BT/TalkTalk combination

[badger]

A friend of mine stays up here on a regular basis and needs to work online so can bring her laptop. Problem is her ISP is BT and the friends she stays with don't even have a computer but their phone contract is with TalkTalk. I have established via the usual checker that broadband should be possible where they live (not that it's reliable and they are a bit remote). Is this going to work and if so how? Any advice gratefully received.

[blueivy]

A friend of mine stays up here on a regular basis and needs to work online so can bring her laptop. Problem is her ISP is BT and the friends she stays with don't even have a computer but their phone contract is with TalkTalk. I have established via the usual checker that broadband should be possible where they live (not that it's reliable and they are a bit remote). Is this going to work and if so how? Any advice gratefully received.

If you think about who the line rental is paid to, who the phone calls are paid to and who the broadband is with as three completely separate entities then it is easier.

You can have your line rental with Talk Talk (who rent it from BT as they will provide the line - but that's not something you we need worry about), your phone package through Talk Talk and your broadband with Orange, BT, etc. etc. Because your line rental is with a particular company does not mean you are lockec to their broadband.

Things get slightly more complicated when your LINE is with another company (like NTL / Virgin for example) but that is not something we need to worry about up here as there are no other line providers than BT.

[badger]

Thanks Paul - I'll pass that on.

[Kevin Milkins]

Just a thought
Is your friend signed up to BT open zone. If they are I think they can tell you where the hot spots are in your area.

Another option is to find somewere that is wifi enabled like Wetherspoons.
good luck KM

[blueivy]

Just a thought
Is your friend signed up to BT open zone. If they are I think they can tell you where the hot spots are in your area.

Another option is to find somewere that is wifi enabled like Wetherspoons.
good luck KM

I didn't think there were any up here but a quick look at the BT Open Zone shows there are some surprisingly!

The WiFi at Wetherspoons doesn't work apparently and hadn't worked since the place opened - so the staff said at the tail end of last year. I've tried it since through my phone and it doesn't seem to work still although if somebody knows different please let me know!

[badger]

Thanks Kevin but I could only find one in the area - Wick Airport -so don't think that's going to help. It's very remote where they live and, although in theory they can get broadband, I'm a bit suspicious. Can only just get it where I live and sooooo slow. They'll have to talk to BT (depressing thought :~( ) and then we'll see.

[EDDIE]

A friend of mine stays up here on a regular basis and needs to work online so can bring her laptop. Problem is her ISP is BT and the friends she stays with don't even have a computer but their phone contract is with TalkTalk. I have established via the usual checker that broadband should be possible where they live (not that it's reliable and they are a bit remote). Is this going to work and if so how? Any advice gratefully received.

would it not be easyier to buy a dongle which has coverage in that area a lot of these dongles are coming with no contract.
if your friend has broadband connection back home if she changes the broadband provider to o2 you get a free dongle and that would solve the problem providing there is reception

[EDDIE]

im very suprised how cafes or bars up in cathness dont have wifi access you would think it would be in there interest to have this as another tool to get customers to come in in this day and age all the gadgets these days are wifi.I wouldnt have thought it would be that big a cost to have wifi access service

[blueivy]

im very suprised how cafes or bars up in cathness dont have wifi access you would think it would be in there interest to have this as another tool to get customers to come in in this day and age all the gadgets these days are wifi.I wouldnt have thought it would be that big a cost to have wifi access service

The main driver for WiFi access is seen as business-people who need access to their email / intranet etc. through an internet connection such as WiFi. The majority of businesses up here are small and don't have an intranet or a dire need to access their email 24x7 on their laptop's. In small businesses up here, the telephone is more important than email. With those businesses who do need quick access to email (such as me) they use mobile devices to do so.

Couple all of this with the geography, poor broadband and mobile coverage and we all just adjust out working ways.

[blueivy]

would it not be easyier to buy a dongle which has coverage in that area a lot of these dongles are coming with no contract.
if your friend has broadband connection back home if she changes the broadband provider to o2 you get a free dongle and that would solve the problem providing there is reception

You can only get GPRS up here - no 3G or HSDPA. We all remember what surfing through dial-up was like!

[Bobinovich]

im very suprised how cafes or bars up in cathness dont have wifi access you would think it would be in there interest to have this as another tool to get customers to come in in this day and age all the gadgets these days are wifi.I wouldnt have thought it would be that big a cost to have wifi access service

I know that Sandra's Snack Bar in Thurso offer WiFi access just in case anyone requires the facility.