago. Anyone wishing to get through to their "customer services" forget it, they don't exist. Leaving vodafone and going back to 3
| 12/03/2010 10:19:41 |
| MR Dissapointed | 1 |
Vodafones mobile so-called broadband and software is the slowest and most flawed piece of rubbish i have ever been stupid enough to subscribe to. I could post a letter and recieve the reply faster than VODAFONES sorry excuse for BROADBAND, downloads take hours too shame on you VODAFONE.WN57TP BILLINGE
| 04/03/2010 22:00:47 |
| christopher blom | 1 |
got a 18 month contract for this vodafone stick of failure. it is supposed to do up to 7.2 Mb/s but i'm lucky if i get 300kb/s. I stay central edinburgh EH7 and am supposed to be in a good area for 3G but my signal strength has never been better than very poor no matter where i use it. The useage figures are complete nonsense on it too. It is highly inaccurate leading to be charged extra all the time. My advice would be to stay far far away from Vodafone and use someone else. I will be once i get rid of this.
| 27/02/2010 00:26:46 |
| Daniel Lewis | 1 |
Signed up to Vodafones 2Mb service and connects between 0.1 and 0.4Mb on average. Best result i got was 1Mb once only and my connection is always either excellent or very good. Rang up on numerous occasions and they refused to help me at all. Sent me same model and same problem. Was told that thats the speed it runs at and not faulty. Spoke to manager who had the authority to send me a newer more powerful dongle to achieve service i pay for but wasn't interested. Had option to cancel but pay remainder of contract. Once they have you they could not care less. Wasn't trying it on just wanted a service somewhere near what was advertised. I am that annoyed will be cancelling phone contract when that runs out as well. All of this to a business customer paying £75 a month. STAY AWAY!!!
| 26/02/2010 18:36:28 |
| VNJ | 1 |
Easily the worst tech product I have ever bought. Unreliable, desperately slow with non-existent support from Vodafone. It simply doesn't do what it's mean't to despite being in an area with good coverage and a strong signal. Just useless.
| 15/02/2010 19:57:18 |