It's all very well donating unwanted laptops to families with kids who don't have a computer, but they also need an internet connection to access their school lessons etc. A friend has just waited many weeks to get the accommodation he's recently moved into, connected to the internet. So how do these families manage? Do they get some sort of priority?
OT: Donating laptops etc
Feb 06, 2021
Last reply: 5 years ago
16 Replies
Mobile data.
you can use a mobile phone as a hotspot
Apparently Some mobile phone networks are providsing free data via the schools. so the parent can contact the school in order to access free data and I presume a mobile dongle too?
A google session throws up this:
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It might be worth checking on the signal levels (and the actual real speed ) for the child's learning location so you don't accidentally sign up to a network that is non-existent in that location or one that has a speed in the order of kB/s....
I gave up with the idea of donating a used laptop when I came across the minimum spec requirement
It was higher that the spec I was looking to buy new to replace the old one I was prepared to donate (which obviously has an even lower spec)
greedy beggars
I do have an old PC somewhere in the loft, 32 bit, although it's got W10. Don't know the details, but from what you're saying I doubt they'd have it anyway.
It's strange.
In one corner, there are folks struggling to use a desktop OS on a mobile phone processor (aka raspberry pi)
In the other corner, there are folks struggling to use Windows 10 on an affordable computer.
Somewhere in the middle, there are items heading for the bin.
There is a scheme using 4 g dongles by some of the main players at a discount sponsored by the Government. I don't know how they decide who gets it, and what about duff signal area out in the sticks? Brian
OK, so it's 'tethering'. Never heard of it. Googled. First hit
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I know. Thanks all.
Tethering has been a thing for at least 6-7 years ...
I guess it's the sort of thing you don't get to know about if you never need to, which I don't.
I first became aware of it in a n airport departure lounge desperately trying to connect to Heathrow wifi. Dozens of 'Amandas I phone' and similar popped up all over the SSID register.
Not so many Android phones tho. I guess Apple users are by definition, more stupid...
More like 20.
(it was cables and then Bluetooth before wifi tethering came along)
Theo
and IrDA before that ...
Says the stupid who can't even manage to work out how to answer an incoming call on an iphone which has just a red and a green handset icon showing with an incoming call.
+1, I gather from a teacher friend - the school gives out dongles.
EE and others give children free mobile data for the usual apps they use (zoom/Teams/etc)
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