How Does a Wifi Dongle Work? | Mobile Internet Dongles

30 Sep.,2024

 

How Does a Wifi Dongle Work? | Mobile Internet Dongles

As a society, we spend more and more time on the move. One issue that can arise from this increased travel is the need for a reliable mobile broadband connection &#; something that can often be difficult to come by. One option is public wi-fi hotspots. The problem is that these can be infrequent in location and often slow to use. Another option which is seeing a spurt in popularity are wifi dongles. These handy and compact pieces of tech will help you stay connected when on the go. Continue reading to learn more about how wifi dongles work, how to get one and their advantages/disadvantages.

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What is a wifi dongle?

A wifi dongle is a small USB stick that allows you to access online services without needing to connect to Wi-Fi. These pocket-sized devices can be connected to your smartphone, tablet or laptop for easy internet access when travelling. They&#;re also referred to as mobile broadband sticks, USB modems, internet sticks and USB network adapters.

Wifi dongles are popular as they offer much better flexibility than fixed-line connections and can be used on the go. The connection provided by a wifi dongle can be used to access the internet, share this connection with friends, download/share files and more, so it isn&#;t hard to see why an increasing number of people are using them.

How does an internet dongle work?

To get your internet dongle working, it needs to be plugged into your laptop or computer&#;s USB port, where it can then act as a portable modem. Once plugged in, the dongle then connects to the internet in the same way as your smartphone to offer the user 3G, 4G or 5G connectivity. 

Some wifi dongles don&#;t connect through your laptop or computer. Instead, they operate independently to provide you with Wi-Fi connectivity through cellular data.

Which providers offer mobile broadband dongles?

Broadband dongles use the same 3G, 4G and 5G technology as a mobile , so are offered by pretty much all mobile providers.

Where 5G is concerned, this is currently limited to cities and large towns. You can use this handy broadband checker to see if 5G is available near you. Right now, the following providers offer access to 5G: 

  • BT
  • EE
  • GiffGaff
  • O2
  • Sky
  • Tesco Mobile
  • Three
  • Virgin Mobile
  • Vodafone
  • Voxi

How do I get a dongle and what do they cost?

Because dongles are supplied by mobile network providers, the process of getting yourself one is really simple! In the same way that your mobile comes with a monthly contract or pay-as-you-go, the same applies to broadband dongles.

For example, if you buy a dongle from EE, then your laptop will hook up to the EE network once the dongle has been activated. 

Pay-as-you-go is the best option if you rarely require mobile broadband access (or aren&#;t exactly sure how much data you require). Here, you&#;ll pay around £30 to £50 upfront, and can then top up as and when you need more data. 

With a monthly contract, you&#;ll receive the dongle for free but can expect to pay around £15 a month on a 12 to 24 month plan. Picking an unlimited deal will cost more but won&#;t restrict your data usage each month.

You can find and explore wifi dongle deals through a comparison site like Money Supermarket.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of 5g Dongle. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of wifi dongles?

Advantages

  • Mobile broadband can be easily set up without an engineer appointment
  • When you take out a contract, dongles are supplied for free
  • USB dongles are great for flexibility as you can access the internet when away from home
  • Because mobile broadband dongles run on the battery of your computer/laptop, you don&#;t need an additional charger for them
  • You can use wifi dongles abroad
  • They&#;re compact and continue to get faster

Disadvantages

  • While 4G dongles are still the most common type of mobile broadband stick, they tend to have slower speeds than many fibre broadband packages. This makes high-data activities like file downloads and 4K streaming more difficult
  • Coverage is dependent on the mobile reception in your area
  • You can only connect one device at a time (and this device will require a USB port)
  • Mobile broadband often has monthly data limits
  • While overseas charges have come down, it&#;s still expensive to use a dongle abroad

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5G : Everything you need to know about 5G router

Wi-Fi transmission primarily happens in two different bands &#; 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Nowadays, most users prefer to use a 5G router for their home wireless network.

What is 5G WiFi?

While purchasing Wi-Fi routers, you might have come across the term "dual-band router". These routers work in both 2.4GHz and 5GHz speeds. The 2.4GHz band has been used predominantly for years and the 5GHz band is relatively new. When you are looking for a high-speed broadband connection for your home, opting for a 5G wireless router might be a sensible decision. This would give better network speeds for all types of applications at home.

Benefits of 5G WiFi router

The 5G router offers better speed than its 2.4Ghz counterpart. When you use a 2.4GHz router, no matter what the bandwidth of the broadband connection is, the router would only support up to 600Mbps. If you are looking for something better, then a 5GHz router that supports up to Mbps would be the ideal choice. For Gigabit speed broadband connections, you would need 5GHz routers.

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2.4GHz is the common radiofrequency band used in most free wireless communications. As there are not many 5GHz devices, the network congestion in the band is less.

Most dual-band routers offer both 2.4GHz and 5GHz connection capabilities. This makes it possible to connect old and new generation Wi-Fi devices without any trouble. It also helps in bringing down the interference in the network.

Range of a 5GHz router

Even with the additional network speed, these routers retain 2.4GHz network capabilities to overcome the limitations of the 5GHz band. The shorter range is one limitation as the range diminishes with higher frequency. However, if you are operating within the range, the internet speed you get is quite high. All the connected phones, laptops, and smart TVs can enjoy buffer-free video streaming. Even high-definition videos can be streamed without lag.

5GHz routers are provided with external antennae with high gain. This helps in balancing the reduction in range. Another advantage of these antennae is that it improves the abilities of these routers to transmit signals beyond walls. The 5GHz band is otherwise known to be less efficient in handling data transfer across the rooms. These might not be suitable for use in multi-storeyed buildings.

How to know if your device supports 5GHz connection?

The 5GHz routers would be of no use if your computer doesn&#;t have a Wi-Fi adapter that can transmit in the 5GHz band. Check the WLAN capabilities of your system to find if it supports the 802.11a Wi-Fi standard. This is the 5GHz frequency.

Conclusion

You can continue to enjoy the benefits of the 5GHz band without the need for installing two different devices. This makes configuring the network easier for home users. Given the many benefits, a 5G router is a worthy investment to create a sturdy network. So, if you have plans to upgrade your router, switch to a high-speed 5GHz router with an efficient router management app.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website 4g Mifi Device.