wi-fi hotspots

Remember back on Monday when I said I was the victim of flaky hotel Wi-Fi? It's true: I couldn't publish my Cheapskate post because my room had a weak, inconsistent signal. It was incredibly frustrating, like trying to work using a dial-up modem.

The smart thing would have been to pack a mobile hot spot. Of course, I don't want to get stuck with a two-year contract and hefty monthly fees for a gizmo I need only occasionally. That's why today's deal is so appealing.

For a limited time, Virgin Mobile has the Overdrive Pro 3G/4G mobile hot spot for $83.99 shipped. … Read more

You're in the middle of a city park. You're at a rest stop on the side of the road, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Or maybe you're simply in your living room. You turn on your computer and have instant, secure access to the Internet without requiring any network cables or log-ins -- or even any payment to an ISP.

Yeah, right.

Ubiquitous, free, and safe Internet access is a long, long way off, and many skeptics believe such a day will never arrive. The glass-half-full among us will point out that the number of people … Read more

In Windows 8, Microsoft quietly removed a useful networking feature: ad-hoc networks.

In Windows 7 (and previous OSes), the tool could turn your PC into a Wi-Fi hot spot, allowing it to share its Ethernet or other Internet connection with other devices by broadcasting its own network.

So, if you paid for Internet access at a cafe, or you're at work, and want to share your PC's Internet with your phone or tablet, this feature would let you do that.

It is very possible to do this in Windows 8, but the built-in method requires fiddling with the … Read more

For as long as I can remember, my iPhone 4S has had trouble connecting to certain Wi-Fi hotspots.

When I go to Panera Bread, for example, I can connect to their network on my laptop without a problem. But it requires visiting a landing page in my browser and clicking a button to agree to the terms of service.

When I try to make that same connection on my iPhone, a log-in screen immediately pops up -- but stays blank. For some reason, it fails to load that landing page, meaning I can't tap "I agree" and … Read more

Facebook is testing a new Wi-Fi hot spot service for local businesses that lets users surf the net for free if they do a Facebook check-in.

First noticed by developer Tom Waddington today, the social network's experiment has businesses providing the Internet service in exchange for a Facebook router that will direct customers to the businesses' Facebook page after they check in.

Facebook confirmed to CNET that it's rolled out the "small test with a few local businesses," but didn't name any names.

"When you access Facebook Wi-Fi by checking in, you are directed … Read more

These days computing is practically synonymous with Internet access, and often in any given location you may have access to more than one network, be it Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or otherwise.

With multiple connections available it may be beneficial to prioritize the way OS X accesses these networks to ensure you use the desired one. For example, if you have a relatively slow Wi-Fi network in a workplace but also have a faster Ethernet network that can be used, when connected to the Ethernet port it would be nice to ensure OS X uses this connection instead of using Wi-Fi.

While … Read more

Apple and Samsung are running away with the smartphone market, but does that mean that consumers should steer clear of all the other handset makers?

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I help one reader decide if he should take a gamble and ditch Apple for an HTC One X. Will he still get the same level of service he has had with Apple?

I also explain to another reader that the Wi-Fi hotspot feature is included in the price of the new family share plans.

Steer Clear of HTC because of its sales troubles?

Dear Maggie, I've been … Read more

Recently I plunked down at a Starbucks with plans to work for a couple hours while my son was up the street at a birthday party. Just one problem: their Wi-Fi was down.

Without Internet, it's downright impossible for me to work. That's why I always pack a mobile hot spot, which I can use in a pinch when there's no Wi-Fi available.

Of course, I don't want to pay $50 per month for two years for a service I use only occasionally. Enter TruConnect, a company that offers no-contract service and pay-as-you-go rates.

The hardware … Read more

Nokia's Lumia 710 and 800 phones may be one step closer to gaining the ability to act as Wi-Fi hot spots, though the company itself isn't confirming or revealing any details on the matter.

A changelog of the latest update posted by Nokiapoweruser seems to reveal that the tethering feature will be rolling out for phones in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Vietnam. Screenshots of the update point to the 710 and 800C (the Chinese variant of the 800) as the recipients of the update.

No specific date was listed as to when the update would actually launch. Nokiapoweruser … Read more