Mobile broadband problems

Mobile broadband problems

Mobile broadband is in many ways a brilliant innovation, allowing us to get online and enjoy web browsing at broadband speeds and e-mail wherever we are.

However, like all new technologies a number of users have reported problems with mobile broadband. Many of these have involved disappointing mobile broadband coverage in rural areas as well as problems with mobile broadband connection speeds.

Here we’ll be taking a look at some of the most common mobile broadband problems and providing a simple to follow guide to avoiding falling victim to them.

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Problems with mobile broadband coverage

Mobile broadband is delivered over 3G mobile phone networks. Unfortunately, around ten per cent of the UK has yet to be equipped with the latest generation network technology and instead has only a 2G network. If you’re in one of these areas, it’s likely that your mobile broadband problem will involve a poor connection.

Luckily, there are ways you can cut your chances of encountering this particular mobile broadband problem. The best approach before you sign up for contract or invest in a dongle or MiFi unit is to visit mobile broadband providers’ websites where you’ll find a coverage checker. Simply by entering your postcode, you’ll be able to assess the standard of coverage you can expect.

If you are unlucky enough to live in an area where only a 2G network is available, you should still be able to perform simple tasks such as checking your e-mail. But you may find it time-consuming to access more complicated websites and stream videos and music.

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Problems with mobile broadband connection speeds

Mobile broadband providers claim that you can expect a mobile broadband connection speed of up to 7.2Mb. However, unless you are in an urban area you are unlikely to enjoy the maximum connection speed advertised by your broadband supplier.

If you’ve got a mobile broadband problem with connection speeds, it could be the result of many factors. These include how many mobile broadband users in your area are on the network you use. Because you are all sharing the same bandwidth, this is likely to seriously limit your connection speed. Also likely to create a connection speed-related mobile broadband problem is any electrical interference present.

As with many problems with mobile broadband, slow connection speeds are often a result of living in a rural area without a 3G network. Once again, we’d suggest that you use mobile broadband providers’ coverage checkers before you sign up for a lengthy contract.

Installation problems with mobile broadband

Installing mobile broadband on your laptop should simply be a case of inserting your dongle in the USB port and following a few easy steps to install the appropriate software. However, some users have reported difficulties in this area. To help you get around these mobile broadband problems, we’ve identified a few often-encountered examples, along with some helpful solutions.

If you’ve plugged in your dongle but nothing is happening, the first thing you should do is try another USB port. If this works, you’ll know that the problem lies with the port rather than your mobile broadband dongle.

Another simple step you can take if you’ve inserted your dongle but the software fails to install is to open up My Computer. You should then be able to locate the icon for your dongle. If you then click on Explore, you can look for an ‘install’ option.

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