I've just got a new job which involves mainly working away and can be up to 5 weeks at a time! Is there anyway i could use a laptop to get online? I don't really want to be sat in internet cafes all night.
Chris

 

You can use a laptop that has built in wifi and try to find a location you can connect to a network... Or you can use your mobile phone to connect to the net - plug phone into laptop using a data cable connect to the net using the GPRS connection on your phone...

Or get one of those plug in internet card thingies for the laptop - think Virgin have one out?

EDIT - this type of thing : http://www.2u.co.uk/phones/vodafone_...connection.php

 

That 3g thing could be what im looking for!
Does anyone use one or something similar?

 

Ok I think i'll be having a trip to pc world for some advise tommorow as i can't find nothing on the net I don't have a mobile which can get me online but I could buy a new one so that could be an option! but is there only the vodaphone 3g thing which could do what i want?

I'd prefer to have a plugin card thing instead of using the mobile (if possible) but I don't want to be paying stupidly high call charges.

Surely someone uses something along these lines in there job or just for pleasure and can give me some advise/links

Thanks,
Chris

 

THe Vodaphone 3G thing is the only 1 I know off - the only thing is the cost of it isn't cheap Monthly line rental, etc (tho the prices on that site are out of date, so it could be a lot cheaper now)

 

I've just found this one aswell http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/Dispatcher...phones_im_cc3g I don't no if it's as good

 

I have no idea I'm afraid pal

 

You would really be much better trying to stay at hotels that offer wireless internet access... I'm rolling out wireless broadband to some hotels/coffee shops etc... so there are ones that offer the service.

Alternatively, check to see if the hotel has an analogue phone port so you can use dial-up... it's not ideal... but will probably work out better/cheaper than the 3g option.

Or.... if you are really lucky...depending on where you are... some hotels are cat5e/cat6 cabled up.. so you may be able to plug in a network cable in your room...

best to approach the bigger chains to see what they offer..and just try and wangle it so you stay in the relevant hotels...

 

Whats cat6?

 

Basically Cat5/5e/6 (and beyond) have 4 pairs or twisted copper wire...
Cat5 only uses 2 of those pairs..and really only supports up to 100mbps... cat5e takes advantage of all 4 pairs, but isn't quite as advanced as cat6 (I believe cat6 can support gigabit ethernet over a longer distance than cat 5e).

 

RIght, for the risk of sounding dumb - what does 100mbps mean?

I'm on 512 ADSL and if I hover over the connection icon it says I am connected at a speed of 100.0mbps - what happens if I upgrade to 1mb line?

 

nothing will happen...

100mbps is the speed of the connection between your PC and your router.
So data will come in to your router at 512kbits (theoretical maximum of 64kilobytes per second)..and then transfers from your router to your pc at a speed of 100mbits (theoretical maximum of 12.5megabytes per second).

So upgrading to a 1mb connection won't make any difference.. your bottleneck (as with everyone), is the speed of the internet connection..

If you were at uni and had, say, a gigabit connection to the internet (like one of my friends in the states does).. then it would be worth upgrading your NIC to gigabit (and possibly going from Cat5e to cat6)..

 

Right - got ya (I think )

 

It would be ideal if i could plug in but it's not going to be an option for me So my only option is one of these plug in cards or through a mobile phone.
Chris