Hotspot Connectivity

Are you trying to work while on the move? Doing a little travel and need some connectivity? A hotspot probably is the solution, but there are multiple ways to accomplish setting up a hotspot and each of them have different pros/cons.

Most of us are in locations with cellular coverage and therefore a cellular connection is available to use for your laptop/computer if you have a cellular device with hotspot functionality. Almost any smartphone has this feature and if you are on an unlimited plan, there will be NO EXTRA CHARGE for using it! If you are in a location with cellular coverage but maybe not viable for your current cell phone (i.e., foreign travel) or don’t have a smartphone, then a stand-alone hotspot device is the best solution.

Cellhire (https://www.cellhire.com/) is a great solution for renting a cell phone, stand alone hot spot, satellite phone, etc. that are delivered directly to you….use it and at the end of your trip you send it back. Depending on what you sign up for, it can even coordinate with your original cellular number so “folks back home” don’t see a foreign number calling, and you receive all the calls directly from your USA device. Much safer than grabbing a SIM in a foreign country. Typically, the most “cost-effective solution” is to only rent a hot spot stand-alone device. Now, at the time of travel, turn the “cellular” connection on your personal cell phone off and make sure the Wi-Fi enabled calling is on. That way you can connect your personal phone to the hot spot and have full service but no foreign roaming/usage charges. Make sure you have it set correctly so you are not surprised with a large cell phone bill on your return.

Domestic travel where cellular connectivity is limited but exists. This is where a cell booster is a solution. I am using one right now to maintain connectivity as I write this article from the beach on a camping trip. Multiple hardware solutions are available, and you do have to call your cell phone provider so they can authorize the specific device to work on their network. This cost NOTHING other than the initial hardware purchase. Some hardware options are:

• WeBoost — https://a.co/d/8rEkz9K
• HiBoost — https://a.co/d/8rEkz9K
• Fusion to Go — https://a.co/d/8BWvdwj

Now these solutions are “mobile” and while they talk about using them in a vehicle or RV, the reality is they are good for anyone with multiple locations where cell coverage is low. There are other solutions for fixing cell phone coverage at a stationary location like your home. The easiest is to enable “Wi-Fi” calling on your cell phone. It will automatically use a recognized Wi-Fi connection when they are available and seamlessly switch to cell phone connection without you doing anything. Great solution for the home office. Wi-Fi covers you in the house. You start the conversation as you walk out to your garage and without dropping the call it switches to the cellular connect which is good “at the street and bad in your home” as you pull out into traffic. The other option is a cell phone boost that is not designed to move/switch cell towers. Very effective solution for a work/home location with weak cellular coverage. Some hardware options are:

• HiBoost — https://a.co/d/8BWvdwj
• Bamwirz — https://a.co/d/8BWvdwj

Connectivity while mobile is possible using publicly available Wi-Fi like in a coffee house, hotel lobby, or McDonald’s but quality of connection and security vary greatly.

Give me a call if you need some help figuring out the best solution for your needs.