Internet in the Palm of your Hand

When the smartphone just isn’t enough

There are times when it’s more convenient to have a bigger screen or an actual keyboard, especially for work. So laptops and tablets are still the way to go when you’re on the go. The problem is when you are in a location with limited or no WiFi access.  That’s where a little device nicknamed a Hotspot comes in. Using cell towers, a hotspot provides WiFi for mobile devices that  are within a limited range (the hot spot) around it.

What hotspot devices you can get?

Rather than explain it here, PC Magazine has a nice review of the more popular mobile hotspots and their prices at this link: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2400503,00.asp

Limitations of a mobile hotspot

Even with a mobile hotspot, you aren’t guaranteed to get Internet access everywhere. If there’s no nearby cell phone towers  for your hotspot device to see (or you’re in a shielded building), the hotspot won’t be able to make a connection to get on the Internet.

And while a hotspot is a great emergency network during a power outage (which happened to me), the usage charges make hotspots too expensive as a permanent replacement for cable or DSL internet.

~ The Computer Cat