If like me, you use your phone mostly at home or at work, chances are more often than not you are connected to WiFi. Also, a lot of restaurants, coffee shops and other retail places we frequent also offer free WiFi. All of this is great news because now running over your data plan is unlikely. Enter the spoiler. One scenario where finding WiFi is much more challenging is in transit. And if you travel often, you know this can rack up GB's pretty quickly and result in an expensive bill.

The other day I was on the way home from the airport and doing a couple of quick things on my phone. I was connected via my data plan and was pleasantly suprised when the driver asked if I wanted to connect to the car's WiFi. I said sure and just out of curiousity, ran a speed test to see how good the signal was. I was amazed at how fast it was. To put it in perspective, you need about 5 Mbps to stream Netflix HD video. Here is the result below.

So for an EZPZ way to get connected to WiFi on the road, check with your driver if they offer free WiFi as part of the service. Just remember that you should always be wary of any personal or work information accessed over someone else's WiFI network. Passenger be warned! 

Next post next Saturday, 6:30 a.m.

A pet peeve of mine is having too many wires. I'm a big fan of wireless headphone, speakers, etc. And like most people I expect my laptop to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi so I can move about the room as I please. 

When traveling I've noticed some hotels only provide a wired connection. As a result, you are tethered to the desk for the duration of your stay. Recently, I stumbled upon a wireless solution that is relatively inexpensive and unbelievably portable.

Asus sells a pocket router (Model WL-330NUL) which is about the size AND weight of a pack of Juicy Fruit gum. It is billed as the world’s smallest router.

This will turn your wired connection into a wireless one. It takes a bit of patience to set it up, but once you do it is well worth the effort. Here is the basic setup.

Wi-Fi Router Set-up
1. Connect the Asus to power using the usb cable.
2. Plug the Internet cable in at the other end.
3. Connect your device (laptop, smartphone, etc.) via Wi-Fi to the Asus router. You will have to set up this network initially, similar to setting up your home Wi-Fi network.
4. Use your device anywhere in your room, wire free!

EZPZ.