(Sample) Internet Solutions Article
The Techie’s Guide to Tricky Web Access
There are myriad reasons for people to get online these days and for good reason, tasks as varied as checking out social media and posting time-sensitive documents somewhere that ensures they can be accessed can make a constant online presence a veritable necessity. Alas, even in this wireless age there can be obstacles to accessing the World Wide Web. Perhaps you’re on a budget and a costly monthly Internet connection payment is unreasonable or you’re spending time with your Uncle Bob, the backwoods farmer with no online footprint (or system) to speak of. How can you survive such Net Neutrality? Never fear, a little ingenuity and minimal information regarding one’s surrounding environment can get you online in some of the most difficult (read: weirdest) situations.
Whimsical Wi-Fi Wonders
If you just so happen to be across the street (or down the street) from a prime Wi-Fi hotspot, aside from being one very lucky duck, you can also get connected for free without having to leave the pajama zone you’d most likely prefer to be in, and you can do so with some pretty impressive speeds! Of course, you’ll need the right tool for the job; in this case, a Wi-Fi amplifier.
These brilliant devices all have somewhat unique ways of functioning depending on make and model, but they share a single goal: to take in incoming Wi-Fi signals and retransmit them in your home (or log cabin/military bunker/bathroom stall).
Pros:
For a single payment, you can purchase one of these babies and have your home swimming with nearby Wi-Fi signals at their intended speeds!
Cons:
Depending on the type of device you purchase, you may end up having to deal with a default throughput loss of roughly 50% (that means only half of the data packets your computer sends and/or receives will actually reach their intended destination) due to the very nature of the device itself.
Also, if you’re pulling and using signals from pretty far away, it is perfectly possible for an administrator to notice the strain you’re putting on the network and come up with all kinds of interesting ways to keep you off of it (like egging your house).
Lastly, it is pretty common knowledge now that connecting to any sort of public network poses a threat to your computer’s integrity and, more importantly, to your personal information (public Wi-Fi networks are a key-logger’s playing field). Thus, utilizing someone else’s Wi-Fi network as your primary form of connection could put you in harm’s way (so save your banking for later).
Tethering Without a Ball!
Tethering is basically the act (or Art!) of connecting a mobile device (aka. your cell phone) to a computer in order to allow the computer to access the internet through its connection. Traditionally, this was done only with a USB cable, but now it can be done by more sophisticated means (Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi).
Pros: There are plenty of reasons to resort to tethering for a surprisingly reliable connection option. Say you’re unable to access the Internet during a blackout but your phone and laptop have full batteries, or maybe you just happen to be stuck up on a mountain somewhere where although there are no telephone lines, there is perfect cellular reception from some nearby tower; either way, tethering can get you back on the web in no time.
Cons: Unfortunately, there are reasons not to use tethering as anything but a last resort. If you want to tether your phone’s internet surfing capacities over to your computer, you’re going to need at least average cellular reception and a reliable means for connecting your pair of devices.
Assuming you have fairly decent reception in your home, all you’ll need to worry about is the connection from phone to computer which can be one of three types: USB, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. USB is definitely the fastest option (clocking in at 480 Mbps) but you’ll be forced to work somewhere where your phone can get a good signal. This could be a desk (if you’re lucky), but you might find yourself scaling the sturdiest tree available to get things working smoothly if you’re really off the grid.
Bluetooth is the next most common option your phone will have available; however, only Bluetooth 4 will work effectively (24 Mbps) as Bluetooth 2.1 offers a measly 3Mbps and is bound to hold things up.
Of course, if Web access is this important to you, then you most likely own a smartphone capable of generating its own Wi-Fi signal for your computer to connect to. This would be your best bet as you wouldn’t have to physically connect your phone and computer together, plus with a top available transmission speed of 300 Mbps between the phone and computer, the only bottlenecks you’d encounter would be in your refrigerator.
Unfortunately, you’re still bound by the cold, hard resilience of your phone’s battery with any of these methods (depending on what you’re doing, you can actually drain the battery completely while it’s on the charger!).
Data-Cards are Still an Option
When all else fails you (and you’ve got just enough cash to afford two bills from your phone company of choice), you might decide on a Data-Card (yep, they still exist).
Data-Cards could be the perfect choice for you if you need more speed than your tethering setup will allow (they tend to range from 520 kbs to 2 Mbps depending on the network and the package you choose) or more privacy than you can get on the nearest Wi-Fi network.
Pros: The speed of the connection you end up with is entirely up to you (no Wi-Fi network administrators to slow you down) and the package you purchase from your service provider.
Additionally, you’ll be able to work wherever you like (so long as you have good reception) without having to worry about placement of any secondary device (specifically, your phone).
Cons: Depending on the provider, monthly payments for Data-Card coverage could be a bit beyond your personal budget. Also, depending on the plan you choose, your provider may limit total upload/download amounts.