I recently found myself in a situation where I was forced to leave the relative calm of my environment and do something I rarely, if ever, have a chance to do…go on vacation! But what is a vacation without staying connected to the internet? I’m kidding!!!!

Let me make this totally clear. I in no way endorse taking a laptop computer outside your home. Vacation time is your time to get away. However, there may be a circumstance (and it must be a pretty big circumstance) where it is absolutely necessary to have access to the internet. Being a webmaster and creative consultant to several sites pretty much dealt my hand. I needed a wireless internet connection on the road. So with laptop in hand, off into the woods I went.

So, what kind of wireless internet laptop connection did I need for the road and could I accomplish this cheaply? Yes, but you have to know how. Let me share the fruits of my labors.

Wireless Internet Laptop Tips for the Road:

• You need a laptop. DUH. Buy a good quality satchel to carry the computer; one that fully protects the computer and its accessories. I've had people think that the bag contained books and throw it across a room. Thankfully it was padded.
• You need a cell phone. This is your main link to the outside world. Get a plan that has at the very least unlimited long distance minutes after 9:00pm. That way you can go online when everyone else is asleep and not be charged for the call.

• Many cell companies offer web-browser services and charge an arm and a leg to go on-line. Forget it. You don’t need it.
• Make sure you have cell coverage in the area you are traveling.
• Purchase a USB Data Cable. This is the link between your cell phone and the laptop. Purchase for your specific phone. I bought mine at Frye’s for $29.00. Watch out because the manufacturer will say that you need to purchase additional drivers and software (address book software for example) to complete the link. That’s another $29.00. I did not want that software. All I wanted to do was connect to the internet. I have address book software coming out of my ears. I went to their site and found the drivers available for free download. Took a little sleuthing, but saved $29.00.
• For long trips make sure you have a cell phone charger. Either/or the standard AC charger that comes with the phone or a car charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter of a car (this is what I needed as I was in the woods and there was no electricity…ran about $29.00).
• In situations with no electricity, purchase a power inverter that plugs into a cigarette lighter and converts 12V to 120VAC. You have to keep the laptop charged. Again, $29.00 at Frye’s. Do you sense fixed pricing here? Is everything $29.00?
• Get an RJ-45 jack (if your laptop is so equipped) to connect to a server in an internet friendly hotel. This is the wave of the future and much like all hotels now have cable TV so will they have internet access. I plugged mine in and was instantly on the internet, although I hear earlier versions of Windows are not so friendly (I’m an XP guy). No charge from the hotel.
• Contact your internet provider (customer service) to give you a local dial-up phone number for internet access in the area (code) you are going. Most will provide. However, if they do not have one get a dial-up account number from a friend.
• Set-up that number within “network connections” of your computer (go to the control panel). Your server’s customer service will typically talk you through this procedure.
• Rest assured that once set up, you will not have to go through this again.

That’s pretty much it. Connect the phone to the computer, enter the “network connections” prompt in the control panel, let the computer dial and you have a money saving wireless internet connection for your laptop! No additional fees and relatively painless. My one complaint is that the current download is 28K on my phone, but what the heck. A few years ago that was considered “Lightening Fast”. Times they are a-changin’.

by Kevin O'Connor