When most of us think of an internet connection, many a tangled wire springs to mind. Cable upon cable at the back of our machines, linked to socket after socket in an attempt to connect ourselves to the World Wide Web.

However, over recent years the use of cables has been pretty much eradicated through use of wireless routers - allowing us to establish broadband internet connections without tangling the back of our machines up.

Most of us now make use of dongles in order to connect. Dongles are portable modems, which over the years have been scaled down to smaller sizes in order to save space.

These handy little units plug into USB sockets on your computer, and give users the chance to connect to a broadband connection through use of wireless technology, with a large number of providers now making use of these devices in order to offer internet services of their own.

Indeed, many mobile phone companies are now offering their own services for people on the move - with deals on dongles driving sales as consumers strive for fast and cheap broadband connections.

However, the system itself is still relatively new, and with talk of upgrading phone networks to cope with the influx of ultra-fast broadband connections, many are choosing to go wireless when it comes to connections.
When searching for an internet package that provides connection through a dongle - whether you're looking to have a net connection or to replace your phone with VoIP technology - there are a few aspects you should bear in mind when searching for a deal:


* Connection speeds and what can be achieved on the deal you're interested in

* Bandwidth limits - what is the allowance and is there a charge for exceeding your limit?

* Contract length - this varies with each plan, so it's best to determine how long you're likely to need wireless service for before committing to any contracts

* Additional costs - these can include the price of the dongle itself