Mobile broadband help: What you need to get started

Many of the queries we get on the forum about buying mobile broadband dongles relate to confusion over the specifications required to use a dongle, with lots of people unsure about whether their laptop or PC meets the minimum requirements.

The specifications listed for dongles don't really vary between providers as most of them use the same or similar models with their own branding. Vodafone, for example, says you need a PC with Windows 2000, XP or Vista. Orange Mobile Broadband go into slightly more detail and list hard drive space. But if you're not clear about what any of that means then it may not be much use, which is where we can help!

Operating system

You need to be running Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 to use a dongle. 2000 is usually listed as the minimum for a dongle, but that's a really old version - if you are still using Win 2K, it's time to start thinking about an upgrade. Future support and software patches will be increasingly scarce, or completely non-existent, which could leave you vulnerable to security problems, if nothing else. Windows 7 is the newest version and all providers now offer support for it on their latest dongles, though a software update may be required.

Security is a big consideration whenever you're online, so make sure your operating system is kept up to date with the latest patches and that you're running an anti-virus tool. For more information on recommended software, check out our recent broadband software tool kit blog.

Hard drive space

The hard drive is where your computer stores all files and programs and it doesn't matter a great deal for mobile broadband dongles. The amount of space required is so small that you shouldn't ever run into trouble here - if you do, it's time to have a clear out of old files!

Memory

Memory, usually referred to as RAM, is what the computer uses to store files while they're in use: any programs running have to consume RAM in order to operate. Often there is no minimum specification given for a dongle, as getting it up and running requires a negligible amount of memory and it's assumed you have enough by the fact that you're running a compatible version of Windows.

That said, to get the best online experience you should have at least 1GB for Windows XP and 2GB for Windows Vista and Windows 7, but ideally double those amounts. This isn't for the dongle, but for the web browser and other programs you may use. Web browsers especially can use lots of memory and if you don't have a good chunk of RAM available, the computer will potentially get very slow indeed.

The same applies to processor speed. It doesn't take a super-fast PC to install a dongle and use a web browser, but the faster it is the better experience you'll get. This is particularly true with regards to web sites such as YouTube and iPlayer that can struggle on slow PCs.

USB ports

You only need a single USB port for a dongle, and this can be a hub or an extension cable, so you don't have to hide the dongle away behind your computer. You'll sometimes see the term 'USB 2.0' used in reference to USB ports, which is a later, faster, type of USB connection. It has been the standard for a long time, so unless your PC or laptop is more than five years old, you shouldn't run into any problems.

Apple Mac

Mac users haven't been forgotten, and it's a bit simpler for Apple owners than for Windows users. There is far less variation in hardware on Mac systems than you see on PCs, so all Mac users need to worry about is what version of Mac OS X they're running. 10.4 is the minimum, plus a measly 20MB of disk space and a spare USB port. Easy.

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It's also worth mentioning that it doesn't matter whether you're using a laptop or a desktop computer - provided you meet the minimum requirements, a dongle will work just fine on either. The only slight problem you might get with a laptop is running out of USB ports, but that will just mean buying a cheap USB hub, or unplugging a peripheral.

To sum up all of the above, you probably don't need to worry too much about meeting the minimum requirements for a dongle, as unless you have a very old PC or laptop it should work without any issues. If you can run a version of Windows that meets the requirements for a dongle, you should have the minimum specifications to use a dongle.

Most netbooks now run Windows so will work just like any other laptop, the only exception being those running a Linux operating system. Linux can work with dongles but requires some messing about – keep checking back as we'll soon post a guide to using your dongle with Linux.