How To Get Around Flaky Internet Connections While Traveling
Internet connections can be unreliable when traveling and while it can be an inconvenience, more and more lack of a good wireless connection means missing out on work, contact with family, and figuring out just what to do on your short trip to Istanbul. In most cases however you can plan to stay connected to those barely-there signals and find out where Internet might be hiding right under your nose.
Research Before Your Trip
You’ll need help yourself out here, so first thing’s first. Check to make sure your hotel or hostel has a wi-fi connection, preferably free. Most hotels will say they offer Internet, which usually means a “business center” or pay-by-the-hour wireless. Also, many hostels tend to say “wi-fi” but be sure to see if it’s only in the lounge area or in each room as well. Typical wireless routers give you a range of roughly 46 meters (~150 feet) indoors and any physical barriers (like walls) will reduce that even further.
Ask – Don’t be hesitant to email the hostel, hotels with wifi Internet, Hotel Club Sydney, or your Couchsurfing host to find out exactly what the digital environment is like. The review section of most booking sites will also have good information.- Scope For Connections – Use WiFinder or WeFi to find out if there are any buildings nearby the place you’re staying that might have free wi-fi.
- Increase Your Range – Extend your wireless radius with long-range USB antenna, a tool that has saved me on many occasions. (They can also be used to crack encrypted wireless networks as well.)
- Find – Hidden wireless networks using NetStumbler.
Finally, if you do get stuck at a hotel that charges for wireless Internet access you can try looking around the walls for an Ethernet jack (you’d be surprised). These connections are expensive to restrict, so if you’ve got an Ethernet cable (an inexpensive yet essential travel gadget) you’ll be good to go and can even set up wireless connections for your travel mates.
Make The Most Of What You’ve Got
So you’ve got that tiny wireless signal, taunting you with an Internet connection every few seconds. You’re close but just not enough to get online for any meaningful amount of time so try these minor changes be just efficient enough.
- Prioritize Your Connection – When you do connect to a wi-fi signal, all of your open applications are going to try and get a piece. Instead, make the most of what you’ve got by shutting down bandwidth hogs (i.e. Skype) and using only one Internet-needy application at a time.
- Find The Wireless Router – If the wireless router – they look like this – is positioned in the left side of your hotel hallway (look along the edges of the ceiling), you’ll want to sit on the side of your hotel room that’s closest.
- Move Other Nearby Wireless Devices – Your iPhone, wireless mouse, and other radio-enabled devices should be moved away from your laptop. Turn off the iPhone, use your laptop’s trackpack, and don’t use any wireless devices right next to your computer.
- Use Google Gears – Many of you using Gmail, Google Calendar, or Google Reader can use all of these services offline. (Go to Settings > Offline > Enable Offline Mail For This Computer.) You can read and respond to emails (which will be sent when there’s a connection), check your RSS reader, and review your schedule all without the benefit of a good Internet connection.
- Try To Get Something For Nothing – Let’s just say you wanted to play around with getting hotel wireless without paying for it, but just sayin’.
You should also try and avoid mirrors – it’s a long shot but these metallic surfaces can reflect wi-fi signals so try adjusting to various angles to see if you can get a stronger signal (tin foil hat optional).
Take Initiative And Become Proactive
Often part of a flaky connection means you can see a wi-fi network, have a strong signal, and yet nothing happens. You can become your own traveling tech support by doing what the hostel or hotel may not be able or willing to do.
- Reset The Router – Many hostel routers don’t have passwords, or use the default. You can reset most routers very easily from your own laptop with this technique.
- Skype Credit To Access Hotspots – Many wireless hotspots now accept Skype credit if you have any. Launch Skype to find out, it will automatically tell you if it’s possible with any nearby hotspots.
- Tether Your Mobile Phone – Your “jailbroken” iPhone or Android phone can be used as Internet connections for your laptop. If you’re using this method outside of your home country, get a local SIM card otherwise you might pay massive data roaming charges.
- Renew Your IP Address – Here’s how on Windows and Mac.
Try as you may, despite your best efforts you might not be able to get online or connect to that flaky Internet connection. Rather than make it a complete bummer, turn off your wireless card to extend your laptop battery and try to connect again late at night or early in the morning when less people are likely to be online. There just might be enough bandwidth for you then to send out those remaining emails and let mom know you arrived at your destination.
[photos by: Mr Munnings on Tour (laptop in coffee shop), CB Photography (on the lookout), eloquentlight (man sticking tongue out), John Flinchbaugh (typing fast)]
New York City Pride
July 9, 2010 by Anil P.
Filed under Pictures and Video, Travel Journal
I was in New York City two weekends ago for the Travel Blog Exchange Conference (TBEX), where hundreds of travel bloggers got together to meet (many for the first time in person) and pick up some travel blog advice. There were also plenty of TBEX parties and quite a few drinks coupled with late nights; one reason I made it to Greenwich Village around noon, missing the TBEX morning sessions on the second day.
When I emerged off the subway at the 8th St. NYU stop, I stumbled upon the colorful scene that was the New York City Pride Parade. This parade began in 1970 and happens to be the oldest gay pride parade in the world. I didn’t get to stay long as I was making my way to TBEX and the large crowds threw off my already bad sense of direction. I got lost in Washington Square Park before eventually finding the Cantor Film Center.
I had been to New York City many times before but if you haven’t, be sure to check out these top 5 cheap thrills and learn to love American culture in New York City.
Why Packing For 2 Weeks Is No Different Than Packing For 2 Months
Many people correspond the length of a trip to the amount of stuff they have to pack in their luggage. The truth is that you can’t efficiently pack more things than you can use over a 1-2 week period. Whether you’re headed for a week-long holiday or visiting family for several months, you don’t need to carry much more than you can use over 10 days.
Over-packing Takes Away From Your Travels Before You Arrive
Over-packing so you’ll be prepared for a trip wastes the time you have at home – spending hours trying to get every single thing ready before you leave. Despite how much prepare, you’re bound to need something you forgot and won’t use many of the little travel goodies you’ve spent money on.
- The World Is Small – You can buy just about anything from the larger towns and cities in most countries around the world.
- Lighter – Don’t neglect the weight of your suitcase or backpack, which won’t look too heavy sitting on your bedroom floor. Aside from the strain on your back, you might end up paying a number of fees for going over luggage limits so put your backpack on a diet.
- Cost Of Time Over Money – It might be well within your budget to purchase every type of clothing for any kind of weather, but you can’t buy time. That’s time spent researching every possible contingency, searching for the absolute best deals online, or going back and forth to every store under the sun.
The physical weight of all the items you carry isn’t nearly as big of a burden as the mental stress of trying to remember it all. Not to mention you’ll also spend quite a bit of time re-packing once you’re ready to leave. You’re travels are better spent doing the things you love – traveling, eating danishes in Denmark, climbing volcanoes…whatever it may be. (I bet you wouldn’t put packing on that list.)
1-2 Weeks Is The Sweet Spot
Traveling (for most people) isn’t equivalent to moving to a new house. You’re taking a temporary supply of the clothes, electronics, and books you want to use and enjoy while away from home. What you pack before you leave on a trip isn’t absolute – it’s not like you’ve only got one chance to get it right or face catastrophe. People wear clothes and use toothpaste all over the world, you’ll find any essential items at stores no matter where your flight happens to land.
- Do Laundry – Washing your clothes (or having someone do it for you at a hotel) once every 10 days isn’t torture. Facilities can be found just about everywhere and you can even wash your clothes in the shower or bathtub.
- Take Only What You Need – It seems basic, but what are the things you’ll use more than once on a 1 week trip? Start narrowing down from there and stick to a single carry-on.
- Mix And Match Outfits – A few pants, shirts, accessories, plus plenty of socks and underwear can still do wonders for your wardrobe.
- You Are Not Packing For The Rest Of Your Life – We tend to use things in a cyclical fashion, think about your daily routine at home. Do you wear every single outfit in your closet, or do you have some favorites?
I’m willing to bet that you’d need to replenish essential supplies in your house within 2 weeks, but could probably last an entire season or two with a jacket, 5 shirts, and 3 pair of pants, plus 10 pair of underwear and socks.
Missing The Destination By Packing Your Home
Most of the most memorable events and culturally insightful anecdotes you’ll come across traveling happen during the ordinary. Going to a local market to find a necklace, stopping by a small shop to get toothpaste, or washing your clothes like the locals do is similar, but not the same as it is back home. Each culture takes human-common things and crafts them under their own lens.
Yes, people around the world wash clothes, go to grocery stores, and drink Coca-Cola, but how they do so reflects their culture and perhaps yours. If you’re packing to bring home with you, it’s possible you could be missing out on seeing anything else, and carrying more baggage than you think.
[photos by: Cayusa (over-packing), downtownBLUE (over-packed group), ohmann alianne (one week written on finger)]
7 Ways To Bump Your Frequent Flyer Earning Up A Notch
Not signing up for a frequent flyer program is one common mistake many travelers make, but even the most reluctant travelers can be earning miles in 8 minutes or less. You may already be signed up and have a few miles scattered across several programs, have lost track of your miles accounts completely, or are still waiting for your next flight to earn a few more miles.
With a few organizational tricks and tools you can start earning many more miles from home than you ever could in the air by bumping up your game to the next level.
1. Use A Single Account Per Alliance
When you sign up for an airline’s frequent flyer program, in most cases you can earn miles by flying on any of that airline’s partner flights. So, for example, you can earn miles on United’s Mileage Plus when you fly on Lufthansa (both Star Alliance) but only if you used your United frequent flyer account number for that Lufthansa flight. Many people make the mistake of using their individual mile accounts for each airline, which usually means you end up with small amounts of (unusable) accumulated miles scattered across programs.
2. Track Miles The Digital Way
Don’t waste time and discourage your mile earning enthusiasm by trying to track various accounts from different websites with logons and passwords you’ll never remember (unless you’re using KeePassX). Rather, use Award Wallet to keep track of all your frequent flyer programs in one place and get notified if any are about to expire. When booking use MileMaven to find all of the promotions for a particular flight route or hotel and trade your smaller account miles with others on Points.com to rack up a bunch on a single airline.
3. Get A Boost With Credit Card Bonuses
Most airlines and many banks offer you a bonus of several thousand miles for signing up to one of their credit cards. In fact, wait a few months after signing up and you’ll notice the offers get increasingly more enticing. Wait for one you like, or, if you’re not loyal to a particular program consider a points-based credit card. For most of the credit cards there is a minimum total to get the bonus miles ($250-1,000 in 1-3 months) and you’ll have to keep the card active for at least 6 months.
4. Know What You Need To Fly
This is perhaps the most basic yet confusing piece of information to find about the various frequent flyer programs. To best redeem your miles you need to know how many are needed for a free upgrade or round-trip ticket. Frequent Flier has a list of the most popular programs and how many miles you need to redeem for US domestic. You’ll still have to do some digging for international flights, here are the requirements for OneWorld partner airlines and Star Alliance members.
5. Ask For Unused Miles From Friends And Family
Sherry brought up a good point last week, many of us have family and friends who fly infrequently or have miles set to expire. Rather than let them go to waste, you can ask to have the miles transferred to your existing account. It does cost a fee to do so (about $50-100) but the investment might be worth its weight in a free ticket or upgrade.
6. Holding A Minimum Balance Has Its Perks Too
Most airline frequent flyer programs have an ‘elite’ or ‘premier’ level attained when you reach slightly less miles than you need for a domestic flight. When you reach this level, typically you get some perks like being able to use the business or first class lines (even if you’re flying coach), boarding before everyone else, and get priority on your luggage at the baggage claim.
7. Shop At The Online Mall
Many airlines and most of the airline alliance frequent flyer programs have online malls that are made up of familiar stores like Barnes & Noble (where you can buy eBooks from overseas), Best Buy, Macy’s, and Dell where you earn more than 1 mile per dollar spent. (Purchase with a credit card linked to your miles account and double the earnings.) All you need to do is click through to those stores from the online frequent flyer mall for a particular program to earn bonus miles on things you’d buy anyway.
Don’t Stop There
Always try and keep your frequent flyer account in mind when you spend money, travel, or sign up for a new airline program. Often, there are miles waiting there to be had if you simply ask.
- Pets since they can earn miles too with Jet Blue Jet Paws, Virgin Atlantic, and Continental Pet Pass among several others. Airlines don’t advertise these programs so call if you’re unsure about the airline’s policy on how to travel with pets and earn miles.
- Split miles as Earl mentions, you can also book one-way tickets without giving up round-trip miles.
- Donate your miles. Matador Network shares 109 ways to use frequent flyer miles for good.
You ultimately may want to redeem the miles you’ve earned for a free flight but beware airlines are changing the game. In order to make good on those miles you’ll need to book well in advance, and can only fly where that single airline goes (no code-shares generally). Refunds or changes of flights once booked aren’t typically allowed either so keep that in mind and always stay on top of the airlines to get the value of the miles you worked so hard to earn.
[photos by: Alicakes* (number one), daftIntrovert (boost gauge), laurakgibbs (question mark and arrow), o.blaat (sharing beer), kalleboo (priority luggage), Ed Yourdon (girl using laptop in park)]
