Internet Connection in America

[Trevor]

I will be visiting New York in a few weeks and want to find out before I go the best way to connect to the Internet from my laptop while in my Hotel.

I have a Compuserve Account and assume the best possible choice is a dial up connection to the "local" Compuserve Number (Not sure yet if it is a Freephone Number or Local Rate).

There are two possible alternatives in theory.

I have a Red Vodafone Connect Card slotted into the Laptop which I have been able to connect to the Internet in the UK & Europe without any cables and just pay for the data I download. Not sure if this works in US.

I have a Nokia 6310i mobile and this is supposed to work in the States and I suppose if it was possible to connect to the net on my laptop via this but it would be quite expensive.

Would welcome advice from anyone.

Thank you.

[sdkfz]

What hotel are you going to be in?

A lot of the hotels now provide internet access as part of the room rate for business people to get their mail etc. At that point all you need is the "my providor service's mail on the web access" link instead of the nromal "log into my providor first and get my mail through their server" If for example you can get your mail while at work on work's network then all you need is the conection in the hotel.

I googled "hotel internet access" and I got lots of news stories about various hotels and their service with wireless in the lobby and meeting rooms etc and hi speed wired in the rooms.

[glc]

If the hotel only has data ports for dialup, you will use the local Compuserve access number. Your modem has to be capable of working on the US phone system, and the hotel will most likely bill you $1 or so for connecting, whether it's a local call or a free (800) call. Compuserve will surcharge you for using the 800 number so use the local access number.

Your Vodaphone card may work if there are any providers that are compatible with it. I would assume this could get costly due to roaming charges. Same with your Nokia - you need the connect kit for it and you would use it to connect to Compuserve - but this would be more costly than using the wired modem (you would be paying roaming charges on whatever network the phone would find) and accomplish the same thing.

The ideal situation would be if the hotel has high speed Ethernet access, all you would need is an Ethernet cable from the wall jack to your NIC port, and some hotels charge you a daily rate for using it, the number I hear is around $10 a day.

I would ask the hotel about their facilities before you go so you can plan how to do it.