A Wi-Fi dongle is a little pocket-sized device that connects to your smartphone, laptop or computer via the USB port to provide internet access on the go. They are portable, easy to use and very affordable.
Most W-Fi dongles resemble USB (Universal Serial Bus) drives.
A Wi-Fi Dongle. Source
How do Wi-Fi dongles work?
Once plugged into the USB drive, much like a thumb drive, Wi-Fi dongles connect to wireless or mobile broadband 4G or 5G internet. It’s that simple.
Some Wi-Fi dongles don’t need to be plugged into a computer but can operate independently, making them a hybrid pocket WiFi dongle. With these, you just turn the device on and connect your phone or tablet to access the network. They also can be plugged in if necessary.
Pros of Wi-Fi dongles
- Convenience – Wi-Fi Dongles are wireless. You don’t have to deal with loose cords and cables.
- Plan flexibility – Most Wi-Fi dongles offer prepaid packages. You can flexibly change the plan depending on finance and preference.
- Accessibility – Depending on the plan, Wi-Fi dongles can sometimes be used abroad.
- Portability – The small size of Wi-Fi dongles makes them easy to carry around.
- Easy to use – Wi-Fi dongles don’t need tech skills. They’re simple to use and easy to access.
- Useful for emergencies – Wi-Fi dongles are very useful in emergency situations because you can access the internet wherever you are.
- Strong connections – WiFi dongles usually offer stronger internet connections than pocket WiFi devices when plugged directly into the device.
Cons of Wi-Fi dongles
- Restrictive connections – Wi-Fi dongles may not work well in areas without strong cellular data connectivity.
- Limited number of devices – If they require a USB port to work, they can only be connected to one device at a time.
- Internet access limitations – When using Wi-Fi dongles for downloads, access can be restricted.
This Month’s Hot Offers
Dongles on the downside: What’s Telstra got to do with it?
The use of conventional dongles has slowed down over the years. It’s likely the main reason is because you can only connect one user at a time.
Telstra does not offer conventional dongles anymore, but instead it offers a USB + Wi-Fi device known as the Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus — a seemingly improved dongle, pocket WiFi hybrid.
Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus
Here’s a breakdown of the Telstra 4GX USB + WiFi Plus according to Telstra’s official website
- 4G/4GX device
- Superior 700MHz spectrum for improved 4G
- Typical speeds from 2 to 75Mbps in 4GX areas
The Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus, is a fusion between the classic Wi-Fi dongle and USB Drive. While maintaining the properties of both, the Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus can boast of added advantages such as connectivity of up to 5 users and storage space of up to 32GB (Gigabyte) on a micro SD (Standard Definition) or SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) card.
The Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus. Source
Plans Available on the Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus
The Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus have three available broadband plans for a contract period of 12 or 24 months. These plans come with wither the dongle hybrid device, a pocket WiFi, or you can use a third party device that’s compatible with a Telstra SIM only.
1. The Small Mobile Broadband Plan (S)
The Small Mobile Broadband Plan gives subscribers 10GB of data (non-shareable) + 5GB bonus data at $29/month. This plan doesn’t include any call or SMS allowances. Calls made from capable devices attract the telecom’s stipulated pay-as-you-go tariffs.
On exhausting stipulated data, extra data is granted at $10/1GB and this is allowed once a month.
Here, the cost per megabyte (MB) is 0.28c/MB.
2. The Medium Mobile Broadband Plan (M)
The Medium Mobile Broadband Plan gives its subscribers 30GB of data (non-shareable) + 20GB bonus data at $59/month. This plan, like plan S, doesn’t include any call or SMS allowances. Calls made from capable devices attract the telecom’s stipulated pay-as-you-go tariffs.
On exhausting stipulated data, extra data is granted at $10/1GB and this is allowed once a month.
On this plan, the cost per MB is 0.19c/MB
3. The Large Mobile Broadband Plan (L)
The Large Mobile Broadband Plan gives subscribers 80GB of data (non-shareable) + 10GB bonus data at $89/month. It strikes a bit of concern in some that the bonus data in this plan is less than the bonus data in plan M. This plan, like plans S and M, does not include any call or SMS allowances. Calls made from capable devices attract the telecom’s stipulated pay-as-you-go tariffs.
On exhausting stipulated data, extra data is granted at $10/1GB and this is allowed once a month.
On this plan, the cost per MB is 0.11c/MB
Pros of the Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus
Alongside the pros of conventional Wi-Fi Dongles, the Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus boasts of these capabilities:
- Multiple Connectivity – The Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus allows up to 5 devices connect to it.
- USB Functionality – Aside providing Wi-Fi, the Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus boasts of its functionality as a regular USB drive.
- Compatibility with a Wide Range of Devices – The Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus is compatible with Windows 10, 8 & 7 (32/64 bit), Vista SP1, SP2 (32/64 bit), XP (SP3 Media Centre), Apple Mac OS 10.7 and later devices.
Cons of the Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus
The Telstra 4GX USB + Wi-Fi Plus con lies in the available Telstra plans:
- Long Term Contract – Many users may not want to subscribe to a long-term data plan. It is also important to note that cancelling the plan early will incur a Maximum Early Termination Charge. The charge is determined by the plan subscribed to as well as the stipulated period of contract.