Orange Option 515m Mobile Broadband Dongle

Orange claims that its Option 515m mobile broadband dongle can improve reception in weak signal areas and ensure faster speeds whereever you are.

If you lose connection quite often or get slower speeds, this dongle will just enhance signal strength with the help of its built-in, power-ful antenna.

The 8GB MicroSD card that comes free with this dongle is a useful feature for the Orange customers who want to back-up their important data on the move.

The installation is simple and automatic and Orange Option 515m dongle comes with built-in drivers for both Windows and Mac OS. Just plug the device into your laptop, the instructions will guide you through the installation steps.

orange 515m dongleTechnical Details

  • Model: Option 515m
  • Manufacturer: iCon
  • Networks supported: GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EDGE (Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution), 3G, HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) or 3.5G, HSPA+
  • Maximum download speed (theoretical): 14.4Mbps
  • Maximum upload speed (theoretical): 5.76Mbps

Features

This dongle is embedded with a high-performance antenna that gives an cutting edge to Option 515m dongle over other dongles like e160 on the market or Orange’s own E1752 dongle. You can gain nice speeds in areas where you have good coverage and don’t have any reception problems. When there is poor signal inside or outside, the dongle will increase the signal strength so you do not lose connectivity, due to this feature.

Things you need to know about actual speeds you can achieve

  • The device can support up to 14.4Mbps download speed, however, Orange mobile broadband service offers a top speed of 7.2Mbps.
  • Other factors like network coverage, the network capacity and signal quality that your receive in your area can make the actual speeds much slower.
  • Again, this dongle cannot improve speeds when there are some genuine reception problems caused by obstructions (like walls indoor), network congestion, bad climatic conditions etc.

8GB MicroSD card that comes with this dongle is flash memory which allows you to store files, music albums, pictures and any important data of capacity up to 8GB. You get it FREE.

To insert the microSD card, just open the microSD cover on the dongle. Insert it and close the cover.

Option 515m dongle can be used with both Windows PC or Mac OS systems. It comes with an extensive range of built-in drivers for Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.4 and above.

How to get Orange 515m Dongle?

  • You will need to subscribe to a pay monthly mobile broadband plan from Orange.
  • You will also need to pay £20 for the dongle.
  • There are 12 and 18 month contract options with monthly prices starting from £5.
  • You can choose a monthly usage allowance (1GB, 3GB or 10GB) that suits your requirements.

What do I get in the kit?

  • USB dongle modem, SIM card, extension USB cable and User manual guide.
  • SIM card contains all information that is needed to activiate your account.
  • USB cable helps you to move the dongle away from your laptop so it can receive signal well, especially in a location where physical obstructions block the signal.

Installation and Web connection

  • Before inserting the dongle into the USB port of your laptop, make sure that you have placed the SIM card inside the dongle.
  • The installation does not require any CD or external software or drivers. It is just automatic. As soon as the dongle is inserted properly, the OS (whether Windows or Mac) just detects it and the online instructions help you to complete the installation of the driver files within a few minutes.
  • Once the installation is complete, close the window.
  • To connect to net, insert the dongle into the USB slot. Soon, the ‘Internet Everywhere’ connection manager appears.
  • You may need to provide SIM PIN if you have enabled PIN security feature.
  • Finally, click on the ‘Connect’ button.
  • Refer to user manual, for more information.

Orange mobile broadband UK coverage

orange mobile UK coverage map

Orange 3G mobile network has 93% coverage of UK population while its 3G+ network has a coverage of over 78% of the UK population.

Where its 3G network has not penetrated, you can access to its Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE) networks which provide three times faster speeds than GPRS (General Packet Radio Service).

Currently, Orange has built over 1,400 EDGE enabled base stations and its GPRS can connect 99% of the UK population.

Along with, Orange mobile customers can also access more than 10,000 wi-fi hotspots in the UK and 40,000 around the world.