Technology & Social Media how do you get your laptop to online when you are out about?

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by Eric Wu, 24th Feb, 2018.

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  1. Eric Wu

    Eric Wu Well-Known Member

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    hi guys

    how do you usually get online from your PC when out about? the options that I can think of are: wifi modem, phone hotspotting, or free wifi . do you use SIM card on your laptop for internet connection? any good or bad? the WWAN adaptor is around $200-$300
     
    Eric Wu, 24th Feb, 2018
    #1
  2. bunkai

    bunkai Well-Known Member

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    Phone tethering for the most part. Data is cheap and fast now. Avoiding video and set the wifi network to "metered" so it avoids downloading updates.

    I do plug my phone into my PC to charge tho.

    Public wifi in a pinch (including Telstra air) but try to avoid from a security perspective. Or use a vpn.
     
    bunkai, 24th Feb, 2018
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  3. Eric Wu

    Eric Wu Well-Known Member

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    never used public wifi, just don't feel secure
     
    Eric Wu, 24th Feb, 2018
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  4. Westminster

    Westminster Tigress at Tiger Developments Business Member

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    Generally phone tethering. My monthly data allowance is enough to cover quite a bit of usage and it’s cheaper than having a 4g dongle these days.
     
    Westminster, 24th Feb, 2018
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  5. Simon Hampel

    Simon Hampel Founder Staff Member

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    I primarily use phone tethering (Internode NodeMobile, which uses the Optus network), but I also carry a Pre-paid Telstra 4G WiFi Hotspot as a backup and as an alternative if the network is too congested.

    For most purposes, phone tethering works perfectly well.

    I wouldn't bother with the WWAN card, unless you are ever without your phone.
     
    Simon Hampel, 24th Feb, 2018
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  6. Wukong

    Wukong Well-Known Member

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    We use Vodafone for business with 60gb shared mobile data. When out and about, phone tether.
     
    Wukong, 24th Feb, 2018
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  7. Jess Peletier

    Jess Peletier Mortgage Broker & Finance Strategy, Aus Wide! Business Member

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    Yup phone for me too.
     
    Jess Peletier, 24th Feb, 2018
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  8. House

    House Well-Known Member

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    Hotspotting is the easiest these days. Definitely wouldn’t use public wifi.

    Have Optus 100gb data plan incl IPhone 8 for $120/m. Have the laptop and iPad tethered to it all day long at work and still plenty of data left over every month. Holds surprisingly well through tunnels etc.
     
    House, 24th Feb, 2018
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  9. Eric Wu

    Eric Wu Well-Known Member

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    wow, you guy have huge data allowance there. I have only 40G p m in total.
     
    Eric Wu, 24th Feb, 2018
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  10. Athikalaka

    Athikalaka Well-Known Member

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    If in Australia, mobile hotspot.
    If overseas, try to rent a wifi router hotspot.
    Whenever (if ever) you need to use public wifi for extreme cases, use protection: VPN.
    If you don't, you'll need to go home and scrub yourself for being exposed. Then you need to scrub your digital device, too.

    You should be using VPN most of the time, anyway except for speed (HD+ streaming, gaming etc)
     
    Athikalaka, 24th Feb, 2018
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  11. Rolf Latham

    Rolf Latham Inciteful (sic) Staff Member Business Plus Member

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    my single phone plan wiith telstra has 60 gb so Hotspot for me

    ta

    rolf
     
    Rolf Latham, 24th Feb, 2018
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  12. val

    val Well-Known Member

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    which VPN would you recommend?
     
    val, 25th Feb, 2018
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  13. Athikalaka

    Athikalaka Well-Known Member

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    I swap between a few but PIA seems to work well with my devices
     
    Athikalaka, 25th Feb, 2018
    #13
  14. Hodge

    Hodge Well-Known Member

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    Silly question here, why is public WiFi not safe? Is the risk whilst your online or even after you log off?
     
    Hodge, 25th Feb, 2018
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  15. Rolf Latham

    Rolf Latham Inciteful (sic) Staff Member Business Plus Member

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    Your data can be seen, you can pick up a cold which might have a long incubation period

    Ta

    Rolf
     
    Rolf Latham, 25th Feb, 2018
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  16. Jamie Moore

    Jamie Moore MORTGAGE BROKER - AUSTRALIA WIDE Business Member

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    I always just use the phone
     
    Jamie Moore, 25th Feb, 2018
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  17. Eric Wu

    Eric Wu Well-Known Member

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    I primarily use a wifi modem, which has a data share SIM from Telsta, and sometimes phone as well. phone tethering is not that reliable and it gets hot after a little while.
     
    Eric Wu, 25th Feb, 2018
    #17
  18. Pumpkin

    Pumpkin Well-Known Member

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    Another one for phone tethering here, both Oz and overseas.
     
    Pumpkin, 25th Feb, 2018
    #18
  19. bunkai

    bunkai Well-Known Member

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    Nothing really wrong with that - does save your battery in the phone.

    I've found some phones better than others for tethering - mine doesn't get hot and is dead reliable / very fast.
     
    bunkai, 25th Feb, 2018
    #19
  20. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    I use a decoder downloaded to piggy-back onto someone else's data connection - you'll find it on the black web ;)


    Ever wonder why when you go to the local shops, Westfield, girlie bar pub, cricket game, footy etc your phone says "welcome back @hodgey"?
     
    Scott No Mates, 25th Feb, 2018
    #20
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