Keith Moon

Hello,

Can any of the expats point me in the right direction, the scenario, four week stay in Australia/Queensland, you need internet access (Laptop) and a mobile phone, both only for a month?

Which is the cheapest and easiest option, no contract, just plug in and play/call etc?

Thanks for any help.

Keith Moon

Blump? Clump!

Kooky.

Well don't get the Big Pond Mobile Internet thing - I rationed it and still used up my monthly allowance in 3 days. That's what NOT to do, hopefully somebody can tell you a better option.

Phone-wise we got a Vodafone pre-paid, cost $29 and for that you get $130 worth of calls, which lasts a month. We got it when we were over here in October and have topped it up a couple of times on subsequent visits and now our move, with the same deal. Really can't fault the deal although some friends can't ring me on it; not sure why.

DrWho

When we first arrived we had pre-paid phones from Optus and added data to it... However for a month to month no contract it is stunningly expensive... Pretty sure I was getting around 10Mb for the same as you can get 300Mb on post paid contract stuff...

h2oskineil

I think Optus is good value.

http://personal.optus.com.au/web/oca...&site=personal

Neil.

Keith Moon

Thanks for the replies, anyone got any good suggestions ragarding a pay as you go or for one month only internet dongle or USB modem product with unlimited usage in Queensland Australia?

Just plug in and surf for 29 days.

Cheers.

dazah

even pay as you go phones you need a 100 points to activate

as for internet connection when i went for a recci in qld me and my m8s drove round and found a unsecure wirless connection then keeped going back and useing it lol

if only here for 4 weeks bring your english pay as you go might cost a £1 a min to reive a call well thats what 02 charge

Centurion

I think you could be stuck. Nobody in Australia offers wireless broadband on a casual agreement I believe with a USB modem. In fact I dont think anyone offers casual wireless and you should be aware that all our internet usage in Australia is capped. Nobody offers unlimited broadband (even if they advertise it as this - its not the case over a certain amount lol).

Maybe the best way around it would be to get an Australian SIM card and put that in your mobile phone (providing it is unlocked and not a UK network locked phone which will not work). Get a data pack from the Australian mobile provider you choose and use that as a modem with your laptop.

Its quite an expensive way of doing it. I think Telstra want $29 for 80meg and $1 per meg thereafter for a data pack. And you should bear in mind that if your phone itself isnt 3G then you'll be stuck with crappy data rates.

If you have a nokia for example have a look at www.nokia.com.au and the PC suite software there will enable you to use your phone as a modem.

None of this is ideal of course. But then this is only for a holiday.

dazah

Centurion australian sim cards do not have same sim volage as a uk sim so they will not work i tried that with one of mine

how i got round it is i bought a $60 telstra pre pay phone

DrWho

Have to say that the Optus SIM's I had for both mine and my wife's UK mobiles worked just fine... You sure your UK phone wasn't locked...?

dazah

yeah must of been a messed up sim then

the sim votage is what was said to me in the phone shop by there support

Kooky.

Oz SIMs work ok in all our phones - bought in UK, Singapore, Hong Kong and the US.

Occasional hiccups with the US handset but then we have those wherever we go that's not the US. Assume that's because they like to do their own thing over there.

Centurion

Er - they do. When we first moved here we had two unlocked UK phones which had been merrily on T Mobile in the UK. Moved here and chucked in Vodafone red sim cards. They work fine, in fact my wife still uses her UK phone with it.

Thats why so many people move here with unlocked phones as I'm sure they can attest to.

As you say, probably a bad sim card then in your case

Keith Moon

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thanks for all the replies, it looks like it will be hotspots only, but then again, i am sure there are internet establishments all over Brisbane, so just have to pop into these if and when.

Thanks again Keith.