BOOT CAMP 422 (02/05/06)

TRAVELLING WITH A LAPTOP, part 1

Don’t let the glossy ads fool you! For every one of those happy smiling laptop users casually surfing the web using wireless ‘hotspots’ in airports and hotels there’s a couple of poor saps tearing their hair out desperately trying to get a connection. The fact that I’m almost bald might tell you something about my own experiences…

To be fair it’s getting a lot easier to go online when you are on the move. In the early days of mobile computing (late 80s, early 1990s) I would not dream of leaving home without a small set of tools (to dismantle hotel bedroom phone junction boxes etc.), a selection of modem and network adaptor cards plus a bag full of plugs and cables.

As recently as four or five years ago, when Wi-Fi first started to take off, getting any sort of connection on a Wi-Fi Access Point was a minor miracle. Since then the hardware and software has improved in leaps and bounds, and Windows XP has made things a lot simpler too but it can still be a frustrating business so here’s a few tips to help make life on the road a little easier. Next week we’ll be delving into the murky world of wireless and network configuration for travellers.

If you really need to stay in contact when you are out and about you cannot rely on Wi-Fi alone. Get to know the dial-up modem inside your laptop and set up a connection before you leave. If you subscribe to a major ISP like AOL or CompuServe etc., find out the local dial-up numbers for the area you are visiting and store them in a file on your PC before you go. If you can connect your PC to your mobile phone learn how to set up a mobile data connection and test it out, just in case.

Although we are now (supposedly) living in the wireless age do not forget the cables. You will need a standard telephone modem cable, preferably one with the US ‘RJ11’ type plugs on both ends, to connect your laptop to hotel and motel phones with dial-up data ports. If you are travelling within the UK take a phone/modem with a BT plug on one end, or just use a single RJ11 cable with a US to BT plug adaptor. These are readily available from PC suppliers and companies like Maplin.

Out in the sticks -- particularly in the US -- some hotels and motels provide fast Internet and broadband access via a network connection, so make take a ‘straight’ RJ45 Ethernet cable with you. I suggest getting one that’s at least 3 metres long, preferably longer as hotel room network ports are invariably in an inaccessible location and it’s rather satisfying to be able to use your laptop from the comfort of your bed.

Network cables can be quite bulky but you can get retractable ones that spool up neatly inside a small box about the size of a bar of soap.  Lastly, don’t forget to pack a USB extension cable and a small four-way hub. You will need this to connect your PC to all of your other gadgets (MP3 player, digital camera, digital camcorder, flash drive and so on), particularly if your laptop is an older or more basic model with only one or two on-board USB ports.

Laptops and pretty well all electronic devices can pass safely through most airport X-Ray scanners. If you are worried you can always ask for a hand search, though don’t expect too many favours from airport security, especially at busy times. It’s a good idea to keep a copy of any irreplaceable data about your person on a flash drive; small plastic bodied types normally pass through metal detector portals without setting off the alarm.

Even the best laptops can only manage 3 to 4 hours running time so power on the move can be a problem, particularly on long-haul flights. Some airlines have begun to fit power sockets in seat armrests, though usually only on Club or Business class seats and occasionally a few rows in Economy. There is supposedly a standard ‘EmPower’ seat connector but I have come across at least two other types of socket (12 volts from a car cigarette lighter type socket and 110 volts AC from a 2 pin socket), which means taking even more cables and adaptors with you. There’s normally no way of knowing beforehand what sockets, if any, will be available, though there is a fairly comprehensive list of airlines known to have in-seat power ports on the Platypus Computing website. I take no chances and carry a spare high capacity battery pack and always take advantage of main power sockets in departure lounges and at the gate for a quick top-up charge.     

NEXT WEEK - Travelling with a laptop, part 2

JARGON FILTER

ACCESS POINT

Wi-Fi transceiver that allows wireless equipped laptops and PCs to connect to the Internet through a network

EMPOWER

Purpose-designed power socket for use in commercial aircraft, nominal 12 volts DC supply

RJ11 & RJ45

Plug and socket standards, RJ11 is the small 4/6 pin connected used on telephones and modems, RJ45 is the slightly larger 8 pin connector used for cabled Ethernet network connections

TOP TIP

There are two schools of thought about the type of bag or container you should use to transport your laptop. Purpose-designed bags undoubtedly offer the best protection but they draw attention to the fact that you are carrying an expensive and therefore very pinchable piece of luggage. I prefer the ‘dress down’ approach and carry my small laptop in a thinly padded slip-case that lives inside an aircraft cabin-friendly pull-along holdall, with books and other soft items providing layers of secondary padding. Needless to say never allow your laptop to go into the hold, you may not see it again, and if you do there’s a fair chance it will be in several pieces. Don’t forget there’s a full archive of Boot Camp Top Tips at www.rickmaybury.com

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© R. Maybury 2006, 2604