Internet on the road

Most of the hotspots are free, but free hotspots are not usually "protected" by a password, which serves also as an encryption key. Note, however, everybody at the site is using the same key.

I do on-the-road business through mobile wireless from the phone company. All traffic is encrypted between your phone/modem/hotspot device and the tower. What works for me is AT&T, which also gets me use of AT&T's paid wifi network, I get signed in using my own key even where the hotspot is "open" and free of charge.

You can get mobile + public hotspots also from T-mobile, you can get mobile from Verizon and Sprint. You can buy Sprint mobile wireless from Virgin for as little as $35 a month. StraightTalk, $42.50. Cricket, $45. AT&T $65. Verizon $100. All those are 2.5 GB to 3 GB data, unlimited talk and text.

I'm not sure whether anyone is still offering "data only" plans at low prices (Virgin once had a $30/month wifi hotspot), my data-only devices are all sharing with my phones, $10 a month each to be part of the shared data plan. You can go tablet-only for as low as $20 (2 GB) but the cheapest thing to connect a computer to the Internet is going to be in the $50-60 range for 3 GB to 5 GB data.

VPN service is going to be a cost on top of your Internet connection, which might be free. Not many "free" connections support VPN, although I've seen VPN service in hotels where the cost is buried in the room charge (like "free" HBO, "free" breakfast and "free" soap and shampoo).

My opinion about VPN, I don't think it is needed when I am using the mobile phone network as my connection, no more than I need it connecting hardwire through cable or DSL. That's based on my experience, my business. If I were doing other things, and concerned about the networks I was connecting too, then maybe VPN, and encryption/login codes that change every so many seconds. Used to do a lot of that when I was working internationally.

What do you already have as far as cell phones and or cell service? We have two IPhones and two IPads and have AT&T and can do everything we need either on the phones or IPads.

When we have access to wifi we use it. When we only have access to cell service and cell data we access the internet using the iPhone as the hotspot. Works fine.

We only use our VERIZON 3GB MIFI Hot Spot just for checking in with kids, paying bills, maybe alittle surfing the net etc... We have an older VERIZON MIFI plan and the 3GB dataplan never goes over the limit for us. This is grandfathered and only cost $27 a month but not available anymore. Verizon does have a 5GB dataplane for $60 a month I think it is.

Using this we never worry about bad connections at the camp grounds and being VERIZON we get great coverage all over the US even back off the power grid places. This works anywhere our Verizon CELL PHONE plan works but is separate from the cell phone. This MIFI unit provides our secured HOTSPOT and we can run up to five enables WIFI devices like our computers and tablets.

Works great for our camping lifestyle. I have an even better HOTSPOT footprint around our trailer setup by plugging the VERIZON MIFI unit in our WILSON SLEEK Cradle which has an outside antenna. This is my primary docking station for the MIFI unit.

Roy Ken

Sounds like your co-worker is talking about a VPN service perhaps. If that is the case, he is correct. Think of a VPN as a "pipe within the pipe" of the internet. It keeps your information safer, and not as easy to tell what you are sending (trying to simplify here) You still need to have a WiFi Connection to use a VPN. So you still need campground wifi, or coffee shop wifi, or library wifi - some sort of internet connection. But with the VPN you are safer.

The VPN does slow things a bit as well - since everything that passes through your "private pipe" has to be encrypted.

There are Prepaid Hot Spots from Verizon, AT&T and others - just like prepaid phones. That might be an option for you? Use WiFi when you can - and if you can't - use your pre-paid device.

Hope that helps - Having Technology while your traveling is a blessing!