General Chat

I have had an iPad for over 18 months now and don't have wifi.
I find that in most places ,cafes pubs, etc you just ask for their password and you get in.
The things you can't do is get a connection when outside.
My son was over from Oz last year and bought a 3 Mifi which he used for sending emails etc back to Oz as his iPhone wasn't unlocked from his Oz account.
He left it for me and I used up the allotted time when out at a friends who doesn't have Internet I still have it,but am reluctant to pay £10 a month for mobile wifi.
If I was of working age and out a lot ,it would be beneficial to me to have this.......

There's an opinion from a complete old numpty,no real technical knowledge ,but loves her iPad.!...it goes everywhere with me.

PS you can still get your music,games,and photos without wifi...

PP if you google Sky Wifi Hotspots it says there are thousands!!

We have BT and there are lots so I imagine Sky will be the same.

jax tell her to be careful because in the past people have been caught out.

PigletsPal if you get a dongle you may still have to pay monthly or top up regularly even if you don't actually use it.
Town centres tend to have fairly good wifi access

Thanks Errol - you have answered my question. It is as I thought.

Think I will probably see if I can use free but get a dongle in case of an emergency.

Though with sky I would imagine I can do quite well in most areas...

Probably right there Errol...but she is 16 does she care??

I have Sky everything so she was more than welcome to have the pin number

So, in a nutshell...

If you use a dongle or sim you can access the internet virtually anywhere - basically anywhere there is a mobile phone signal. But it costs.

If you use wifi, you can only connect where there is a wifi hotspot which may be a pub, shopping centre, Costa, Macdonalds etc. This is free.

jax that is totally illegal and classed as theft.

PigletsPal - with a dongle you would need to take out a mobile contract - either pay monthly or pay as you go and it can work out quite pricey. As I say, some tablets you put a sim in the tablet itself but it is essentially the same as a dongle.

Not dim at all - it can be a little confusing.

Your Sky package covers you for your home broadband which, if I understand, you are accessing via wifi.

Broadband is the actual internet you are signed up for.
wifi is merely the way you actually access it.

Errol - now your answer is where I start to get confused. Whilst I understand what a dongle does. If I needed on does that mean I would have to take out a 'mobile' contrat and pay to use wifi?
I only ask as my sky wifi is part of my whole sky package.

Sorry I know I am dim, have read up all about this but none of it is simple enough for me to understand. God I really sound so dumb - just off to dye my hair!!!

:-)

When my daughter visited with her ipad she asked what our code (pin) was...then said it does'nt matter she had logged into someone elses wifi as they did'nt have it secured....that was to use the internet, would imagine she could have watched bbci player or itv player if she wished

In short, if you have a tablet with built in wifi all that means is that it has the ability to connect to wifi hotspots.
If there is not a wifi hotspot nearby then you would need to connect some other way.
With some tablets you put a mobile sim in them and connect that way - just like a dongle.

You have to be in what is called a wifi hotspot.
You will not pick up your home wifi because you will be too far away from it (they only cover a pretty limited area)

It depends on the tablet but it should have built in wifi so that you can use free wifi when out and about.
However I'm not sure what you mean by your Sky wifi and whether it will cover you

Right I am now contemplating buying a tablet

WHen I am out and about will my sky wifi cover me or will I have to take out a mobile contract and need a 'dongle' (i know enough to understand what a dongle does whether I need one is another thing!!!)

Cheers

You guys are great for answering my queries in plain english and not techic talk :-D :-D

Also I have seen the new ads with Joanna Lumley and she is using sky wifi I presume?