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Does anyone know if there is a software that will automatically detect the dial-up connection number you need when you are travelling with a laptop,
I'm from Montreal and my internet provider is Videotron but I have to call them prior to travelling or when I'm there to get a connection number which is another long distance call.
Thanks
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Check the isp website, they should maintain a list of access numbers. Save the list as a text file. Then, if frequently use a number when traveling, setup a second (and a third if necessary) dial up connection that can be doubleclicked to launch. Put shortcuts to extra connections on desktop and name them according to city.
Anne--Do you know the name of your ISP? (It usually is part of your email address like anne@ISP.com ) Run a search at www.google.com and you should find the URL of its internet site.
Or can you phone the ISP (number on your monthly bill)? Usually those sites will have a button to find if there is a local access number in the location of interest.
If you cannot find the website, what is the name of your ISP?
There is also a possiblity the ISP will be in this group http://www.freedomlist.com/
I do have the ISP for my internet provider and I know the numbers that I need to access cities in Canada but they don't support the United States so what happens when I travel to the states and would like to access the internet?
I am new to travelling with a laptop and would like to know how it works. How do I log on? Is there a free software that automatically detects the closest number to connect to? Someone told me there is but could not remember the name. Is there?
Any help you can give me would be appreciated. I don't travel that much but would like to be prepared and know what I need to do in advance.
Anne--Are you saying that your ISP only offers access numbers in Canada? If so, and you are planning a trip to the US, you either will have to pay for a long distance connection to Canada, or you could try an AOL, PeoplePC, etc. "free 30/45 day trial". They have local access numbers all over the US. You can pick up the free installation CD's at many stores. Or you can sign up online. Just be sure to cancel before the "free trial" expires.
P.S. In the US the closeness of the access number's location has nothing to do with the cost of the connection. A local connection is usually free (unless the hotel charges--certainly free at someone's home), a long distance connection is usually all one price regardless of distance as long as you are dialing the US or Canada. You can also buy telephone cards to lower the price of the connection, but I am not sure how that works with computers.
P.P.S. And once you set up the PC (probably through "Create a new DialUp Connection) to access an ISP's local number (or long distance if necessary), you should be able to use it just as if you were at home.
P.P.P.S. Many hotels and other locations offer free wireless internet connections, if your laptop is set up to use that.
Last edited by Welshjim; 27th February 2005 at 19:49.
Thank you for your response - I will try the PeoplePC by doing a search on Google. My laptop is also set up for wireless but unfortunately the last few places I have had to stay at did not offer it so I've had to use dial-up and my success rate so far has not been good because I'm always having a problem finding these dial-up numbers.
Anyway thanks for your reply and I will try that and see what happens.
tip:
Prior to next trip, go online and serach for hotels in that city that offer internet, wireless or wired. Your laptop is setup for wireless already, but some hotels require a wired connection using a network cable (cat5 patch cable). You can buy a 3' cable for a dolllar or two at any computer store.
The wired connection is for a dial-up or for the high speed??
I'm assuming that hotels that offer high speed don't require anything other than plug and instant connection to internet - am I correct or do I have to do something else to connect?
The wired connection is for a dial-up or for the high speed??
I'm assuming that hotels that offer high speed don't require anything other than plug and instant connection to internet - am I correct or do I have to do something else to connect?
Thanks.
May or may not be "high speed', but will not need to dial. Just plug in and play. The connection will be Local Area Connection. Once plugged in you will be using the hotels local area network.
Thanks for your help. It obviously seems easier with a wireless connection but not all hotels have that yet. So for now I will do as you suggest and just search before I go and if need be at least I'll know what dial-up numbers I will need also. I'm also going to look for a company that can supply me with "pay-as-you-need" service since I don't need an ISP service monthly if I only need their access numbers 4 times a year.
Thanks for your help. It obviously seems easier with a wireless connection but not all hotels have that yet. So for now I will do as you suggest and just search before I go and if need be at least I'll know what dial-up numbers I will need also. I'm also going to look for a company that can supply me with "pay-as-you-need" service since I don't need an ISP service monthly if I only need their access numbers 4 times a year.
Again thanks for putting me on the right track.
Good plan.
Stay away from AOL & similar internet providers that require that you install their software from a CDROM. It's simply easier and cleaner to setup a second dialup connection and manually type the username & phone number, then use it as needed. Those "free tril 60 day CDROMs" and similar end up doing more damage in the longrun because they put xtra stuff on the system that you'll never need such as other demo software, instant messanging programs, sometimes advertisements and partner links in Favorites, search engine choices etc., bloatware.
That's exactly the kind of guidance I need - it's good to know what to do and not do when you've never done it before.
Thanks again and I will do as you suggest and keep away from those providers. At the moment I am looking into PeoplePC - it sounds good but need to contact them to see if they can provide "pay-as-I-need" service.
TonyT--Please educate me. If the hotel has wired or wireless connection to the internet, does that mean they also supply the ISP? Or does Anne have to have an account with an ISP?
