If you travel frequently and need to stay connected, but don’t want to fork out for 3G mobile broadband, the burgeoning wi-fi hotspot network can help you do so.

And you may not need to take your laptop with you to do so either – your mobile phone will do. We’ve compiled some tips and tools to help you wi-fi your way around.

First up, let’s see what’s new.

‘Walking hotspot’
First up is the news that local wi-fi company Tomizone is about to introduce a “walking hotspot”, a palm-sized personal unit that creates a small wi-fi zone around you. It connects to a range of devices – not just your laptop – including iPhones and other smart phones. It uses the 3G networks as backhaul, which, unfortunately, makes it a tad expensive. However, we are definitely heading in the right mobile direction with this type of local development. And a great way to get a popular following downtown!

Tomizone CEO Steve Simms says the device will be similar to Novatel Wireless’ MiFi, which was released earlier this year. This credit-card sized device allows up to five people to share a mobile broadband link and connect multiple devices to the 3G network, via wi-fi. Could be good for family use… or maybe not. While specifics on Tomizone’s “walking hotspot” device have yet to be provided, MiFi is battery-powered and delivers four hours of active use, so we’re probably looking at something similar.

Also promised for the new year are two new Android phones, from Verizon. Based on Google’s Linux-based Android mobile operating system, it could be worth checking out these iPhone rivals.

The first Android phone, the HTC Dream, which is a relatively recent addition to Vodafone’s New Zealand line-up, debuted in the US in late 2008.

While considered underwhelming, it is 3G and GPS-enabled, has a good-size QWERTY keyboard and is, of course, wi-fi enabled, and, most importantly, when it comes to the future, it can access all Google’s mobile applications.

Nokia, Samsung and RIM – with the newish BlackBerry Curve – all now sell wi-fi-enabled smartphones, and, of course, there’s the iPhone.

They can all meet your simpler out-and-about needs for email and access to online information on-the-go. And perhaps most importantly, given the high cost of New Zealand mobile broadband plans, can connect you to the burgeoning wi-fi networks – sometimes, if you get lucky, for free.

Café connection
The increasingly realistic – and popular – alternative to 3G is the laptop-in-a-café (now smartphone-in-café) connection. Café hotspots are on the way to becoming ubiquitous, especially when it comes to the chains. If you get across the Big Ditch, you’ll already know your wi-fi options are a lot more reasonable and reliable than the exorbitant data charges the telcos think they can charge.

We checked out availability and found 361 wi-fi locations in Auckland alone, using JiWire’s wi-fi Hotspot Locator (www.jiwire.com).

Starbucks and Esquires cafés, as well as hotels, are well represented, but some independent cafés now have hotspots too, so you can even enjoy a decent coffee at the same time as you link up.

Payment for informal, on-the-spur-of-the-moment access varies widely from just $0.10 per megabyte up to $10 to $15 for an hour. You usually just pay with your credit card at the same time as you purchase your flat white. Many cafés will throw in the free access with your purchase.

McDonalds has offered wi-fi access since 2004. It’s not a gourmet choice, but it may be the only choice anyway, when holidaying with kids.

Lastly, apparently, Mobil ‘On the Run’ petrol stations have started offering free wi-fi access – good for a quick email check while you fill up, says the very useful Jahoog site (http://jahoog.org/wifi/). This is one of several sites listing NZ’s free hotspots. It asks you to add any new ones you come across, but this is a small price to pay for such useful information.

We came across Jahoog on the iPhone New Zealand site (http://www.iphonewzealand.co.nz/2009/all/map-of-free-wifi-hotspots/). This site also links to the much more comprehensive listing for the Zenbu wi-fi hot spot network,(http://www.zenbu.net.nz/new-zealand-wi-fi-hotspots/).

Zenbu’s site currently lists 115 free hotspots and 44 nearly free ones across the country.

Tauranga, Taupo or Timbuktu - Jiwire will help you find hotspot locations.

Wi-fi radio hotspot search
If you don’t want to hunt around online, you can use the built-in wi-fi awareness feature on your wi-fi radio to search out hotspots via your laptop. Both Windows XP and Vista have this feature, the trick is to make sure it’s turned on.

Vista and Windows 7 users can also use Vistumbler (www.vistumbler.net) to sniff out nearby hotspots via Google Earth, with the aid of GPS.

More modest souls who are still happily using Windows XP can do similar with Earthstumbler(http://mboffin.com/earthstumbler/), which imports NetStumbler results into a Google Earth map.

Earthstumbler imports GPS-tagged NetStumbler information into Google Earth, while NetStumbler is a Windows tool that allows you to detect wireless local area networks (WLANs).

Those of you with wi-fi equipped smartphones can use the phone itself to track down the nearest hotspot, although some of these are in people’s homes. The only difficulty is that the wi-fi search feature isn’t obvious on some phones, so you may need to consult the dreaded manual. However, it is usually part of the wi-fi set-up function or else integrated into the phone’s connection management features. You also often need to wade through the many SSIDs listed to find the one that you want to connect to – or the free unsecured one.

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, life is even easier, as they have the aforementioned JiWire Wi-Fi Finder built in.

This not only lists your local hotspots, but, if you have GPS, can map them for you too.

Range and security
All the hotspots listed on JiWire use the newer 802.11n wi-fi protocol, which delivers better range than earlier versions of the protocol.

This protocol is worth looking out for, along with what is currently considered the most secure encryption standard, WPA2.

WPA2 certification indicates compliance with an advanced protocol that implements the full, secure 802.11i standard for WLANs.

Earthstumbler and Vistumbler sniffers are also able to detect what encryption is being used.

WEP and WPA are precursors to WPA and not so secure – particularly WEP – but better than nothing. Also, if you can, opt for hotspotequipped cafés etc that offer password protection and ask if it’s changed often. If not… maybe don’t use it.

However, if you do decide to go unsecured, you can store your important passwords on a USB drive with the aid of password-keeper software like RoboForm2-Go (www.roboform.com), which keeps you safe from keystroke-logger hacker programs.

An easier option is to install a simple program like Hotspot Shield (www.hotspotshield.com), which simulates a secure private network.

The program is free, and rated, but you have to put up with a usual slew of ads.

This may all sound like a lot of work before you set off on your travels. However, if like so many of us now, you need to stay in touch while away such preparations could prove well worth the effort. A small amount of hassle now could reults in seamless, fast and reliable connection later.





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