Dongles

[gilesc]

Hello again.
If we buy a usb WiFi dongle in UK from Amazon will it work in Nerja or are the radio frequencies different for WiFi in Spain?
Or am I really stooopid even asking this?
Carolyn

[El Cid]

It should work anywhere these is a WiFi signal.

Sid

[costakid]

If you intend to use a UK internet dongle to surf in Spain you will find it very expensive. The data prices for roaming are crazy.

[gerryh]

If you intend to use a UK internet dongle to surf in Spain you will find it very expensive. The data prices for roaming are crazy.

The OP was asking about a WiFi dongle.
Needn't cost anything if you connect via WiFi to a free WiFi hotspot.
WiFi is WiFi works, and connects, the same wherever you bought the equipment and wherever you use it.
Cheers
Gerry

[costakid]

Gerry, I know what the question was, i am not thick and I can read. I just thought I would point out some other information that may be helpful.

[gilesc]

Hello Costa Kid and Gerry
Both your replies were really helpful.
I am a complete techno nerd and will be alone in Spain until my husband joins me( I come out in OCT)
We are trying to do whatever we can to make my life a wee bit easier before I leave England so I need all the help I can get.
A little story for you. Yesterday I happily unwrapped my Kindle only to find I can't even register it without a WiFi connection which we don't have in UK. So now we'll set upa WiFi connection here just so I'll have books to read before my husband arrives.
This is such a steep learning curve for me and I definately couldn't have got anything done without this forum.
Carolyn

[sparkyjon]

Hello again.
If we buy a usb WiFi dongle in UK from Amazon will it work in Nerja or are the radio frequencies different for WiFi in Spain?
Or am I really stooopid even asking this?
Carolyn

The question was really a technical question so sorry for the long post, but hopefully it will clear up a few points, though I do not know the answer to the question.

Every country has radio frequency allocations that are defined by a frequency and bandwidth (bandwidth in this case refers to the range of frequencies over which a particular channel signal is broadcast above a particular power level so that the signal does not interfere with adjoining channels.)

In the case of some signals, like HF (High Frequency) for instance which is 3MHz to 30MHz, these allocations are global since HF signals bounce off atmospheric layers and to differing degrees depending on frequency, can be received anywhere in the world. e.g. the BBC World service if it exists anymore uses HF.

However WiFi is a very short range much higher frequency signal that simply takes the place of your landline and allows you to connect to the internet. The frequency used for a wi-fi connection depends on the particular protocol used (called something like 802.11 with one or two letters appended). For instance IEEE 802.11n, 802.11b/g/n wireless standards use 2.4 GHz (Gigahertz).

I am no expert on WiFi but it seems that in the UK, the 2.4GHz band is used, as the dozen or so WiFi network adapters/dongles I have looked at on the Amazon website are shown as 2.4GHz using the 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n protocols. I could be wrong but my wife tells me she has seen 5GHz mentioned within this website and so a useful answer to the question would be the particular protocol or the frequency band used if any one knows that for certain. I would think that it must be possible to buy wi-fi dongles in the UK that would work in Spain (If Spain uses 5GHz or something else even) but I could not find any on the Amazon site.

I also imagine that if the Spanish frequencies/protocols are different from the UK there must be many people who have been caught out and found that their UK dongle did not work in Spain

cheers
Jon

[El Cid]

I also imagine that if the Spanish frequencies/protocols are different from the UK there must be many people who have been caught out and found that their UK dongle did not work in Spain

cheers
Jon

I have 3 UK sourced dongles and they all work fine. If they didn't work neither would a UK laptop or a WiFi enabled phone, Kindle, iPad, iPod - etc etc.

The frequencies are the same.

Sid

[sparkyjon]

Hello again.
If we buy a usb WiFi dongle in UK from Amazon will it work in Nerja or are the radio frequencies different for WiFi in Spain?
Or am I really stooopid even asking this?
Carolyn

I just looked on the http://www.broadband4spain.com/ website which seems to be owned by a company called Rebeloak S.L. - the image shown next to their WiFi Router option suggests that the protocol used is 802.11n which is 2.4MHz. So for this at least a UK dongle would work. I am just guessing, but I think that this would be consistent everywhere in Spain otherwise forums would be full of posts by people complaining about having to use different dongles in different places.

cheers
Jon

[karandjon]

i bought my Samsung Galaxy Mini smartphone in the UK, on a PAYG, specifically to use the wifi on it in Spain. It was much much cheaper than purchasing from Spain and does the job great!

[gerryh]

Hi Carolyn
Why are you buying a USB WiFi dongle?
What are you going to use it for?
These aren't meant to be daft questions but I get the impression that you aren't a computer expert.
Perhaps a USB WiFi dongle isn't what you need for the particular problem you are trying to solve.
Cheers
Gerry