Being away from the office regularly, I often find myself needing to access the Internet wirelessly.
There is GPRS, and I regularly use this for WAP and checking my e-mail remotely. I’ve also used GPRS as a solution on a combination of my PDA (a Dell Axim x50v) connected to my Mobile Phone (a Sony Ericsson k700i through Orange) via Bluetooth. The speed is very slow but in combination with a compression service such as OnSpeed (which does really work and cuts those GPRS bills considerably) is a good “final option” when you absolutely, positively must get on-line.
There is GPRS, and I regularly use this for WAP and checking my e-mail remotely. I’ve also used GPRS as a solution on a combination of my PDA (a Dell Axim x50v) connected to my Mobile Phone (a Sony Ericsson k700i through Orange) via Bluetooth. The speed is very slow but in combination with a compression service such as OnSpeed (which does really work and cuts those GPRS bills considerably) is a good “final option” when you absolutely, positively must get on-line.
Coverage can be flaky outside the big Cities though.
There is the 3G Network, but despite my initial excitement over the PCMCIA card products from Orange, T-Mobile and O2, I’ve heard nothing but bad things about these products. Overpriced and unreliable.
Then of course, you could use a nearby Wi-Fi hotspot. Near Broadband speeds and often the ability to make a VPN connection too (which can be difficult over GPRS due to the restrictions put in place by providers who want you to use their own expensive solutions). I won’t go into a rant on how using Commercial hotspots can cost as much for an hours use as a yearly mortgage payment on a 5 bedroomed house in the centre of London – I’ll save that for another time. But merely finding a nearby hotspot can be a chore.
So I was intrigued to stumble across a peice of software from JiWire today that allows you to pinpoint hotspots in many countries by City, Postcode or even Commercial provider (handy for someone like me who’s managed to wangle a good deal out of BT Openzone). The software is a quick download which, once installed, immediately updates it’s location database and can then be set to regularly keep this updated further. The product is easy to use and best of all, it’s free!
I’ve even noticed a plug-in from my GPS software, TomTom v5, graphically showing you the nearest hotspot locations depending on your actual location. It’s paid for (12 Euro’s) so I’ll hold fire a short time to see how the free software works in a real-world situation first.
Finally, there is good old dial-up. I was stuck in a hotel room recently with no Wi-Fi hotspot, no GPRS coverage, but a hotel telephone system that charged the earth for outgoing calls but did allow freefone access for free. 5 minutes setting Windows XP to use a calling-card to dial a low-cost telephone providers freefone number (thus avoiding the expensive hotel call charges) then dialling onto a pay-as-you-go ISP, and a 12.6k connection later I could access the ‘net. Hardly fast, but dirt cheap and better than nothing. Takes me back to my days with a1200/300 baud modem and a dial-up connection to FidoNet. Happy days.
RICHARD TUBB
Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk
All PostsYou might like:
Comments