Internet Access on the Run

Summer is quickly approaching and as a small business owner taking a true vacation from your work is a luxury that most of us can not afford. If you are taking your laptop with you the what are your options for access to the Internet while traveling? There are several different alternatives for easy internet access on the go.

The best option is the truest mobile internet access that you can get. It would be the PC Card or USB add in mobile card offered by any of the cellular companies on the market. With these cards you can easily connect to the internet and your office while driving down the interstate, at the beach, or any where you are in the country. If you can get a cell signal you can get connected. The downside to this type of access is that they put you into a 2 – 3 year contract between $50 and $70 per month. So if you are not going to use it for more than just weekly or weekend get a ways this might not be your best option. Here are the  going rates from two leading  providers.

Verizon:              
Data Transfer Amount: 5GB      Price:     $59.99/month   Contract Length: 2 Years
Data Transfer Amount: 50MB    Price:     $39.99/month   Contract Length: 2 years                                                                               Source: http://www.verizonwireless.com           Tampa Zip Code Location
                                                                               

Sprint/Nextel:
Data Transfer Amount:  Unlimited           Price: $59.99       Contract Length: 2 years
Data Transfer Amount:  40MB                 Price: $39.99       Contract Length: 2 years
                                Source: http://nextelonline.nextel.com                                Tampa Zip Code Location

Wireless equipment and hot spots are spreading like a wild fire. I cannot remember a time where I didn’t stop in a parking lot, business complex, or any area with a retail concentration and  not be able to pick up a wireless signal.  Of course the obvious ones are the coffee bars but you can also get access from various businesses and restaurants all over the country. I found a really cool website called http://www.wi-fihotspotlist.com that allows you to submit a zip code or region and it will give you a list of all the available hot spots in that area. This would be a great tool to map out available hot spots to access before you leave on your trip.

What do you need to connect to a wireless network? If you have a laptop that was purchased any time in the last 4 years odds are you have a wireless card built in. (You can’ t connect to a mobile connection but you should be able to pick up on most Hot Spot wireless networks. If you don’t have a wireless card you can buy them at any retail store that sales electronics: Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot, Staples and countless other vendors. I would recommend getting a USB Wireless adapter if you are purchasing a third party add in card. The reason is that this type of card will fit any laptop or desktop computer system on the market. So it’s virtually a universal network adapter. Some of the product lines are supplied by Linksys, Netgear, DLink, Belkin, and various other vendors which are all compriable suppliers for a home or small business wireless hardware device.

What about security when attached to a hot spot or similar wireless network? I usually try and limit the amount of virus, spyware and personal firewall that is on a computer because they do cause performance issues as well as connectivity issues. However if you are going to be attaching to hot spots and various wireless networks without the protection of a firewall that you most likely have at home or in your office then you will need some protection.  Every time you connect to wireless network you are given a unique identifier. This identifier is of the same “street” address as all the other devices on that hot spot.  You have not control over what other types of machines are connecting to that system so you need to be covered in case of a threat. It’s not difficult to gather a list of devices on that “street” address and find the weak link. 

Good off the shelf personal firewall software:
Norton/Symantec
AVG Internet Suite
McAfee

So with the information contained here it should arm you with enough information to find a way to gain access to the Internet no matter where you are in the world. There are enough avenues to accommodate you with whatever setup you currently have.