Expat Technology: Six ways to get online from anywhere
November 27th, 2009 - Chris MarshallHaving started work before the Internet was invented, and despite the fact that I effectively earn my living currently through the internet, I am amazed on a daily basis about just how brilliant it is! When we first moved to Almerimar and started living in Spain we only had access to a dial up connection. Compared to the broadband speeds that we were used to in the UK and US it was unbelievably slow, and while broadband in Spain still lags significantly behind the UK and US in terms of speed, reliability and price (it is VERY expensive in Spain still), it is all moving in the right direction!
One are that has made huge steps in the right direction recently are the options that now exist for getting online. For many British property owners in Spain, their Spanish property is a second home and so a monthly broadband contract is just prohibitive, in which case some of the options below may help.
For others, like myself, who feel lost when the Internet goes down a couple make great Plan B’s!
For those of you that travel, well we are all so accustomed to having Internet access in so many places—at home, at the office, at airports, at coffee shops—that it can be infuriating to travel and find yourself with low-speed service or none at all
Six ways to get online from anywhere
AirPort Express in a hotel room You don’t have to be a Mac user to benefit from this portable powerhouse of a base station. In hotel rooms that have only wired Ethernet for Internet access, plugging an Express into that wired connection not only lets you work on your laptop from anywhere in the room; it also lets you share that connection with other devices that have Wi-Fi but no Ethernet and with family, friends or colleagues. Apple says the AirPort Express can support up to ten simultaneous Wi-Fi connections.
Tethering with your cell phone. Tethering services for cell phones let you turn the mobile device into a modem. The phone connects to the Net over a 2.5G or 3G network; you then connect your laptop to the phone via Bluetooth or USB—voila, you’re online. You can then use your laptop as a base station to share that connection via Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, the iPhone doesn’t yet offer tethering in the United States; AT&T promises that it’s coming. If you’re using another phone, check with your cell provider.
Some phones may let you tether, but the provider might slap expensive transfer fees on top of whatever data plan you already pay for.
Make your phone a hotspot Sounds painful, and can be complicated but as more and more mobile phones have both 3G and Wi-Fi with the right software, you can turn such phones into hotspots. Basically tethering means connecting (usually via Bluetooth of USB) your mobile phone to your computer, and in effect using the mobile phone as the ‘modem’. Carriers can get a bit sniffy over this as it uses up more of the data plan than they originally planned for when they overcharged you for it in the first place. With an unlimited use plan you should be fine, and even with moderate use on a limited plan you shouldn’t have too many problems. Either check with the carrier first, or take your chances …..
3G adapter for your laptop If you own a Mac then more and more companies are offering Mac OS X drivers for a variety of 3G modems, which connect your laptop to the net over 3G data networks; many of those modems connect via the USB port, so they’ll work with any Mac portable. Unfortunately, that access comes at a high price!
A USB modem may be free with your contract, but it may cost as much as 150€ to 250€ without one. Fortunately, such modems can be swapped among nearly any Mac or Windows system. You can typically, but not always, share the resulting 3G service via Wi-Fi; some drivers might prevent it.
3G as you go Many providers now offer a pay-by-the-byte 3G plan. Pricing typically starts at 10€ for 100 MB (must be used within 10 days) up to 60€ for 1 GB (expires in 30 days). For those who travel and need access less frequently, this plan makes great sense. As with other 3G adapters, you can share your access via Wi-Fi, too.
3G Wi-Fi router These are relatively new, and not for the faint hearted or those on a low budget. Basically they are for the business user who really does need to have 24/7 access when on the road. In a nutshell they take your 3G ‘dongle’ (USB Modem) and allows you to plug it into a router and heh presto you have a WiFi router and network. Brilliant if you don’t have or don’t want a landline, and I would think we will see more and more bar and cafe owners using them as they can then take them home out of hours and use them at home. Costs about 60€ a month for a unlimited suer fast option with free mobile to mobile calls.
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