Mobile internet use in Europe

[Lawrence1]

The last couple of times my wife and I have been in Italy and France we have contacted home via Skype using our own laptop and wifi in either a site or an internet cafe. Wifi is not big yet in Italy. We are going to France for September and have bought a UK Vodafone dongle with £15 of internet use pre loaded on it. From Vodafone UK I understand that 'foreign' mobile internet sim cards will NOT work in a UK dongle unless it is unlocked. I have had mine unlocked. Has anyone had any experience of buying and using mainland european (especially French or Italian) mobile sim cards in a UK dongle and, if so, which network did you use and how easy are they to get? For instance, can you buy them before you leave this country? Any information on this would be useful.

Thanks

Lawrence

 

[JTQ]

Lawrence;

just bear in mind that Skype particularly with video is very "data use" hungry. It's really not at all good for use on a mobile phone dongle which all seem to be charged on the amount of data transmitted.

I keep to WiFi for Skype where I can but also carry the portable version on a USB memory stick [U3] for use on cafe or campsite computers where WiFi is not available.

 

[Lawrence1]

Thanks JTQ. I've never heard of a portable version. How would I source that onto a memory stick?

Lawrence

 

[JTQ]

Lawrence,
There is a software company called "U3", that offers many programs including Skype in a form that can exist on a USB stick. This link explains it more fully:
http://www.everythingusb.com/u3.html
You need ideally a ready enabled "U3" USB stick and the best starting point is to look at the packaging of SanDisk usb sticks for the little U3 logo. Many but not all SanDisks feature this, so its a matter of looking. Put the sick in your computer and visit the U3 file it has on it, Skype could be pre installed but if not follow the U3 directions to their website and install it, its a free one.
Once this is on your stick and you have entered your Skypename and password, then everytime you stick it in any other computer, such as in an internet cafe, then you have your own Skype operating sololy off your USB stick; not off the host computer so when you pull it out you should leave no trace on that machine. It works fine all over the world for us.

 

[Lawrence1]

Thanks JTQ. Have ordered a U3 Cruzer Contour 4gb drive from Amazon which has Skype preloaded on it.

Lawrence

 

[JTQ]

Thanks JTQ. Have ordered a U3 Cruzer Contour 4gb drive from Amazon which has Skype preloaded on it.

Lawrence

Hope it works for you. Take a headset with you as many cafes dont have them to hand or even speakers. Whilst we carry both "phono" and USB, I cant recall any occassion where the phono one has not worked. When you play on your own computer to see how it works you will need to "quit" the Skype on that machine, if it auto loads, to use the U3 version.