THE GLITCH REVIEWS
This is a review of the 3 ZTE MF627 Mobile Broadband Dongle.
INFORMATION
This product was reviewed by Mr D.Thrussle on the 18-09-2009
Eventually edited by The Glitch on the 19-10-2009 (sorry for the delay)
Dimensions: 58 x 173 x 147 mm ( W x H x L ) |
3 Mobile Pay-as-you-go
Dongle price £19.99 (Modem only) |
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What do you do if you don't want or
don't have a land line, but do require access to the
internet. Well at first you would be forgiven for
thinking the only way to get onto the web would be to
pop down to your local internet cafe', but there are
alternatives. In my case 3's coverage map was none too helpful as the colours were indistinct and it indicated that, in my area a strong signal was only available in the middle of a busy motorway and in the nearby river. The very helpful staff at the store assured me that I was, in fact, in a good area for 3 coverage, and they were basically right! |
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The dongle comes packaged in a double CD sized box with an instruction manual, leaflet and CD. The dongle could quite easily be mistaken for a USB flash memory stick, as the shape and size are almost identical. A brief look at the instructions indicated it was a simple case of inserting the CD provided, allow the software to load and then plug in the dongle in to a spare USB port. Now all I have to do is click the “My3” icon and go...ah no...Top-up first. If you have a credit card, top-up is quick and easy and is done via the 3 website, if you don't have a credit card you can purchase a Top-up card (just like for a mobile phone) and convert it. I remembered that this was considered to be hassle by a well know review site. So, having bought a £15 top up voucher from the local shop I proceeded with trepidation. Again, you go to the 3 web page to top up, type in the voucher number, and select the appropriate Top-up and hit return. Job done. Warning: The stated download speeds of 'Up To 3.6 Mbps', is a theoretical maximum speed only, so your actual access speeds will be much slower, so don't be sucked into the media hype! |
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The provided software is easy to use but I hardly use it as I just click the icon on the desktop and connect to the 3 network. I have not yet had the signal drop off, but I'm sure that it would be very frustrating if it did, especially if you are completing an online purchase or doing your online banking, so I would always check the coverage chart, thoroughly, before purchasing. I have yet to need 3’s customer service desk, so I can't comment on their effectiveness or otherwise. But, if like me, you have given up
your landline,
then this product is a great alternative way to access
to the internet (if you have the
coverage). |
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Advantages: Good connection speeds possible |
Disadvantages: £15 for 3GB is a little mean |
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Conclusion: |
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The Glitch Star Award |
Overall Score 85% |
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