3g dongle

 Hi, does anyone have any recommendations for where to pick up a cheap 3g spanish dongle with say 1GB on for our holidays? TIA.

Hi

I use a Yoigo dongle, bought from The Phoneshop at Dos Mares (opposite Euroski). It cost 30 Euros and costs 3 Euros + tax per day. It can be loaded from the shop or ATM using the phone number provided.

We have used it successfully on the pation since March.

Dongles are not cheap in Spain. You can get them from Yoigo and Orange - same prices to buy and per day.

Depending on a) which phase you are on and b) what floor you are on you may or may not get a 3G signal.

I'm 1st floor Phase 2 and I cannot pick up a 3G signal at all even on the balcony - get a massive 56k dial up speed. Very Painful. You may get a better signal from the terrace in a penthouse where there is less concrete to interfere. However, I couldn't even get a 3G signal in the clubhouse.

I'm told that they work much better on Phase 3B - nearer the motorway and probably nearer a mast.

Tried to buy a pay-as-u-go dongle this July from any of the phone shops in Dos Mares.  They kept telling me they where out of stock & would be back in that afternoon/tomorrow. Tried for 2 weeks every other day with no success.

Eventually found out that they can provide a dongle but only on monthly contract. You buy the dongle & load it with a month's excess.  Next time the same dongle can be loaded again paying only for the internet loading. But to buy the monthly contract dongle you need to provide your NIE number & copies of your utility bills.  Not convenient if over on holiday & renting! or if not prepared like us.

Also if you can get your hands on a pay & go only use O2(Movistar) or Yoigo as the others don't get reception on Roda.

Jacq 

Pay-as-you-go is certainly still available to buy. But the dongles do sell very quickly in the shops! Especially in July when everyone on holiday is tryung to do the same thing. You have to provide your NIE number even to buy a PAYG one as it is the law in Spain to stop illegals getting their hands on SIM cards.

Hi Pommers,

Thanks for getting back about the dongle.

I'm on Phase2, at top near P5, I know you can't get Orange connection there, do you know which one will work?

If I buy dongle at home & bring over will this work?

Sorry to be a torture but not that internet savvy..

Hi Jacq

UK dongles will certainly work in Spain - but will cost you a small fortune unless you have a deal of some sort.
I have a UK T-Mobile one that if I use here costs me £1.53 per Mb downloaded. So an email with a load of big images attached would cost big money.

As for what actually works in Roda on Phase 2 - my Orange one only works at 56k dial up speed round the middle pool on the 1st floor. I've heard good reports on the one from Yoigo but that was on Phase 3 where it is probably nearer the mobile masts!
 

Sorry I can't be any more help.

Hi everyone - just thought that I'd let you know that dongle usage is getting better on Roda.

I used my Spanish Orange dongle today on both phase 2 & 3b.

Phase 2 - we're a 1st floor apartment round the middle pool and managed to get a 3G signal. Connected at 512k (1/2 mb) which is heaps better than the 56k of 12 months ago.

Phase 3b - in block 90 facing the 1st green I was getting full 3G connectivity with speeds in excess of 2.6Mb.

So things are improving