Wireless Dial-Up
The author tests a product promising an easy, wireless Internet connection.
You might recall that a while ago I offered tips--from readers as well as from myself--about making the most of a dial-up connection. Those two columns were "The Lowdown on Dial-Up" and "More Dial-Up Access Tips."
Recently, I had the opportunity to test the WiFlyer from Always On. This device promises not only to make it easier to get a dial-up connection, but it also turns that connection into an instant 802.11b wireless network.
Skeptic that I am, I did some informal tests. My verdict: The WiFlyer is one of the easiest devices I've ever used to both make a dial-up connection and create an instant wireless network. The WiFlyer does two things, and it does them both well.
First, it acts as a dial-up modem. Most of you are rolling your eyes right now, saying: "Puh-leeze, I already have a dial-up modem." Yes, but does yours automatically launch a Web page with a simple set-up screen, so that you can configure your dial-up connection in, oh, let's say 5 seconds? I'd hazard to guess the answer is no.
Second, the WiFlyer is a compact wireless access point. It can create an instant wireless network from either a dial-up connection or from a broadband Ethernet network. Best of all, it creates the wireless network super fast. For example, I created a Wi-Fi network in less than 5 minutes.
Before you roll your eyes again, I'll answer your next "oh puh-leeze" question: "Why would I want a wireless dial-up connection?"
Consider this: You're in a hotel without broadband Internet access; they still exist. You have to dial up to get online, and you'd rather be able to work in bed or at a desk where the phone jack isn't convenient. With a wireless dial-up connection and a wireless-enabled notebook, you're free to work anywhere in the vicinity of the phone jack. Also, if there are two of you in the hotel room, and you both need online access, you can share the wireless network. The same arguments hold true if you're staying in a hotel, a friend's home, or elsewhere with a broadband Ethernet network.
I see your next question coming, and I'm ready for it: "Can I secure this instant wireless network?" The WiFlyer enables you to set encryption, MAC address filtering, and other Wi-Fi security controls. Although it works, I found this part of the process a bit confusing. A wizard-based approach for dummies (such as yours truly) would have been appreciated.
Another complaint: The WiFlyer requires an AC power adapter of its own; it can't draw power from the computer. The AC adapter is yet one more thing to carry, and potentially lose, on my next business trip.
Always On's WiFlyer isn't your only portable wireless access point/router option, of course. Others are available from Apple, Linksys, and others. But if you regularly rely on dial-up connectivity when traveling, or you want the option to easily create a wireless network connection, I'd recommend giving WiFlyer a try.
The WiFlyer costs about $130, and it's available from various online retailers, such as Amazon.com.
Mobile Computing News, Reviews, & TipsIn a switch from IBM's strategy, Lenovo (which acquired the ThinkPad line from Big Blue) recently announced a new line of ThinkPads for consumers. The Z60 series will include two models, the Z60t and the Z60m. Both will have wide-format screens, another departure for ThinkPads. You'll also find FireWire ports, three-in-one media card readers, the ability to configure your ThinkPad with a wireless wide area network antenna (which lets you snag an online connection via a cell-phone network), and more. Prices vary, beginning at $799 for the Z60m.
Nokia hopes to take a big bite out of Research In Motion's BlackBerry business. The cell phone maker has introduced new software that supports mobile business applications, including push e-mail. To use the service, a business would need to install the Nokia Business Center server software. Anyone with Java MIDP 2.0-capable phones certified by Nokia could then download the client so they can send and receive corporate e-mail. Initially, the service will be available on the Nokia 9500 Communicator and some Nokia 6600 handsets.
In nearly every recent disaster--the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the London bombings, the Gulf Coast hurricanes--regular mobile phone networks were overwhelmed, and land-line phones were knocked out of commission. The only reliable way that some people communicated was by sending text messages over their cell phones to one another. Text messages run on a separate, low-bandwidth spectrum on cellular networks, so they're much more likely to get through than voice calls. So now's a good time to make sure you and your family members know how to text message one another using your cell phones. Read "Will You Be Able to Make a Call in the Next National Emergency" for more tips.
Is there a particularly cool mobile computing product or service I've missed? Got a spare story idea in your back pocket? Tell me about it. However, I regret that I'm unable to respond to tech-support questions, due to the volume of e-mail I receive.
James A. Martin
