Tired of battling that frozen loading bar beneath your Gmail account name? Here are some ways to sidestep either the university’s sometimes shaky Wi-Fi or Panera’s only-if-you’re-sitting-in-the-kitchen free Interwebs.
TETHERING
The gist: Tethering is the process by which one uses an Internet-enabled mobile device as a Wi-Fi modem for another device.
How it’s done: Once a mobile device is configured for tethering, the service provider typically provides a USB cable to link it to a notebook. After this initial hookup, the user must enable tethering via the mobile device’s onboard operating system and then “receive” that Internet signal through a usually carrier-provided computer application.
Pros: Tethering allows for a more secure connection because it relies on digital data being transferred directly through the mobile device — imagine the difference between browsing using Starbucks’ open network and your private home network. In addition, tethering can conserve the destination source’s battery power; if you’re tethering to an Internet-hungry laptop, the computer’s built-in Wi-Fi hardware, which incessantly munches on battery life, can be switched off.
Cons: Every wireless carrier maintains their own tethering policies that vary widely in price and functionality. For example, the tethering-enabled service plan for the AT&T iPhone is $45 a month for 4 GB of incoming and outgoing data. For the Verizon iPhone, the tethering-enabled service plan costs $20 a month for 2 GB of incoming and outgoing data. The lack of uniform tethering options across all carriers is a notable frustration.
And then there’s the inherent issue of connection speed, which may be slower because the tethering device is relying on USB input instead of internal hardware like most Wi-Fi modems built into notebooks. Plus, Wi-Fi usage drains a mobile device’s battery.
USB MODEMS
The gist: Consider it tethering without the cell phone — a USB modem is essentially a flash-drive-like plug-in that receives Wi-Fi from a service provider’s data network.
How it’s done: The process is as straightforward as accessing a thumb drive — plug the USB modem into a USB port. Some service providers require USB modem users to first open a computer application that serves as a Wi-Fi portal with various configuration options, such as a username and password for access.
Pros: USB modems offer a less bulky alternative to tethering, which is not entirely friendly to on-the-go situations with its requisite connectivity cable and peripheral cell phone. Again, USB modems ensure browsing security because they avoid the vulnerabilities of a wide open Wi-Fi network.
Cons: Simply stated, USB modems are expensive. Most USB modems’ price points are on par with cell phones’, with Verizon’s LG VL600 4G offer setting customers back $150 with a two-year contract. In addition, USB modems can fall prey to spotty coverage. If your location is not lush with the divine connectivity of a 3G or 4G network, expect exorbitant roaming charges, just as if you made a cell phone call outside your coverage area.
MIFI
The gist: It’s the closest any Wi-Fi-less user can get to creating their own mobile hotspot. MiFi devices are a line of compact wireless routers that can operate anywhere.
How it’s done: Envision the Wi-Fi network of any private residence uprooted and freed to move about its surroundings. A MiFi router creates a Wi-Fi “cloud” accessible by nearby eligible devices. For example, a family of five on a cross-country road trip could convert their minivan into a Wi-Fi hotspot by storing a MiFi device in the glove compartment, Dad’s pocket, the back of a seat — wherever. The Internet user then accesses the MiFi connection, which typically relies on a cellular 3G or 4G network, like any other Wi-Fi bubble.
Pros: Most MiFi wireless routers are extremely portable. They also mandate caps on the number of computers that can access the connection, and they often have vigorous security features — pivotal points considering the user is basically constructing a mobile hotspot similar to their local coffee shop’s. And the most appealing aspect is obvious: a reliable Internet connection regardless of location (at least within the country).
Cons: Because MiFi devices are often co-branded with wireless service providers, prepare to dole out some serious currency. While most service providers’ price points hover around $100 to $200 for the actual hardware, they often require costly upgrades to existing plans or entirely new packages.