Land Lines

[tricky]

We have just had a telephone line installed in our apartment in Carvoeiro, with the express intention of only using our laptop. As far as I know its only dial up so far, but hopefully I will be able to convert to Broadband at some point. Does anyone know the most economical internet provider to use and do I need a disc to set it up on my laptop when I get there and as we will be using the laptop for approx half an hour per day solidly for a month and then only infrequently throughout the year, the best package to get on. (we don't envisage using the phone)

Many Thanks
Tricky

[malrc]

I just downloaded some software from clix.pt whilst in the uk and it gives me automatic dial up on my Portual landline at local cost. see the details here:

http://acesso.clix.pt/internet/instantaneo_ingles.html

[Paul Nice Man]

We have used a friends mobile phone "plug in card" with our laptop in CVO, does anyone know the costs of these?
They seem ideal for just checking emails.
I think it was Vodafone, but can't find any Portuguese sites in English to explain it.

Thanks
Paul

[steve]

I used one of these when I moved house and had to wait to get a phone line installed. There were two choices:-

Pay €99 but be tied in to a year's contract at €29.90 per month, or

Pay €149 and have no tie in at all but with the same 29.90 a month for the data card.

I used Vodaphone but otherproviders do the same sort of thing. I had to take ID plus a current utility bill or bank statement into the Vodaphone shop. They give you a mobile phone chip which is formatted for data instead of voice transmission and this then fits into the carrier which slots into your laptop.

The speed is not up to ADSL but you can of course use the laptop to get internet access anywhere that there is a mobile phone signal.

When I got my phone line I cancelled the chip but obviously retained the carrier which can be reused with another chip at any time.