Three mobile broadband

I bought Three mobile broadband and returned it after two day. I definitely wanted to get rid of that as soon as possible. Software on Mac was horrible and the connection kept dropping all the time. As they provide 3 day trial from UK store purchases for mobile broadband I went to store to return it. That took an hour before everything was sorted out and they were not too helpful. But now I am free and avoided 12 months with crappy service!

I am thinking about getting three's broadband max on 12 month contract. I will be operating it on the latest Macbook in London.
It will be used for emails, occasional movie/music downloads, msn chat, and general web browsing. Will mainly be used in the evenings and weekends.
Can anyone give an honest opinion as to how good three actually are and why? And if vodafone or t-mobile have a better service? Also, i read that virgin were jumping on the mobile-broadband bandwagon and wondering if anyone has any further news on this and what their service is likely to be like and when its due?
I hate any sort of service contract like these, but they really are the only way these days I guess. So if someone can spare me the hassle of a possible argument with three over underpromised service in the near future, that would be good.
Thanks

Software on Three's mobile broadband is just plain drivers and very limited application to connect. You can try to dig Mac installation instructions from their web site to see how it goes before buying. Also note, in order to access My3 to check your transfer quota you need to receive password as SMS to your Three number. Which you cannot read because mac software does not support SMS handling. I also suspect you are using latest 10.5 Leopard, make sure that the software works on that.

I have tried Vodafone's software for couple weeks, it is basically branded launch2net application which is pretty ok.

In any case, prepare to test it thoroughly within those three days and if doesn't work - return and cancel. Canceling after three days trial period is very difficult even if your service is not what you paid for.

Just following up to my last post about whether or not three mobile broadband works on macbook. I havent been able to find anything from a UK based web site, but all the US websites say that most mobile broadband options over there work with the USB stick or dongle, and that you can just download any extra mac drivers you may need for free.
Im picking up my macbook in 2 weeks, so will get the dongle at the same time and repost as to how much truth there is behind the american posts.

Till then, feel free to reply to my original post if you have any definitive information regarding this.

Thanks

Installation for a Mac

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I am thinking about getting three's broadband max on 12 month contract. I will be operating it on the latest Macbook in London.
It will be used for emails, occasional movie/music downloads, msn chat, and general web browsing. Will mainly be used in the evenings and weekends.
Can anyone give an honest opinion as to how good three actually are and why? And if vodafone or t-mobile have a better service? Also, i read that virgin were jumping on the mobile-broadband bandwagon and wondering if anyone has any further news on this and what their service is likely to be like and when its due?
I hate any sort of service contract like these, but they really are the only way these days I guess. So if someone can spare me the hassle of a possible argument with three over underpromised service in the near future, that would be good.
Thanks

3's 'broadband' service is a total rip-off and no-one anywhere should get it for any reason. Lieke an earlier poster I found the connection was fine to begin with, then became hopelessly unreliable - at times it won't stay connected for more than a few seconds, at others the connection speed is around 50k a minute! 3's technical support (who are every bit as useless as other posters say) tell me I am very close to two cell sites and should get a very strong signal, which makes me the advertised service is not available anywhere. I don't know about Vodafone, T-mobile or Virgin, but you should avoid 3 like the plague.

I have had to wait to post this reply because the signal has gone again. That is the kind of thing you could expect 3 to take your money for.

I'm trying to help a colleague who has just bought a Three broadband dongle, and although it connects OK (its own software reports a link, and I can ping with it) IE doesn't respond.
XP treats it as dial-up, but as it's already connected, I would assume that it should be able to find it. Am I missing something obvious?

I tried putting Firefox on, but with no result ('page not found' when trying to use either).

Any help much appreciated.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Just following up to my last post about whether or not three mobile broadband works on macbook. I havent been able to find anything from a UK based web site, but all the US websites say that most mobile broadband options over there work with the USB stick or dongle, and that you can just download any extra mac drivers you may need for free.
Im picking up my macbook in 2 weeks, so will get the dongle at the same time and repost as to how much truth there is behind the american posts.

Till then, feel free to reply to my original post if you have any definitive information regarding this.

Thanks

It does work on macbooks but you may have to download updated data card software see this thread for more info Three Mobile Broadband - AVForums

I do not possess a BT line but am only mobile. Was offered the £15 a month deal through Carphone Warehouse.

I am in a HSDPA area (3 site showing the coverage states that) but can only get 3G at a maximum of 350kbs (rather than 2.8Mbps). The local stores (3 miles as the crow flies) have a booster to get 1.4M. Currently writing this I am down to 138kbps and on the phone again to 3 (Amy Whinehouse canot sing, more like Manic Street Preachers "Suicide is Painless).

Plug and Pray - and spend a long time on the 0870 number (It costs from mobile phones) and this from a 1990's Computer Science Graduate.

Carphone Warehouse pass buck to 3 and vice versa (oh the 3 network will be updating from 2.8 to 7Mbps shortly but that does not specify if signals will be boosted or a bolt on modem or whatever the Line Replaceable Unit may be). Either it is a Sale of Goods Act or Trade Description issue. The snake oil salesmen (both companies) should take more responsibility when dealing with internet/broadband technophobes.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

3's 'broadband' service is a total rip-off and no-one anywhere should get it for any reason. Lieke an earlier poster I found the connection was fine to begin with, then became hopelessly unreliable - at times it won't stay connected for more than a few seconds, at others the connection speed is around 50k a minute! 3's technical support (who are every bit as useless as other posters say) tell me I am very close to two cell sites and should get a very strong signal, which makes me the advertised service is not available anywhere. I don't know about Vodafone, T-mobile or Virgin, but you should avoid 3 like the plague.

I have had to wait to post this reply because the signal has gone again. That is the kind of thing you could expect 3 to take your money for.

I've been using this for around 5 months and running out of patience with the connection speed. I get 500 kbps very rarely. Most of the time the speed is around 50 kbps..Worse, many times the speed is 0.0 kbps, yes zero kbps..The spftware says signal is excellent, its a HSPDA connection..but I don't get any web pages..I have to wait for hours or tey disconnecting and conneting again..Total waste, better be without broadband than having this.