11/9/07 This is Part 2 in our mini-series of travel related Tech Tips. Since most of us enjoy keeping up with our email and Internet access when away from home, we hope these Tech Tips will help make your holiday journeys even more enjoyable. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, having Internet connectivity and email while on the road is becoming a vital way of life for many people. Hotels, airports, libraries and coffee shops are all offering wireless Internet access. Some are free and some charge a fee. But how do you use these services to get online when you're away from home? Apples and Oranges: First let's start by explaining that there are two different ways that you can connect to the Internet 'on the go'. The first way is to use a network that someone else provides which is often called a WiFi hotspot. The second is to subscribe to a service, usually through your cell phone provider, that allows you access to the Internet from pretty much anywhere that you can receive a cell phone signal. Public WiFi: The most common and economical solution for the average user is to connect using a WiFi hotspot. Most hotspots are offered for free but some require a fee. Hotspots are offered as a convenience by many hotels, libraries and coffee shops. Whether free or fee-based, no additional hardware is usually required as most laptops today have built-in wireless receivers. Connecting wirelessly in hotels, libraries and airports is pretty simple: just power up, let your laptop find the wireless network, connect to it and you’re online. For the most part WiFi hotspots are seamless, usually don’t require passwords, and allow users to log on very easily. There are two potential downsides to be aware of: #1. Public WiFi hotspots are generally not secure. Some may utilize security encryption but most do not, so it’s good policy to use caution when it comes to entering passwords and credit card numbers online through a public hotspot. If you make sure your computer's firewall is enabled and your anti-virus software is current you will likely have no problems. #2. Because public WiFi hotspots are running on someone else's network you will probably not be able to send email from your normal email program due to network security measures that will be in place. Not to worry, just log on to Brainstorm's online WebMail, accessible at www.gobrainstorm.net, to bypass that hurdle. Subscriber Service: To connect through your cell phone requires a specialized PCMCIA wireless card which is available through your cell phone provider. This card is different than a normal WiFi card because it picks up your cell phone network rather than a public WiFi network. As long as your laptop is within the carrier’s cell phone range, it will usually be able to access the Internet. For specific instructions on how to connect through your subscriber service you will need to contact your cell phone company for support, Brainstorm is not able to assist with this type of connection. WiFi networks are a great convenience and will continue to improve and make our lives easier and more mobile. From libraries to coffee shops, the Internet is our friend keeping us connected and allowing us to communicate with family and friends or do business as if we were at home. As always we thank you for choosing Brainstorm Internet! We appreciate you as our customer and invite you to stop by our offices anytime if you have a question or a problem, or if you just want to say hi to our friendly staff. Your Brainstorm Internet Team

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