Thread: Visiting India - wifi via USB?

I shall shortly visit India for a couple of weeks and wondered if it is possible to purchase a mobile USB device to gain wifi access on my laptop. I had the idea that if I purchased this locally, and local charges applied, it would be cheaper than bringing one from the UK. However, I've surfed various sites and can't see that these are on sale anywhere. Any ideas? I'll be in both Mumbai and Goa. I hoped I could purchase one in Mumbai airport, or even online before traveling.

Deal might be bit expensive considering your usage for a couple of weeks.

Refer:

Reliance Netconnect

TATA Photon Plus

Thanks - that's very useful. I looked at the Reliance Netconnect website. It would cost me £40-£50 so that may be OK, but it didn't look as if their devices support Windows 7. I have written to them (and to TATA) so you have hopefully put me on the right track.

Reliance USB Modem supports Windows 7 even if it's not mentioned. Same should hold true for TATA. My friend is using Reliance with the Windows 7. It automatically detected the Drivers while I was installing the USB Modem.

@jefferdj

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS

Since it is supporting Windows Vista there is no doubt regarding its compatibility with Windows 7, for sure it will work and it has been confirmed in post #4 (Visiting India - wifi via USB?) by @itsmemad.

Originally Posted by jefferdj

I shall shortly visit India for a couple of weeks and wondered if it is possible to purchase a mobile USB device to gain wifi access on my laptop. I had the idea that if I purchased this locally, and local charges applied, it would be cheaper than bringing one from the UK. However, I've surfed various sites and can't see that these are on sale anywhere. Any ideas? I'll be in both Mumbai and Goa. I hoped I could purchase one in Mumbai airport, or even online before traveling.

Dont count on reliance or tata usb devices at least for the first few days... Any store would ask for residence proof and a guy actually comes over to your address to verify your address before they activate your usb device so I dont know if they would sell to some one who does not have a permanent adress in India.

I might be wrong though.

Most hotels have wifi available for which you can subscribe at the reception so it would be better to find out before hand if your hotel has wifi available and also don't forget to check how much they charge...

Thanks. I did ask and they said they had wifi but I wasn't entirely sure if we could get a connection in our apartment (Club Mahindra Varca Beach in Goa - maybe someone can say how it works!) I think it'll probably be less complicated if we wait till we actually arrive.

its good to have an edge connection (UL transfers with Aircel) but one may look for photon ..

If that is funny, I have no idea why! Too tecchie for me.

funny part is my signature... rest message was enough mature though, huh!

Originally Posted by jefferdj

If that is funny, I have no idea why! Too tecchie for me.

Aircel is a mobile service provider which provides gprs service using EDGE technology.... its still pretty slow like 100kbps.

Photon : Tata photon is a usb modem uses EVDO technology which works on cdms platform you would need to buy one of those modems and it works on a laptop while travelling at 3.1mbps speed.

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What exactly would you use the internet for .... so we can give you suggestions based on your usage.... If you are a webmaster and needs to be on 24/7 or a hosting provider or have to hook onto your vps all the time check e-mails all the time then you would be better off with a usb modem ... there are 3 of them available if you want decent speed :

MTS Mblaze
Reliance netconnect
Tata photon plus

You cannot order either of them from outside of India and you would most probabbly have a hard time buying one of them even when you arrive in India....

All three come with prepaid plans so there is a possibility that they might sell you one at your club mahindra address...


Any Tata, Reliance MtS DSA here? Come on guys come up with the info this good man needs.... If some one is here from Goa can you please be kind enough to go down to your nearest reliance world and find out for the thread opener if he can buy one when he gets here or tata photon or even mts?

you may also try out Airtel's gprs, but as Parminder said your needs should be mentioned, if you are heavy user and need more speed than Photon and BSNL evdo are best..

Reliance Netconnect+ is better than Tata Indicom Photon+. But I am not sure whether the "+" services (i.e. speed upto 3.1 mbps) is available in Goa.

However, both of these are not available to temporary visitors, i.e. subscriber requires permanent address.