Buying Dongles ? You Need To Read This First - Test Results Revealed Here

First - Dongles Are Different

The first thing to understand about buying dongles is that they are slightly different to mobile phones. They require network coverage (or WIFI) to actually connect to the internet and so whereas a mobile phone can actually use a variety of connections, such as 3G and EDGE - a dongle requires a more stable and accessable network to function to its best capacity.

Dongles are for use all around and on the move, so a network test that compares all dongles with this in mind was the basis for our tests. In all, our test lasting 7 days and comparing O2, T Mobile, Orange, Vodafone and Three dongles covers coverage, speed, price, data allowance, contract terms, tech and streaming (a great test outside of just browsing and email).

The test aimed to cover off the minimum considerations anyone should think about when buying a dongle, and if you take our advice, then you really will be buying the best dongle in the UK today.

And The Winner Is..

Ok to you might be interested to know that One Network came top of all 7 categories. Hands down winners across the UK and certified as the best dongle based on the test results, T Mobile have to be your number 1 choice.

*See This Best Dongle Deals currently available or Back to homepage.

Want more information, then you can continue reading this to see how we made this conclusion..

Best UK Coverage

Ok our test involved using each dongle across the UK. We did this in both stationary positions and via a moving train. Coverage was intermittent for most however T Mobile never failed to connect and keep us connected. We ran a cycle of upload/download tests lasting 1 hour per dongle which measured connection and coverage.

Another benefit of T Mobile is the merger with Orange - we found the dongle utilised the Orange network similar to a mobile phone when coverage was better and it did this automatically.

Best UK Speeds

Dongles will never be as fast as your home broadband, and speed can change depending on your location. Utilising the same test data for coverage, we ran the figures and only T Mobile and O2 came close to the advertised speed of 7.2Mbps when downloading. Other networks across the UK came in 50% slower with our data.

Best UK Dongle Prices

Data has been expensive in the past and although recent demand from consumers have seen networks become more aligned with prices lower, most networks will still charge you for overuse. That is exceeding your allowance. T Mobile on the other hand provide unlimited browsing and email for only £10 a month whether you choose a contract or PAYG version. With no concerns over getting high bills the price and tariff provided from T Mobile dongles is top of the pack.

Read results about tariffs, downloads and tech below

Best Dongle Tariffs

Tariffs for mobile broadband dongles will really be important to any buyer. As tariffs become more competitive its sometimes difficult to understand your allowance, extras and potential for additional charges. Our test looked simply at the tariffs, how easy they are to understand, stick to, and overall will they get the job done

T Mobile provide the same unlimited allowance irrespective of whether you go on contract or on PAYG - something only seen on T Mobile, and with no chance of being charged extra, or running out of data before the month ends, we therefore awarded the best dongle tariff to T Mobile again.

Best Download Dongle

Dongles are all about the amount of data you get with them, as with every email or every file you download the data required will come out of this allowance. Normally download limits reset every 30 days unless you are on PAYG where an extra top up will be required. These download limits vary between networks and go from 250MB right up to 15GB

The best download dongle is one that will not leave you short by the end of the month or see you get extra data charges or top ups to keep using it. From all dongles then T Mobile again top the list with its Unlimited Data for browsing and email on both PAYG and contract tariffs.

Best Dongle Hardware

Another thing to consider is the hardware itself. Some networks provide the same dongle (normally a Huwaii number) however again there is some requirement on the network itself which varies performance whatever dongle you use. All plug into your USB port, and all have additional storage you can use to keep files, emails, or pictures secure

Some networks also provide different dongles depending on what contract you choose, but not all. T Mobile dongle for contracts has both the network structure and quality hardware and comes out joint top with O2 in this measure. You will not be disappointed with this USB dongle if you buy it.

Official Test Results - T Mobile Officially The Best Network For Mobile Broadband

So there you go, we tested every network dongle for 7 days straight in a variety of tests across the UK, spend a further week checking and comparing the data, before putting it to our website users. Feedback continues to show that T Mobile have an excellent coverage that maintains connection and speed throughout, and the unlimited tariff almost encourages you to use it more than you initially intended.

Go Direct To T Mobiles USB Dongles for more information or to buy.

Running a comparison survey amongst existing dongle users confirmed many of our results and reinforces the need to have a network capable of maintaining a service for its customers when looking to see what the best network dongle is for you to buy - and with the same great price available on both PAYG and Contract purchases is there really anything else stopping you from making the choice today.

We are a technical team providing information about mobile broadband to help you buy the best dongle in the UK. Not convinced yet - then you can check out and compare Our Best Dongles List from all UK networks.

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