Dingles Dongles and updates!!

[Winston Ellis]

Please find my original Post I meant to post first on the Datca site. ....


As I was unable to get a land line because I do not have residence I decided to invest in a USB dongle. The problem then became which way to go....Turkcel or Vodofone. I thought I would share my experience so far if it helps. Please note that things are probably changing as I type. I went with Vodaphone as my experience shows that the new competitors in the phone business soon catch up and offer a better service. Vodaphone is a large British company that bought-out “Turksim” some years ago. They have some experience and finance behind them. I also opted for Vodaphone because I think the same dongle will work in England and many other European countries
First of all you need to decide exactly what you want to use the internet for. If it is just for reading your emails and using Facebook then a simple donge for around £150 will do. As I was going to use Skype for froo telephone calls around the world I opted for the High Speed model which costs 225YTL if you go to Bodrum or 250YTL if you go to Bodrum (Not sure how that worked out as they were both official vodaphone shops not simply outlets!!!). If you are not downloading music or programs then you need to buy your allowance for the month (I am afraid the allowance does not roll over so buy what you need. I bought 1gigabite which ahs lasted for just short of 100hrs continuous use (I have a 14year old!!!!!!). The dongle works at a good speed and according to Vodaphone the speed is due to be upgraded to the speed of a land line (ISDN) that you get at home.
I was able to buy the dongle but should have brought my passport with me. You need to buy a dongle (250YTL) a new SIM card to go into the dongle (Exactly same as the one that goes into the phone (13YTL) and then you need to but your allowance (30YTL for 1gig). Plug into yourlaptop and the installation will begin automatically.
Please note that I think that this is the best option for those who do not live here all the time. If you are a resident and want the USB dongle then it works out better if you sign up to a contract this way you get the dongle for free but you must stay with them for 18 months to get the high speed dongle or 12 months for the slower speed dongle. For the high speed dongle it will then cost you 40YTL per month for your 1gig allowance. Over the 24 months it will work out exactly the same amount of money (10YTL extra over the 24 months = 240YTL which is the cost of the Dongle). Please note that Turkcell are offering the same but do not offer the option to buy the dongle. Hope this helps. Again you will have to be a Turkish resident to get the contract but should be able to buy it outright (well you could 2 weeks ago) This is in response to another request on another forum but thought I would share it with my Datca family first .

 

[susanbiker]

Can you buy less than 1 gig a month.

 

[Winston Ellis]

Hi Susan,

I don't think you can but please read the update below as you may be able to buy daily acces if you let you initial 1Gig run out....

Latest update is......... that for “some reason or other” my 1Gig allowance got used up rather quickly (may have something to do with my son but I am not accusing him of anything here)so I set about getting another 3Gig to last me for the rest of the time that I am here, this is where the drama began!!!!!!
Ok the USB modem (or Dongle) is new to Vodaphone and none of the shops that I went to had experience of it. All I wanted to do was to top it up with 1Gig of credit simple enough request that required them to get on the phone ask Vodaphone how to do it give me what I wanted and get rid of me. 3 full days later and updating the Vodaphone’s Rep for Datca the following lessons are current at the time of me writing this. There are 2 ways you get the dongle PREPAID (Pay as you go or PAYG) or POSTPAID (having a contract).
As I said previously if you are a resident and you intend to use the internet for 18months or more then go for the contract. I suggest this because you do not need to fork out for the cost of the memory stick and you get 5GIG of usage per month. If you go for the prepaid you currently are only allowed 1Gig per calendar month. Once this runs out you bur normal Kontors like that for mobile phone but I did the maths and buying 1Gig this way works out to be a small mortgage!!! (one way round this is to buy another simcard with 1Gig of credit like you did originally. Instead of costing and arm and a leg you will only pay the 30-40YTL that a new PAYG contract requires (please remember you can only have 3 sim cards in Turkey apparently!!!!). Alternatively you can buy 1 days unlimited access for between 5-7YTL.
As I said previously 1Gig will be enough for you to email and facebook but if you want to do any downloading you may find yourself left short. Last bit of information.......Now if you have automatic updates such as virus protection and updates to programs you may find that the 1Gig that you thought would last you may just not be enough (so wipp down to your local bar for wireless access to do updates and downloading.
Did I say last bit of information... I lied!!!!! As I speak to the phone shop operators Turkcell and Vodaphone they seem to be confused with 3G and 3Gig. 3Gis to do with the latest technology that phones are using. It is and extremely quick way of transforming information. The internet is using it and it makes your computer work extremely quickly (unfortunately this is not available in Datca YET!!!!) 3Gigis the amount of allowance that they give you per month to surf and download. I know they have updated the allowance. Please go into the stores and ask them what their latest campaign is as it is changing day by day and you may get better offers that what I have highlighted here.

 

[Dancing Queen]

Can you use Skype with the higher speed dongle.We got the normal one and the speed is so slow and variable thats its almost impossible to use Skype with it.Have you used the high speed one for Skype yet and if so how as it.Very,very interested as we cant have a landline because too far from nearest line so have to use dongle for internet and had hoped to use it for Skype but not possible with normal one.
Mavis

 

[Dwight Long]

I feel a song coming on....
"Dingles, Dongles and Bright Shiny Beads" ["Deeds?"]
I'm working on the tune.

 

[Winston Ellis]

Yes you can use Skype with the High speed one. Some times it is brilliant some times it has not been so good and has droped my call as it depends on the reception you get in your area. Up on our roof terrace it is clear and I have no problems. It may also be better when there are not so many people using the internet. YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT WITH THE WHITE SLOWER SPEED CHEEPER DONGLE!!!!!

This is where the 3G thing comes into play. When Datca gets 3G and it will soon it will be perfect!!!!

 

[jandj]

Please find my original Post I meant to post first on the Datca site. ....


). Please note that Turkcell are offering the same but do not offer the option to buy the dongle..

Good piece. However must correct you on Turkcell dongle.You can buy the dongle from Turkcell. I bought mine from Carrefour Turkcell shop in Izmir and paid 185ytl. Great service, highly recommend it.

 

[Martyn]

Be careful with 3g, a lot of places in the uk cannot get it.

 

[Winston Ellis]

Hi Guys,

Thought glad to see people reading my second ever post. couple of things.

Martyn The 3G I refer to is not the phone company in England I speak of. (It was a extremely bad network provider that is now doing exceptionally well in terms of service and coverareg). It stands for "Third Generation". I am going to be wrong here but if Anolague phones were the first generation, digital phones were the second then satalite would be the third (think of it like that and it puts things in perspective). No doubt som tecky on the site will put me right.

JandJ Glad to know that you bought one from Turkcell. How long ago, was it a high speed one? I Was doing research for my friend and I went to Bodrum and Marmaris and both of the Turkcell shops told me that they do not sell them but that they only do them on contract. As I said previously the goalposts are moving daily. Turkcell and Vodaphone (Vodaphone is a british company that bought out Turk Sim about 4 years ago) are fighting for the market and the new customers and so will change the game as they go along. Vodaphone is making good headway as apparently they are cheaper. For all those who may be wondering no I am not a tecky geek!. All I have shared with you is as a result of 3 days research as I could not get a land line.

Apparently the reason I can buy a house, have a Vergi, pay water rates, have electricity yet no telephone line is that it is a different company. Well this one is for you telephone company!!!!! How long now before you backtrack and offer me a land line? All that lovely money going to Vodaphone!!!!!!

 

[jandj]

JandJ Glad to know that you bought one from Turkcell. How long ago, was it a high speed one?

Hi, I bought it in late May. I can change the gig from 1gb to 3 gb by merely upping the number of kontors I purchase. My Turkcell fella in Foca informs me that next month, 1 gb will go down from 300 knotors to 210, so I am presuming 3gb will also reduce

 

[susanbiker]

JandJ do you know if you can buy less than 1 gig

 

[jandj]

no, but at 54ytl for 1 gb, it isnt a bad deal

 

[Dancing Queen]

Just an update on the other posts.Today we went to Didim to organise our 3g dongle and contract as we live here.After seeing several staff,having several arguements and a phone call to Vodafone customer service its still not sorted.
Firstly told that we cannot have a contract because we are not Turkish,so cannot get free dongle,they would be only too happy to take our money instead.So we continued to argue the point,residency,turkish bank credit card etc but all no avail.If you are not Turkish then cant have contract.In the end they became fed up with us and we were offered Vodafones customer service number and then promptly ignored.So we go outside the shop and speak to customer service,who after about 10 minutes began to understand what we wanted,went away and checked the information and came back with the answer that we could,in fact,have a contract!!!!Yes,or so we thought at the time.
We went back into the shop,mobile in hand and customer service still on the line and handed the phone to a member of staff for them to explain, then stood back waiting for all to become clear and us to get our contract.After a very lenghty conversation between the two,the phone was handed back to us only for customer service now to explain that although it was true we could have a contract with our documents we would also need a letter of guarantee from our bank to the sum of 1000TL.Without this there would be no contract.This being saturday and the banks shut,we now have to wait till next week to see if we can arrange this and to think about wether we want to arrange such a letter.
So nothing is as simple as it looks and I firmly believe that no matter what...they will get you in the end!!!

 

[mart]

Winston
thankyou so much for your very informative update on the Vodafone USB Modem situation. I was toying with the idea of buying one when I was in Akbuk recently (Vodafone shop in Altinkum actually) but at 250 YTL I thought wait till next time I visit it might be much cheaper (as my UK Vodafone USB Modem only cost £39)... Winston do you know if they suffer the same problem as Mobile phone sim cards i.e. My Turkcell phone if not used in Turkey at least once every 3 months becomes unregistered and I have to buy a new simcard (circa £15/£20) each time I revisit Turkey. I am reluctant to spend 250 YTL on a Vodafone USB Modem stick if it is going to suffer with the same problem. Grateful if you can comment further ? Regards Martin

 

[Dancing Queen]

A further update to the Vodafone dongle information.
My closing comment,in my last post of,"they will get you in the end",has turned out to be even more apt than I thought.I contacted my bank about the letter Vodafone wanted only to be told that only Turkish can have such a letter.
So the situation is this:we,as in non turks,cannot have a contract with Vodafone because we are non turks, unless we can get a letter from our turkish bank which you also cant have because you are a non turk!!!Who remembers Catch 22?
Is this blatent racial discrimination I ask myself and I think the answer is...yes most definately,but unless thats illegal here then I am not going to win anyway.
My last words on this subject are.....THEY WILL GET YOU IN THE END!!!!!!!!!

 

[kelchocolate]

I got a dongle from the vodafone last week tuesday and i was going to get a contract,we were told we had to keep a bond of 1,000lira!Why?,eem cos we are foreigners.
My husband was so mad,we've had residence visas here for 5yrs years,pay taxes and yet cos we are foreigners they want a bond.Discriminiation and people wanting to screw you right left and centre!:angry:
Do we get interest on our money then?,no you don't.
I got on at the end cos,don't want to come down to Altinkum everytime i want to go online. our villa is near yesitepe and no phone lines,hence no internet so bascially i needed one i got one,but i can't imgaine how anything can be so slow!!,it drives me nuts!.
I still come over to our duplex cos we left my phone line,fax and interent working,for when i can't be doing with snail speed,dongle!

 

[altisu]

Does anybody know if you can use your dongle from the uk with a turkish simcard

 

[Akasya]

The expression " to cut ones nose off to spite ones face " must surely have originated in Turkey. It probably is enshrined in the constitution.

Steve.

 

[Mag]

Does anybody know if you can use your dongle from the uk with a turkish simcard

Anyone know if this can be done?

 

[susanbiker]

If the dongle is unlocked it should but will they sell you a sim for your own dongle?