Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G/GPRS card a curate's egg

ON PAPER THE Vodafone Mobile Connect card for 3G is the ultimate Internet access tool for the busy executive. It provides an acceptably fast data link on the move (384 Kbit/s) via 3G [W-CDMA] with the option of switching to an even faster Wi-Fi link when you're near a hotspot.

Vodafone is cheating somewhat because you need to put the Connect card inside a Wi-Fi enabled laptop to make the switch between 3G and Wi-Fi. Hence the INQ borrowed a Centrino powered Sony Vaio from Intel to test out this particular facility.

Make no mistake. This product works and can deliver the goods. It's just quirky. Very. On the plus side, the 3G connexion saved the INQ's bacon on more than one occasion. (See Vodafonbe card saves INQ hack.

The catch is that you're guaranteed a frustrating time attempting to get the software working correctly. The program informs you when you come within range of a Vodafone recognised hotspot. How do you make the switch?

Well, there's a tiny little arrow next to the 'Connect' button that allows you to swap. It took ages to discover this trick. The first time you get a Wi-Ficonnexion you have to go through a lengthy sign up process which sends you a password via SMS (text). It'd be a good idea to make sure you do this via the Web beforehand.

Conveniently, the cost of roaming on a hotpot can be added to your mobile phone bill. That's a big plus point. The charges are fairly average - £3.50 for 30 mins; £6 for 1 hour; and £9 for 2 hours.

The charges for data are a bit steep. It ranges from 59 pence per megabyte up to £2.35 per megabyte. That sounds alright until you start to check your emails on a regular basis. Hitting the pre-set 50 MB threshold in a month wasn't too difficult.

Incidentally, the card is supposed to drop back to GPRS if it can't get a 3G signal. It dropped back OK but the connexion simply ground to a halt. Which isn't much use and a bit worrying since Vodafone highlights the fact that it works on GPRS in the USA (where there's no 3G/W-CDMA).

The INQ also once noticed that Vodafone had blocked access to a particular Web site. However, the network gave instructions on how to contact technical support if this was a problem. It didn't happen again so it wasn't.

Our last criticism is reserved for the card's antenna. The connector which goes into the card was very fragile and broke. But happily this didn't seem to affect the card's ability to pick up a signal.

Overall, Mobile Connect 3G gets a big thumbs up for getting the job done. Its software needs a serious make-over, though. µ

Manufacturer: Option
Supplier: Vodafone
Price: From £99 to £199 (depending on contract)