So your looking to access the Internet while your traveling or on the move?

You move around everyday so why shouldn't your internet connection travel with you as well.  Whether in your home or traveling, there are a number of options to gain wireless internet access.  Below we will explore the 3 most common scenarios for needing a wireless internet connection and present the best solutions to help you achieve the "internet freedom" your searching for.

Scenario #1 - Provide wireless internet access for your home or office.

Scenario #2 - I need a handheld device to send and receive email

Scenario #3 - You Need Wireless Internet Access in Your Home, Office and as you travel across the states

Scenario #1 - Provide wireless internet access for your home or office.

• You just bought a new laptop computer with a WiFi Connection built in
• You bought a Video Games system and you want to play it online
• You have a number of computers that you want to connect to the internet and you don't want to connect or run network cables throughout your house

What you are looking to do is to create a "Wireless Network within your house.

A Home Wireless Network becomes a WI-Fi Hotspot. Wi-Fi is short-range radio technology, (Interference can arise from microwaves, cordless phones and baby monitors - so don't place your equipment near these devices) The Typical range for a home wireless network is generally between 150 ft. and 300 ft., but can be hampered by the number and thickness of your walls, or even a poorly-placed large aquarium.

STEP 1: Get the Wireless Equipment You will need
First, make sure everything you buy is at least 802.11G or Wi-Fi (short for wireless fidelity).
802.11g is backwards compatible with 802.11b — meaning a laptop with a "g" card will talk to a "b" router, albeit at the slower speed. By doing this you will be able to mix different brands, operating systems, even network a Mac to a Windows PC. 

The heart of your network will be a wireless access point and cable/DSL router, preferably one device that does both, that plugs into your cable or DSL modem.  These access points are available from Linksys, D-Link, Netgear and others. In many cases your Cable or Internet Service provider will provide this free to you when you sign up for service.  If you need to buy one, you can buy wireless routers at PCBuyer.Com for less than $100.

To establish a wireless connection between a desktop PC and the wireless router, you need a wireless card ($40 and up), which slides into a free slot inside the computer tower. We recommend that you get a Wireless USB Card network adapter ($70), which saves you the trouble of opening up the case. This card allows you to move it from computer to computer and requires no installation of your part. Simply plug it into the USB port on any computer.

To connect a notebook PC, you'll need a wireless PC card, a slim plate that slides into the laptop's PCMCIA slot or its USB port.   If you have bought a notebook computer in the past 3 years, most major computer manufacturers have embedded the notebook with Wi-Fi capabilities built in. Notebooks with Intel's new Centrino chip, for example, are Wi-Fi-enabled (and, according to Intel, automatically connect you to Wi-Fi networks in airports and coffee shops).

STEP 2: Install and Configure

The software that comes with your wireless equipment will walk you through the installation. The steps will vary slightly, depending on each computer's operating system. The older the OS, the trickier it can be; Windows XP and Vista are designed to detect and configure a PC card to talk to an existing network, as are most newer Apple Macs.

Once you begin, gather the following information: your broadband connection's IP address, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS IP addresses. You can get these things from your Internet provider; your customer-service rep will know what you're talking about (or check the Properties tab, under Network Connections).  You may also be asked to choose an SSID (service set identifier), work-group names and a wireless channel; keep these consistent for all of your machines.

Scenario #2 - I need a handheld device to send and receive email - occasional access to the internet using a handheld screen is fine.

• Your looking for a simple compact device that allows you to stay in touch with your email in real-time.
• You need limited internet access to view sites, get news, stock quotes or instant message

If this is you, then your looking for a Smart Phone.  Smart Phones like the Blackberry, the IPhone or handheld devices incorporate wireless data with their voice services. 

These smart phone devices are sold by all of the major wireless carriers and can offer you convenience and simplicity in one small form factor.  This link will provide you with a List of smart phones available today.

Scenario #3 - You Need Wireless Internet Access in Your Home, Office and as you travel across the states

• You need Internet Access in your home, in your office, in your car, in your hotel or for that matter.. on the beach.
• You don't want to be always looking for Wi-Fi Hotspots
• You want Security - You do not want to be on a wide open network
• You want reliable internet connections, security and piece of mind knowing that in most metropolitan areas you will always be within coverage.

If this sounds like you, then your looking for "Mobile Broadband Service" offered by the National Wireless Carriers such as AT&T, Sprint and Verizon Wireless. EVDO is broadband wireless internet service. In the same way WiFi became a household word years ago, the newer, more powerful EVDO Service offers to further liberate the way you do "business" once again. EVDO works most everywhere your cell phone does. Unlike satellite internet, the equipment you need for EVDO is portable and fits in your pocket. Adding to your mobility, EVDO has about a 15mile range from every Verizon or Sprint Cell Phone Tower vs. WiFi, which has about a 50foot range from a "Starbucks" or home office. EVDO is the perfect solution for anyone who travels across the US and would like Internet Access anywhere.  If your a business, you cant live without it.

EVDO consistently delivers about 700 - 800kbps. BUT in many instances you can achieve peak bursts of 2meg per second on the downlink.  EVDO RevA  is guaranteed to be 2000k+ on the downlink and almost 700K on the uplink.  This is faster than most home DSL connections.

Allows the user to be “connected” wherever they are – not only for email, but for downloads, large files, photos, spreadsheets, etc.

Users can work on a large variety of applications, including the MS Office Suite and others, so they can do business anywhere! Access mission-critical documents and information wherever you are.

Gives “plug and play” of business functions, games and Internet access anywhere!

CheapAircards.Com offers dozens of free wireless air cards for all of the major wireless carriers.

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