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O2 broadband dongle tested
Thursday 23rd April 2009, by Daniel King
A mobile broadband USB modem that is readily available on a number of business packages from O2 has been put to the test in a recent article.
In a piece for the Trusted Reviews website, Niall Magennis looks at the Sierra Wireless Compass 885 modem that is free on some of the network's deals and states it performs well.
He notes that although many people are happy to take the device they are given by their service provider, for some shopping around for a high performance solution is essential - and in both cases the 885 fits the bill.
The article suggests that although the gadget is "a bit bulkier" than some of the other dongles available, it provides "consistently good data rates and strong performance in weaker signal areas" that mean it will serve O2 users well and prove to be "a worthwhile purchase for some".
Available for around £145 as a separate purchase, the unit comes equipped with an extension lead that can be hooked up to machines without the necessary clearance to allow the device to be inserted directly. A plastic clip is also included so it can be mounted on the side of a notebook.
Support for tri-band 3G and quad-band EDGE and GPRS is included and Sierra Wireless has equipped the unit with download speed capabilities of up to 7.2Mbps.
Having tested the dongle with a Toshiba NB100 netbook, Mr Magennis adds "it put in a decent performance clocking up an average download speed of between 2.1 and 1.6Mbps with around 0.32Mbps for uploads".
O2's mobile broadband for business packages currently include a 24-month contract with 3 GB of data and unlimited Wi-Fi included that is £8.51 for the first four months.
Categories: Broadband Products, Wireless Broadband, Business Broadband
