How to Use Your Laptop in Costa Rica

Many people travel to Costa Rica to replace the stresses of work with the relaxed atmosphere of a beautiful locale. Being out of touch with everyday life can bring stresses of its own, though, and taking your laptop when you visit Costa Rica can give you the peace of mind that comes with being just a click away from your responsibilities. Using your laptop in Costa Rica is easy when you follow the right procedures.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Phone cord and adapter
• Transformer
• Insurance policy
• Plug adaptor
• Ethernet network cable
• Surge protector
• Laptop
• USB cable

1. Purchase a short-term insurance policy for your laptop before you travel to Costa Rica. If your laptop is stolen, this plan will cover your loss (see Resources below).
2. Prepare for differences in electricity. You may need an adapter plug to accommodate for "A" and "B" plug types in Costa Rica, and you may also need a transformer. Check the voltage capacity of the transformer block on your laptop. If it cannot handle 120V, buy a transformer.
3. Pack an Internet connection kit that contains a spare phone cord, an extra Ethernet network cable, a phone adapter and a surge protector. You may not need all of these items, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
4. Choose a hotel that provides a data port for laptop modems and free high-speed Internet access. You'll be able to connect to the Internet right from your hotel room and won't have to spend time or money finding a connection solution.
5. Locate Wi-Fi hotspots to use wireless Internet access on the go. Search a directory of Wi-Fi hotspots to find connections in Costa Rica (see Resources below).
6. Use an encryption program to back up sensitive data in case your laptop falls into the wrong hands. TrueCrypt is an easy, free program that encrypts data automatically in real-time (see Resources below). The correct password will decrypt the data for you.

Tips & Warnings

• Download your photos to your laptop each night so you don't run out of memory on your camera.
• Don't forget to charge your laptop battery pack each night.
• Make sure that the phone line in your hotel room is analog before connecting to the Internet. Digital phone lines are not safe for your modem.
• Back up all important data before you use your laptop in Costa Rica in case your computer is stolen.

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