Dongle is a very weird term if you’ve never heard it before. Most people know that it usually refers to the device that can be connected to a laptop to offer mobile broadband access, but which ones work best and is there a difference between ones offered by different companies? It’s important to know exactly what hardware you’re getting and the limits and advantages of any contract that they may come with before going ahead and signing a contract, especially as mobile broadband contracts can extend as far as 24 months into the future. That’s a long time to be stuck on a contract you don’t like.

Firstly, a key thing to remember is that dongles generally do the same thing. Unlike choosing a mobile phone where the handsets can be very different and range from really basic options to incredibly advanced smart phones, a dongle will usually do its job no matter what. However, some do offer additional features and can be used in different ways. For example, a more advanced dongle might have a slot for a micro SD card and can double up as a memory stick.

There could also consider removing the need for a dongle altogether, if you haven’t already purchased your laptop. Some newer laptops and many different netbook’s have the same functionality as a dongle built in. This can be an advantage if you don’t want to carry around the dongle everywhere you go, and it does make things slightly more portable as you don’t have a dongle sticking out the system wherever you go. Plus, you free up a USB port which is handy if your laptop only has a few and you’ve got quite a few things you want to plug in.

Make sure to read laptop reviews first and make sure that the range of these built in devices is acceptable and they are compatible with the mobile broadband services you are looking at.

After that, it’s all about what you’ve got on your contract. Generally, mobile broadband contracts are quite varied and a bit of shopping around will find a variety of different packages and prices all with their own speeds and limits. It’s important to make sure that whatever provider you choose it’s one that has a good range; especially in the places you are likely to be using the service the most. Even the best dongle won’t be able to perform well without good mobile broadband signal in your area. Contracts normally come in 12, 18 and 24 month flavours, and the longer you are willing to accept, the cheaper the monthly charge is likely to be.

If you’re not quite that willing to commit to mobile broadband, you can always try it out Pay as You Go. This works pretty much like a mobile phone, you top-up your dongle and then you can use the service whenever you like. It’s much more flexible than a contract and great for casual users, but it’s also much more expensive per GB than a monthly charge, and you’ll need to purchase the dongle separately instead of having it given to you free as part of a contract.

Most dongles come with their own software to run the internet, but while nearly all will be compatible with most laptops and different operating systems, be sure to check out all the technical requirements of the dongle before purchasing to avoid disappointment.