European Dongles

[BensGrandad]

Went into o2 today, with whom I have my PAYG dongle for roaming broadband, the one at home is talktalk, but they dont do a dongle or sim card I can use driving to Portugal or in Portugal and as they didnt do it could offer no advice as to how I could get this. Anybody have any ideas as to avilability and price. It must be PAYG as I dont want another contract.

 

[Springal]

you'd need to check, but as long as your dongle works with any simcard- get a truphone sim ( What you pay - Tru
) I have used it all over the world, US etc and never had a problem.

Failing that, just need to go into one of the local carrier stores. Telefonica for Spain (who actually own o2) are one of the incumbents there

 

[BensGrandad]

Many thanks for that but of info but how can I check if it will work with another sim or will I need to buy a sim a try it.

 

[Springal]

see if you can find someone with a vodafone/3/orange/t-mobile sim and just try it I guess, if you get signal it means the dongle is unlocked, if not, you'll need to find a dongle that is unlocked

 

[BensGrandad]

Can these firms that unlock phones unlock a dongle, Is that sim the same as is used in mobile phone. If so I have a vodafone sim for a PAYG phone would that work. I know I sound thick but I really do not know anything about this type of thing.

 

[Springal]

I don't think they can, not sure though! Give the vodafone sim a go, if you get signal, chances are any sim will work!

 

[gullshark]

From what I know those dongles are unlocked, best thing to do is to try another SIM (I.e. Vodafone) and see if any error messages pop up. As for data you would be better off getting a SIM in the country you are in as roaming data charges are eye wateringly expensive especially on PAYG (I'm with Vodafone contract and was charged £3 per MB in Canada!)

And I doubt a mobile high street shop will be able to unlock a dongle.