Jo_Paul87

We are arriving in NZ in a few weeks on a fact finding mission and attending a few interviews, if I bring my laptop what is the best way to get connected for a couple of weeks,not being techy minded does the Uk connections work in NZ and is it the same cost, or do I purchase pay as you go in NZ.
Thanks

Joshlin

Hi there - where are you staying - lots of hotels / motels have internet connections and you can just plug in and go online. alternatively, there are a huge number of internet cafe's that are reasonably priced if you just want to kep up with emails etc.
have a good trip
Vicki

newkiwi

Look at telecom.co.nz or vodafone.co.nz i know they have mobile broadand contracts but dont know if they have pay as you go options.

The easiest will probably be to connect at a internet cafe, either on their machines or through wireless there, the cost is about $2 an hour or so.

Alternatively, there are wireless hotspots through auckland, where you can connect, i dont know what the fee is.

Esquires Cofee Shops lets you connect for free on-site if you buy a coffee.

Jay-Producer

Go to an internet cafe you can get an hr slot for as little as 1doller. But most are 2-3.

Internet is expensive here in NZ with only two main competitors. There are 3 other companies doing wireless but they are way too pricey.

Charismatic

Vodaphone do, so telecom probably will in six months to a year.

Linky: http://shop.vodafone.co.uk//shop/mob...s=flt_uSBstick

daisy blue

I looked into vodaphone gadget-ey thing last year, and unless you're a resident, you can't get it, as you were required to sign up for 24 months. To me, it was expensive, slow and you could only get in in the 3G areas anywhere, which was last i looked was in main cities only.

I found that the best thing was to use internet cafes - they are usually everywhere and are cheap, and will often have a port for you to plug your laptop into and will help you sort the settings out to connect. Hotel internet is in general over priced. Backpackers and hostels quite often have reasonably priced internet if that's where you're staying.
However, as has been said, Esquires (a coffee shop chain) give you 1 hour (or 30 MB i think) per purchase (and if you smile at them, that's 1 hour for your coffee plus one hour for sticky bun), although some branches can be a bit picky about you plugging it in, whereas others will gget out a extension cord for you. McDonands give free wireless internet access now - is in branches everywhere? In Auckland, there is wireless internet down the whole main street of parnell. Telecom do a prepaid card system for their 'hotspots', which are often in starbucks, but its a little more expensive than other options although you do get to log in and out and use it later. So you'll be able to get online anywhere town-sized (except, strangely, Picton), and I'd recommend you bringing your own laptop, and yes, you should budget the cost into your trip - just don't expect it to be too speedy or for you to do anything to do with video :-).


Hope this helps.

db

daisy blue

I didn't mention the cost....IIRC....

Internet cafe using their computers, depending on the speed, from $2-5/hour. It's usually the same cost if you plug your laptop in. Some places do prepay with discounts if you buy, say 5 hours. Some charge per minute, some per 15 mins. Some places with less competition might be as much as $10/hour (I think thats the cost in Te Anau for example).

In backpackers you pay a little bit more for not having to go outside. Some have slot machines attached which give you 15-30 mins for a $2 coin - this is usually very slow. Wireless in backpackers will be a prepay code, usually $5 - $10 per hour (with a download cap - around 50 - 100 MB), sometimes they just charge per MB, no time limit, or you log onto their system with your credit card.

Hotels, I can't remember exactly the costs, but i know last winter i stayed somewhere for work for 2 days, didn't use that much internet, but it cost over $40 in total (I think it was a per day charge).

I think Telecom hotspots cost $10/hour (or 30?/50?MB there is a cap anyway).

How's that? Hope it helps the budget.

And your wireless adapter/card will work fine. It's all the same system.

lapsed kiwi

I think internet access on vodafone prepay is $1 per day for up to 10MB - so OK for doing emails, weather forecast etc. I plug my phone into my laptop when on holiday in NZ and do this. A UK phone will work OK with a NZ SIM, which you can get at Dick SMiths etc.
I noticed recently that Wellington Airport now has free wireless internet access, as do all our local libraries, so this is gradually spreading.

Kiwiprincess

A UK phone will work OK with a NZ SIM

An unlocked UK phone will work OK with a NZ SIM

saoghalbeag

Hi, a wee hijack: I am heading to NZ from Australia and also wondering about internet.

I'm staying long term but don't want a 24 month contract - we have the same hiccup in Australia with mobiles and internet...in fact the wireless plans here with Telstra are now 36 months if you are after a free modem and discount period

I've had someone else recommend getting internet on my mobile plan, then plugging that in to the laptop - which sounds like a plan, but I'm wondering how exactly this works? What do you use to plug the phone into the laptop, for example? Is bluetooth any use?

Vodafone and Telecom seem to be the main competitors: any opinions on which are cheaper or offer the better connection?

cheers!

lapsed kiwi

How - and how easy - this works depends on your mobile and laptop. Bluetooth is easiest - if you pair your mobile to your laptop you will be able to see whether it offers an internet connection service. My mobile runs windows mobile and was very easy to connect via a USB lead, but others may vary

Telecom are just rolling out a new network, so everything will change in the next few weeks - expect lots more competition

SimonAndCo

Hi,

I too am heading over to Auckland later this month for a few weeks in order to try and find work before we all (wife and two kids) take the plunge.

Like you, I've been looking at the various Internet connectivity options and have the following information to share.

1. From what I can gather, Vodafone NZ do offer a PAYG mobile broadband service at $15 per GB (http://www.vodafone.co.nz/shop/plans...Key=mnit600004), although you will require a suitable mobile broadband modem/dongle. These look quite pricey on the Vodafone NZ site (http://www.vodafone.co.nz/shop/recom...equestid=11470) so what I've done is to buy an 'unlocked' UK one on E-bay for about £40. Hopefully then I can just walk into a Vodafone shop once in NZ and buy the SIM to use in my own dongle.

2. Last time I came over to NZ (two years ago), I temporarily upgraded my the Vodafone UK mobile broadband subscription to something along the lines of the 'International Traveller' option, which gave me a 200MB data allowance in NZ for about £100 per month. Not exactly cheap but it did solve a problem and saved me from paying their normal roaming charges of something like £8 per MB. Looking at their website, it seem they still have something like this although whether you could just get it for a one-off one month period I doubt. It worked for me last time because I already had a normal subscription.

Neither option is likely to be anywhere near as cheap as using Wi-Fi in cafe's etc. but if you're looking for ultimate convenience then one or these options might be useful to you.

Anyway, when are you due to land? I arrive on 30th.

All the best,

Simon

Jay-Producer

DO NOT use bluetooth. I could easily hack into the computer that way. Wrong move. Ill put ana rticle up shortly on how to stop hackers.

lapsed kiwi

As the Tui ad says, yeah right
Bluetooth is theoretically hackable, as is WEP, WPA, SSL etc etc
Does this mean there is a great, or even perceptible risk that someone is going to own your computer because you do some occasional web surfing using a bluetooth connection - no
I'd love to see the script that Jay Producer will no doubt donwload from somewhere showing how would-be hacksters think they could do this, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over this - or change the way you're going to use the internet
But I'm only a military CIS engineer, you may want to consult a social worker about this to be sure

saoghalbeag

More competition = excellent!

Re: usb - what sort of cable are you using to connect mobile to laptop? My mobile only has a spot for the phone charger - is there a USB that might plug into that? It's a samsung flip thing with an aerial (an A411???) if that helps?

Off to experiment...