Whingin Pom

Can anybody help?

I want to know how to get on the internet with my laptop while on the move, lets say in a hotel with a phone line can I plug in my laptop and connect.

How do hotspots work? do I need to set up a network with every place I use, like airports and the like.

Any help would be very welcome indeed.

nosuchluck

Be interested to know this too as i have a laptop and have just set up a hotmail account so i can get my emails on the move, but not sure how i would access it!
Bump to the top for you
Rach x

arnie2oz

Laptops usually come with a connection lead to plug them into a telephone line. Just plug into a telephone jack point.

You will need to check the dial-up number to the server & make sure the international dial up code is ok.

The hotspot thing is wireless I think - someone else will help with this

Al H

Lots of hotels (at least those that cater for business types) will have dial up access through the phones. My last couple of trips to the US you have been able to get broadband (of a sort) for about $10 for your whole stay in the hotel. They usually supply the leads as well. Most of the phones also have jack points to connect to your modem ,but then you will need a cable and you ISP connection details. If you dial international from virtually any hotel it will cost an arm and a leg. In the Us recently I was paying $20+ for a few mins back to the UK, whereas if I could find a payphone that worked it was $1 for 10 mins. So if the hotel has a local ISP use that...

nosuchluck

Thank you Al H and my fairy godfather! think i understand what you both mean!
rach x

JackTheLad

Yeah wi-fi, alot of hotels, coffee shops, and even McD's in US are installing hotspots so you can wander in there with your laptop and surf, while you eat a burger and drip grease on your keyboard.

Don't think its caught on too much in UK, though I've seen a few bods in Starbucks once surfing so, it is starting to happen. I really don't know about Oz.

Anyway, you need a laptop equiped with the wireless chipset (centrino if its an intel laptop). You'll know if you've got it, it has alot of funky software telling you it can do wireless. If your laptop is not top spec or over 1 year old then you probably don't have it.

Cheers,
JTL

JackTheLad

If you want to use a phone line to connect to the internet in a hotel in Oz, you can get a BigPond dialup starter pack from one of the Telstra shops (or other phone shops which have the starter pack) on the street. You'll be using a dialup number which is local/free call and will be charged by the hotel for just a fixed price local call. You can continue to use the same BigPond account as you travel around in Oz.

Teltra BigPond's got an offer (double your dialup hours) now till July 31st. You must register, i.e. make your initial dialup, on or before July 31st to claim the double hours. Information below:

http://www.bigpond.com/internet-plan...id/default.asp

Cheers,
Mrs JTL

ABCDiamond

I think that Hotels tend to charge a bit more than the Telstra standard rate even for local calls.

NedKelly63

Well, if you are dialing up, you'll need the local phone number of an ISP and an account. Set it up in the UK with an OZ ISP before you go.

Wireless is quite expensive in the UK - I think BT are asking for 6 quid and hour, which, IMHO, is taking the p**s. You may be lucky and stumble upon a 'free' hotspot though - which is always nice

NedKelly63

Well, if you are dialing up, you'll need the local phone number of an ISP and an account. Set it up in the UK with an OZ ISP before you go.

Wireless is quite expensive in the UK - I think BT are asking for 6 quid and hour, which, IMHO, is taking the p**s. You may be lucky and stumble upon a 'free' hotspot though - which is always nice

NedKelly63

Well, if you are dialing up, you'll need the local phone number of an ISP and an account. Set it up in the UK with an OZ ISP before you go.

Wireless is quite expensive in the UK - I think BT are asking for 6 quid and hour, which, IMHO, is taking the p**s. You may be lucky and stumble upon a 'free' hotspot though - which is always nice

NedKelly63

For dialup - have a look at

http://www.pacific.net.au/about_pi/o...ialup_numbers/

or

http://www.ar.com.au/dialup.php

I cant recommend any of these though - never used them. Search in Google for Sydney Internet Dial up or something along those lines

NedKelly63

You may not even need an account. Heres a UK ISP that allows you to connect whenever - no account required!

http://www.fasthosts.com/Dial/

There must be something in OZ thats similar

JackTheLad

Yes, they do charge a bit more, but not bad if you were travelling. I still have receipts from a very nice service apartment in Melbourne from last year, the local calls/internet dialups were $0.80 each, some calls were 1 minute, some over 2 hours, still the same one-off charge per call. Another hotel in Sydney and a resort where we stayed for our wedding in Palm Cove, Cairns, were also charging something similar.

If only the American hotels were that way... My very short local calls at the Sheraton in NYC a few months ago were all over $3 each, some were ridiculous, so I just bought a prepaid GSM card and used my mobile phone instead... The information card in the room said they charged a 200% or 250% extra on top of the AT&T standard rate! A real rip-off... Well at least they tell you...

I hate hotel surcharges... Oops... did I get off track again?!

Cheers,
Mrs JTL

NedKelly63

yep - I'd go along with the 80 cent quote - I thought that was very reasonable for a hotel (The Grace - Sydney 2000)