Mobile Internet Adapters allow you to get Internet access wherever your mobile phone works. The device itself is inexpensive, often free, but the service is expensive, but if you absolutely need Internet access in out-of-the-way places, this might do the trick.
Why not Wifi?
Your laptop probably comes with Wifi, and there are lots of places that you can find Internet access. If all you need to do is find some quick information or surf the web, any open Internet connection will do. Some restaurants and coffee shops offer free wifi as an enticement to stop in for a coffee. Some people deliberately leave their home Internet open for anyone to use as a public service. Some people just don’t know how to secure their Internet connection, and leave it available unknowingly.
There is an ongoing ethical debate surounding whether its OK to log onto an open connection, or whether you should find the person who owns the signal and specifically ask permission. When I’ve needed to look something up while driving, I have on occasion just stopped in a residential neighbourhood to pull out my laptop and see if there’s an available connection. My conscience wasn’t bothered by it, and asking permission would have meant knocking on every door in  a ten-house radius to ask each homeowner if the signal I was about to use happened to be theirs.
On the other hand, if I found out my next door neighbour didn’t have an Internet connection of their own and was constantly using mine without asking permission, I would say it was inappropriate. If they had their own, but occasionally hooked into mine when theirs was acting up, I’d probably be OK with that, especially if they asked permission.
There are times, though, when you aren’t anywhere near a wifi hotspot but you still want to get access. In those cases, it might be useful to have a secure way to access the Internet in remote locations. Also, one of the things about tapping into whatever Internet connection you find is that if there’s no security on the connection keeping you out, there’s no security keeping your information private. If you are online banking or transferring client information, then you might not want to do so over an unsecured connection. It’s very unlikely someone will be eavesdropping on your Internet connection, but being careful with confidential information is important.
Mobile Internet Adapters
Most mobile phone companies now sell Internet Adapters for use with their service. The devices are reasonably priced, in fact I’ve seen some given away for free, but the pay-per-use Internet access they provide can get real pricey real quick. If you have a mobile phone, you have one for the convenience and security of being able to make a call wherever you happen to be, as long as you’re in range of a transmission tower. A Mobile Internet Adapter brings the same convenience to any computer with a USB port.
If you absolutely need Internet access for business purposes or just because you need your net fix and you’re willing to pay through the nose for it, then one of these devices might be just the thing.
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