dongle - regional Victoria

[Kazzle]

hi, looking for advice on best telstra dongle for use in regional Victoria that I can add to my existing Telstra account. thx in advance 

[Jupiter]

Any of them. It depends on what you are using it for (number of devices being connected and whether you are connecting an antenna).

[Kazzle]

Thanks, are you in regional vic and currently using one?

[Jupiter]

I'm in Gippsland, but even here there are massive differences in coverage (from none, to perfect).  I have used mobile broadband devices before, none of the current generation though.

What brand mobile do you have, and how good is the signal on it where you are wanting to use it (and is it showing 3G or 4G)?

[Kazzle]

Great, thanks - its East Gippsland I need it for...

Have 4G on phone - Samsung S7

[Jupiter]

Are you East of Lakes Entrance, or north of the Princes Highway? Those areas typically need a more robust solution (normally I'd recommend an antenna).

[Jupiter]

I wouldn't recommend the Telstra 4GX USB for use in most of East Gippsland, it's suited to very good reception areas.

Depending on budget, either the 4GX Wi-Fi Pro or (if money allows) the Nighthawk M2. If you are planning on connecting more than 5 devices at once, I'd spend the extra and go for the Nighthawk. They allow you to position the modem in a better location, away from the devices that are connected to them (eg near a window).

You may find that you need to get an external antenna (or two, they have 2 antenna points) which may require patch leads. Especially if you are further east/north and you find that reception fades in and out. If your phone works fine, then you shouldn't need them. Patch leads are around the $20-40 mark and antennas start from $40.

[Jupiter]

Oh, and buy it in store if you can. Online ordering can be a headache at the moment.

[Kazzle · Accepted solution]

Thank you!!! This is all great advice....really appreciate you taking the time to respond 🙂