wireless in the USA

Hi I am a total beginner when it comes to the world of wireless and neeed help!

I am travelling to the US next year for about 3 months and would like to take a laptop with me mainly for Internet Access and photos etc... I know I need to have a laptop with wireless capability but do I need to get a service provider? or is it easy enough to use the hotel access? Do many hotels have free wireless internet? I am travelling both East and West Coast as well as the South. Thanks! Lisa

Reply to
PreferACuddle
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Careful with the selection of wireless device. The rules for wireless are different in many countries. Your foreign 802.11 device may not work in the US.

Maybe. There are many free wireless hot spots that require nothing more than a working laptop and wireless device. Some require that you purchase something in the coffee shop. Others offer paid subscription services through a variety of billing services such as Boingo, T-Mobile, Wayport, iPass, STSN, etc. It really depends upon where you connect.

Hotel access is usually not free. They issue an account and charge for the service. Most hotel have unintelligible printed setup instructions.

No. Most hotels charge for the service. You'll find the signal through the doors to often be marginal and only work with the hallway door open. However, the better (i.e. more expensive) hotels also have ethernet jacks that do the same thing as wireless. Bring a long CAT5 cable and just plug in if the signal is marginal inside the hotel. For example, Marriott Hotels:

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just looked up the Santa Clara CA Marriott Hotel. It shows wireless only in the public areas and meeting rooms. The hotel rooms have wired ethernet jacks. Charges are per minutes connect time (yech). Typical is 10 to 25 cents per minute or $10 per day. What you should do it browse the web sites of your planned hotels and see what facilities they offer.
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

thanks for all your help, it has shed some light on the whole thing, though I know no matter how prepared I am, I will not be satisfied until I am on-line!

Reply to
PreferACuddle

I've been doing some looking into the protocols, does anyone know if there are any wireless service providers that use the Wi-Fi 802.11g? the laptop that I am looking at buying uses this?

I am getting the grim feeling that it's all mostly Wi-Fi 802.11b. thanks lisa

Reply to
PreferACuddle

It should be backwards compatible.

Reply to
Simon Pleasants

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